Competitive Events Preparation Guide Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Introduction TheNebraskaFBLACompetitiveEventsPreparationGuideservesasaresourceforpreparing advisersandstudentsfortheFBLAcompetitiveeventsprogram.Theguidegivesadvisersastarting pointforeventpreparationandprovidesadditionalrecommendationsbesidesthosefoundinthe NebraskaFBLAHandbook,whichislocatedontheNebraskaFBLAwebsiteat www.nebraskafbla.org. ThecompetitiveeventshavebeencrosswalkedtotheNationalBusinessEducationAssociation standardsandtheNebraskaBusinessEducationstandards.Thecompetitiveeventssupportthe knowledgeandskillsstudentslearnintheclassroom. Thisresourceisabroad‐baseddocumentpreparedbytheNebraskaFBLABoardofDirectorsfrom tipssharedbyNebraskaadvisers. General Tips Itissuggestedthatadvisersdevelopanareaofexpertiseinthecompetitiveeventsbasedon theirinterestsandexperiences. Adviserswillwanttoidentifyeachstudent’sstrengthsandenterthestudentinthe appropriatecompetitiveevents. TheNebraskaFBLAStateLeadershipConference(SLC)guidelinesrequirethatstudents enteraminimumofthreeeventsandamaximumofsix.Itissuggestedthateachstudent enterfiveeventsplusattendtwoworkshops. Eacheventistargetedforstudentsinspecificgradelevels,e.g.,9‐10.Theguidelinesforeach eventshouldbecheckedforthespecifiedgradelevels. o KeyboardingKnowledge,SpellingandProofreadingaretheonlyeventsopento studentsinGrades7‐8. o TheFutureBusinessLeaderandJobIntervieweventsareopenonlytoseniors. Participantsshouldbegiventheguidelinesfortheeventstheyareentering. o Shareallelementsofthecompetitionwithstudents. o Reviewratingsheetsforthejudgedeventstounderstandtheareasofemphasis. Morethanonecompetitiveeventisheldduringatimeslotattheconference.Therefore, competitorsshouldcheckthetentativeconferencescheduleforeventconflictsbefore registeringforanevent. Alumnimembers,facultymembers,businessprofessionals,andotherexpertscanassistin competitiveeventpreparation. Alljudges’decisionsarefinal. ThenationalFBLACompetitiveEventsStudyGuide,whichcanbepurchasedfromthe MarketPlace(www.fbla‐pbl.org),providessamplequestions,samplecasestudies,tipsand strategiesforcompetition. General Performance Tips Theratingsheetshouldbefollowedthroughoutthepresentation. Studentsshouldintroducethemselves,includingthestudents’namesandschool,atthe beginningofthepresentation. Eyecontactandgesturesareimportantelementswhenpresenting. Studentsshouldmemorizetheirscriptinordertobecompetitive. Whennotspeaking,teammembersshouldremainattentiveandfocusedonthecurrent speaker. 2 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Handoutsand/orvisualaidsmaybeusedwhenappropriate.(Seeguidelinesforeach event.) Studentsmustfollowtheconferencedresscodeguidelines.Iftheydonot,thereisafive‐ pointdeduction. Attireforteammembersshouldstriveforaconsistentoveralllook. Presentationsoftwaremaybeusedduringtheperformancecomponentofsomeeventsto enhancethepresentation. Ifused,equipmentsetupishandledonlybythestudents. o Adviserscannothelpandmaynotsignaldirectionstothestudents. o Thesetupproceduresshouldbepracticedpriortothestateconference. Teammembersshouldbepreparedforquestionsfromthejudges—answeringquestions honestlyandcompletely. Allteammembersmustparticipateinthepresentationandthequestion‐answersession. Eachpresentershouldshakethehandsofthejudgesattheconclusionofthepresentation. Forrole‐playevents,whentimeiscalledcompetitorswillwanttobringtheroleplaytoa conclusionwithaclosingstatement. Objective-Test Events Anaccountingbackgroundishelpfulformanyofthewritteneventsasaccountingconcepts areincludedinmostoftheupper‐levelobjectivetestevents. Tieswillbebrokenbasedontheorderthetestsarereturned. Alljudges’decisionsarefinal. Adviser Tips Studyfoldersforeachcompetitorshouldbeprepared. o IncludeacopyoftheeventguidelinesfoundintheNebraskaFBLAHandbook. o Includecompetitiveeventstudyguides. Competitorsmustfollowthecompetitiveeventguidelines. Samplecopiesoftextbooksaregreatresourcesforstudentstocheckout(especiallyuseful foreventsthatarenotofferedintheschoolcurriculum). TheNationalFBLACompetitiveEventsStudyGuide,whichincludessampletestquestions, canbepurchasedfromtheMarketPlace(www.fbla‐pbl.org). SampleproductiontestsarealsoidentifiedonNebraskaFBLA’sOnlineResourcesGuide (http://nebraskafbla.org/wp‐content/uploads/2010/03/list‐ competitiveeventresourcesonline.pdf) StudentsshouldbeadvisedabouttheproperproceduresforfillingouttheScantronsheets. o Allbubblesshouldbefilledin. o No.2pencilsmustbesuppliedbythecompetitors—nopens. o EventnameshouldbewrittenontheScantron. o SchoolnameshouldbeclearlywrittenontheScantron;donotuseabbreviations. Onlysimplecalculatorsmaybeusedwhentesting;graphingcalculatorsmayNOTbeused. Oldtestsfromtextbookpublishersorfromearliertextbookeditionsareexcellentreview sheets. Partnerstudysessionsorgroupstudynightscanbeheldtopreparestudentsfor competition. 