In this assignment, you will begin your career search on the website of the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics (www.bls.gov) for the degree that you will soon have earned. For business, for example, read about the occupations, reviewing the job summaries, entry-level education, and median pay. In general, the skills you should have acquired in the course of your studies for the Associate's Degree in Business Administration program would include the skills listed below:

1. Strong oral and written communication. If you have a great policy and procedure to change the business, you must effectively communicate it.
2. Critical thinking skills. Be able to think beyond how to solve the problem to analyze it after implementation to realize how it is going to affect the company.
3. Leadership skills. Be able to influence others.
4. Ability to anticipate information technology needs to remain competitive.
5. Understanding of different cultures and awareness of having a diverse pool of employees.
6. Intellectual curiosity. Not just to ask questions, but to ask the right questions to get the right answers.
7. Experience. To become an expert in the industry. To remain a life-long learner in your profession.

• Analyze your short-term career goals based on an ideal job you would like to attain in the long term (specify the job title and any other particulars such as industry).
• Provide your action plan (how you will achieve these goals) in the short term (the next 2 years).
• Compare required skill sets and lifetime earnings at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels for your ideal long-term position on the U.S. Department of Labor website:Occupational Outlook Handbook.
• Based on what you have discovered, what are the differences between the skill sets required at each degree level and those you have now?
• How might your lifetime career goals change based on what you have learned?