Options And Career Paths example essay topic

There are many life-changing investments we make which require a great deal of thought and research. One of them is choosing a career path. The first step towards this decision is made when we choose our academic path in university. From then on it is a process of researching options and career paths that will satisfy our needs. I feel these past years in university have been the most influential in my life. Throughout this paper I will try to demonstrate my experiences and my professional development in recent years.

After careful review of the theories presented in class, Hollands, Gottfredson and Browns theories are the most accurate in assessing my experiences. it is my belief that through experience and personal development my decision making criteria in respect to a potential career path has shifted from a Gottfredson type to a Browns Type. (change wording here) Taking part in the co -op program at university, has allowed me experience different fields of work. The experience is excellent in helping one to determine their needs and interests. This can also be classified as a process of elimination. Once a work term is complete the student will have a good feel for that particular field of work and will be able to assess the option to excel in that field or they will be able to eliminate it from their list of options. Dr. John Hollands theory of vocational choice applies to every student in the co-op process.

When I apply to co-op postings my primary objective is to find something which suits my interests. Assumption three from Hollands theory states, individuals search for environments that will allow them to utilize skills, express attitudes and values and take on suitable roles. This is a powerful assumption and one that I feel is very important in determining whether an individual is satisfied with their work placement. Personally, it is first priority for me to find a work placemen in which I can utilize and add to my skills set. This provides a personal and professional challenge in the work environment. Personal in that I can apply my academic knowledge and professional in that I am given the opportunity to advance my existing skills and add to them.

After completing the self-assessment in the career manual my Holland's code, similar to my SDS code, was ESA. This is fascinating because after looking back to my work placements it is consistent. For instance my first work placement was working with OPS EU pension trust where I worked in the pensioner services department. This position was consistent with the letter S in the hollands code. In this position I dealt with retired pensioners on a daily basis on the phone or in person.

It required a lot of skill with working with people, retirees require a lot of attention and patience. IT ws almost a form of council ing. I was excellent in this position and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This first work placement was a very good first step towards a satisfactory career path. (another aspect of my life which is consistent with this code is that I was a peer mediator throughout high school.) Gottfredson's theory of circumscription and compromise is another powerful predictor of how individuals make their career choices.

I find this theory outlines my frame of mind in the earlier developmental stages in regards to making a career choice. The theory states that career decisions are a developmental process and that we pick career choices which are consistent with the image we would like to up hold in society. Individual will use social criteria such as gender stereotypes and social status of occupations more then interests in making a career choice. However since it is a developmental process, it takes a long period of time to make these decisions. I find in todays world social status is becoming an increasingly significant factor in making our life choices and career choices.

I have been brought up to think about my social status and almost conditioned to strive to better my status as I grow and make my own career choices. I followed this mindset from my first year of university when applying to co-op positions. In this co-op process Gottfredson's choice strategy applies in that when we are making our decisions to apply to particular jobs we are restricted in the amount we can apply to. Therefore at that time we must stop to consider our options and we create a zone of acceptable alternatives for ourselves. My image or self-concept has developed gradually over the years. With every co -op term I have gained further insight into the areas I would like to focus on and my stereotypes of occupations have increased.

For instance my second work placement at the Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation was not satisfying. It did not coincide with my self-perceptions at the time. Once I started my term I realized that this job would not stimulate and challenge me. It was a step down the latter. Therofre in my next round of applying to jobs, I eliminated government positions from my options.

In this time around I was more strict in creating my zone of alternative choices. This stage of my life was critical. My personal interests and values were becoming increasingly important in determining my career path. In reference to Gottfredson stages of circumscription, I feel that age 14 to start the final stage may be to young. I found that I started to engage in eliminating alternatives, determining acceptable alternatives at the university level. At this point Hollands code can be discussed again in further detail.

In this process of my development I (got inzov ed with dancing as a hobbie and) started researching into an international work placement. These two new developments in myself are consistent with my code, ESA. The theory states that an Enterprising individual is one with a sense of adventure and impulse. my dream since my second co-op placement was to attain a position with an international company. I was persistent and although it took 1 full year I did finally get a job in London, England with an accounting firm, Hurst Morrison Thomson.

Travelling to another country was the most memorable experience although accounting is not my ideal career path the adventure and the thrill of learning about a different lifestyle and culture in another country was unbelievable. It was very educational and proved to be a big step in my self -developmetn process personal ly and professional ly. This is where Browns Value based theory starts to fit into my life. After spending the summer working in England away from home, my personal values have started to shine on my decision making process.

One of the assumptions of the theory states that career decisions should not be isolated events, they should be considered together with other life roles. A career is a part of ones life, it should not be something that is there just to gain wealth or increase our social status. Those characteristics are important but I realize now that they should not be the basis for our decision in choosing our career path. Previous to getting this international work placement, my objective was to attain a position with a top firm in the business world and to make a good salary which would increase my social status and provide me with all the personal needs to satisfy my life outside of work. I'm not sure what it was that changed, maybe I reached a level of maturity in the development process personally or the increase in knowledge about the outside world, but my outlook in the process of choosing a career path as changed drastically. Values now play a very important role in making my decision.

I am currently applying to graduate positions with companies and my values along with my interests play a major role when I create my zone of acceptable alternatives. Hollands states that one should not ignore the occupations we considering. A career in education is a dream from childhood. I gave up this dream in order to reach for higher goals. As I went through the circumscription process identified by Gottfredson, I started eliminating my options and one that I eliminated was a career in education. Teaching at a high school level or below was something of interest but not an option for me, becuase I did not feel there was enough of a challenge.

One of my most prioritized values is to teach by experience. This value stems from my cultural background. Being raised by east Indian parents is demanding and there are many expectations. In all aspects of my life I attempt to teach others by the experiences of my own life. This has always been a personal goal for me. I did not think I would be able to apply it to a career path because, there was no available option in which my value would be satisfied.

A career in education was not stimulating and challenging for m e therefore I eliminated this option out of my alternatives and focused on other lower ranked values and interests. However I understand now that I would not be happy compromising my highest held value. My career will be a part of my daily life and I want it to be a reflection of my highest held value. In re-evaluating my career goals identifying and prioritizing my values has helped me see the end result in a new light. I am now currently considering a career in education at a university level. This is consistent with my values and it will prove to be a challenge.

It is interesting to note that in referring to my SDS code and Hollands code they are both consistent with this career path that I have choosen to embark upon. Under the SDS code many of the occupations listed are to do with a career in education. In reference to Hollands code the areas of education areas listed in each of the samples under EAS are ones in which I would love to pursue further study. Under Enterprising individual, Finance and Economics is listed and that is the major I am pursuing.

In conclusion, I feel that Browns Value based model fits best in my life and my career decision making process. Hollands Tho ery of Voc ational choice is very accurate in outlining my areas of interests and it has inspired me to reseach further into specific fields of work. However identify in my values in a clear and consis e fashion has helped me set my short term and long term goals, not only professionally but also academically. My career is not only a part of my life but it is my life.