TOPIC:  In today’s competitive job market, individuals often face pressure to present themselves in the best possible light, especially during job interviews. This practice, known as impression management, can involve emphasizing certain skills, downplaying weaknesses, or even adopting behaviors that align with the expectations of potential employers. While creating a positive impression is essential, there’s a fine ethical line that must be navigated carefully.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Balance and Truth: Where do you draw the line between effective impression management and deception during a job interview? Can you share any examples from your own experience or observations?

2. Ethical Dilemmas: What ethical dilemmas might arise when trying to balance the need to manage impressions and maintaining honesty? How should one handle such dilemmas?

3. Employers’ Perspective: How do you think employers can discern between genuine competence and inflated claims during the hiring process? Are there ethical ways to assess candidates more accurately?

4. Long-Term Consequences: What are the potential long-term consequences for both the employee and the employer if impression management crosses into deception? How might this impact workplace culture and trust within the organization?

5. Best Practices: What are some best practices for candidates to ethically present themselves during a job interview, ensuring they are both honest and impressive? Are there strategies you believe work well when balancing these elements?

6. Role of Training and Preparation: How can job seekers prepare for interviews in a way that allows them to present their best selves without compromising their integrity? What role does career coaching or mentorship play in this preparation?

7. Technological Tools: With the advent of social media and online portfolios, how has the landscape of impression management changed? Do these tools make it easier or harder to maintain ethical standards?

8. Cultural Differences: How might cultural differences influence approaches to impression management and the ethical considerations therein? Are there divergent norms about self-presentation across different industries or regions?

Let’s engage in a thoughtful discussion, sharing insights, experiences, and strategies to navigate these complex issues. Remember to respect differing viewpoints and keep the conversation constructive. Looking forward to your contributions!

• The initial post should be at least 400 words 

Part 1: Content and Course Reflection

• Compare and contrast 21st-century assessment to assessment of the past. What has
changed and why? What laws and reform movements have created the change?

• Describe what important trends you see for the future of assessment in both the social and
global context. Provide a rationale for why you feel these trends will be important.

Part 2: Program and Personal Reflection

• Complete the Leadership Self-Assessment Tool. rating scale.

• Provide a 200-word rationale that explains why you rated yourself as you did in each area.

• Describe your plan for how you will ensure assessment in your school or center is
responsive, flexible, and integrated (Singh, 2013).

Suggested Journal Length: Three double-spaced pages (not including title and reference pages).

Integrative and Critical Thinking Expectations (demonstrated within the content of the
journal):

• Connections to Experience: Meaningfully synthesizes connections among experiences both
within and outside of coursework to deepen understanding of fields of study and to broaden
own points of view.

• Reflection and Self-Assessment: Envisions a future self (and possibly makes plans that
build on past experiences) that have occurred across multiple and diverse contexts.

Welcome to the first phase of the Research Project.  This document will guide you through the Research Design stage, where you will be selecting a political issue to research and formulating an initial theory about it.

To complete this assignment, download the 
Research Design Worksheet
 Download Research Design Worksheet.  Complete the form and upload the file it, where it will be scored and receive feedback from me.  If I approve your topic, you will receive full credit and can move on to the next stage.  If I do not approve the topic, you will not receive full credit, and I will ask you to resubmit with a new or adjusted topic.  We will repeat this process until I approve a topic and you receive full credit.  This phase counts for 1% of your course grade, and it must be completed successfully before you can move on to the next phase of the Research Project.

Step 1: Select a topic.

There are many possible topics that can work well for this project, and you will choose the specific issue you want to research in this project.  The issue you select can be any challenge, problem, or controversy we face in modern US society.  The best topics for this project are those that have broad impacts on society and that the 
federal government deals with directly.  Common examples are issues related to the economy, immigration, or health care.

In one sentence, summarize the main issue or topic for your Research Paper.

While it is best to begin with a broad topic, it helps to narrow the focus to be appropriate for a relatively short research paper.  So, think about 1 or 2 issues and outcomes related to your main topic that you want to study and analyze more specifically in this project.  For example, a paper on the issue of immigration could focus on the effects of immigration on crime rates, voting patterns, or job availability.

In 1-3 sentences, summarize the key subtopic(s) for your Research Paper.

Step 2: Summarize your theory.

Before conducting any research, it is important to think about the beliefs or opinions you may hold about these topics and the motivations you have for researching them.  It is important to consider these things yourself and to share them with your readers to maximize transparency and objectivity.  The goal for this research paper is a fair and objective analysis, and the best way to begin is by conceding our own biases and motivations.

In 400 words or less, explain your interest in the topic and subtopics.  Briefly elaborate on the connections you see between these issues and why you think they are important to study.  Briefly summarize what you expect to find in your research.