3 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Themaintopicareasorcompetenciescoveredonthetestsarefoundintheevent guidelines,whichshouldbesharedwithstudents. o ThecompetenciesarefoundundertheProcedurecategoryforeachcompetitive eventlistedintheNebraskaFBLAHandbook. o Competenciesarelistedintheorderofemphasis(i.e.,competencieslistedfirstwill haveahigherpercentageofquestionsthancompetencieslistedlast). Student Tips Prepareforthecompetitiveevent. Attendstudysessionsarrangedbytheadviser. Studytextbookglossaries. Usemultipletextbooksasresources. Reviewsamplematerialsprovidedbytheadviser. Takeonlinesampletests. Wearappropriatebusinessattire. BringNo.2pencilsandanon‐graphingcalculatortothecompetition. Nographingcalculators,PDA’s,orothermemorystoragedevicesareallowedinanyevent. Utilizeonlineresources. Wearyournamebadge. Accounting II Thiseventisformemberswhohavehadmorethanoneyearofhighschoolaccounting instruction. AccountingIIisaneventthatiscomposedoftwoparts:anobjectivetestandaschool‐site applicationtest.Eachpartisworth50%ofthefinalscore. Fifty(50)minutesisallowedfortheobjectivetestand30minutesisallowedfortheschool‐ siteapplicationtest. Studentsshouldpracticetimedproductionofvarioustypesoffinancialdocuments.Sample productiontestscanbefoundintheNationalCompetitiveEventsStudyGuideandon NebraskaFBLA’sOnlineResourcesGuide(http://nebraskafbla.org/wp‐ content/uploads/2010/03/list‐competitiveeventresourcesonline.pdf) School-site Application Test Studentscompletetheapplicationtestattheirschoolduringtheassignedtestingdates. Anyaccountingorspreadsheetsoftwaremaybeused. Studentsshouldbepreparedtocompleteproblemsforfinancialstatements,bank reconciliation,payroll,trialbalance,journalizing,inventory,depreciation,and adjusting/closingentries. Since this is a school site test, the following procedures must be followed: Thetestsaremailedtothechapteradviserpriortotheassignedtestingdates,whichare identifiedontheFBLAcalendar. TheFBLAadvisermaynotadministertheevent. Thechapteradviserisresponsibleforfindingaproctortomonitorthetest. o Animpartialadult,preferablysomeonefamiliarwiththeequipment,shouldbe selectedastheeventproctor. o Eventproctorscanbeanotherfacultymember,computercoordinator,guidance counselor,principal,orbusinessprofessional. 4 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Theeventproctorshouldbegiventhepacketoftestmaterialsseveraldayspriortothe eventtoallowtimetoreviewtheprocedures. Theeventproctorplacesalltestmaterialsinasealedmanilaenvelopeandreturnsittothe chapteradviserformailingtothestateofficebythepostmarkdeadline. Thechapteradvisermaynotbepresentintheroomduringtheeventtesting. Astrategyshouldbedevelopedwithstudentstoefficientlyselectproblems,follow directions,completethedocument,saveandprint. Problemsdonothavetobecompletedintheorderlistedunlessspecificallynotedassuch. Computer Skill Events TheskilleventsincludeComputerApplications,DatabaseDesignandApplications,Desktop Publishing,SpreadsheetApplications,WordProcessingI,andWordProcessingII. Studentscompletethecomputerskilleventsattheirschoolduringtheassignedtesting dates. Thetestsaremailedtothechapteradviserpriortotheassignedtestingdates,whichare identifiedontheFBLAcalendar. TheFBLAadvisermaynotadministertheevent. Thechapteradviserisresponsibleforfindinganeventproctortomonitorthetest. o Animpartialadult,preferablysomeonefamiliarwiththeequipment,shouldbe selectedtoadministerthetest. o Theproctorcanbeanotherfacultymember,computercoordinator,guidance counselor,principal,orbusinessprofessional. Theeventproctorshouldbegiventhepacketoftestmaterialsseveraldayspriortothe eventtoallowtheadministratortimetoreviewtheprocedures. Theproctorplacesalltestmaterialsinasealedmanilaenvelopeandreturnsittothe chapteradviserformailingtothestateofficebythepostmarkdeadline. Thechapteradvisermaynotbepresentintheroomduringtheeventtesting. Allwordprocessingdocumentsmustbepreparedusingthestyleindicatedinthenational FBLAFormatGuide. o Studentsshouldreviewandhaveagoodunderstandingofthestylesidentifiedinthe nationalFBLAFormatGuide. o StudentsmayusethenationalFBLAFormatGuideduringthetest. Anysoftwaremaybeusedintheseevents.Studentsshouldbefamiliarwiththesoftware thattheyareusingpriortotheadministrationoftheproductiontest. Voicerecognitionsoftwaremaybeused. Studentsshouldpracticetimedproductionofvarioustypesofdocuments. Astrategyshouldbedevelopedwithstudentstoefficientlyselectproblems,follow directions,completethedocument,save,andprint. Alltestdirectionsshouldbefollowed. Studentsshouldproofread,proofread,proofread.Pointswillbetakenofffortypographical errors. Problemsareweightedaccordingtodifficultyanddonothavetobecompletedintheorder listedunlesstheproblemhastwoparts. Computer Applications UptotwomembersinGrades9‐12mayenter. Thetestis60minutes;instructions,setup,andclosuretakeapproximately15minutes. 5 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide TheComputerApplicationseventincludesthefollowingareas:wordprocessing,database, spreadsheet,charts,andpresentationslides. Softwaretypicallyfoundinanofficesuiteshouldbeusedforthiscompetition. Preparationandcompletionofthefollowingdocumentsandproblemsmaybeexpected: o Wordprocessing:letters,memos,tables,andreports. o Database:Creatingadatabase,sorting,searching,querying,andcreatingreports. o Spreadsheet:Completingspreadsheets,applyingfunctionssuchasmove,combine, andformat;creatingandapplyingformulas,creatingchartsfromtables,creating financialdocuments o Charts:bar,line,pie,explodedpie,andstackedbar. o Presentation:Textslideswithgraphicsandbackgrounds,hyperlinks. Inaddition,studentsshouldbeabletointegrateapplications(e.g.,linkadatabasetoaword processingdocumenttocreateamailmerge,linkaspreadsheetcharttoapresentation