A Fork in the Road

Introduction:

          As I anticipated starting my journey through college there were two career choices that were under consideration.  The only problem was I wasn't sure which career path I really wanted to choose.  I needed to do some research on each of them and find the one that fit me best.  This semester in English 0950-05 we did three activities that helped me not only learn about my career choices, but to also learn things about myself.  The first thing we did was called the Myers-Briggs type Indicator (MBTI),  the second was a Values Card Sort, and the third was the Self Directed Search (SDS).  All of these activities are designed to help an individual narrow down their career choices and to determine the values and qualities that are important.  Doing these activities was exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I needed to do.  I was able to learn about my two career options and decide which one would be a better fit for me.  Sometimes taking the extra time to do the research and find the perfect fit is better than just jumping right in and possibly making the wrong decisions.

The Assessments:

I.) The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

          The MBTI has eight categories with each one having its own letter.  The test breaks you down into four of those eight categories.  Those four categories and the letter that represents it become your "type" through a series of seventy-three questions.  In the end you have four letters that represent what type of person you are.  The letters are given a score and the four letters with the highest score become your letters.  The four letters that represent me are I, N, F, and P (INFP).  Each letter has a definition behind it, the I stands for Introversion, the N stands for Intuition, the F stands for Feeling, and the P stands for perceiving.  This was my second time taking this test and the results only varied by one letter, which was I.  I had taken this same test in another class about three weeks earlier and instead of being introverted (I) I was extroverted (E).   Both letters really fits me because I definitely can be introverted at times and extroverted at other times.  Doing this test for the second time really proved to me what kind of person I am.

          All of my letters had similar scores, which means there could be many different letter combinations.  Because all of my letter scores are close to each other it means that I can be very adaptable to life situations and that I have a flexible personality.  I totally agree with the letters that define me, they match my personality perfectly.  I believe this test is a good judge of who I am and how I feel about certain things in life.

II.) The Values Card Sort

          This activity involved doing some real thinking about me and what I value and believe.  This activity started with a stack of cards in front of me with various values on them.  I then had to put them into categories of always valued, often valued, sometimes valued, seldom valued, and never valued.  There could be no more than five in the first and last categories and no more than ten in the other remaining categories.  While doing this assessment I considered the values I want in a career, not in my life in general.  After the activity, I considered my top five values to be independence, moral fulfillment, precision work, recognition, and working on the frontiers of knowledge.  Although these were my top five values, there were other values that held the same importance to me.  Since I could not have more than five listed in my always valued category, some had to be moved to the often valued category instead.  A couple of examples of those would be artistic creativity, family, and knowledge.  A few of my least important values in a career are community, competition, power, and authority.  These values are not something I require for me in my career of choice.

          Some of the top values that I choose of my career may not necessarily score high for my life values.  There are many ways to do this assessment I felt that doing it this way would most benefit me and my career search.  I could have switched values around in different categories all day.  That definitely made it hard for me to decide which values would go in each category.  I know what values are important to me, but after doing this activity it just makes them more clear to me.

III.) Self-Directed Search (SDS)

          The SDS is a booklet containing questions in certain categories.  The categories are: activities, competencies, occupations, and self-estimates.  Each category has questions represented in letter arrangements, R, I, A, S, E, and C.  There are two ways to answer each question.  I would fill in the "L" column if the questions was I would like to do.  If the question was something I did not like doing or was indifferent to, I would then fill in the "D" column.  After answering all the questions I had to calculate the number of times I filled in the "L" column in each category under its represented letter.  I then added them up and the three letters with the highest score ended up being my summary code.  My summary code is RIA, which means I would enjoy careers that are realistic, investigative, and artistic.

          Once I had my code, I could then look up occupations that hold the same summary code as mine.  In the booklet I received there were only two occupations listed under RIA, Television Technician and Lighting-Equipment Operator.  I was definitely not interested in pursuing those two things.  In our class the student counselor then had us rearrange the letters in five different orders.  Once I did that I had many career options that contained my letters.  The two occupations I was interested were not found under my letters in this particular booklet, but I do know I possess the qualities to be either one of them.

The Research:

I.) Industrial Designer

          Before coming here to ARCC I had this career in mind.  I did some research this semester and found that this career definitely encompasses the things I want to do for the rest of my life.  To achieve a career in Industrial Design I need to have at least a bachelor's degree in art or design.  Most four-year schools offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).  Minnesota currently has no schools that offer a Bachelors degree in art or design.  I would have to leave the state to get the education I need.  One school possibility would be the University of Michigan; they offer Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorates degrees.  There are also a number of schools in California as well as many other western states.  Not having any schools in Minnesota may deter me from this career path, but it would be a great learning experience to be off on my own completely.

          The wages for Industrial and Commercial Designers start at around $18.00 and hour and can reach upwards of $40.00 an hour.  The annual wages for designers range from $40,000 a year to $80,000 a year.  The outlook for Industrial Design jobs may better; they are expected to rise about 11% nationwide through 2014.  Competition for jobs in this profession could become quite fierce because many talented people are attracted to careers as designers.

II.) Mechanical Engineer

          This was another possible career choice of mine.  I like to use my mind to solve problems, and Engineering is a perfect fit for that.  The required degree to become an Engineer is a Bachelor's of Science (BS).  There a re a few schools in Minnesota that offer bachelor's of science degrees.  My first choice though, would have to be the University of Minnesota; they have a great reputation and are a very respectable school.  They offer both Bachelor's (BS) and Masters (MS) degrees in science.  Wages for Mechanical Engineers start at around $25.00 an hour and can reach $40.00 or more an hour.  The annual salary for Mechanical Engineers starts at $53,000 a year and has the potential to reach six figures.  The job outlook for Mechanical Engineers is expected to have an 11.1% increase through 2014.

          The activities that I did in class did not necessarily point me toward these career choices nor did it guide me away from them.  I didn't get the definite match with any of my career dreams, but I did find that I do possess some of the qualities required to succeed in each field.  Doing these activities really makes you think about yourself and the kind of career that fits you instead of the one that just makes you the most money.

Action Plan:

          I believe the most important thing to do when deciding about your future is to do research followed by more research.  Every time you look something up on the internet or in a book there are always new things to learn.  So, before I make any drastic decisions about my future I will definitely be doing more research on my two career choices above.  First and foremost I will continue attending ARCC and finish my General education/Associate in Arts degree.  Next semester I am taking and introduction to Engineering class here at ARCC.  I hope this class will give me insight into the ins and outs of Engineering and will hopefully help me narrow things down.

          After my schooling here at ARCC I hope to have decided on my major.  I can then transfer to the school of my choice, assuming I get accepted there.  Staying in Minnesota would be my first choice, but I am willing to relocate if it means a better education.  I hope to at least receive my bachelor's degree in whichever major I choose, however a master's degree is always something to aspire to.

Conclusion:

          Doing all of the activities listed above has been a great learning experience for me.  I not only learned about what careers would fit me best, but I also learned things about myself and what is important to me.  Although none of the activities gave me the definite answer I was looking for, they definitely helped me in my career search.  I don't believe that any activity can tell you who you are or what you should be, only life experiences and following your heart can do that.