Career Coaching for Alan Fitt

Click on the following link for your: Vocational Style and Personality Assessment (VoSPA) Click on the following link for your: Mutli-Dimensional Emotional Intelligence Quotient (MEIQ) Click on the following link for your: Concentration Ability Assessment Self Report (CAT-SR) Click on the following link for your: Values Profile Assessment (VaPro)

Career Coaching Session #1: Wednesday June 6, 2012

- Alan’s E-mail address is alan_fitt@hotmail.com - Alan is 30 years old and was born and grew up in Trinidad - His parents are happily married. - He believes that he might have ADD. - He attended Fatima in Trinidad until Form 2 and then transferred to Maple Leaf School, where he completed Grades 9 through 12. - He then enrolled in 2003 at Miami Dade University, and he returned to Trinidad in 2005. - Alan currently works as a project manager in the construction industry, but he shared that he is not happy with this career. He finds it hard to be motiviated to go to work everyday, and he feels that he has not found his ideal career as yet. - I discussed the results of the VoSPA assessment with Alan, specifically his scores in the various categories of Interests, Intelligence Types, Values, and Work Styles. His scores can be reviewed in the report itself. - Here are the careers that the VoSPA assessment recommended for Alan and how he rated them in terms of his passion level (1 is no passion and 10 is the highest passion):

Engineering Managers (6/10)
Biochemists and Biophysicists (4/10)
Photonics Engineers (5/10)
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (2/10)
Robotics Engineers (4/10)
Fire Investigators (6/10)
Management Analysts (8/10)
Microbiologists -> Biologist/Zoologist (7/10)
Molecular and Cellular Biologists (6/10)
Industrial Safety and Health Engineers (6/10)

- Alan seems to lean more toward a career in the field of business process re-engineering but he also likes nature, animals and eco-tourism. - We discussed how Alan would rate himself in terms of his emotional IQ (EIQ) and he said that he express his feelings well but he has quite a problem with controlling his temper. I suggested that Alan complete the MEIQ assessment which he agreed to do. - We also discussed Alan' spirituality, and he said that he was born and raised as a Roman Catholic by his family, but he does not attend Mass anymore. I shared with Alan that when I left Trinidad in 1979 and went to Queen's University in Canada, the same thing happened to me and I actually became an atheist for 6 years from age 18 to 24. I came back to Trinidad where I rediscovered my faith, and started attending Mass again, even on a daily basis. I developed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and my life has changed for the better ever since then (25 years ago). Takeaways from Session #1: - Alan liked the process of doing the assessment he feels a little clearer about the process of career discovery. Action Plan from Session #1: - Alan will review the VoSPA report in more detail and research on the Internet the recommended careers above which he scored 7 or more out of 10. - Alan also agreed to consider doing the MEIQ assessment. - The next session was scheduled for Wednesday June 13, 2012 at 5:30 PM.

Career Coaching Session #2: Wednesday June 13, 2012

- Alan reported that he did not get into the B. Comm. program at Concordia University in Montreal, which disappointed him. The University reported that his marks needed to be higher for him to get in. He is still awaiting word from them on the status of his application to the Economics and Civil Engineering programs. - Alan shared that he must have passion about his career, and he needs to be mentally challenged, which is not happening in his current job in the construction industry. - Alan did some research on the Internet regarding the careers from session 1 for which he scored 7/10 or more. - The following careers from the VoSPA assessment still interest Alan:

Management Analyst (8/10)
Biologist/Zoologist (7/10)

