Form Example

Workplace Expectations/Project Management General Learning Objective
Develop critical thinking, research, and project management skills. Understand the ethical implications of the profession.

Notes on the Workplace Expectations/Project Management competency area

As you review the ten items in this section, ask yourself, would it help me professionally if I learned how to do this better?

If you are reluctant to ask your supervisor or co-workers too many questions, but are unsure what to do, then you would check “share information with my supervisor and ask questions to clarify job assignments.”

If you have too much to do and don’t know how to proceed, “Organize my work and prioritize tasks so I complete the most important work first” is an excellent learning objective. You would focus on learning more about organizational skills and priority setting.

If you are unsure if tasks or projects are correctly laid out, then you would check “Increase my ability to know when to follow instructions, question work plans or seek help.”

Follow-through and accuracy are important workplace skills to master. Would it help your performance, if you followed through better or were more accurate?

The shift to a professional mind-set means that you learn to take the initiative. Taking the initiative means volunteering for tough assignments or noticing what needs to be done and pitching in and doing it without being asked

High-quality work is well organized, complete, on time, and accurate. It wins praise from your supervisor and your customers.

If you have time management issues, they can take many forms. Perhaps you don’t take good care of yourself (e.g., diet, exercise, sleep). Maybe you procrastinate and put off doing important work. Or maybe deadlines worry you and you need to learn how to manage the stress of important deadlines. In all these cases, “Manage my time well and meet deadlines” would be an excellent learning objective.

Perhaps you have trouble keeping your school, internship and personal commitments. If you have trouble getting to the internship on time, every time, use the internship as a way to practice becoming more punctual and/or improving your attendance record.

Accounting professionals are trusted with the financial well-being of an organization and must be especially careful to be honest, fair and respectful of clients, customers and co-workers.

Perhaps you are unsure about some points of business etiquette. These include such things as using correct titles of your managers and introducing co-workers in a professional manner. There may be organizational policies about Internet use, playing games on the computer, what personal items you can keep on your desk, or use of the phone for personal calls. You may be unsure what is meant if the dress code is "business casual." Is it OK to wear jeans? Is my way of dressing send the signal that I am a serious professional? To become more aware of these aspects of workplace behavior, check “Increase my skills in presenting myself with an appropriate professional demeanor in dress and in action.”

Remember to check only two items from Workplace Expectations/Project Management that you believe are “most important.”

LaGuardia Community College Accounting Internship Learning Objectives Self-Assessment & Goal-Setting Activity
Overview This self-assessment activity will guide you through the process of setting your internship learning objectives. These learning objectives will specify the ways you want to grow professionally during the internship. You may choose to gain new skills, improve existing skills, or remove obstacles that could block your career success. The process of setting learning objectives is easier if you are clear about which skills and knowledge would be beneficial for you to learn or develop . To help you, the Accounting and Cooperative Education faculty have identified five areas of competency that are crucial to your success as a professional in the business world. They are: 1) Communication/Interaction 2) Workplace Expectations/Project Management 3) Information Technology 4) Accounting Knowledge 5) Career Development/Lifelong Learning Once you begin this self-assessment activity, you will find a general learning objective associated with each of the five competencies. Under each general objective, you will find a list of five to ten specific learning objectives. In all, you will find a list of 38 specific learning objectives from which to choose. This goal-setting activity has three steps. First, you will develop a preliminary list of ten possible learning objectives. Second, you will select three learning objectives from your preliminary list. Third, you will develop action steps for each of these three objectives. Once you complete this self-assessment activity and goal-setting activity, you will be able to upload your results to your ePortfolio in the “Educational Goals” section. ©Diane Ducat If you are not a member of the LaGuardia Community College community, do not link to this web form without the permission of the author and Cooperative Education Department. Web Forms designed by: Marshella and Ali Abdallah
Step 1: Develop Your Preliminary List of Ten Learning Objectives To get a list of ten items, you will select two items from each of the five competency areas. Begin with the Communication/Interaction competency. After you read over the explanatory notes and review possible items, place a check next to those items that you believe would be "most important” for you to develop or improve while on internship. Complete the same steps for Workplace Expectations/Project Management. After you read over the explanatory notes and review the items, check two items that you would believe are “most important” for you to develop or improve from Workplace Expectations/Project Management competency area. Continue in this manner for each of the other four competency areas: Information Technology, Accounting Knowledge, and Career Development/Lifelong Learning until you have ten items (two from each area) as “most important.”