slide) StudentsarenotexpectedtocompletetheComputerApplicationstestinthetimeallowed forstatecompetition. Proofreadingisimportant. Desktop Publishing AteamoftwofromGrades9‐12maycompeteinDesktopPublishing. Thetestis90minutes;instructions,set‐upandclosuretakeapproximately15minutes. Documentsmayincludebutarenotlimitedtoitemssuchasflyers,newsletters,business cards,menus,advertisements,brochures,etc. Allsubmittedworkmustbeprintedincolor. Theteamshouldplanaworkstrategypriortoeventtesting.Consideritemssuchasorderof projectcompletion,whowillenterdata,whowilllookforgraphics,andwhowillproofread documents. Bothstudentsmayuseacomputerduringtesting. Acohesivedesignelementshouldbeutilizedonalldocuments Thefinalprojectsshouldeffectivelycommunicatetherequiredinformation. Theeventratingsheetshouldbereviewed. Proofreadingisimportant. Word Processing I and II WordProcessingI:UptofourmembersinGrades9‐10whohavenothadmorethanthe instructioncoveredinthefirstschoolyearofkeyboardingareeligible. WordProcessingII:UptofourmembersinGrades9‐12whoareorhavebeenenrolledin wordprocessing,computerapplicationsand/orskill‐relatedcoursesthatincluded keyboardinginstructionand/orkeyboardingproductionworkbeyondwhatistaughtinthe basicone‐yearkeyboardingcourseareeligible. Thetestis30minutes;instructions,set‐upandclosuretakeapproximately15minutes. StudentsarenotexpectedtocompletetheWordProcessingIandIItestsinthetime allowedforstatecompetition. Preparationofthefollowingdocumentsmaybeexpected:letters,memorandums,reports, tables,calculations,outlines,resumes,andmaterialfromroughdraftorunarrangedcopy. Proofread! 6 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Database Design and Applications UptotwomembersinGrades9‐12canenter. Thetestis30minutes;instructions,set‐upandclosuretakeapproximately15minutes. Membersshouldbepreparedtodemonstratedesignofmultipletabledatabases(selection oftables,fieldsanddatatypes,ERdiagrams,relationships),creationoftablesandinserting dataintotables,developmentofsingletableSQLstatements,developmentofmultipletable SQLstatements,andcreationofformsandreports. Proofread! Spreadsheet Applications UptotwomembersinGrades9‐12mayenter. Thetestis30minutes;instructions,set‐upandclosuretakeapproximately15minutes. Preparationinbasicmathematicalandfinancialconceptsaswellasdataorganization conceptsshouldbeexpected. Bepreparedtoutilizedatabycreatingformulas,usingfunctions,generatinggraphsfor analysispurposes,usingpivottables,creatingmacros,generatingfinancialdocuments,and filteringandextractingdata. Itemscompletedinapreviousjobmaybelinkedorusedinanotherjob. Proofread! Project-Based Events BusinessFinancialPlan BusinessPlan ComputerGameandSimulationProgramming DesktopApplicationProgramming DigitalDesignandPromotion DigitalVideoProduction E‐business WebSiteDesign TheprocedureforeachprojectisfoundintheCompetitiveEventssectionoftheNebraska FBLAHandbook. Theseeventsareforanindividualorteamof2‐3. Thetopicfortheprojectwillchangeeachyear,exceptforthebusinessplan,whichisbased onthestudent’schoiceofbusiness. TheprojectmustfollowtheratingsheetlocatedintheCompetitiveEventssectionofthe NebraskaFBLAHandbook. Planaheadasprojectscanrequiremonthstocomplete. ItishelpfultoutilizealocalbankrepresentativetoassiststudentswiththeBusiness FinancialPlan. E-business and Web Site Design NewtopicsarepublishedannuallyinthenationalChapterManagementHandbookandthe NebraskaFBLAHandbook. Thesametopicisusedforstateandnationalcompetition. Thecreationofthewebsitemaybeginassoonasthetopicisreceived. Anysoftwaremaybeused. 7 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Thefollowingguidelinesarehelpfulhints: o Beconsistentincolorandformat. o Makesurewebsiteiseasytonavigate. o Verifyalllinks,makingsuretheyareallactive. o Makesurewebsitecanbeviewedinvariousbrowsers. o Followcopyrightlaws!Useproperdocumentationonthewebsite;receiveapproval tosupportanytext,photographs,trademarks,ornamesusedonthesite. o Usethelatesttechnologytoensurethatthewebsiteusescurrentapplications. o MakesureproperURLisprovidedontheentryform. ThewebsitemustbeaccessibleforjudgingontheInternetbytheestablisheddeadline. Projects with Performance Events BusinessEthics BusinessPresentation ClientService EmergingBusinessIssues Business Ethics Thisisateameventfor2‐3members. Forthepreliminaryround,teamsprepareawrittencopyoftheirsolutiontothecasestudy, whichislinkedtotheNebraskaFBLAwebsite. Performance Thetop8teamsareselectedtoperformatthestateconference. Teamsaresequestered;therefore,itisimportanttoblocktheentirecompetitiontimeinthe students’schedule. Teamshave20minutestopreparetheirsolutiontothecasestudy. Eachteamhas7minutestopresenttheirsolutiontothepanelofjudgesfollowedbya3‐ minutequestion‐answersession. SeeGeneralPerformanceTipsonpage2. Business Presentation Thisindividualorteameventof2‐3membersconsistsofapresentationbasedonthetopic identifiedintheNebraskaFBLAHandbook. Amultimediapresentationshouldbeusedasanaidindeliveringthebusinesspresentation. EachteamwillsubmitavideoofthebusinesspresentationonDVDbythedesignateddeadline. Thepresentationandcompetitorsshouldbeinclearviewonthevideo. AllelementsofthevideoshouldberecordedtotheDVDtoensurethatitplaysforthejudges. Visualaidsandpropsmaybeused. Thetop8submissionswillbeselectedtopresentatthestateconference. Bringyourownpowerbarandextensioncord.It’sbettertobeoverprepared. Speechteachersaregoodresourcestouseasjudgesforpracticesessions. SeeGeneralPerformanceTipsonpage2. 