Huntsman Blue Print Assignment

OVERVIEW

Consider that you are designing a company and its line of products and services. What questions would you ask? What research would you do? How would you identify your customer? What type of plan or blueprint would you create? Now consider that this “company” is you, and that the product offerings are the skills, talents, capabilities, and knowledge that you have to offer. Your customer is a group of potential employers and colleagues.

You have 4 – 5 years of undergraduate education to create an optimal offering – you – which will qualify you for a fulfilling, rewarding, and valuable career based on your passions, values, and talents.

In order to design your “company,” you will conduct a basic gap analysis and design a blueprint for the remainder of your time at USU. Your blueprint will be anchored in what you want to do and become. The gap analysis will answer the following questions:

What do my customers want?

2. What do I already have to offer?

3. How will I fill the gap?

The assignment will be broken down into two parts. Part 1: Self-SWOT Analysis will answer the first two questions and is explained in more detail on page 2. Part 2: My Blueprint will answer the last question, explanation on page 3.

Happy blueprinting!

MY HUNTSMAN BLUEPRINT
Part 1: Self SWOT Analysis
Due: February 28, 2011

In order to design a profitable company platform and suite of products and services, organizations often begin with a SWOT Analysis (SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats). Focusing on you as the company and your skills, talents, and capabilities as the products and services, brainstorm, understand, and create a substantial list for each of the following categories:

1. Passions

· What do you love?

· What energizes and empowers you? What gets you fired up?

· What do you spend your free time on?

· When are you in your “Element”?

2. Strengths

· What are you really good at? What do you feel you were “born” to do?

· What do other people say you are good at?

· What unique talents, qualities, and skills do you possess?

· What experiences have made you more valuable?

· Include talents, qualities, and skills, as well as unique experiences, credentials, etc.

· Ask someone to read your list and give feedback.

· Review your benchmark survey.

3. Weaknesses

· What skills, knowledge, or competencies do you need but don’t have?

· What do you hate doing or are not good at?

· Review your benchmark survey.

· Revisit after identifying customers and opportunities.

4. Customers

· What industries or career tracks (at least 2) play well to your passions and strengths?

· Who are your primary, secondary, & supporting customers?

· What do they value?

· What knowledge do you need to gain from your customers?

· Conduct market research.

5. Opportunities

· Based on customer analysis, what opportunities exist to capitalize on your strengths?

· How can you prepare for and take advantage of such opportunities?

· Revisit and revise strengths and weaknesses.

6. Threats

· What kinds of barriers or challenges could prevent you from opportunities?

· Consider family, economy, health, etc. (Be realistic not catastrophic)

This should be thought provoking but not time consuming. Review your Covey workbook and benchmark survey. Consider organizing your lists into an easy-to-read graphic. You can find many premade SWOT graphics online. I encourage you to find something that speaks to you, that motivates and empowers you. It doesn’t need to be complicated. We will use this to design your Blueprint.

Customer Research:
You need 6 source: (3) people (3) other- books, articles, informative websites
Include a list of
- all our sources?
- Who they are?
- What's their position in the company- what's their job?
- Why makes them a credible source?
- Questions you asked and their responses

s create an out-line that covers

MY HUNTSMAN BLUEPRINT
Part 2: My Blueprint
Due: March 23, 2011

Part 1 answered the first two questions of your gap analysis: (1) what your customers want and (2) what you currently have to offer. Inevitably there is a gap between what they want and what you can offer today. So, the next step is to design a plan to fill the gap.

The purpose of Part 2 is to create a comprehensive and concrete blueprint. Design a plan that will help you develop the right suite of “products and services” (talents, abilities, circumstances, networks, etc.) necessary to acquire a career that is fulfilling, rewarding, and valuable to society. Organize your blueprint into a graphic. Make sure the composition of the blueprint is easy to read, empowers you, and fulfills the purpose of the assignment.

The blueprint should include

· Classes (required & elective for your major, minor & USU generals/breadth/depth)

· Internships

· Mentoring relationship development

· Networking

· Personal development outside class

· Career exploration

· Certification, tests, etc.

· Extracurricular opportunities

· Fun

When choosing coursework, consider classes that will develop essential skills and capabilities, not just fulfill graduation requirements. Think about extracurricular activities that develop experiences and skills. Think comprehensively. Use this as an opportunity to design a fun, rewarding, rigorous, and preparatory experience that maximizes your time at the Huntsman School and prepares you for your ideal career.

You have a lot of resources. I encourage you to visit

· Career Accelerators

· Advising Center

· Career Services & Other Campus Resources

· Professors/Mentors

· Neighbors

· Local Business Owners (or individuals doing what you want to do)

· Peers

· Recruiting Websites (e.g. TalentMarket.org; CareerBuilder.com; etc.)

Help each other. Share your research. Be prepared to share in class.