Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
Solution and Answer Guide
OWENS, KADAKIA, AND SIMS, YOUR CAREER: HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, 11E, © 2026,
9798214115894; CHAPTER 1: YOUR CAREER JOURNEY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Critical Thinking Questions....................................................................................................1
Trial Run..................................................................................................................................2
Career Action Worksheets (Suggested Rubrics).................................................................2
Worksheet 1-1 Your Career Journey (Outcome 1)..................................................................2
Worksheet 1-2 Organize and Start Your Career Files (Outcome 2)..................................3
Worksheet 1-3 Proactive Success Action Plan (Outcome 3)..............................................3
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. What is the value of knowing about the phases and steps for a job search? (Outcome 1)
Answer: It breaks up the Job Search Journey into easy-to-digest milestones to target
and to celebrate when reached. It also allows you to track your progress easily
throughout the Your Career textbook.
2. Why is it important to organize your records for your job search? (Outcome 2)
Answer: Gathering this information now and making it easy to access quickly will help
you be ready to write your resume and job applications, and to meet with people who
can help you in your job search and, later, with prospective employers. When you need
to act quickly, you’ll be glad you can find the documents you need to print or
photocopy. It also helps you avoid mistakes.
3. How will your Career Files help you succeed in your Career Journey? What tools will
you use? How will you get started? (Outcome 2)
Answer: Answers will vary. How you organize your Career Files will depend on the
current format of these documents and your access to the Internet. Choose a system
that you are comfortable using and that is secure and available to you at any time.
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
1
,Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
Photocopy or scan hard copies to keep from losing them and upload them to a cloud
storage site such as Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive. These
sites allow you to store and organize files online.
4. What effects do positive and negative thoughts, images, and self-talk have on
performance? (Outcome 3)
Answer: Positive thinking actually causes changes in the brain that boost your ability
to perform and to project enthusiasm, energy, competence, and confidence—qualities
that companies look for when they hire and promote employees.
5. How would you rate your ability to set goals, manage your time, and be proactive?
Would you rate your skills as excellent, good, or needing improvement? What specific
actions can you take to stay strong or improve these skills? (Outcome 3)
Answer: Answers may vary. Specific actions to improve goal-setting ability include set
both long-term and short-term goals, write goals down, define the purpose and
benefit of your goals, develop an action plan, record your progress, decide rewards and
readjust goals as necessary. For improving time management skills, specific actions
include prioritization of activities, breaking large tasks into smaller steps, building in
extra time, planning ahead, using downtime well, using a planner, and avoiding
busy/low impact work.
TRIAL RUN
Get off to a Good Start (Outcome 3)
In this activity, students will conduct a self-evaluation of some of the skills and attitudes
that will help them have a successful journey. They will identify their highest and lowest
scoring statements and develop a plan for improving.
Rubric
Students should be able to:
● State at least 1 high-scoring skill area
● Identify at least 1 low-scoring skill area and describe its potential impact on their career
journey
● Develop a well-crafted goal for improving their low-scoring skills. Goal statements should
include specific, action-oriented, measurable language
● Identify at least 1 person who can help them improve
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
2
,Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
CAREER ACTION WORKSHEETS (SUGGESTED RUBRICS)
WORKSHEET 1-1 YOUR CAREER JOURNEY (OUTCOME 1)
Students can score up to 5 points for completing this exercise, 1 point for each
section recalled without looking at the book.
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
3
,Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
WORKSHEET 1-2 ORGANIZE AND START YOUR CAREER FILES (OUTCOME 2)
This section will require quite a bit of work, so be generous with points assigned.
Students should have at least one document in each section, but keep in mind, not
all will have samples, so consider giving extra credit if the students provide more
than one document in a section.
Use the sample below or use the percentage allotment for each section as a guide.
Students can score up to 200 points for completing their Career Files in full.
● About Me Section: up to 70 points (35% of total points)
o Records of Completion: 5 points
o Documentation of Performance: 15 points
o Samples of Your Work: 5 points
o Proof of Identity: 5 points
o Personal Assessments: 10 points
o Experiences: 15 points
o Your Personal Brand: 15 points
● About Jobs Section: up to 50 points (25% of total points)
o People, Their Contact Information, Title, and a History of Your Interactions:
15 points
o Sources of Job Listings: 15 points
o Jobs I Want to Apply for: 10 points
o Job Application Documents: 10 points
● Career Portfolio Section: up to 80 points (40% of total points)
o Core Resume: 20 points
o Recommendations and references: 20 points
o Your 30-Second Commercial: 20 points
o LinkedIn Profile: 20 points
o Select samples of your work (points assigned in About Me Section)
WORKSHEET 1-3 PROACTIVE SUCCESS ACTION PLAN (OUTCOME 3)
Students should be able to:
● Create a job search goal
● Articulate why the goal is important and what will happen if they fall short of the goal
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
4
Career Journey
Solution and Answer Guide
OWENS, KADAKIA, AND SIMS, YOUR CAREER: HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, 11E, © 2026,
9798214115894; CHAPTER 1: YOUR CAREER JOURNEY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Critical Thinking Questions....................................................................................................1
Trial Run..................................................................................................................................2
Career Action Worksheets (Suggested Rubrics).................................................................2
Worksheet 1-1 Your Career Journey (Outcome 1)..................................................................2
Worksheet 1-2 Organize and Start Your Career Files (Outcome 2)..................................3
Worksheet 1-3 Proactive Success Action Plan (Outcome 3)..............................................3
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1. What is the value of knowing about the phases and steps for a job search? (Outcome 1)
Answer: It breaks up the Job Search Journey into easy-to-digest milestones to target
and to celebrate when reached. It also allows you to track your progress easily
throughout the Your Career textbook.
