ITC-2100 Assignment Details and Directions

Quizzes on Course Content

There will be a short weekly quiz on D2L to check that you have reviewed the course content for the week (primarily videos, you will be notified if a quiz includes anything outside of the weekly video).

Discussions & Participation

There will be a weekly discussion prompt on D2L worth 10 points each week:

  • To receive 5 points you must respond directly to the discussion prompt with at least 3-5 sentences.

  • To receive another 5 points you must reply to at least two other students with at least 2 substantive sentences each. Replies must further the conversation as opposed to just stating that you agree or disagree.

Discussion posts can not be counted for credit after the deadline (no late work)

IT Workplace Essentials

Overview

In this assignment you will focus on time management, communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, and customer service, all core skills for IT professionals at any level.

Part 1: Time Management and Task Prioritization

Use the Internet to research three different time management topics, processes, or techniques that resonate with you and your current habits. Think about how you could apply what you learn from these three items to your life.

Write a short paper (500-750 words) that answers the following question: What are your top daily time management issues and how could three these new topics/processes/techniques help you be more effective in how you manage time?

Please make sure you address the question above. Make sure that you are writing in a structured manner to communicate effectively. Please cite your references that you use as part of your research.

Part 2: Effective Communication

Prepare a written status update (about 200-350 words) for me as if we were going to have a 1:1 meeting on where you are at with this class and I am your supervisor. This would be the first time we have had a 1:1 since you have started this class.

Use the content items that were covered in the lecture material in class. Think about updating me on your accomplishments, what you are doing to improve yourself, and what might not be going well for you and you might want to ask me for help.

This is also your chance to provide feedback to me on how things are working for you in the class and if there is anything you think I could do to make the class better.

Treat this as a formal business communication and use correct formatting, grammar, spelling, etc.

Submission Requirements

  • Submit a single PDF or Word document containing both parts.

  • Label each part clearly with a heading.

  • Total length: approximately 700-1000 words.

Grading Criteria

Your work will be evaluated based on:

  • The content of your responses and their relation to the prompt

  • Clarity, professionalism, and tone

  • Quality of writing, organization, and formatting

IT Methodologies & Professional Development

Overview

In this assignment you will demonstrate your understanding of key IT frameworks and methodologies used across the industry, including Agile, project management practices, IT Service Management (ITSM), and the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

You will also create a personal "Professional Development & Certification Roadmap" that outlines how you plan to advance your IT career in the next year.

Part 1: Agile & Project Management Summary

Write a 250-400 word explanation in your own words that demonstrates your understanding of Agile and project management concepts as they relate to IT work environments.

Your summary should include:

  • A clear explanation of what Agile is and why IT teams use it

  • The key Agile roles (e.g. Product Owner, Scrum Master, team members)

  • Core Agile ceremonies (e.g. standups, sprint planning, retrospectives)

  • A brief example of how an IT team, not just software developers, might use Agile methods

    • Such as for infrastructure updates, helpdesk process improvements, cloud migrations

Requirements:

  • Write in narrative (paragraph) form (no bullet lists)

  • Use your own words to explain concepts

  • Demonstrate understanding rather than simply listing definitions

  • Use simple, clear language appropriate for workplace communication

Use the Agile instructional videos and readings from the class for reference.

Part 2: ITSM & ITIL Summary

Write a 250-400 word explanation describing the purpose of IT Service Management (ITSM) and the ITIL framework.

Your summary should include:

  • What ITSM is and why organizations use it

  • What ITIL is and how it supports ITSM practices

  • Key ideas such as incidents, service requests, problems, and change processes

  • One real‑world example of how ITIL concepts could improve IT support in a business or school IT department

Requirements:

  • Write in narrative (paragraph) form (no bullet lists)

  • Use your own words to explain concepts

  • Demonstrate understanding rather than simply listing definitions

  • Use simple, clear language appropriate for workplace communication

The ITIL video playlist and ITSM tutorials provided in the class will help you form your explanation.

Part 3: Professional Development & Certification Roadmap

Create a 250-400 word career development plan that explains your next steps in preparing for or advancing your IT career.

