CAREER PLANNING – ODTÜ KPM

Course Code: BA 100 (3120100)
METU Credit: Non-credit Must course
ECTS Credit: 2
Department: Business Administration
Language of Instruction : English
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Course Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Y. Eren Kalay
Offered Semester: Spring Semesters

Catalogue Description

Career planning is not just about finding a job after graduation. It is a recurring process that students should utilize at any time throughout the degree and professional life. Therefore, students should be encouraged to begin their career development in their first year. In that sense, this course aims to equip students with the necessary principles, methods, and practices in designing their career paths, help them identify their own strengths and weaknesses, develop their social skills, and develop diction and body language. Moreover, this course focuses on using social media to develop a network, follow career opportunities, write a resume and cover letter, and prepare for a job interview. Career-oriented centers of METU (i.e., Career Planning Center, Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching (ÖGEM), International Cooperation Offices) are introduced, and corresponding opportunities are explained to the students.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students should be capable of

acquainting themselves with career-oriented offices, i.e., Career Development Office, ÖGEM, Erasmus Exchange and International Cooperation Offices, Technopolis,
understanding the essential components of the career choice, including personal and educational awareness,
articulating career fields that they are pursuing during their undergraduate studies,
building a notion of job seeking, developing CV and resumes, writing cover letters, performing effectively in job interviews,
developing in utilizing social media and technology in the job search process,
creating a professional network,
developing soft skills.

WEEKLY PROGRAM

WEEK 1: 21 February 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Introduction of Career Planning Course and METU Career Planning Center

Lecturer: Prof. Y. Eren Kalay (Course Coordinator /ODTÜ KPM)

Details: Course aim and scope; introduction of the career center services and career center’s online platform. The team members of METU Career PlanningCenter introduce themselves.

Reference material(s):

https://kpm.metu.edu.tr

WEEK 2: 28 February 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Soft skills and Effective CV Preparation

Lecturer: Ülkü Önder (ODTÜ KPM)

Details: What soft skills are important in recruitment and success in business life? Can they be learned or improved? What can be done on this subject during university years? “Why should I hire you?”, “Why should I choose you over other candidates?”. If your CV answers these questions, it is likely that it was prepared correctly. Information about the titles and sequences that should be in a correctly prepared CV will be revealed.

WEEK 3: 6 March 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: International and Mobility Program Opportunities

Lecturer: Burcu Akpınar (METU International Cooperations Office Director)

Details: In addition to academic and personal gains, international and mobility
programs offered by home institutions contribute on the professional development,
career and employability of students. It is suggested by many researches and studies
that students who benefit from these programs improve their personal competences
and transferable skills required by the labor market of the current most competitive
and knowledge-based economy. In that respect, highly mobile students attending in
mobility/international programs advance their foreign language abilities,
intercultural awareness and soft skills like being tolerant or adapting to new
situations, which also positively affects their recruitment process and employability,
at the end. That being said, this session will briefly explain the international and
mobility programs run by METU with specific focus on application periods, selection
criteria, partner institutions and so on.

Reference material(s):

WEEK 4: 13 March 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Opportunities at the METU Ecosystem

Lecturer: Assoc. Prof. Elif Sürer (Multimedia Informatics, GİMER)

Details: Entrepreneurship is an essential asset in numerous domains, including
engineering, game technologies, and health. In this lecture, the fundamentals of
entrepreneurship will briefly be introduced, followed by the opportunities at the
METU ecosystem—research centers, incubation centers, new and international
entrepreneurship courses, international projects, hackathons, and students clubs.

Reference material(s):

WEEK 5: 20 March 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Entrepreneurship

Lecturer: Serdar Alemdar (METU Alumni / General Manager, METU Technopolis)

Details: We will discuss about entrepreneurship as a career option for students. METU & METU Technopolis offers variety of programs addressing undergraduate students in order to inspire and enable founder teams to learn and develop enterpreneurial skills. Finally we will discuss professional career option startups which could be best of both worlds for many people.

