CAREER DESIGN AND SKILLS

Chapter 2+3: Career design and development in the digital era

1. Understand Personal Values and Motivations
• Career Design is the intentional process of shaping your career path based on your values,
strengths, and life goals - rather than letting chance or others decide for you
• Steps of Career Design Model

• Career Design and Continuous Improvement Mindset: PDCA

2. Employability in the Digital Era

• Employability is the combination of skills, knowledge, personal attributes that make you
employable, adaptable in a changing job market
 • Core Components

3. Career Design Canvas

Chapter 6: Career design and career development
1. Career Design Process for Undergraduate Students

2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs - Understand motivation

• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory (1954) in psychology comprising a five
tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchy levels within a pyramid

• Career Application Segment

• Career design begins with self-awareness, not job titles

• Successful people don’t just chase jobs. Instead they choose roles that match their internal
needs
3. Johari Window - Explore Self-Awareness and Feedback
 • Advocated by [Link] and H. Ingam
• A proven framework for self-discovery and better communication. Compare how you
describe yourself with how others see you to reveal hidden strengths and blind spots

• Building a career requires knowing your strengths and limitations

• Feedbacks improve communication, teamwork, leadership, and confidence
• Self-aware people adapt faster in workplace and grow faster
4. Career Anchor Theory - Core Career Values - What Motivates You?
• Introduced by Edgar Schein and the central concept of this theory is “Self-concept”, integrated
among individual’s talents, motives and values, as perceived by himself/ herself, which the
individual uses to for motives and stabilise his/ her career

5. Holland’s Vocational Choice Theory - Personality and Career Fit

• Based on the premise that personality factors underlie career choices, his theory postulates that
people project self onto occupational titles, and make career decisions from our personality
types
• The theory clarifies our suitable vocational choices from our interests or preferences and
personality
6. Transactional Analysis - Communication and Work Behavior
• Transactional Analysis (TA) is a psychological framework that helps individuals
understand their interactions and communication styles, which can significantly influence
their career choices and workplace relationships
• TA posits three primary ego states

Critical, nurturing

Rational, balanced

Emotional, spontaneous

=> Recognizing these states in yourself and others can inform your career choices and
professional interactions
7. Enneagram Analysis - Understanding Deep Motivation and Emotional Patterns
• The Enneagram is a powerful tool for personal and collective transformation. Stemming from
the Greek words ennea (9) and grammos (a written symbol), the nine-pointed Enneagram
symbol represents 9 categories /strategies for relating to our personality
• The theory clarifies our “sense of value” from 9 categories for searching our suitable career

8. Super’s Life-Career Rainbow - Career is a Journey with Multiple Roles

9. Key Takeaways

Chapter 7+8: Designing your career roadmap: From self-awareness to action

1. Understanding the Future Job Market

• PEST Framework for Career Planning
o A political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analysis is a method used by
businesses to assess external factors that influence their operations and competitive
environment
o This planning can maximize the organization’s ability to capitalize on conditions as
they exist and to be better prepared for imminent changes, allowing the organization to
stay ahead of competitors
 => Employability today is not only about personal ability - it’s about staying relevant in an
environment shaped by politics, technology, and sustainability
2. Porter's Five Forces Framework for Career Planning
• Porter's Five Forces are used to identify and analyze an industry's competitive forces
• Businesses can use the model to determine the intensity of competition and potential
profitability, helping them better understand where power lies in their sector

• For Employability

3. Decision Making for Your Career Planning

• SWOT Analysis
o To succeed in a competitive job market, you need to analyze
▪ What advantages you bring?
▪ Where you need improvement?
▪ Which market trends you can ride?
 ▪ Which risks you must prepare for?
=> That’s where SWOT for career planning comes in
• Strategic Action
o “Business leaders use PEST, Porter’s & SWOT to compete
o You can use the same tools to design your future
o Treat your career like a strategic project
• Strategic Action - From SWOT to TWOS

SO - Use strengths to seize opportunities WO - Use opportunities to fix weaknesses

ST - Use strengths to defend against threats WT - Avoid risks, build protection

• SMART Turns Motivation into Measurable Progress

o SMART goal formula

▪ I will [action] + [metric] by [deadline] to develop [skill] for [career direction]
=> “I will complete the Google Analytics course and build one real marketing dashboard
within 30 days to prepare for a digital marketing internship.”
=> “Our group will get an A for mid term presentation by the deadline by applying having
a group meeting per week, dividing tasks clearly, and rehearsing 3 timesfor feedback.”
Chapter 9: Communication skills
1. Communication
• Communication cycle within an organization