Your roadmap should include:

  • The IT role (or roles) you are targeting in the next 1–2 years

  • Skills you need to develop or improve based on earlier assignments

  • Certifications you plan to pursue

    • Examples: CompTIA ITF+, A+, CCNA, Cisco Cybersecurity Associate, Azure, AWS Cloud Practitioner, ITIL Foundation, etc.

  • A simple 1‑year timeline showing when you plan to learn, study, or complete each milestone

  • Any free or low‑cost resources you plan to use (optional but recommended)

This section is both reflective and forward‑thinking: it should connect what you have learned in this course to your real career goals.

Requirements:

  • Paragraphs are preferred, but you may include a small table or timeline graphic for the milestone schedule if helpful.

  • Use your own words to explain concepts

  • Demonstrate understanding rather than simply listing definitions

  • Use simple, clear language appropriate for workplace communication

  • Your plan should feel realistic and achievable.

Submission Requirements

Submit one combined PDF or Word document containing all three parts:

  • Part 1: Agile & Project Management Summary

  • Part 2: ITSM & ITIL Summary

  • Part 3: Professional Development & Certification Roadmap

Each part must be clearly labeled with a heading.

Total length: approximately 750-1200 words

Grading Criteria

Your submission will be evaluated based on:

  • Accuracy and clarity in explaining Agile and project management concepts

  • Accuracy and clarity in explaining ITSM and ITIL concepts

  • Practicality and detail of your professional development plan

  • Organization, readability, and professional writing quality

  • Evidence of understanding and thoughtful reflection

IT Career Exploration & Skills Inventory

Overview

This assignment serves as the foundation for later work in your résumé, portfolio, interview practice, and final professional development plan.

Part 1: IT Career Path Research

Choose two IT career paths (for example: IT Support Specialist/Helpdesk, System Administrator, Network Administrator, Cybersecurity Analyst, Cloud Engineer, DevOps Engineer, Data Analyst).

For each role describe these aspects of the role as you understand it in your own words, about 200-400 words for each of the two roles:

  1. A typical job description for this role

    • Use your own words when describing each role. Do not copy/paste employer job descriptions, summarize them based on your research which involves looking at multiple job descriptions for the role.

  2. Key technical skills required in this role

  3. Key soft skills required in this role

  4. Any common professional certifications for people in this role

  5. Entry level expectations and typical responsibilities for this role

  6. Why this role does or does not interest you

Your response should read as a cohesive narrative and demonstrate understanding, not just loosely connected statements, it should not consist of bullet points or other long lists.

Part 2: Personal Skills Inventory

A personal skills inventory for IT jobs is a categorized list of your current technical (hard) and interpersonal (soft) abilities, proficiency levels, experiences, and education/certifications, used for self-assessment, career planning, and showcasing value to employers. In this section of the assignment you will create a skills inventory as a categorized bullet-point list which includes these categories:

  • Technical skills you currently possess

    • Be sure to include specific tools and technologies you are familiar with.

    • You may want to separate these into sub-categories such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, networking, system administration, IT support, etc.

  • Non-technical (soft) skills

    • You may want to separate these into sub-categories such as problem solving & critical thinking, communication, adaptability & learning agility, teamwork & collaboration, project management, and leadership

  • Education and certifications earned or in progress

For each skill rate your proficiency 1-5 for the skill:

  • 1 = Beginner (heard of it, limited practice)

  • 2 = Novice (completed labs or class exercises)

  • 3 = Intermediate (can use it with some independence)

  • 4 = Advanced (used in real projects or jobs)

  • 5 = Expert (can teach others; deep experience)

Also, list some evidence or specific projects where you practiced each skill if you can.

This part of the assignment should be about 1 page in length.

Part 3: Gap Analysis

Write a narrative (paragraph format) gap analysis where you compare your current skills to the requirements of both of the two roles you researched in part 1.

Explain:

  • Which skills you already meet

  • Which skills you need to improve

  • Which certifications or learning opportunities you may pursue in the future

  • Your short-term improvement goals

This section should be about 200-400 words long.

Submission requirements

  • Submit a single combined (all 3 parts together) PDF or MS Word Document by uploading to D2L. Each part of the assignment should be clearly labeled with a heading though so that it is easy to identify where the career path research ends and personal skills inventory begins or where that ends and the gap analysis begins.

