Many find themselves frustrated in their careers by lack of preparation for dealing with predictable dilemmas that regularly arise in the world of work. Two in five professionals fired in their jobs after college are terminated for lying, or misuse of technology. Easy to avoid! Or is it? What if you find you have to compromise your values to keep your job? What if they ask you to lie or cheat, even though you know if you are found out you will be fired? What if you find out the company is breaking the law? Successful people know about and have the skills taught in this specialization. You should, too. Those who wish to make a difference, build positive reputations, become leaders, and advance in their careers must cultivate professional success skills, along with their specific job skills. The central themes of this course – knowing yourself and your values, recognizing and meeting ethical challenges, using an analytical decision-making framework, identifying potential pitfalls, and developing tools to use in the moment – are essential soft skills for succeeding at work. In short, an ethical framework is necessary, and not just nice; smart ethics, as we define them, are integral to success.
This course is part of the Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work Specialization
Foundations of Professional Identity
Offered By
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
Course Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
1 video (Total 2 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
5 readings
Syllabus10m
About the Discussion Forums10m
Glossary10m
Updating Your Profile10m
Social Media10m
1 practice exercise
Orientation Quiz30m
6 hours to complete
Week 1: Introduction and Who Are You?
Find out how the course will run and how we’ll use 2-Minute Challenges and expert commentary to give you a 3-D understanding of the material in this course. Establish and clarify your values and learn how they underpin your career.
25 videos (Total 101 min), 2 readings, 5 quizzes
25 videos
1.02: 2MC: Widowed Aunt2m
1.1.1: What Do You Stand For? What Difference Do You Want to Make?3m
1.2.1: 2MC - You Pick Two1m
1.3.1: What Is a Two-Minute Challenge?2m
1.3.2: 2MC – Inappropriate Email1m
1.3.3: 2MCs in Real Life7m
1.3.4: Iteration Makes Perfect – Using 2MCs to Learn and Practice Skills5m
1.3.5: And the Inappropriate Email? Experts Comment7m
1.4.1: Articulating Your Values – the Foundation for Your Reputation3m
1.4.2: 2MC – Retirement Reception1m
1.4.3: Who Are You, How Do You Know, and Why Does It Matter?4m
1.4.4: The Beginning – Your Own Values3m
1.4.5: How Your Reputation is Built on Values – Experts Comment7m
1.5.1: Drafting a Personal Leadership Credo (PLC)2m
1.5.2: 2MC – Dream Job, Bad Timing1m
1.5.3: Putting What You Stand For on Paper3m
1.5.4: Revisiting and Revising Your PLC6m
1.5.5 How Your PLC Will Help You - Experts Comment7m
1.6.1: Gotta Habit1m
1.6.2: 2MC – Grandma's Sweater1m
1.6.3: Habits - Act Out Your Values Even If You Are Under Pressure3m
1.6.4: Turning What You Want to Do into Habits3m
1.6.5: Habits Reflect Values – Experts Comment7m
1.7.1: You Pick Two – Experts Comment7m
2 readings
Week 1 Overview10m
Week 1 Resources and References10m
4 practice exercises
Lesson 1-3 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 1-4 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 1-5 Practice Quiz30m
Week 1 Graded Quiz30m
Week
27 hours to complete
Week 2: Opening Up Problems through the Decision-Making Framework (DMF)
Learn a systematic approach to tackling any decision.
23 videos (Total 75 min), 2 readings, 7 quizzes
23 videos
2.2.1: 2MC: Puzzling Remarks1m
2.3.1: A Method - the DMF2m
2.3.2: 2MC - Stop Light59s
2.3.3: DMF - Steps 1 to 33m
2.3.4: The First Three Steps: Applied3m
2.3.5: Why Do We Stop?1m
2.4.1: More on the DMF1m
2.4.2: 2MC - Dinner Receipts2m
2.4.3: DMF - Steps 4 to 62m
2.4.4: Steps 4 to 6 - Applied3m
2.4.5: Other Ways to Open Up Problems2m
2.5.1: The DMF In Action1m
2.5.2: 2MC - Time Reporting2m
2.5.3: DMF - Steps 1 to 3 in Action6m
2.5.4: DMF - Steps 4 to 6 in Action4m
2.5.5: Anticipate Outcomes to Prevent Problems6m
2.6.1: Seeing the Invisible Pitfalls1m
2.6.2: 2MC - Back Date1m
2.6.3: Making the DMF a Habit5m
2.6.4: More on Forming Habits7m
2.6.5: Better Decisions Prevent and Solve Problems5m
2.7.1:Other Frameworks: Experts Comment3m
2 readings
Week 2 Overview10m
Week 2 Resources and References10m
6 practice exercises
Lesson 2-3 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 2-4 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 2-5 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 2-6 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 2-7 Practice Quiz30m
Week 2 Graded Quiz30m
Week
36 hours to complete
Week 3: Career TRAGEDIES: Recognizing and Avoiding Them
Find out about nine common sources of problems at work, and how to identify them and stop them from derailing your day, your job, or your career.