8 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Client Service Thisisanindividualevent. Thepreliminaryroundconsistsofsubmittingatwo‐pagesolutiontothecasestudy,whichis linkedtothewebsite. Thetop8competitorsadvancetotheperformancepartoftheevent. Preparebyshadowingcustomerservicedepartments. Studythebasicstepstopleasingacustomer,whichcanbefoundontheInternet. Keepthepresentationasrealisticaspossible. Usethankyou's,Iapologize,ourmistakeintheconversation.However,don’toverdothe apologiesbyincorporatingthemintoeverystatement. Whentimeiscalledcompetitorsshouldbringtheroleplaytoanendwithaclosingstatement. Emerging Business Issues Thisteameventof2‐3membersisbasedonacurrentbusinesstopic. Thepreliminaryroundconsistsofsubmittingaone‐pageaffirmativeandone‐pagenegative responsetothetopicalongwithaone‐pagebibliography. Thetopicmustberesearchbasedandnotopinionbasedusingavarietyofresources. Thiseventcanbeintegratedintomanyclassesandusedasanassignment. Thetop10teamsadvancetotheperformancepartoftheevent. Performance Eachteamdrawstopresenteithertheaffirmativeorthenegativesidetothetopic. Afterdrawing,theteamhas5minutestoprepare. Thepresentationisamaximumof5minutes. Aquestion‐answerperiodwiththejudgesfollowsthepresentation. SeeGeneralPerformanceTipsonpage2. PerformanceEvents Electronic Career Portfolio Thisisanindividualevent. Studentsdevelopanelectroniccareerportfoliousinganyresourceavailable. Followtheeventguidelinesandratingsheettodevelopadetailedportfolio. TheportfoliomaybeshownusingastoragedeviceorthroughanInternetconnection. RememberthatInternetconnectionsalwaysprovideariskofnotworkingwhenneeded. Theportfolioissharedwithapanelofjudgeswhocritiqueboththeportfolioandthepresentation. Thepresentationis7minutesfollowedbya3‐minutequestion‐answersession. Impromptu Speaking Thespeechmustbefourminutes(5pointsaredeductedfortimesunder3:31orover4:29). ItishelpfultohaveknowledgeofFBLAinformationandcurrentevents,aswellasagood businessvocabulary. Currentelectronicnewsmagazinesarehelpfulresourcesforbusiness‐relatedandcurrent eventsknowledge. Studentsaresequesteredduringtheevent. Studentsmustfollowtheconferencedresscodeguidelines.Iftheydonot,thereisa5‐point deduction.Abusinesssuitgivesthebestimpression. 9 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Sample Impromptu Speaking Topics Howdoyoudefinesuccess? HowhasFBLAhelpedyoubuildforyourfuture? Whatdoesthephrase,“Gettinginvolvedmakesgoodbusinesssense,”meantoyou? Whichismoreimportant:learningfrommistakesordoingitrightthefirsttime? HowhavetheskillsyouhavegainedinFBLAhelpedyouwithmakingdifficultdecisions? Whatisthebiggestfactorindeterminingacompany’ssuccessorfailure? Job Interview OnlyseniorsareeligibletoentertheJobInterviewevent. Letter and Resume Preparation Tips Theresumeandletterofapplicationareprintedonbondresumepaper. Anyappropriateresumeandletterstylemaybeused. Theresumeislimitedtoonepage. Theresumeandletterarepreparedpriortotheconference;thedocumentsarebroughtto theconference. ExtracopiesofthejobapplicationmaterialsshouldbebroughttotheSLCincasethecopies aremisplaced. o Studentsmayberesponsibleforbringingthematerialstotheconference. o Someadvisersprefertobringthestudents’materialstotheconference. Mockinterviewscanbeusedtopracticeforthejobinterview. LettermustbeaddressedtoDr.TerryE.Johnsonusingtheaddressprovidedinthe competitiveeventguidelines. Studentsshouldreviewtheircompetitiveeventschedulestoseewhenaninterview appointmentcanbescheduled. o Identifypossibleinterviewtimes. o Sign‐upforaninterviewtimeatthestateconferenceonThursday. Student Tips Emphasizesomethinguniqueorspecialaboutyourselfintheletter. Proofread,proofread,proofread! Askotherindividualstoproofreadyourletterandresume. Signtheletter. SubmityourletterandresumeatThursday’sJobInterviewsessionandreceiveyour interviewtime.Wearconferenceattire. PreliminaryroundinterviewsareFridayafternoon. PracticeinterviewingbeforeSLC. Reviewfrequentlyaskedinterviewquestions. Dressinprofessionalattire(suit)fortheinterview. Beatleasttenminutesearlyfortheinterview. Practiceusingafirmhandshake. Havequestionspreparedtoasktheinterviewer. Thanktheinterviewer. Job Interview Callbacks Semifinals Eachpreliminaryroundinterviewerselectsonestudenttoadvancetothesemifinalround. Thenamesof40individualsqualifyingforthesemifinalinterviewareposted(topstudent fromeachinterviewer). 10 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide SemifinalcallbackinterviewsareheldFridayevening. The40semifinalistsaredividedinto5groupsof8students. o Ajudgeselectsthetoptwostudentstoadvancetothefinalcallbacksfromeach group. o SemifinalistsnotadvancingtothefinalroundwillreceiveHonorableMention certificates. Finals Thenamesofthetenfinalistsarepostedonthebulletinboardafter10p.m.onFriday. Advisersandcompetitorsareresponsibleforcheckingtheposting. FinalinterviewsforthetenfinalistsareconductedbytwoorthreejudgesonSaturday morning. FinalistsaresequesteredduringthecompetitiononSaturdaymorning. FinalresultsareannouncedattheAwardsProgram. Public Speaking Before Registration Deadline EachchaptermayenteroneFBLAmemberfromGrades9‐10inPublicSpeakingI. EachchaptermayenteroneFBLAmemberfromGrades11‐12inPublicSpeakingII. ThePublicSpeakingeventinformationintheNebraskaFBLAHandbookshouldbereviewed