• Communication is defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning

• The core of communication is multi-dimensional interaction, connection and information
sharing
• Each individual within a team or an organization should be ready to share as well as receive
information shared from other staff members
• Communication is the methodology for an effective way of speaking or writing, how to use
different words skilfully and how to persuade other [Link] consists of five elements:
o Content to talk
o Composition of talking content
o Expression method
o Memory of contents
o Presentation
2. Interpersonal Communication
• According to the development of sociological and psychological approach of the 20th century,
more empirical research has been done on the concept of communication skills, especially in
the field of “interpersonal communication”
 o Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information,
feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages
o Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said- the language used but
how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial
expressions, gestures and body language
o Without speech, an observer may be using cues of posture, facial expressions, gestures
and dress to form an impression of the other’s role, emotional state, personality and/or
intentions
o Although no communication may be intended, people receive messages through such
forms of nonverbal behaviours
o Companies emphasize the daily communication skill such as “firmly greeting”,
“politeness and etiquette”, “attitude not tomake others uncomfortable”, “understand
others” in addition to the basic skill of telling and listening (not hearing)
• Top three training themes for communication skill development
o Training to thoroughly implement greetings, etiquette, wording
o Business manners such as customer service, telephone correspondence, business card
exchange, how to dispatch tea
o Listening ability: listen and understand others well
3. Model of the Communication Process

• Communication skills
o Verbal communication: Choosing words, tone, and sentence structure for clear, concise
messages
o Non-verbal communication: Body language, expressions, and gestures complement or
contradict verbal communication
o Listening skills: Understanding perspectives, asking questions, and showing empathy for
meaningful conversations
o Written communication: Clarity, grammar, and adapting to recipient expectations in
written messages
o Interpersonal skills: Building rapport, empathy, conflict resolution, and negotiation for
healthy relationships
o Presentation skills: Structuring content, using visuals, and delivering confidently for
persuasive communication
4. 5W1H Approach to Make an Effective Presentation
WHAT Focuses on providing a clear description of the problem, specifying its type and the
conditions under which it occurs
WHO Refers to the individuals related with the problem including those affected by the
problem and those contributed to its occurrence
WHERE Indicates the location or place of the problem or situation, including the specific
process where the problem is occurring
WHEN Involves the time or duration of the problem or situation, including details such as
dates, deadlines, and other time-related information
WHY Focuses on the reasons or motivations behind the problem or situation and the need
for taking actions to address it
HOW Focuses on the mechanics of how something has happened. It may cover the methods,
tools, resources, and costs involved

5. Written Communication Skill

• Basic Elements of an Email
o Header
o Subject line
o Greetings
o Email text
o Closing
o Email signature/ Contact information
• Increasing the Chances of Email Being Opened
o Keep it specific, but brief. The subject of the email should be stated on a single line. You'll
want to limit it to 30 to 50 characters or four to seven words. This ensures the full subject
is displayed in the recipient’s inbox
o Get straight to the point -- no beating around the bush. The subject line should give a
concrete idea of what the recipient can expect when opening the email
 o Accurate and specific information. Incorrect or incomplete information encourages
distrust and can make your recipient unlikely to open your next communication
o Never leave it blank
• Template of a Subject Line
o [Name of the task/ event] + Jobs to do
▪ [CDS] Group 1 - Submission of the Final Report
▪ [HPTN K63DB] Xin đổi tên đề tài lần 2
o Regarding + Name of the task/ Jobs to do
▪ Regarding the MC Script for Prom 2024
▪ V/v Xin đổi tên đề tài HPTN
o Don’t forget writing basics
▪ Spelling
▪ Grammar
▪ Punctuation
▪ Capitalization
• Header
o The header of an email contains information about the sender, the recipient(s), and how
the mail was delivered, including the following mandatory fields
▪ From: The sender's name and email
▪ Date: Time that the email was sent and delivered
▪ To: The recipients' addresses: CC, BCC
o DO have a Professional Email
• Greetings
o DearMr. / Mrs. / Miss. / Ms. ….,
o Use TITLES: Dear Prof. …, Dear Director …,
o Dear Sir/ Dear Madam,
o Dear Marketing Group/ Dear Sales Team,
o To Whom It may Concern,

• Email text
o A formal email should not be long unless the topic warrants it
▪ Main MESSAGE
▪ All necessary DETAILS
o If your email is relatively long, break it up into short paragraphs and don't use indentation
o Use bold type for words or phrases you want to emphasize, especially in a long email
o Write more POLITELY & SINCERELY (Please/ Could/ Would you mind/ Would like)
• Closing
o Expressing gratitude is a great way to close an email conversatio
 o Keep it SHORT and SIMPLE
▪ “I know you’re busy and appreciate the time spent reading this email”
▪ “Thanks in advance for any help you can provide”
▪ “I hope you find our catalogs helpful”
o The last word be fore your email signature
▪ Bestregards,
▪ Sincerely
▪ Stay tuned
▪ Cordially
▪ Respectfully
▪ Have a great day
• Email signature
o The finishing touch to any professional email is the sender's signature
o An email signature is not like a handwritten signature
▪ Name of the company you work for
▪ Your contact numbers (phone, email)
▪ A link to your company's website
▪ Links to the company’s social networks (optional)
▪ A photo or business logo
• DON'T SEND until you READ and CHECK
o Spelling or grammatical errors can undermine your professionalism and negatively
impact the response
o If you announce in the body of the email that you are attaching a file(s), check that you
have actually added it before clicking SEND'
o If you’re sending the same email to a number of people, make sure to protect the privacy
of your recipients. Put your own email address in the To: field and add the recipients'
email addresses to the BCC (blind carbon copy) field
o Pay special attention to the closing of your formal email. Make sure you have a selection
of phrases to end each email so that it doesn't seem like you're always using the same
formula
• Cultural matters
o Understand cultural differences

