Instructions
The final paper is a 8-10 page (not including the cover page, table of contents, and reference page) strategic academic Career planning project. The paper requirements are discussed on page 285-288 in the textbook. Please ensure you follow all APA guidelines. Please use the outline discussed on page. 285-286 in the textbook. Please also include material from the textbook and three additional professional articles. Lastly, review the Strategic Academic Career planning project rubric closely because I will be utilizing it to grade your papers. There is no evaluation form required to be included with the paper.
Essay
Career Development Paper
Communication
The skills and the knowledge required in different academic and occupational fields are changing daily. Customers of the engineering goods expect new inventions and frequent quality improvements. The technological advancements have introduced new methods of production. The skills and knowledge required in the different fields are ever changing since new products, and productions methods are emerging daily. There was need to understand the demands of each career and the educational qualifications required.
After completing a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership in September 2015, I was delighted and spirited to make further progress in academics. At the same, I needed to work and meet the educational expenses. More so, meet the financial demands of my family. I have seen some people progress very well in the postgraduate studies. They complete within a very short period. Other people take a very long time in their studies while some end up quitting the learning. Despite the earlier motivation, I was nervous making the decision-related to investing in the further studies. I needed to get ways to develop a detailed plan regarding my studies.
I needed a clear understanding of the management. Also, I need to learn the connection between management and the technical studies. I completed my undergraduate studies on the power technology in January 2014. I have more than ten years in the field. I started working in 1996. In the employment history, I recently worked as a Service Engineer and a Quality Engineer in different companies. After acquiring the organization leadership skills, I got the desire to enter into the management of any engineering firm. The crucial goal was to gain an understanding of the management course. Also, understand how management is interconnected with my earlier specialization in power technology.
Analysis
In the self-directed search, I learned that the themes that accurately define me are realistic and enterprising themes. The discovery is vital to making a decision on acquiring skills in the management field. The goal is to have the ability to manage the engineering firms. The possession of the realistic and enterprising is advantageous in managing the engineering firms. Behrens and Nauta (2014) explained that the difficulty in making decisions related to diversification of skills demands the students affected to seek advice. Notably, the experiences at the different positions in the power industry are crucial in my career aspirations. I have effectively worked as a Service Engineer, Quality Engineer, Diesel Mechanic Engineer, CDL Driver and as a supervisor. The ability to outperform in the power industry makes my technical skills was unquestionable. More so, the energy and confidence gained from working in the technical field acts as motivation tool towards gaining skills of management in the same field. The Self-directed search serves to validate the career choices made in the career in addition to the identification of the desired career (Behrens & Nauta, 2014).
The most attractive careers are in the medicine, engineering, and business fields. Nevertheless, I had no ability to perform well in the biological sciences. I lost interests in the medicine careers while I was still young. The remaining fields of interest are in the engineering and the business operations. I have already worked and loved the work in the power industry. However, the great interest is in the management field. After acquiring management skills, a person can work in the executive positions in the companies as well as becoming his boss. The management skills will facilitate the realization of the goal to serve in the management positions in the leading power firms such as Gazprom, ExxonMobil, British Petroleum, and the Royal Dutch Shell. Moreover, Marin and Verdier (2009) noted that the firms in the industry are increasingly making Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). They constantly look for the individuals with excellent skills in the power industry. The managers direct the employees towards the firm’s visions. They also make vital decisions related to the firm and the industry.
The learning has contributed towards understanding the decision-making process related to the career planning. I am in the synthesis stage of the of the CASVE cycle in the career decision-making process. The five stages of the CASVE model assist in coming up with significant career decisions. In the synthesis stage, the decision maker is required scrutinize the possible careers and remain with a few career options (Saunders, 2014). The alternatives are required to be a minimum of three and a maximum of five. I have already been left with a few alternatives. First, I can make a decision to go for the postgraduate course in the power technology. Second, diversify my skills by attending a postgraduate course in a management field. Third, fail to progress on the academics and decide to work continuously. Moreover, join politics. Nevertheless, it is more probable to do management in the postgraduate studies. The results of the CTI apply in the decision-making process. Concerning Decision Making Confusion, I have a full understanding of the decision-making process. Concerning the external conflict and commitment anxiety, I have taken full responsibility in making the career decision as well as commitment advance the management skills(Saunders, 2014).
Synthesis
In the effort to generate the career alternatives, I have consulted friends and the workmates as well as reading on the individuals who had technical skills and were successfully involved in the management of firms. When working at the Freightliner Chassis, I frequently consulted my fellow engineers on the possibility of attending a management course. In the online platforms, I observed that some of the most successful engineers had a degree in engineering. For instance, Thomas Edison is a most successful engineer as well as a notable businessperson. Other engineers who succeeded in the business management fields include Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter and Henry Ford. Despite possessing engineering skills, it is vital to acquire management skills before being involved in management functions.
I had identified careers in management, power engineering, education, and politics. At first, in the effort to reduce the alternatives to a minimum of three and a maximum of five I eliminated the political career. Although, I had an interest in the field, I had no skills to persuade the voters. Moreover, I had no ability to draft acceptable policies. Since, I am almost in the valuation phase of the CASVE model; I plan to eliminate the education as an occupational alternative. The crucial careers under consideration are the power engineering and management. Nevertheless, all the alternatives would be further evaluated to confirm the accuracy of the path to be taken.
Valuing
The crucial factors for consideration include the love of the engineering and management, the current skills and experience in the power engineering, and the possibility of starting a company in the engineering field. I have great interests in management. The potential goal to become an executive manager in the major power firms will be attained through sharpening the management skills. Currently, I have more than ten years experience in the power industry, therefore, the necessity to plan on how to acquire the skills in the management. Second, I already possess a bachelor degree in power engineering from the Siena Heights University. It would be wise to be involved in the management that I fully understand. Moreover, after securing adequate capital, there is a possibility of opening a Power Company. The skills in the management will facilitate the successful operation of the new firm in the competitive power industry.
