As a team, consider the career development phases of assessment, direction, and development.

a. How could technology, such as social media, be used at each phase? Assume that your team is responsible for making a proposal regarding the use of social media in each of these phases. How could this tool be used in each phase? Is there a phase in which social media would seem to fit best and be most effective?

b. Where do the company examples presented in the Manager’s Notebook, “Reaching Out to Develop Careers: Social Media as a Skill and a Tool,” fit into the phases of career development? That is, are the featured companies using social media in only the assessment phase, or development phase, and so on? Also look for information on how other organizations are using social media in the career development process. Given your analysis, are there phases where social media isn’t being used? Could this be an area in which your company could differentiate itself and offer something of value to employees that is unique?

Share the basics of your proposal with the rest of the class. What are your major conclusions and recommendations?