2. Why is it important to organize your records for your job search? (Outcome 2)
Answer: Gathering this information now and making it easy to access quickly will help
you be ready to write your resume and job applications, and to meet with people who
can help you in your job search and, later, with prospective employers. When you need
to act quickly, you’ll be glad you can find the documents you need to print or
photocopy. It also helps you avoid mistakes.
3. How will your Career Files help you succeed in your Career Journey? What tools will
you use? How will you get started? (Outcome 2)
Answer: Answers will vary. How you organize your Career Files will depend on the
current format of these documents and your access to the Internet. Choose a system
that you are comfortable using and that is secure and available to you at any time.
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
1
,Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
Photocopy or scan hard copies to keep from losing them and upload them to a cloud
storage site such as Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive. These
sites allow you to store and organize files online.
4. What effects do positive and negative thoughts, images, and self-talk have on
performance? (Outcome 3)
Answer: Positive thinking actually causes changes in the brain that boost your ability
to perform and to project enthusiasm, energy, competence, and confidence—qualities
that companies look for when they hire and promote employees.
5. How would you rate your ability to set goals, manage your time, and be proactive?
Would you rate your skills as excellent, good, or needing improvement? What specific
actions can you take to stay strong or improve these skills? (Outcome 3)
Answer: Answers may vary. Specific actions to improve goal-setting ability include set
both long-term and short-term goals, write goals down, define the purpose and
benefit of your goals, develop an action plan, record your progress, decide rewards and
readjust goals as necessary. For improving time management skills, specific actions
include prioritization of activities, breaking large tasks into smaller steps, building in
extra time, planning ahead, using downtime well, using a planner, and avoiding
busy/low impact work.
TRIAL RUN
Get off to a Good Start (Outcome 3)
In this activity, students will conduct a self-evaluation of some of the skills and attitudes
that will help them have a successful journey. They will identify their highest and lowest
scoring statements and develop a plan for improving.
Rubric
Students should be able to:
● State at least 1 high-scoring skill area
● Identify at least 1 low-scoring skill area and describe its potential impact on their career
journey
● Develop a well-crafted goal for improving their low-scoring skills. Goal statements should
include specific, action-oriented, measurable language
● Identify at least 1 person who can help them improve
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
2
,Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
CAREER ACTION WORKSHEETS (SUGGESTED RUBRICS)
WORKSHEET 1-1 YOUR CAREER JOURNEY (OUTCOME 1)
Students can score up to 5 points for completing this exercise, 1 point for each
section recalled without looking at the book.
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
3
,Solution and Answer Guide: Owens, Kadakia, and Sims, Your Career: How to Make it Happen, 11e, © 2026, 9798214115894; Chapter 1: Your
Career Journey
WORKSHEET 1-2 ORGANIZE AND START YOUR CAREER FILES (OUTCOME 2)
This section will require quite a bit of work, so be generous with points assigned.
Students should have at least one document in each section, but keep in mind, not
all will have samples, so consider giving extra credit if the students provide more
than one document in a section.
Use the sample below or use the percentage allotment for each section as a guide.
Students can score up to 200 points for completing their Career Files in full.
● About Me Section: up to 70 points (35% of total points)
o Records of Completion: 5 points
o Documentation of Performance: 15 points
o Samples of Your Work: 5 points
o Proof of Identity: 5 points
o Personal Assessments: 10 points
o Experiences: 15 points
o Your Personal Brand: 15 points
● About Jobs Section: up to 50 points (25% of total points)
o People, Their Contact Information, Title, and a History of Your Interactions:
15 points
o Sources of Job Listings: 15 points
o Jobs I Want to Apply for: 10 points
o Job Application Documents: 10 points
● Career Portfolio Section: up to 80 points (40% of total points)
o Core Resume: 20 points
o Recommendations and references: 20 points
o Your 30-Second Commercial: 20 points
o LinkedIn Profile: 20 points
o Select samples of your work (points assigned in About Me Section)
WORKSHEET 1-3 PROACTIVE SUCCESS ACTION PLAN (OUTCOME 3)
Students should be able to:
● Create a job search goal
● Articulate why the goal is important and what will happen if they fall short of the goal
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
4