Communications/Interaction
Communications/Interaction General Learning Objective Communicate effectively as writers, listeners, and speakers in social and business settings. Demonstrate interpersonal, teamwork and leadership skills necessary to function in multicultural business settings. Notes on the Communication/Interaction competency area As a college student, you know how to communicate. However, these items relate to learning objectives in which you strive to become a more confident communicator in a professional workplace. This competency concerns your comfort in communicating when you are in unfamiliar situations and/or interacting with your accounting colleagues and clients. Improving communication one-to-one or in groups entails such skills as overcoming shyness, being a good listener, being assertive and able to make your point, and handling conflict effectively. If you would like to improve your skills in any one or these areas, you might check “increase my communications skills in one-on-one interactions” or “increase my communication skills in group and team interactions.” If you are you concerned about sending a professional e-mail to a customer or taking a phone message for your boss, then select those items. If you have not worked in a highly diverse workplace among people of different cultures, perhaps you would check “increase my ability to work with others from diverse cultural backgrounds.” Check the two items that you feel it would be most beneficial for you to improve.
During my internship, I would like to:
	Increase my communication skills in one-on-one interactions.
	Increase my communication skills in group and team interactions.
	Increase my communication skills on the telephone.
	Increase my communication skills using e-mail and other forms of written communication.
	Establish solid working relationships with supervisors and co-workers.
	Increase my ability to work with others from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Workplace Expectations/Project Management
Workplace Expectations/Project Management General Learning Objective Develop critical thinking, research, and project management skills. Understand the ethical implications of the profession. Notes on the Workplace Expectations/Project Management competency area As you review the ten items in this section, ask yourself, would it help me professionally if I learned how to do this better? If you are reluctant to ask your supervisor or co-workers too many questions, but are unsure what to do, then you would check “share information with my supervisor and ask questions to clarify job assignments.” If you have too much to do and don’t know how to proceed, “Organize my work and prioritize tasks so I complete the most important work first” is an excellent learning objective. You would focus on learning more about organizational skills and priority setting. If you are unsure if tasks or projects are correctly laid out, then you would check “Increase my ability to know when to follow instructions, question work plans or seek help.” Follow-through and accuracy are important workplace skills to master. Would it help your performance, if you followed through better or were more accurate? The shift to a professional mind-set means that you learn to take the initiative. Taking the initiative means volunteering for tough assignments or noticing what needs to be done and pitching in and doing it without being asked High-quality work is well organized, complete, on time, and accurate. It wins praise from your supervisor and your customers. If you have time management issues, they can take many forms. Perhaps you don’t take good care of yourself (e.g., diet, exercise, sleep). Maybe you procrastinate and put off doing important work. Or maybe deadlines worry you and you need to learn how to manage the stress of important deadlines. In all these cases, “Manage my time well and meet deadlines” would be an excellent learning objective. Perhaps you have trouble keeping your school, internship and personal commitments. If you have trouble getting to the internship on time, every time, use the internship as a way to practice becoming more punctual and/or improving your attendance record. Accounting professionals are trusted with the financial well-being of an organization and must be especially careful to be honest, fair and respectful of clients, customers and co-workers. Perhaps you are unsure about some points of business etiquette. These include such things as using correct titles of your managers and introducing co-workers in a professional manner. There may be organizational policies about Internet use, playing games on the computer, what personal items you can keep on your desk, or use of the phone for personal calls. You may be unsure what is meant if the dress code is "business casual." Is it OK to wear jeans? Is my way of dressing send the signal that I am a serious professional? To become more aware of these aspects of workplace behavior, check “Increase my skills in presenting myself with an appropriate professional demeanor in dress and in action.” Remember to check only two items from Workplace Expectations/Project Management that you believe are “most important.”
During my internship, I would like to
	Share information with my supervisor and ask questions to clarify job assignments.
	Learn how to organize my work and prioritize tasks so I complete the most important work first.
	Increase my ability to know when to follow instructions, question work plans or seek help.
	Improve my ability to follow through and complete tasks and projects accurately.
	Learn how to take the initiative and ask for work.
	Produce high-quality work.
	Learn how to manage my time well and meet deadlines.
	Learn how to be more punctual and attend the internship as scheduled.
	Display ethical behavior by treating others, including clients and co-workers, with respect, honesty, and fairness.
	Increase my skills in presenting myself with an appropriate professional demeanor in dress and in action.