withstudents. AhardcopyofthespeechandaCDofthespeechmustbesubmittedtothestateofficeby theregistrationdeadline.Thestudent’sname,chapter,andtitleofthespeechshouldbe placedonboththehardcopyandthemedia. Thetop20speecheswillbeselectedforthepreliminaryperformance. PublicSpeakingIspeechesmustbe4minutesinlength(5pointsaredeductedfortimes under3:31orover4:29). PublicSpeakingIIspeechesmustbe5minutesinlength(5pointsaredeductedfortimes under4:31orover5:29). Speech Content SpeechcontentmustbedevelopedfromoneormoreofthenineFBLA‐PBLgoals. Speechmustbetheresultofthecompetitor’seffortsandmustbeofabusinessnature. UseoneoftheFBLAgoalsasthebasisforthespeech.Usingmorethanonegoalmakesit difficultforthejudgestofocusonthedirectionofthespeech. TheevaluationrubricandtheeventguidelinesfoundintheNebraskaFBLAHandbook shouldbereviewed. Itishelpfultoincorporateastoryintothespeechasthistypeofspeechseemstocompete wellonboththestateandnationallevels. o Thestorycanbeaboutthespeakerorafamous“ragstoriches”story. o Thestoryshouldsupportthegoalselectedforthespeech. Presentation Tips Competitorsshouldarrive15minutesearlytothecompetition. Novisualaidsorspeakingaidsmaybeused. Membersareencouragedtowatchthepresentation. o Itishelpfultohaveanaudiencetoreacttothespeechinordertohaveinstant feedback. o Judgesoftenwillnotshowanyreaction. 11 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Studentsmustfollowtheconferencedresscodeguidelines.Iftheydonot,thereisa5‐point deduction.Abusinesssuitgivesthebestimpression. Usingnotecardswillnotputacompetitorincontention. o Thespeechshouldbememorized. o Notecardstendtorestrictthenaturaluseofgesturesandoftenbecomeacrutch whenthecompetitorisnervous. Chapter Projects Reportwritingisapositivemethodforstudentstosummarizesuccessfulchapterprojects.Even thoughreportwritingtakestime,itisveryrewardingforstudentstoseetheculminationofa chapterproject.Toreinforcewritingacrossthecurriculum,FBLAreportsprovideanimportant meanstoachievethisgoal.SpecificguidelinesforreportscanbefoundintheNebraskaFBLA Handbook.Suggestionsforbothwrittenreportsandtheperformancearelistedbelow. Project Reports Theguidelinesforeachreportshouldbereviewedbeforestartingtheproject. Itisimportanttostartearlyintheschoolyearorduringthesummermonthstobrainstorm andplan. Chapterofficersshouldbrainstormprojectideaswhendevelopingthechapter’sprogramof work. Projectsshouldbebasedonneed. Fundingopportunities,suchasgrants,maybeavailabletosupportprojects. Officersshouldtaketheideastothemembership. Twoorthreecommitteemembersshouldbeassignedtotheproject. Itisusefultodevelopaprojecttimeline. PreviousnationalwinningreportsareavailableforpurchasefromTheMarketplace.The stateofficealsohasreportresourcesavailableforcheckout. Committeechairpersonsshouldmakenotesontheplanninganddevelopmentofthe project,whichwillbeusedtodevelopthereportroughdraft. Allsectionsidentifiedontheratingsheetmustbeincludedinthereport. Thetableofcontentsshouldfollowtheorderofitemsontheratingsheet. Reportwritingtimeshouldbescheduledearlyintheyear.Ifachapteriswritingmorethan onereport,itworksbesttosetalabtimethatwillworkformorethanoneprojectgroup. Thewritingprocessshouldbefun.Orderfoodorplansocialactivitiesaroundthelabtime. Deadlinesfortheroughdraftandfinalcopiesshouldbeset. Desktoppublishingsoftwareshouldbeusedtoformatthefinalreport. Aconsistentdesignlayoutthroughoutthereportisessential. Onepictureperpageismoreappealingtotheeye. Thefinaldocumentmustbeproofreadcarefully. Reportguidelinesmustbedoublecheckedtomakecertainallrequirementsaremet. Guidelinesforthereportcoverandthenumberofpagesmustbefollowed. Itisimportanttofollowdirectionstoensurethatthereportisnotdisqualified. Thefinalreportshouldbeprintedincolor. Thereportmustbeboundfollowingthereportguidelines. Noitemsmaybeattachedtothefrontcover. Coversmaynotbeinplasticbindersorlaminated. Itisunacceptabletohaveaplasticsheetoverlayingthefrontcover. 12 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Performance Thefivereportswiththetopwrittenscoresareselectedfortheperformancepartoftheevent. Nomorethanthreechaptermembersmaypresenttheproject. Themaximumperformancetimeforchaptereventsissevenminutes,followedbyathree‐ minutequestion‐and‐answersessionwiththepanelofjudges. Thereisnominimumtimeforthepresentation,butitshouldtakeatleastsevenminutesto coverthebasicsoftheproject. Theratingsheetshouldbefollowedthroughoutthepresentation. Presentationsoftwareisusedduringtheperformancecomponentoftheeventtoenhance thepresentation. Thepresentationshouldbepracticedinfrontofagroupfollowedbyanevaluationofthe performance. Teammembersshouldintroducethemselves,includingthestudents’namesandschool,at thebeginningofthepresentation. Eyecontactandgesturesareimportantelementswhenpresenting. Studentsshouldmemorizetheirscriptinordertobecompetitive. Whennotspeaking,teammembersshouldremainattentiveandfocusedonthecurrent speaker. Handoutsand/orvisualaidsmaybeusedwhenappropriate. Studentsmustfollowtheconferencedresscodeguidelines.Iftheydonot,thereisafive‐ pointdeduction. Equipmentsetupishandledonlybythestudents. o Adviserscannothelpandmaynotsignaldirectionstothestudents. o Thesetupproceduresshouldbepracticedpriortothestateconference. Teammembersshouldbepreparedforquestionsfromthejudges—answeringquestions