o Low-context versus High-context communication

 • Key Takeaways
o Lowcontextwriter + Highcontextreader
▪ Status&identity need acknowledgement
▪ Building a relationship is important
o Highcontextwriter + Low contextreader
▪ Efficiency & effectiveness through tasks
▪ Direct questions are used for clarity

6. Academic Writing
• Reliable Source of Research
o A reliable source provides a thorough, well-reasoned theory, argument, discussion, etc.,
based on strong evidence
o Sources of reliable references
▪ Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or books
▪ Trade or professional articles or books
▪ Magazines articles, books and newspaper articles from well – established newspaper
▪ Prestigious websites
• Academic writing
o Academic writing is clear, concise, focused, structured and backed up by evidence in
order to aid the readers’ understanding
o It has a formal tone and style but not complex and does not require the use of long
sentences and complicated vocabulary
• General characteristics of academic writing
o Planned and focused: answers the question and demonstrates an understanding of the
subject
o Structured: is coherent, written in a logical order, and brings together related points and
material
o Evidenced: demonstrates knowledge of the subject area, supports opinions and arguments
with evidence and is referenced accurately
o Formal in tone and style: uses appropriate language and tenses, and is clear, concise and
balanced
• Guidance of APA Format Citation
o APA is the style of documentation of sources used by the American Psychological
Association
o What to keep in mind?
▪ In-text citation: Author name & date within your research paper
▪ Reference: The reference page at the end, which lists all the sources used in the research
paper
Chapter 10: Teamwork management skills
1. Teamwork Theory
• A team is a group of two or more individuals who come together to achieve a common goal
or objective
• TEAM: interdependence, roles, collaboration, commitment, shared goals
• Teamwork refers to the collaborative efforts of a group of people working together to achieve
a common goal. It emphasizes cooperation, communication, and mutual support
o Communication: Clear and open communication to understand tasks, solving problems,
avoiding mistakes
o Trust: Trust each others’ abilities and work ethics
o Collaboration: Individuals contribute their strengths, share resources, and help each other
o Flexibility: Adaptable – Members are willing to adjust their roles and approaches
o Problem-solving: Brainstorming, sharing ideas, finding solutions together
o Respect: Respect different viewpoints, skills and backgrounds
• Roles of a teamwork
For Individuals For Organizations
 Help individuals have autonomy in making  Select capable and skilled individuals
decisions and taking responsibility  Improve work efficiency through
 Promote the competencies and potential values of promoting creativity and strengths of
an individual each individuals
 Promote the collaboration, determination and  Break the ice between colleagues,
mutual support to work towards the common goal managers and employees
 Sharpen hard skills and soft skills

• Team role model

Role Characteristics Behaviors
Leader Facilitates, listens, decides Sets deadlines, guides meetings
Organizer Structure, planning Creates timeline, Google Docs/Notion
Doer Executes tasks Builds slides, analyzes data
Thinker Idea generation Suggests direction, insights
Checker Quality assurance Fixes logic, checks citations
• Stages of building an effective teamwork
o Forming o Performing
▪ Little agreement ▪ Clear vision and purpose
▪ Unclear purpose ▪ Focus on goal achievement
▪ Guidance and direction ▪ Delegation
o Storming o Adjourning
▪ Conflict ▪ Task completion
▪ Increased clarity of purpose ▪ Good feeling about achievement
▪ Power struggles ▪ Recognition
▪ Coaching
o Norming
▪ Agreement and consensus
▪ Clear roles and responsibility
▪ Facilitation
2. Conflict Management
• Conflict is a process in which one party realizes that its interests are either opposing or
negatively affected by another party

• Types of conflict
o Task conflict: Disagreements about the content and goals of the team's work – Good &
Improve ideas
o Process conflict: Disagreements over how tasks should be accomplished or how
responsibilities should be distributed – Bad & Slow work
o Relationship conflict: Conflict based on interpersonal issues like personality clashes,
annoyance, or personal animosity – Very bad & Personal tensions
• Results of conflict in a team
o Resentment and hostility
o Increased stress and burnout
o Poor communication
o Decreased team cohesion and morale
=> Damaged reputation
o Positive results of conflict
▪ Improved problem solving and innovation
▪ Better decision making
▪ Increased accountability
▪ Team development and growth
▪ Classification of roles and expectations
• Steps to resolve team conflict