Information Technology
Information Technology General Learning Objective Select and apply the tools of technology as they relate to personal and business decision making. Notes on the Information Technology competency area Information Technology skills are a “must” and you probably have developed some of these skills. The question to ask yourself is, “What skills do I need to improve?” Would improving the speed and accuracy of my keyboarding skills improve my documents and spreadsheets and make them easier to complete? Do I know the advanced Excel functions? Would increasing my ability to use PowerPoint software help my professional advancement? When I use the Internet and the database searches, am I comfortable and skilled at finding the information I need? Remember to check only two items from Information Technology that you believe are “most important.”
During my internship, I would like to:
	Improve my word processing skills (e.g., Word), including formatting, advanced functions, and keyboarding speed and accuracy.
	Improve spreadsheet software skills (e.g., Excel, QuickBooks) including formatting, advanced functions, and keyboarding speed and accuracy.
	Improve my other software skills (e.g., presentation, database, proprietary).
	Improve my skills in obtaining and using information from electronic sources, including specialized databases and the Internet (e.g., Google searches).
	Improve my ability to input data accurately and spot inconsistencies.

Accounting Knowledge
Accounting Knowledge General Learning Objective Possess sufficient technical and professional knowledge to form the foundation for a successful career in accounting. Manage data from all of the functional areas of business needed to make wise financial decisions. Notes on the Accounting Knowledge competency area The internship is an excellent opportunity to practice learning more about the major role responsibilities of an accounting professional. In addition, you are expected to know more than just your everyday responsibilities. You need to know about ethical practices and understand the accounting function in your organization. Increasing your knowledge or skills on each one of the items of the Accounting Knowledge competency area would help you become more successful in the workplace. Remember to check only two items from Accounting Knowledge area that you believe are “most important."
During my internship, I would like to
	Increase my knowledge of appropriate accounting vocabulary and terms.
	Increase my ability to demonstrate an understanding of accounting principles and practices.
	Increase my ability to maintain accurate accounting records and files.
	Increase my ability to use spreadsheet and accounting software to create, maintain and/or update accounting records.
	Increase my ability to use spreadsheet or accounting software to prepare reports, charts and/or graphs used in accounting reports and/or financial statements.
	Improve my conceptual understanding of financial statements.
	Increase my ability to complete various steps of the accounting cycle (e.g., accrual adjustments, trial balance, and financial statements).
	Become more familiar with ethical practices as they pertain to the accounting field.
	Increase my knowledge and understanding of the accounting function within the internship company/industry.

Career Development/Lifelong Learning
Career Development/Lifelong Learning General Learning Objective Develop career awareness and related skills to make viable career choices. Notes on Career Development and Lifelong Learning competency area Often those who advance in their career fields are the professionals who have learned the most about managing their careers. They are self-confident and demonstrate their interest in learning. They don’t try to succeed all alone. They know how to get a helping hand in the workplace by seeking out coaching, engaging in networking, and seeking and accepting feedback. They get information from others that will help them make better educational and career plans for the future. Experienced professionals try new things and seek to learn new assignments quickly. They want to learn from their experience through reflection. They view mistakes as learning opportunities. Read over the list of items, and select the two items that would help you manage your career better.
During my internship, I would like to:
	Learn how to feel more self-confident in interactions with others and in completing work tasks.
	Improve my ability to seek coaching from my boss or co-workers to develop my career skills and knowledge.
	Learn how to network with others to increase knowledge of and access to career opportunities available to students majoring in Accounting.
	Explore transfer opportunities to a four-year college program by seeking information, support, and discussing plans with my colleagues and supervisor.
	Improve my skills in learning new assignments quickly.
	Learn how to express an interest in learning new skills and trying new tasks.
	Learn how to ask for feedback on my strengths and weaknesses as well as the quality of my work in order to improve my performance.
	Learn how to accept positive and negative feedback and learn from experience.