honestlyandcompletely. Eachpresentershouldextendahandshaketothejudgesattheconclusionofthe presentation. Online Test Events with Performance BankingandFinancialSystems Entrepreneurship GlobalBusiness Marketing ManagementDecisionMaking ManagementInformationSystems NetworkDesign Theseteameventsconsistoftwo(2)parts:anobjectivetestandaperformancecomponent consistingofaproblemorscenario.Theonlineobjectivetestistakencollaborativelybytheteam priortothestateconference.Thetopteamsdeterminedbytheobjectivetestscorewillinteract withapanelofjudgesandpresentthesolutiontothecasestudy. Eachteamiscomposedof2‐3membersfromachapter. Teamsshoulddevelopatestingstrategypriortothecompetition. Oneteammembershouldentertheteam’sanswers. The5teamswiththehighestobjective‐testscoreswillinteractwithapanelofjudgesand giveapresentationofacasestudyatthestateconference. 13 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Performance Guidelines Participantsshouldbepreparedtodefendtheirdecisionsandrespondtoquestionsfrom thejudgesduringthepresentation. Teammembersarenotsequestered. Teammembershave20minutestoprepareforthepresentation. Theparticipantshave7minutestointeractwithapanelofjudgesanddemonstratehow theywouldsolvetheproblem.Thejudgeswillplaytheroleofthesecondpartyinthe presentation;refertothecaseforspecifics.Thisisarole‐playevent. Teammembersshouldreviewtheratingsheet. Businessprofessionalsareagoodsourceforcaseproblemsandtheirsolutions. Samplecasestudiescanbefoundonthenationalwebsite,thenationalCompetitiveEvents StudyGuide,andbeginningonpage17. Theperformanceformatisanexcellentteachingstrategyforuseinmanybusinessclasses. SeeGeneralPerformanceTipsonpage2. Paper Test Events with Performance Future Business Leader Thiseventconsistsofthreeparts:objectivetest,letterofapplicationandresumecompletedforthe JobInterviewevent,andtheinterview.(RefertotheJobInterviewTipsfoundonpage10.) OnlyseniorsenteredintheJobIntervieweventareeligiblefortheFutureBusinessLeader event. Thenamesofthefinalistsarepostedontheconferencebulletinboardafter10p.m.on Friday.Advisersandcompetitorsareresponsibleforcheckingtheposting. The8finalistsareselectedbasedontheirpreliminaryJobInterviewscoreandtheirFuture BusinessLeadertestscore. Apaneloftwoorthreebusinessprofessionalsservesasjudgesfortheinterview. Thiseventisnotajobinterview;theinterviewisbasedonthefollowingcriteria: o Participation/leadershipinFBLA. o Participationinotherschooland/orcommunityorganizations. o Demonstrationofoutstandingachievement. o Careerknowledgeandcareerplans. o Personalappearance,communicationskills,poiseandself‐confidence. o Knowledgeofcurrentevents. Studentsneedtoelaborateontheirresponseswhileansweringthequestions. Professionalbusinessattireisimportant. o Formalesabusinesssuitorsportscoatisessential. o Forfemalesabusinesssuitisessential. FinalistsaresequesteredpriortocompetitiononSaturdaymorning. TheFutureBusinessLeaderratingsheetfoundinSection4oftheNebraskaFBLAHandbook shouldbereviewedwithstudentspriortocompetition. Help Desk Thisisanindividualeventconsistingofanobjectivetestgivenatthestateconferenceanda performancecomponent. The8individualswiththehighesttestscorequalifyfortheperformancepartoftheevent. 14 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Competitorshave10minutestoprepareand5minutestointeractwithapanelofjudges role‐playingthesituationpresentedtothem. Studythebasicstepstohelpingaclientorco‐workerwithatechnologyproblem. Keepthepresentationasrealisticaspossiblebyaskingquestionsandofferingvarious solutionstotheproblem. Parliamentary Procedure Basic Knowledge Participantsshouldhaveabasicknowledgeofmotionsandotherparliamentary terminology. Thestudentstestoversectionsofthe1200RegistrationExamQuestionsdevelopedbythe NationalAssociationofParliamentarians. Competitorsseekingtoplaceintheeventshouldstudyaminimumofonehourdailyforat leastsixweekspriortocompeting. Theteammembers’scoresareaveragedandthetopfourteamsperform. Performance Tips AgoodresourceforpossibleproblemscanbefoundintheQandAsectionoftheNational Parliamentarian,theofficialpublicationoftheNationalAssociationofParliamentarians.A subscriptiontotheNationalParliamentariancanbeobtainedforanominalfee (www.parliamentarians.org). Teammembersshouldholdatleastsix2‐hourpracticesessions(onehourisspenton practicetests,theotherhourisspentonteamdemonstrations). Teamrolesshouldbeassigned:presidingofficer,secretary,treasurerandmember. Abasicwrittenscriptagendaofameeting,includingmotionstheteamwillinclude,should beprepared. Thesituationdescribedintheproblemandthemotionsidentifiedintheproblemshouldbe includedinthedemonstration.Therefore,itmaybenecessarytodropitemsfromtheteam’s preparedmeetingtostaywithinthetimelimit. Thenaturalqualityofthemeetingisessential;themeetingmustnotappearrehearsedor “canned.” Agavelisneededforthedemonstration. Teammembersshoulddressprofessionallyandwearasimilaruniformifpossible. Teammembersshouldintroducethemselvestothejudges. Thedemonstrationbeginsandendswiththerapofthegavel. Noceremony,suchasaflagsalute,isneededforthedemonstration. Thedemonstrationis9to11minutes;pointsaretakenoffforademonstrationlessthan 8’30”andlongerthan11’30”. Team Preparation Time Teammembershave20minutestoprepareforthedemonstration. Problemsoftenconsistofaparliamentarysituationandfourorfivemotionstoincludein thedemonstration. Parliamentaryreferencematerialsmaybeusedtosolvetheproblem.Scriptscannotbe takenintothedemonstrationroom. Eachmembermaytaketothedemonstrationacopyoftheproblem,butthecopyofthe problemmaynotcontainanyadditionalnotesorwriting. Teammembersshouldevaluatethewrittenproblemandassignroles. Memberswilldecideonthedebate,assignprosandconsforthedebate,anddetermine wheretheproblemfitsinthemeetingagenda. Thesecretaryshouldsimulatetakingminutes. 