23 videos (Total 69 min), 2 readings, 6 quizzes
23 videos
3.2.1: 2MC - Office Supplies1m
3.3.1: Identifying Conflicts with Your Instincts1m
3.3.2: 2MC - Fare Plus Five2m
3.3.3: Temptation, Rationalization, and Ambition3m
3.3.4: Overconfidence3m
3.3.5: Fare Plus Five - Outcome5m
3.4.1: Group, Peer, and Authority Pressure1m
3.4.2: 2MC - Pose as a Customer1m
3.4.3: How Pressure Arises2m
3.4.4: What the Research Says - Asch6m
3.4.5: Outcome … Speaking of Tragedies3m
3.5.1: Identifying Conflicts with your Feelings1m
3.5.2: 2MC - Safe Rides1m
3.5.3: Entitlement5m
3.5.4: Deception, Incrementalism, and Embarrassment7m
3.5.5: Catching EDIE in the Act1m
3.6.1: S Is for Stupid Systems1m
3.6.2: 2MC - Parking Permit1m
3.6.3: What Do You Do When You Find One?2m
3.6.4: Choosing Your Battles3m
3.6.5: Change Is Possible2m
3.7.1: TRAGEDIES: Experts Comment8m
2 readings
Week 3 Overview10m
Week 3 Resources and References10m
5 practice exercises
Lesson 3-3 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 3-4 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 3-5 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 3-6 Practice Quiz30m
Week 3 Graded Quiz30m
Week
47 hours to complete
Week 4: Knowing What To Do Isn't Enough – How Do You Say It?
Develop personal scripts for difficult situations.
24 videos (Total 90 min), 2 readings, 6 quizzes
24 videos
4.2.1: 2MC - Cover for Your Friend1m
4.3.1: Personal Scripts - Finding the Words2m
4.3.2: 2MC - Employee Discount1m
4.3.3: Different Scripts for Different Purposes6m
4.3.4: Preparing Scripts4m
4.3.5: Scripts Show Who You Are6m
4.4.1: Framing and Mindset53s
4.4.2: 2MC - Family Plans1m
4.4.3: Framing as the Backdrop for Personal Scripts4m
4.4.4: How You Say It Matters3m
4.4.5: Family Plans - Outcome1m
4.5.1: Constructing Your Personal Scripts1m
4.5.2: 2MC - Video Games1m
4.5.3: How To Construct an Effective Script5m
4.5.4: Test Drive - and Listen Out For Others' Scripts5m
4.5.5: Scripts Alone Don't Fix the Problem3m
4.6.1: Personal Scripts - Ask the Experts3m
4.6.2: 2MC: Personal Services1m
4.6.3: Experts' Suggestions on Creating Personal Scripts4m
4.6.4: Personal Scripts: Experts' Examples5m
4.6.5: Experts on the 2MC5m
4.7.1: Outcome - Cover for Your Friend6m
Lesson 4.8: Prevent & Solve Problems for Yourself7m
2 readings
Week 4 Overview10m
Week 4 Resources and References10m
5 practice exercises
Lesson 4-3 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 4-4 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 4-5 Practice Quiz30m
Lesson 4-6 Practice Quiz30m
Week 4 Graded Quiz30m
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14 ReviewsTop reviews from Foundations of Professional Identity
My Alma Mater! Life-saving course for a rookie professional like me. Thoughtfully designed and presented. Thanks!
This was a great course, lots of information on analyzing problems at work and coming up with the best solutio
Instructor
C. K. Gunsalus
Director of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics (NCPRE), Professor Emerita of Business, and Research Professor at the Coordinated Science LaboratoryAbout 일리노이대학교 어버너-섐페인캠퍼스
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.
About the Professional IQ: Preventing and Solving Problems at Work Specialization
In this Specialization, Professional IQ: Preventing Solving Problems at Work, learners use real-world dilemmas and ethical problems experienced by professionals around the world to clarify and articulate their personal values as a foundation for the issues they face. Many successful people use these skills every day—and you should too: making strong decisions; recognizing and avoiding career-damaging pitfalls; preventing and resolving conflicts so as to be value-added members of teams; knowing how and when to apologize effectively; knowing how to ask constructive questions that advance work; and honing leadership skills—whether for being influential at work or holding a position of authority. Learners develop a Personal Leadership Credo, as part of a portfolio applying the skills from the course in situations that learners develop themselves.
This Specialization features guest speakers from the following organizations: The University of Illinois Community Credit Union; ZipDX; Rosentreter Group; University of Kansas; Studio Helix Medical Exercise and Bodywork, LLC; Advanced Micro Devices; Vedder Price, P.C.; Circuit Court of Cook County; Sierra Training Associates Inc.; and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
For the names and biographies of individual guest speakers, please see the "Guest Experts" page within each course.
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