• Effective Conflict Management Strategies

o The best strategy depends on
▪ How important is the issue?
▪ How important is the relationship?
▪ How urgent is the decision?
o If the issue is important => be ASSERTTIVE
o If the relationship is important => be COOPERATIVE
Chapter 11: Organization and time management skills for employability
1. Key insight
• Most people have tasks
• Few people have a system
=> That’s why Organization and Time Management Models matter
2. Effective organization skills
• Narrow approach: Complete assigned tasks
• Broad approach: The ability to arrange, manage, and coordinate tasks, resources, and time
in a structured and efficient manner. These skills help individual plan and execute activities
in an orderly fashion, ensuring that goals are achieved within set timeline and with minimal
disruption
• Steps of an effective organizing process

• Goals versus Objectives

• Goals and objectives must be SMART

SPECIFIC What do you want to accomplish?
Who needs to be included?
When do you want to do this?
Why is this a goal?
MEASURABLE How can you measure progress and know if you’ve met your goal?
ACHIEVABLE Do you have the skills required to achieve the goal? If not, can you obtain them?
What is the motivation for achieving this goal?
Is the amount of effort required on par with what the goal will achieve?
RELEVANT Why am I setting this goal now?
Is it aligned with our overall objectives?
TIME-BOUND What is the deadline and it is realistic?
 • Make plan

o Collect information

o Form strategies

o Action plan
▪ How to apply theories and tools of time management to your action plan?
3. Eisenhower Matrix - Urgent versus important
• 1. Does this task contribute to my long-term goals or values?
=> If yes, it’s important
• 2. Does this task have to be done right now, or face consequences?
=> If yes, it’s urgent
• 3. Does this task help someone else more than it helps me?
=> If yes, it’s possibly not important but could be urgent
• 4. Does this task take up more time than it’s worth?
=> If yes, it might not be urgent orn important.
4. Pomodoro Technique - Focus management
• The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique where you break down all of
your tasks into 25 minute blocks of focused time. Between each time block, there is a five
minute break. And after completing four Pomodoros, you allow yourself a longer break–
usually 15 to 30 minutes

• Aim of Pomodoro technique

o Eliminate the multi-tasking habit
o Be more focused on your work (or other high-leverage activities)
o Get more things done because you’ll have a sense of urgency
o Avoid the perfectionist mindset by overly “fine-tuning” a project
o Build higher levels of willpower and concentration
o Decrease stress level because you’re doing one thing at a time
• Pomodoro NOT effective
o When doing creative flow work
o When you are forced to stop even though you are “in the zone”
o When meetings interrupt
 o When task requires long mental continuity
o If students use breaks to doom scroll
• Focus and Employability
o Employers value people who deliver RELIABILITY
o Deep focus means high-quality output
o In the workplace, inability to focus means slow work and lost trust
5. Time Blocking – Planning
• Focus and Employability
o Time blocking is a time management method where you divide your day into blocks of
time. Each block is dedicated to a specific task or group of tasks

6. Work Breakdown Structure

• A Work Breakdown Structure includes dividing a large and complex project into simpler,
manageable, and independent tasks. For constructing a work breakdown structure, each node
is recursively decomposed into smaller sub-activities, until at the leaf level, the activities
become undividable and independent
• Steps of WBS
o Step 1: Identify the major activities of the project
o Step 2: Identify the sub activities of the major activities
o Step 3: Repeat till undividable, simple, and independent activities are created
 • Gantt Chart
o A Gantt chart, commonly used in project management, is one of the most popular and useful
ways of showing activities (tasks or events) displayed against time
o Each activity is represented by a bar; the position and length of the bar reflects the start
date, duration and end date of the activity

7. Context Switching And Task Batching

• Context switching is the act of constantly moving between tasks, requiring the brain to reset
its focus each time
• This “resetting time” accumulates and leads to inefficiency
 • Pareto Rule

8. Summary
• Mindset for organization and time management
o Goal setting
o Task breakdown
o Prioritization
o Planning tools
o Focus
o Adaptability
o Progress review
o Managing YOURSELF => Time Management
o Managing TASKS => Organizational Skills
o Managing PEOPLE => Teamwork Skills
=> All models connect to career readiness
• Organization & time management skills and Employability in the digital business
o It is essential for students to develop these skills early. Doing so enables them to take on
multiple roles, work well in teams, and efficiently manage tasks in a fast-changing digital
environment
o These skills play a key role in improving employability - the ability to obtain jobs and grow
professionally in the digital industry