Module 2 is one of the most individualized segments of the curriculum. This is where participants put their goals and skills into tangible projects that signal value and showcase skills.
From the curriculum:
Your goal is to build a signal that shows a potential business partner that you’re worth taking a chance on and hiring as an apprentice. Don’t treat this project like a school assignment to be completed for the purpose of jumping through a hoop. Your work isn’t going to be graded by academic authority figures. Instead, it’s going to be reviewed by business owners who are looking for evidence of initiative, creativity, and a value-creation mindset. Instead of focusing on “getting a good grade” or “being finished with the assignment,” pay particular attention to how your project makes people feel about your skills, your ability to deliver, and the kind of work they could see you doing at their company.
The portal is full of detailed project examples and tutorials. Some examples are:
- Praxis Placement Specialist and podcast host Ryan Ferguson’s podcasting course.
- Praxis Advisor Amanda Kingsmith’s course on video tutorials.
- Praxis alum and advisor Austin Batchelor’s design course.
- Top examples of sales, marketing, and technical projects.
- Lacey Peace’s guide to Self-Publishing
- Real-time projects (some paid, some free) that Praxis business partners submit for participants to complete.
Every project completed has its own unique appeal.
- Lacey Lanzo showcased her skill with spreadsheets by Excellenial, her Excel Tutorials.
- Aaron Walker explained his knowledge of sales through his video “Introduction to Sales Funnels”
- Wesley Bower self-published a book called “Thirty Ways to Battle Depression”
- Chaz Stead built a design project around creating logos.
The project alone isn’t the only deliverable. Participants also write at least 4 blog posts documenting their project progress. We place high priority on putting projects on display.
Why projects? They give proof of skills and build experience all in one. From the curriculum:
It’s no longer enough to list your qualifications on a resume and expect employers to come chasing after you. For most people, it’s incredibly difficult or impossible to communicate effectively your skills, competencies, and interests in a short bullet point. Employers want to see what you’ve created, and there’s no better way to do this than professional side projects.
To learn more, check out the full guide on Why Professional Side Projects are the New Resume.
Want more insights into the Praxis curriculum? Check out these posts:
July 29, 2018