  • The total assignment should be about 1,000 - 1500 words long.

Professional Branding Package

Overview

In this assignment you will create your "professional branding package", the set of materials employers expect from entry‑level IT candidates. This includes your résumé, online professional profile, cover letter, a starter IT portfolio project, and a short mock interview video.

Part 1: Professional Résumé (Print Résumé)

Create a polished, one‑page professional résumé targeted toward an IT career path of your choice (IT Support, Systems Administration, Network Administration, Cybersecurity, Cloud Engineering, Automation, etc.).

Your résumé should demonstrate the skills, coursework, projects, and experience that support your readiness for entry‑level IT roles.

Your résumé must include:

  • Contact information (name, email, phone, and optional LinkedIn URL)

  • A brief summary or objective (2–3 lines)

  • Technical skills section (tools, technologies, platforms, scripting languages)

  • Education (degree, expected completion date, relevant courses)

  • Relevant projects (course labs, personal projects, volunteer work)

  • Work or other volunteer experience (including transferable soft skills)

  • Professional, consistent formatting

You may reference résumé‑building videos from the course resources provided in Weeks 5–8.

Part 2: Online Résumé (LinkedIn Profile OR Online Résumé Page)

You must create a public‑facing professional profile using one of two options:

Option A: LinkedIn Profile (Recommended)

Your LinkedIn profile should include:

  • A professional profile photo

  • A strong "About" section written in the first person

  • Skills and education entries

  • Work experience and/or project entries

  • Certifications (if applicable)

Option B: Online Résumé Page

Instead of LinkedIn, you may create an online résumé using:

  • Google Sites

  • GitHub Pages

  • Another approved web platform

Your online résumé should include:

  • A strong "About Me" section written in the first person

  • Skills and education entries

  • Work experience and/or projects with brief descriptions

  • Certifications (if applicable)

  • Contact method

Part 3: Cover Letter (Based on a Real Job Posting)

Write a one‑page professional cover letter addressed to a real entry‑level IT job posting of your choice.

Your cover letter should include:

  • Professional greeting

  • Introduction explaining your interest in the position

  • Paragraph describing your technical & soft skills that align with the posting

  • Paragraph describing a project or experience that demonstrates capability

  • Professional closing statement

The cover letter must be customized to the job posting you select so be sure to include a copy of the job posting at the end (the posting does not count towards the expected number of pages).

Part 4: Starter IT Portfolio Project Page

Create a single portfolio project page/entry that showcases one IT project you have completed. This may be a class assignment, lab, personal project, or small configuration or troubleshooting task.

Your project entry should include:

  • Project title

  • Short description of the project

  • The problem you were trying to solve

  • Tools or technologies used

  • What you learned from the project

  • Screenshots or code snippets (if applicable)

Your project page may be hosted on LinkedIn (Featured section), GitHub/GitHub Pages, Google Sites, or another approved location used for Part 2.

Part 5: Mock Interview Video (5–7 minutes)

Record a 5–7 minute mock interview video in which you answer:

  1. "Tell me about yourself."

  2. One behavioral question (choose one):

    • "Tell me about a time you solved a problem."

    • "Describe a time you learned something quickly."

  3. One technical question related to your chosen IT pathway

Technical requirements:

  • Clear audio and reasonable lighting

  • May be recorded on phone, webcam, or laptop

  • Submit as an unlisted YouTube link or a OneDrive/Google Drive link in your final assignment document.

Submission Requirements

Submit one combined document (PDF or Word) containing:

  • Your PDF (print) résumé

  • A link to your LinkedIn profile OR online résumé

  • Your PDF cover letter (be sure to include a copy of the job posting you are targeting as well)

  • A link to your portfolio project page/entry

  • A link to your mock interview video

All links must be clearly labeled.

Grading Criteria

Your assignment will be evaluated on:

  • Quality and professionalism of résumé

  • Completeness and clarity of the online profile

  • Relevance and strength of the cover letter

  • Clarity and completeness of the portfolio project page

  • Communication skills and professionalism in the interview video

  • Organization, formatting, and overall presentation

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