15 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Sample Case Studies Business Ethics Alocalhotelhasrecentlyremodeledandhasabreakfastroomforitsguests,providingsimplebasic breakfastitemsasanamenity.Thehotelistryingtoupscaleitsclienteleandisusinghigher‐end namebrandproductsforitsguests.ThehotelownersaregreatsupportersofthelocalFBLA chapter,infactsomuchsothattheyarecontributing$1foreveryhourworkedbyanyemployee whoisaFBLAmemberthisyeartotheNebraskaFBLAFoundationTrust. Mrs.Winslow,aformerFBLAadviserfromyourschool,hasgraciouslyassistedinsecuringan interviewforyouwiththehotelmanagerforaneveningdeskclerkpositionthathasbecome available.Mel,afriendofyourswhoworksattheproperty,hasgivenaraverecommendationtothe hotelownerstohelpyouinsecuringthisposition. Melhasbeenemployedbythishotelpropertytoworkpart‐timeasamorningfoodcenterworker. He’ssharedwithyoutheunusualdishesthatarebeingused,whichcomefromthelocalPottery Barnstore.Infact,he’salsosharedwithyouinconfidencethefactthathe’stakenacomplete serviceforeight,wrappedtheminappropriateshippingmaterial,securedanemptyboxfromthe localPotteryBarnstore,and“returned”themasagift,exchangingtheitemsforcashandthenusing thefundsforagraduationpartyhe’shostingthisspring. DiscussionQuestions DiscusstheimplicationsofMel’sactions(bothpersonalandbusiness). Howwillhisactionsimpactthehotel’sreputationintown?Willthissituation,ifdisclosedto anypotentialguests,impacttheproperty’sbusiness? Whatshouldyoudo?HowwillMel’sactionsimpactyourinterviewandpotential employmentwiththehotel? Client Service PositionandCompany YouareemployedasacustomerservicerepresentativeforNationalMagazineCompany,which publishestenpopularprintmagazines.Yourcompanypridesitselfonkeepingitscurrent subscribersandalsooffersmanypromotionalactivitiestoencouragenewsubscribers.Yourjobis toprovideapositivelinkbetweenthecompanyanditscustomersbyprovidingserviceand promotinggoodwill. Scenario ItwastimeforLukeIngles,aresidentofNebraska,torenewhissubscriptiontoSportsWorld,a popularmagazineformenandwomen,publishedbyNationalMagazineCompany.SportsWorld offeredtosendafriendafreeyear’ssubscriptionwithMr.Ingles’renewalsubscription.Lukechose togivethesubscriptionasaholidaygifttohisfriendJasonLee,whonowlivesinCalifornia. Longaftertheholidayswereover,nosubscriptionarrivedforJason.AcallbyLuketoSports World’sCustomerServiceDepartment(whereyouwork)revealedthatthecustomerservice representativehadneverheardoftheoffer.Aftersomepersistence,Lukeeventuallyreceiveda promisethatthesubscriptionwouldsoonbeonitsway.Monthspassedwithnomagazinearriving atJason’saddress. 16 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Inmid‐July,anotherofferfromSportsWorldarrivedatLuke’shomeforafreesubscriptionfora friendwiththerenewalofhissubscription.MorecallswereplacedbyLuketotheCustomerService Department;morerepresentativeswhowerenotawareoftheofferresponded;morepromises weregiventhatthesubscriptionwouldbesent.Onceagain,nosubscriptionappearedinJason’s mailbox. FinallyinOctober,Jasonreceivedabillforthenonexistent“free”subscription.JasonemailedLuke withthelatestupdateonthegiftsubscriptiontoSportsWorld. NowLukewasreallyangry.HecalledtheCustomerServiceDepartmenttogetJason’sbillremoved pluscancelhissubscriptiontoSportsWorld.ForgetabouteverrecommendingSportsWorldtoa friendoranyone!Lukenolongerwantsthemagazineinhishome;hewantsanapologytoall involved;hewantscompensationforthetimeandfrustrationspentonthissituation. LukecallstheCustomerServiceDepartmentandyouanswerthecall.Youknowyouhaveavery unhappycustomerwhohasbeenasubscribertoSportsWorldforsevenyears. Howwillyouhandlethissituation?Ataminimum,youwillwanttocoverthefollowing: Whatstepswillyoutaketocalmandreassurethecustomer? WhatprocedurewillyoufollowtomakeLukeandJasonsatisfiedcustomers? Whatstepswillbetakentoreassuretheclientthatthiswillnothappenagain? WhatproceduresshouldbetakenbyNationalMagazineCompanytopreventthissituation inthefuture? Entrepreneurship Carol’scookieswerecausinghertrouble.Actuallythesuccessofhercookieswascausingher trouble.Shecouldn’tproduceenoughcookiestomeetcustomerdemands,andhercatering businesswassufferingduetothesuccessofthisoneproduct.Furthermore,shedidn’thaveany timeforherselforherone‐year‐olddaughter. Carolhadspentacoupleofyearsatacommunitycollegeupongraduatingfromhighschool;and duringhighschoolandhercollegeyears,shehadworkedatvariousrestaurants.Shestartedoutas abusgirlthenbecameahostess,thenwaitressandeventuallyacook.Sheevengainedexperience atamid‐rangefamilyrestaurantasasalesrepresentativeonthecateringsideofthebusiness...all bythetimeshewas21yearsold. CarolmetherhusbandTomwhileattendingthecommunitycollege.Hewasemployedbyalarge corporationandwastakingadvantageofhisemployers’continuingeducationprogramtobrushup onhiscomputerskills.TheoriginalplanhadbeenforCaroltofinishhercollegeeducationonafull‐ timebasisandworkparttime;butwhentheirdaughterAngelawasborn,thecouple’splanswere changed.CarolwouldstayhomewithAngelaandsupplementtheirincomewithasmallcatering business. Carolstartedbypurchasingafaxmachineandadvertisedherbusinesstolocalcompaniesbyfaxing themmenus.Theycouldsimplycheckoffwhattheywanted,sendtheorderby10:00a.m.,andshe wouldcouriertheirlunchtothembynoon.Heruniquesellingpropositionwasthatthecustomer couldorderasandwichandchipsfor$2.99andgetabigcookie(achocolatechipcookiethe circumferenceofyourhand)forfree.Thecookiesonlycosther$.20tomake,andtoheritwasan inexpensivewayofsettingherserviceapartfromhercompetition.Hercostofgoods(she 17 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide purchasedhersuppliesfromalocalsupermarket)wasabout70percentofhersandwichprice,not includingthecookie. Carolhadbeeninbusinessforoneyearandwasbuildingherclientele,butshewasn’tmakingany significantmoney.Infact,Tomfiguredbythetimesheaddedindeliveryexpenses,shewasactually losingmoney.Tomsuggestedshegetanotherjob,andthelackofprofithadbecomeasourceof tensionforthecouple. Thatwaswhenthecookiebusinesstookoff.Ordersforonlycookiesbeganpouringin,primarilyfor afternoonsnacksatvariousofficesandalsoformeetings.CarolthenbeganprovidingthefiveBagel Stoprestaurantswith“Carol’sCookiestoGo,”andsoldthecookiestohercorporateclienteleand theBagelStopsfor50centseach.TheBagelStopscharged$1.00foreachcookie.Beforesheknew it,shewasbaking500cookiesperdayandnotkeepingupwithsandwichorders.Shedidn’twantto hirestaffasshereallydidn’thavethemoneytopayanyoneelsemuchlessherself.Shealsodidn’t havethemoneytoinvestinmoreequipment,andTomwasgrowingtiredoffundingthebusiness. Carolfeelsasthoughshehasinventedacookiemonsterandwantsoutofherdilemma.Shehas turnedtoyouforadviceastohowtomeetcustomerorders,makeaprofitandevengrowthe business.Shealsowantstospendmoretimewithherdaughter;therefore,sheonlywantstowork 20hoursperweek.ItisuptoyoutohelpCarolbyaddressingeachoftheissuesshehaspresented toyou. Network Design Becauseofdecliningpopulations,increasedgovernmentalregulation,andescalatingtechnology costs,thecommunitybanksinthetownsofNewton,Cambridge,andOakdalehavedecidedto mergeintoasingleinstitution,FirstCommunityBank.Oneofthechallengesofmergingthebanks isstandardizingtheinformationtechnologyinfrastructureofthethreebanks. Becauseallthreebankshavepreviouslymadedowithoutdatedcomputersandnetwork equipment,thebankwouldlikeyourfirmtoprovideaproposalforthepurchaseofnewequipment, includingservers,computers,printers,switches,routers,etc.,aswellasdatacommunication capabilitiesbetweenthethreeoffices. Includethefollowingrequirementsinyourdesign: Eachofthethreebankswillneedtennewcomputersystems.Thesecomputerswillneedtobe abletohandlesoftwareapplicationssuchasWordandExcelandwillbeusedtoprepareloan anddepositdocumentation.Eachcomputerneedstobenetworkready.EachPCwilltypically beassignedtoonlyoneemployee. Datacommunicationbetweeneachbranchisgoingtobeespeciallyimportant.Becausethis representsamajormonthlyexpense,bandwidthneedstobebalancedwithcost. ThebanklocationinNewtonwillhousethecorebankingserver,whichstorescustomer bankinginformationandhandlesthedailyprocessingofeachaccount.Thisequipmentwas purchasedpreviouslyandhasbeeninoperationforoverayear. Currentlythebankoperatesinapeer‐to‐peernetworkenvironment.Withtheneedtoprovide dailydatabackupsofcriticaldata,astandardizedemailsystem,andefficientvirusprotection, thebankfeelsitmightbeappropriatetoinstalloneormorenetworkservers. 18 Nebraska FBLA Competitive Events Preparation Guide Internetaccessisimportanttomoreandmorebusinessfunctionsandneedstobeavailableat eachcomputer.ProperprecautionsagainstvirusesandunauthorizedaccessviatheInternet needtobeconsidered. Asemailisfastbecomingthecommunicationmethodofchoice,eachemployeeshouldhave theirownemailaddressandneedstobeabletosendandreceiveemailfromtheircomputer. Eachofthebanksiscurrentlywiredfornetworkaccessbacktoacentralwiringcloset,soit won’tbenecessarytorunnewnetworkcabling.Adequatespaceisavailableinthewiringcloset ateachbranchforequipment,suchasservers,switches,androuters. Aqualitylaserprinterneedstobepurchasedforeachbanklocation.EachPCshouldbeableto printtothiscentralprinter. Becausethebankmustprotectitscustomerinformationatalltimes,datasecurityisofutmost concern. Parliamentary Procedure SampleProblemNo.1 Inviewoftheeconomy,somemembershavesuggestedthattohelpemployersandjobseekersget together,thechaptershouldholdaJobFairasacommunityimprovementproject.Youmustalso planasocialeventformembershiprecruitmentandfundraising.Yourdemonstrationmustaddress bothoftheseissues. Yourdemonstrationmustincludeatleastfourofthefollowingmotions. DivisionoftheQuestion PostponetoaCertainTime RaiseaQuestionofPrivilege PreviousQuestion ParliamentaryInquiry SampleProblemNo.2 Atyourlastmeetingamotion“tohostaLeadershipRetreatfortheofficersofallstudentorganizations atyourschool”waspendingwhenthemeetingadjourned.Alsopendingweremotionsto“postponethe motionindefinitely”and“referthemotiontoacommittee.”Thissituationmustbeaddressedinyour demonstration. Inadditiontoaddressingthescenario,yourdemonstrationmustincludefourofthefollowingfivemotions: Layonthetable Substitute Limitdebate Callfortheordersoftheday Reconsider Yourperformancemustincludeonemotionfromeachclassification: Main Subsidiary Privileged Incidental Bringagain 19