Each alternative has its benefits and expenses. First, pursuing a postgraduate course in power technology would give me an opportunity to teach at the university level as well as continue working as an engineer. The approximate tuition fee at the Siena Heights University at the graduate school is an average of $ 562 per hour of the term. Therefore, the crucial factor of the consideration is the benefits arising from the career. The decision to progress in teaching profession would create further opportunities for gaining more education qualifications. The higher education qualification is associated with power and status in the society. Moreover, I will act as a mentor to the students who would need to go further studies. Second, while the same cost remains, I will fulfill the desire to become an executive manager of the major companies in the power industry. More so, I will have the opportunity to become my boss while creating more employment opportunities for the community. Third, the option to join politics is very expensive and increasingly risky. Knowles (2013) revealed that the minimum cost of winning a Senate seat was $10.5 million and $1.7 million of winning the US House seat in 2013. The benefits are the power, status and the opportunity to serve the community. The cost of rising into a high political position is very high.
Based on the discussion above, the alternatives identified in the synthesis section would be ranked as follows.
- Postgraduate in a management field
- Postgraduate in the Power technology with an option of:
- Teaching the University level
- Continue working as an Engineer.
- Joining Politics
Execution
| 1. Working in a specific power company(save for further education) | 2 years |
| 2. Get in touch with the academic advisors on the management course at Siena Heights University. | 2 months |
| 3. Apply for the course in management | 4 months |
| 4. Learning the management course | 2 years
|
| 5. Internship | 6 months |
| 6. Seek employment in a management position in a firm in the power industry | 3 months |
Table 1: Show the strategic plan and the time frame
The finances are crucially needed in attaining learning and obtaining a position in the management field. Thus, I will use the current skills in the power technology to obtain a job that would facilitate the accumulation of the finances necessary for a career in management. I will need finances to support my studies in the management while meeting the needs of the family. It is probable to work while in the studies. Nevertheless, I would only work for a few hours and devote much of my time to the studies. It is estimated that the money accumulated for two years would be adequate. After that, I would apply for a postgraduate course in management after getting advice from academic advisors in the university. After learning for two years, I will go for an internship in a strongly challenging management field for at least six months. Afterward, I will seek employment at a power firm in a management position.
Getting management skills at the postgraduate level and securing employment demands hard work and huge utilization of the financial resources. It would need securing adequate resources and time. I would be required to work long hours both the time that I would be in school and when saving for the future career. Besides, I would require consulting adequately and frequently from the supervisors and professors. Moreover, research would be necessary on how I would connect the management and engineering skills successfully. During that time in need to perfect my skills in management. Since I never learned management in the undergraduate level, it is factual that I need to be devoted to the career.
Communication
In the career decision-making, I am currently in the synthesis stage. In a year’s time, I would like to be in a reflection stage of the decision-making. I would have made a clear decision on whether I am going to go for further studies in the management field. I would ensure that all the other possible alternatives have been evaluated. More so, be certain that I never made the mistake to join the management studies. Besides, I would make a plan on how I would acquire the skills required. I would seek finances and work extra hard. All other steps such as seeking career advice, application for the studies, internship and seeking employment would follow.
The career in the power industry has met my crucial needs of being in the engineering industry. Nevertheless, the Maslow principles state that once a need is satisfied, the need ceases to be a motivator anymore (Maslow, 2012). I have worked in a range of positions such as Service Engineer, Quality Engineers and other positions in power firms. Despite performing better in the engineer positions, I need to serve in the management of the firms in the power industry. Nevertheless, the need to go on the management positions is not out of dissatisfactions. It arises because of the desire to do more in the power industry. I love my work as an engineer but gaining more skills in the management field would be more satisfactory.
The love for power engineering increased the desire to gain management skills. The next issue that should be addressed is how to integrate the engineering with the management skills. Notably, the integration would increase my desire to work in the power industry. The motivation to help the organization achieve their visions and maximize profit would be fully attained. I need to plan how to acquire the management skills. Moreover, a plan is needed on how to utilize the management skills in the industry. The crucial step would be seeking the finances necessary to attain the goal.
It is vital to plan for a career and the occupations of interest. Despite having interests in a given field, the worker can only be satisfied when he can perform the duties in the job without difficulties. Therefore, it is wise to make consultations and utilize the necessary skills in the decision-making process.
References
Behrens, E. L., & Nauta, M. M. (2014). The Self-Directed Search as a Stand-Alone Intervention With College Students. Career Development Quarterly, 62(3), 224-238. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00081.x
Knovel, G. S. (2011). Why engineers could make the best business leaders? Retrieved from, http://www.businessinsider.com/why-engineers-make-the-best-business-leaders-2011-12
Knowles, D. (2013). U.S. Senate seat now costs $10.5 million to win, on average, while US House seat costs, $1.7 million, new analysis of FEC data shows. Retrieved from, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/cost-u-s-senate-seat-10-5-million-article-1.1285491
Marin, D., & Verdier, T. (2009). Power in the Multinational Corporation in Industry Equilibrium. Economic Theory, (3). 437.
Maslow, A. H. (2012). A theory of human motivation. Start Publishing LLC.
Saunders, D. E. (2014). Using the career thoughts inventory in practice: Helping Clients Shift from Self-Doubt to Certainty. Career Planning & Adult Development Journal, 30(4), 99-112.
Siena Heights University. (2015. Fees and tuition. Retrieved from, http://www.sienaheights.edu/Admissions/TuitionFees.aspx
