What is your purpose to work? Identify at least three reasons.
There are many different things that are my purpose to work. One is being able to get an income so I can properly support myself and my family in the future. Another purpose to work for me is to do something I enjoy with my life. It is important for me that my future career is something I find fulfilling and that I am proud of. A third purpose to work is to help people with what I do. I would love to have a career where I feel like I am contributing and helping out other people.
What motivates you? Identify at least three reasons.
One thing that motivates me is learning. I love being able to expand my knowledge and learn about knew things. Another thing that motivates me in life is being able to help those around me, I find it very fulfilling. A third thing that motivates me is feeling successful in the things that I do.
How does your “why” impact your career path? Identify at least three reasons
My “why” impacts my future career path in many ways. First, I want to be able to make a comfortable income for myself, so that is something important for me to consider. I also want I job that I enjoy and feel fulfilled in, so that’s another thing that would influence my future career choice. A third is that I would like a job where I feel like I am able to help people, so I would like a job where I am able to interact with other people, preferably face to face.
What jobs/experiences have made you feel fulfilled? Identify three
One job that I have had that has made me feel fulfilled is working as a summer camp counselor. Specifically, I worked in a leadership position where I was overseeing other counselors and managing an age group of campers. This role made me feel fulfilled because of how much I got to work with and interact with both the campers and other counselors while being a resource they could turn to. Another job that made me feel fulfilled was working as a lifeguard. I felt like my role was important and meaningful for the safety of those around me. A third experience that made me feel fulfilled is doing well on school assignments, specifically with my writing.
How can a future career align with those experiences? Connect the three above with future career alignment
With my job as a camp counselor, I could go for a job where I am able to help people and interact with them daily. As for my job as a lifeguard, I could go for a job where I feel like the work, I do is valuable and actually contributing to society. With my experience of doing well on academic assignments, I could pursue a career where I feel like my academic skills are being used and I feel properly challenged in the work that I do.
Reflect on the work/volunteer experiences you have had?
- What did you enjoy?
In my job experience as a summer camp counselor, there were many parts that I enjoyed. I enjoyed how much I got to work with other people. I also enjoyed how I got to spent so much time in nature and getting to share that with the children I worked with. A third thing that I enjoyed was the freedom and trust I got in my leadership position. I was in charge of evaluating other counselors and planning activities for the children in the age group I was in charge of. I feel like I was given a lot of room to grow as a leader while also having resources I could turn to for ideas and help.
- What did you not enjoy
I did not enjoy how little free time I had. Being a camp counselor, you need to be ready to help out 24/7 and that can get tiring at times. When you’re in camp, you’re never truly off duty. There was never really a chance for alone time either, which can be draining since I’m an introvert. I also did not enjoy how I was often kept out of the loop in issues where I feel like it did concern me. Communication is very important to me, and I feel like it was lacking at times.
What hard and soft skills do you possess? Identify three each.
- Hard skills
One hard skill that I have is writing abilities, I have been told I am a decent writer. Another skill I have is I can speak French conversationally. Another hard skill I possess is the ability to conduct research.
- Soft skills
One soft skill of mine is my ability to communicate with the people I work with. I have also been told that I am good at staying calm in stressful situations. I also am a determined and hardworking person when it comes to the work that I do.
If someone were to describe what you were good at, what would they say? Identity three things
If someone were to describe what I am good at, I think these are some of the things they would say. I have been told that I am good at communicating and keeping people informed about things that concern them. I have also been told that I am good at staying calm under pressure and in stressful situations. I have also been told that I am determined when it comes to getting the things that I want and hard working when it comes to things such as my schoolwork.
Who do you know that has the coolest job you have ever heard of? Why is it so great? What about your potential career path/major aligns with this job?
I think that the coolest job I have ever heard of is a diplomat. I really enjoy working with others, learning other languages and cultures, and I’m interested in things such as law, policies, and politics. I think it would be a really cool job to have and that it would also be cool to have a job that allowed you to travel. I’m a criminal justice/sociology major with a minor in French, so I think my major and academic interests do align with this job somewhat.
Take the top four NACE career competencies. How has something you have done show that you have that competency?
- Critical Thinking
I’ve demonstrated critical thinking in my job as a summer camp counselor. When working there, I had to be in charge of running activities for the kids. I had to think critically about what would work, what would be fun, and what we realistically could do. I also had to evaluate my fellow counselors, so I had to think critically when going about that.
- Professionalism
I’ve demonstrated professionalism in interacting with my professors as a student. In emails, office hours, and just generally interacting with them I try to act in a professional manner. I have also shown professionalism in the interviews I have done for my past jobs in how I act and dress.
- Communication
I’ve demonstrated communication when working on group projects as a student. I did this by communicating with the other students about what roles and expectations everyone has. I made sure to communicate with them throughout the whole process and making sure everyone is on the same page.
- Teamwork
I’ve demonstrated teamwork in my job as a summer camp counselor. I demonstrated this because you have to work with the other counselors when dividing tasks, working with campers, and planning activities. Teamwork was very important for everything to run smoothly during the summer and for everything to get done efficiently.
Identify 3 people who you can connect with to ask about their career journey. You want to list their name, occupation, and contact information
- Leigh Melton – Attorney – (I was told not to give away her contact information)
- Elizabeth Shreckhise – Summer Camp Director – elizabeth@campalleghany.com
- Jay Crowell – Assistant Professor of French – crowelljw@live.longwood.edu