- Alan is very passionate about nature and loves animals. The career as a Biologist/Zoologist still appeals to him very much. He is also conscious about harm to the environment, especially the rain forests of South America. - He also brought up the possibility of a future business built around the growing field of high-end eco-tourism. - Financial independence is important to Alan and he would kike to be financially well-off one day, because he also thinks about his older brother who suffers from CP. - Alan also expressed an interest in the military and security fields. - Finally, we discussed the results of the MEIQ assessment, and here is a summary of his strengths, potential strengths, and his limitations: Strengths · His approach to problem solving is conducive to resolution · He is socially insightful · He is able to let go/rise above minor issues Potential Strengths · He has a satisfactory emotional IQ level · He is doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Identification, Perception, and Expression · He is somewhat aware of his strengths and weaknesses · He is moderately comfortable with emotions in general · He is doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Understanding · He is somewhat empathetic · He chose some reasonably good forms of resolution for conflict situations on the test · He is moderately driven towards further self-development · He is sometimes able/willing to adapt his social skills to the circumstances around him · The manner in which he would resolve conflict situations on the test were reasonably effective/healthy · He is moderately assertive · His level of self-esteem is satisfactory · He shows some social responsibility for the wellbeing of others Limitations · His emotional self-awareness is limited · He struggled with recognizing emotions depicted on the test · Improvement is required in the area of Emotional Facilitation of Thought · He has a tendency to ruminate excessively · He doesn't make it a point to act in accordance with his values · His mindset could stand to be more positive · He struggled with the emotional integration aspect of the test · Improvement is required in the area of Emotional Management · His impulse control needs improvement · His self-control needs improvement · His resilience/hardiness needs further development · He needs to work on using more healthy coping techniques · He is not very self-motivated · He does not seem to be very content · He seems to struggle to act independently · He is not in the habit of setting goals · His flexibility is limited - I pointed out to Alan that the MEIQ results are a reflection of his life today but that in a year or two when his career path is more well-defined, he can certainly score higher on the assessment, and have less limitations and more strengths. - The two main areas that Alan is really concerned about are impulse control and self-control, as well as his excessive rumination. I acknowledged him for his self-awareness and his desire to improve in these areas. - Alan asked if there were additional Psychometric assessments that he could complete to help him along the path to self-improvement and career discovery. I said that I would look into this for him, and subsequently E-mail him with links to do the Values Profile assessment as well as the Concentration Ability assessment, which he agreed to complete. Acknowledgements from Session #2: - I acknowledged Alan for persevering in his desire to find the right career path at age 30, and not to settle for an unfulfilled life. - I also acknowledged him for his self-awareness and his desire to improve his impulse and self control, as well as his excessive rumination. Takeaways from Session #2: - Alan is feeling more self-aware and is getting a little more clarity around his career path discovery. Action Plan from Session #2: - Alan will continue researching the careers on the VoSPA shortlist. - He agreed to read through the the MEIQ report in more detail and to start putting into practice some of the recommendations at the end of the report. - He agreed to take the Values Profile and Concentration Ability assessments before our next session. - The next session schedule was scheduled for Wednesday June 27 at 5:30 PM.

Career Coaching Session #3: Thursday June 28, 2012

- Alan cannot see himself at the current job in construction for too much longer (not more than one more year) because it is not intellectually challenging enough for him. - He is currently being assessed for ADHD and have taken Concerta in the past when he successfully completed his diploma in Mechanical Engineering in Scotland, where it helped him to focus on his studies. - He would also like to be weaned off the sleeping pills he currently takes (Vivadril) - For the past month, Alan has not drank alcohol and he feels a lot better and more in control of his temper. - Alan said that if money was not an issue for his career choice, he would be pursuing a career in the jungle of South America! - He is also passionate about a career in business re-engineering and supply-chain management. - I mentioned to Alan about the projects that Blue Waters currently has in the field of agriculture, and that I would talk to my nephew Dominic Hadeed (owner of Blue Waters) about the employment opportunities for Alan in the agriculture field at Blue Waters. - Alan is still leaning toward getting a further University education and he has been accepted into the Bachelor of Commerce program at Concordia University in Montreal. - We discussed Alan's results in the Concentration Ability assessment, and his overall score was 47/100. The link to the PDF report can be found at the top of this blog. Alan's test score shows that he sometimes has difficulty concentrating, but generally comes out on top. He possesses most of the skills required to minimize distractions and zone in on the task at hand, but isn't always able to employ them in full-force. Concentration is a skill that can help him achieve success in whatever he pursues, not to mention save him a lot of time and stress. He seems to have the necessary knowledge, but needs to hone his skills further. Here is a breakdown of his results, categorized as Strengths, Potential Strengths and Limitations :

