Identify top trends in your industry

Your initial meeting with your new boss went very well and you are now working in a department that supports the company’s strategic planning for growth in the industry. Your department head has asked you to do research from a newcomer’s perspective to inform existing company marketing directions.  He has asked you to write a short paper detailing the three top trends in the industry, and focus on what you think is the most important issue in these trends.  He is hoping to use your research to position your department to launch a new strategic plan.  However, your immediate task is to do the research, write a short, focused paper with correctly cited sources to enable further study. You have been tasked to conduct research and share your preliminary resource list by the end of Week 2. You will then continue writing the paper, which will be due at the end of the Week 3. 

This is your first real task and you are excited and a little nervous about the assignment. You think you have a sense of the industry but know you need to do more research to be spot on. The ability to spot trends in your industry is an important skill. enabling you to spend energy on new growth areas, products, and services.  Spaeder (2007), writing for Entrepreneur, offers ideas about how toSpot the Latest Trends.

Your assignment is to produce an essay of 1,000-1,300 words in which you discuss THREE trends in your profession. You are to provide citations for at least SIX RESOURCES to support your ideas. You will give credit for ideas in your sources in proper APA “in – text” and complete citations in the References page. You will identify three trends, discuss them briefly, and then focus on a single issue that is especially important.  

This project will span two weeks and you will turn in a draft References page after the end of Week 2.  

Follow these steps for best results. 

• Include at least six (6) references; a minimum of three (3) must come from the UMUC library.
• Follow best practices for structuring the paper: 
  • An effective introduction grabs the reader’s attention and sets the tone and direction for the rest of the paper.  In reading an introduction, the reader should have a clear idea of what will follow.  Supporting paragraphs move the reader from the general introduction to the more specific aspects of your analysis in the paper.  
  • The body paragraphs show how the information you are providing supports and relates to your thesis.  Paragraphs across and within sections need to effectively transition from one to the next.
  • Each paragraph should include a topic sentence, which contains the main point of the paragraph. 
  • The conclusion brings to a close what you have presented in your paper.
• You may want to submit this assignment to the WRIT 689 tutors; if you didn’t already use them for the This I Believe essay, you can register for their services here: Writing Tutoring Registration. If you decide to use their services, please allow a few days’ turnaround time. You’ll want to use their feedback to revise your essay before you submit it on the due date.