| The purpose of this study was to determine the potential benefits traditional-aged undergraduate marketing students gained from completing the Self Marketing Plan as a part of the Principles of Marketing class. This research examined what students perceived are the benefits of completing a Self Marketing Plan; the value students placed on experiential learning and the completion of a Self Marketing Plan in relation to their career goals; what soft skills were enhanced; if course content reinforced; and identification of differences in perceived benefits based on gender, work experience, volunteer/unpaid experience and previous experiential learning.;The results of the study yielded three key learnings that can provide the foundation for future research. First, the research demonstrated that in all but one instance, there were no significant differences between any of the tested demographic groups, thus demonstrating the ubiquitous benefits of the Self Marketing Plan. However, since there was no significant differences between the test and control groups, the results may indicate that while any amount of education or exposure to marketing will yield "improvement" and therefore call into question the veracity of using student self-perception as a mechanism for measuring improvement.;Second, while the study demonstrated a strong correlation between the format and structure of the survey and the relationships among the questions as determined through the factor analysis, one new grouping also emerged. This set of questions seemed to coalesce around the concept of self-efficacy of one's skills and career knowledge, thus revealing a potential area for additional research.;Lastly, three groupings of students were identified through their responses to the survey. Cluster 1 could best be described as the "norm" for the overall population of students who participated in this study, and typically positive in their responses. Cluster 2 might best be described as "overwhelmed." Cluster 3 could be best described as negative.;Therefore, the recommendations for future research as a result of reflecting on the existing study are concentrated in four areas: replication with change of variables to expand of generalizability, further research regarding pedagogical development, other educational measurements, and impact to the workplace. |