WEEK 6: 27 March 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: English at Work: Lessons from the Cultural Milkshake

Lecturer: Jason Steinberg (Department of Modern Languages)

Details: How do you say afiyet olsun in English? Why are Turks always the best
dressed people at international conferences? Why do American CEOs dress like
they’re hanging out with friends? How do the various cultures that we are a part of
determine the language and lifestyle choices we use? And what does all this mean for
your future work life?

WEEK 7: 3 April 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Statement of Purpose and Cover Letter

Lecturer(s): Zeynep Ünlüer & Burçin Kağıtçı Yıldız (Academic Writing Center Coordinators)

Details: Before you apply for a job or master’s/ doctorate degree, what should you write apart from CVs? In this talk, we will talk about statement of purpose and cover letter. We will give information about the content of these professional writing types. You will also learn about some tips and advice on language that you should use when you write them.

WEEK 8: 17 April 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Designerly Way of Thinking and Thinking the Design

Lecturer: Prof. Arzu Gönenç Sorguç (Department of Architecture/METU Design Factory)

Details: Design, in general, is an act of problem-solving, however, solving a problem does not mean that you are designing. Problem-solving requires vertical thinking, design on the other hand requires lateral thinking which helps to see the“solutions” that no one can see. Designing is a creative process, novelty is in it sessence. Today, with the advances in technology and computational tools, design becomes very interdisciplinary and designers should also orchestrate data, use technology, and should be good team players. A way to achieve this is to develop a new mindset and design thinking is an approach to develop such thinking skills and help you think designerly.

WEEK 9: 24 April 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: A goal-oriented career story

Lecturer: Doruk Balkan METU Alumni/Business Analyst in YouTube

Details: Doruk Balkan, a 2016 METU graduate with a major in Electrical and
Electronics Engineering and a minor in Corporate Finance, presently serves as a
Business Analyst at YouTube. In his current role, he collaborates with Product
Engineering teams to ensure the creation of a secure platform for all users. During
his lecture, Doruk will draw upon his experiences at METU, shedding light on how
those formative years played a pivotal role in shaping his life. Additionally, he will
impart valuable insights and top tips on learning, personal growth, and reflective
practices essential for both your career and, more significantly, your life journey.
Don’t miss the opportunity to join this session and glean simple yet effective tips,
taking manageable steps towards crafting a life of your own design.

WEEK 10: 8 May 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: How to Prepare for Your Future Career

Lecturer: Deniz Dönmez (METU Career Planning Application and Research Center)

Details: When you think about preparing for your future career, what comes to your mind? In this course week, you will learn about some tips and tricks that can help you better understand what you should do to build your future career. You will also learn how to get out of your comfort zone and take advantage of all the resources that you already have.

WEEK 11: 15 May 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: New Possibilities of Metaverse and AI as a Career Planning of Your Future

Lecturer: Dr. Ozan Yavuz (ODTÜ KPM)

Details: The shift toward the virtual world of the metaverse and AI is already beginning to take place. This new world has begun to offer us new possibilities in different fields. Although it seems a bit scary to adapt to this world, many companies, freelancers, micro-entrepreneurs, and artists have already started to modify themselves in this field. New career and job descriptions specific to the field started to give some clues, like Ecosystem Developer, Metaverse Storyteller, and NFT Domain Consultant. There are also various opportunities where AI can guide you: How can I prepare for job interviews, how to use hiring tools in ChatGPT, or which CV would be the most suitable for me? This talk will briefly discuss the new possibilities in the virtual world and the usage of AI as a career planning for your future.

WEEK 12: 22 May 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: Departmental Career Seminars

Lecturer: Department Specific Lecturer

Details: This week, students will attend career seminars given by their departments. Detailed information will be given later.

WEEK 14: 29 May 2024/17.40-18.30

Lecture Topic: BA100 Career Festival

Lecturers: METU Career Planning Center (ODTÜ KPM)

Details: We will have fun.

Contact Info

Phone: (0312) 210 4129 – 7107 – 4137

E-mail: ba100@metu.edu.tr

Address: ODTÜ Kariyer Planlama Merkezi, A-4 Çıkışı Yeni Öğrenci Merkezi,

Dumlupınar Bulvarı No: 1 06800 Çankaya/Ankara