Strengths · He often alternates between tasks in order to avoid monotony · He is able to motivate himself to complete complex or dull tasks · He doesn't take on more tasks than necessary · He takes the steps necessary to minimize distraction as much as possible
Potential Strengths · No potential strengths detected
Limitations · He has poor concentration skills · He is unable to stay mentally focused amidst distraction · He doesn't use strategies to help improve his concentration · He doesn't take full advantage of break times in order to re-energize himself and clear his head · He doesn't work according to his body's schedule · He tends to set unreasonable goals and expectations for himself

- We also began discussing the results of his Values Profile assessment, but we will continue this in more detail at our next session. The link to the PDF report can be found at the top of this blog. In summary, his Top Core Value was Theoretical, his Top Personal Value was also Theoretical, and his Top Work Value was Realistic. One of the suggested occupations for Alan under the category of Realistic Values was Agricultural/Marine/Mechanical Engineer which Alan and I thought might be a confirmation of what we had spoken about in the three coaching sessions so far. Acknowledgements from Session #3: - I acknowledged Alan for persevering with the coaching sessions, and for not settling for a mundane career that he is bored with. - I also acknowledged him for quitting alcohol for one month and encouraged him to keep this up. Takeaways from Session #3: - Alan is feeling more hopeful that he is narrowing down his career path with each session. Action Plan from Session #3: - Alan will review the results of the Concentration Ability assessment as well as the Values Profile assessment. - The next session was going to be confirmed by Alan.

Career Coaching Session #4: Wednesday July 11, 2012

- Alan mentioned to me at the start of our session that he has to pay half of his University tuition by next week, which amounts to $8,000 CAN. The total annual cost of each year of University is approximately $40,000 CAN, and thus even if Alan were able to squeeze a four-year program into three years, the cost would be at a minimum $120,000 CAN, which equates to $720,000 TT. - Alan said that he has taken out a bank loan from Bank of Nova Scotia for $500,000 TT. He hopes that upon completion of his University degree to be able to earn enough money to pay back this loan in a few years, and then to be able to start making the kind of money to establish his own family as well as to help his special needs brother, and parents if necessary. - Alan has been accepted into the B. Com. program at Concordia University and he hopes to be able to take courses and possibly even a minor in Supply Chain Management and Business Data Analysis/Business Intelligence. - We then discussed the fact that with this type of education which Alan hopes to be able to complete in 3 years, that he can first get a job at a firm such as Ernst & Young or KPMG, analyzing data for businesses and helping them as a Management Consultant. Eventually Alan can have his own Business Management Consulting firm, with the ability to also offer Business Re-Engineering given his diploma in Engineering from Scotland. We discussed the rates that consultants can charge in this field and $100 US per hour or $600 TT per hour is not unreasonable. If he can achieve a 50% to 70% billable rate per day, that would lead to an income of approximately $50,000 TT per month, which would be exactly what Alan is looking for. In this way, he would be able to pay off his bank student loan within a few years, and then be able to support his own family. - Alan also confirmed that he is still off alcohol which I commended him for. He said that it hasn't helped with his sleeping issue as much as he thought. - The doctor whom he is seeing in Trinidad believes that Alan does have ADD and needs to be on Concerta, which he took while he was in Scotland obtaining his Engineering diploma. He did notice a marked improvement in his ability to concentrate and complete his studies. - On the other hand, he can't seem to wean himself off the sleeping pills he currently takes (Zolpiderm or Ambien). He is also concerned that the two medications Concerta and Zolpiderm can react if they intersect at some point during the day, which invariably will happen from time to time. - We discussed the importance of physical exercise for Alan to help with his sleeping issue, and his focus on his spirituality will also help in this area. Alan understood the importance of these two areas and was going to try his best to get into a more regular exercise routine when he gets home from work, and maybe looking into more prayer and regular Mass attendance. Acknowledgements from Session #4: - I acknowledged Alan for persevering with the coaching sessions, and for setting his vision on a career path as a Business Management Consultant. - I also acknowledged him for quitting alcohol for one month and encouraged him to keep this up. Takeaways from Session #4: - Alan definitely found the four sessions of Career & Life Coaching beneficial to him. - He also learned a lot about the practice of consulting in general, which he can apply to his career later in life. Action Plan from Session #4: - Alan is going to complete his application to become a foreign student in Quebec, and he is going to make that final decision about paying the initial half of his tuition fees to Concordia University.

Protected: Career Coaching 1thQGytj