Career Coaching for Robyn de Silva

Click on the following link for your: Vocational Style & Career Assessment for Students (VoSCA-St) Click on the following link for your: Values Profile Assessment (VaPro-R4) Click on the following link for your: Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Quotient (MEIQ) Click on the following link for the: List of Questions for Interview Process Click on the following link for the: O*Net Online Career Research Tool

Career Coaching Session #1: Monday 8 September 2014

- Robyn's E-mail address is robynm_desilva@live.com - Robyn is 17 years old, and is turning 18 years on 15 January 2015. - She attended secondary school at Holy Name, and graduated with her CXC in June 2014. Her marks were as follows: Maths (1), English Language (1), English Literature (1*), Business (1*), Food and Nutrition (1), Art (2), Accounts (2), Spanish (3) - She is currently waiting to take a course in Public Relations at Roytech which starts in January 2015. - She is also hoping to get a part-time job as a receptionist in a hair salon in order to make some money. - Robyn is also planning to take her SAT exams in the near future, and she may also take lessons to help. - She would ideally like to go away to Florida for her tertiary education because she visited her middle brother there who is going to USF. - She has considered the following careers from the time she was younger to now: #1 Acting (which has since faded) #2 Fashion Design (which has also faded) #3 Nutritionist #4 Psychologist (most recently) - I asked Robyn if she likes working with children, and she said to some degree. She said that she has helped in a nursery, and also does some baby-sitting but more for the money. She wouldn't consider it her strength though. - Robyn shared with me that she would very much like to have her own family some day, and that her family would take precedence over her career. - Robyn also said that financial stability is important to her, and that when she starts her working life, she would like to earn a minimum of $6,000 per month. - Socially, Robyn described herself as 50-50, meaning that she likes to interact with people she knows on a one-on-one basis, but she is not too comfortable with crowds. She is very guarded with people in general, and does not trust very easily. - She said that among her friends, she is usually the one that most of them come to when they need advice. She has a keen interest in what motivates people and what bothers them. - Robyn said that she tends to over-think things a lot, and that would mean that she ruminates a lot! - I discussed the results of the VoSCA-St assessment with Robyn, specifically her scores in the various categories of Interests, Intelligence Types, Values, and Work Styles. Her scores can be reviewed in the report itself. - Here are the careers that the VoSCA-St assessment recommended for Robyn and how she rated them in terms of her passion level (1 is no passion and 10 is the highest passion): #1 Tour Guides and Escorts (2/10) #2 Recreation Workers (3/10) #3 Child, Family, and School Social Workers (6/10) #4 Human Resources Specialists (2/10) #5 Social and Human Service Assistants (4/10) #6 Residential Advisors (1/10) #7 Clergy (0/10) #8 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (0/10) #9 General and Operations Managers (1/10) #10 Insurance Sales Agents (1/10) #11 Administrative Services Managers (2/10) #12 Spa Managers (5/10) #13 Advertising Sales Agents (3/10) #14 Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists (1/10) #15 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical (2/10) #16 Compensation and Benefits Managers (1/10) #17 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (1/10) #18 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers (1/10) #19 Real Estate Brokers (8/10) #20 Agricultural Inspectors (5/10) #21 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (6.5/10) #22 Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping (2/10) #23 Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities (2/10) #24 Quality Control Systems Managers (1/10) #25 Office Clerks, General (3/10) #26 Parking Enforcement Workers (0/10) #27 Storage and Distribution Managers (0/10) #28 First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers (0/10) #29 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (7.5/10) #30 Occupational Therapy Aides (5.5/10) #31 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (8.5/10) #32 Counseling Psychologists (8.5/10) #33 Industrial Organizational Psychologists (7.5/10) #34 Interior Designers (8/10) #35 Architects (6.5/10) #36 Public Relations Specialists (7.5/10) - Robyn seems to lean more toward a career in the field of Psychology. - I also asked her if she would be willing to complete the Values Profile assessment as this would also help her in discerning the best career path to match her values, and she said yes. - I asked Robyn about her spirituality, and she said that she is a practicing Roman Catholic. She said that she prays regularly, and is probably more spiritual than most people her age. - In terms of her physical health, she said that she would like to start back exercising in the gym because she knows that it makes her feel better. Acknowledgements from Session #1: - I acknowledged Robyn for completing the VoSCA-St assessment. - I also acknowledged her for coming to these Career Coaching sessions to get a better understanding of what career path she would like to pursue. Takeaways from Session #1: - Robyn liked the process of doing the assessment she feels a little clearer about the process of career discovery. Action Plan from Session #1: - Robyn agreed to review the VoSCA report in more detail. - She also agreed to research on the Internet using the O*Net Online Career Research Tool (www.onetonline.org) the recommended careers which she scored 6.5 or more out of 10, and document her research in this password-protected blog under the section at the end called "Leave a Reply". The careers on her shortlist are: #1 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (8.5/10) #2 Counseling Psychologists (8.5/10) #3 Interior Designers (8/10) #4 Real Estate Brokers (8/10) #5 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (7.5/10) #6 Public Relations Specialists (7.5/10) #7 Industrial Organizational Psychologists (7.5/10) #8 Architects (6.5/10) #9 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (6.5/10) - She also agreed to see if any of the careers in the Related section under each of his recommended careers in the report catch her interest, and to put those in the blog as well. In particular, she should at least copy and paste the following sections from the O*Net site into the blog: Tasks, Knowledge, Related Careers, and Wages & Employment Trends. - Robyn also agreed to complete the Values Profile assessment. - The next session was scheduled for Wednesday 17 September 2014 at 5:30 PM.

Career Coaching Session #2: Wednesday 17 September 2014

- Robyn and I discussed the results of her research and blogging since her first session. She said that it helped her to know the following criteria that she definitely wants for her ideal career:

She is strongly leaning toward a career in the artistic and creative field
She wants to interact a lot with people, and use her empathy for others to make a difference in their lives.
She would like to take some courses in Psychology when she studies her main career so that she can better understand people.
She does NOT want a career where she is behind a desk all day.
She wants a career where she has a good chance of finding a good paying job when she graduates, and ideally in which she can have her own business one day. This will give her the flexibility that she is looking for, and will be better for raising a family of her own.

- Robyn shared with me that she is more like her middle brother Nicholas, who is currently studying Environmental Science at USF in Florida. She doesn't get along all that well with her older brother Sean, who is trying to make a career in football. - Next, Robyn and I discussed the results of her Values Profile assessment. The results below are a summary of Robyn's top values - those that are most important to her and on which she bases her life decisions and goals. Her Core Value is her top value overall. Her Work Value is her top value in her professional life, and takes into account aspects like career path, work tasks, and job environment. Her Personal Value is her top value in her personal life and reflects issues related to relationships, hobbies, and world view. Top Core Value: Social Values Those who place importance on social values enjoy being helpful, kind and agreeable. They think it's important to try to find the good in everyone, and have faith that if they dig deep enough, they'll find it. They give of themselves, whether on a small scale (e.g. by spending time with a friend in need), or on a global scale (e.g. by volunteering for a human rights organization). In helping others overcome obstacles, people with social values hope to assist them in becoming the best they can be. They are giving and compassionate individuals. Social people likely become passionately angry at signs of social injustice. They enjoy and benefit from being with others, both in their work and personal sphere, and as a result, seek out jobs and activities where this is possible. In times of crisis and change, people with social values are both a source of comfort for their family and friends, and able to be comforted by them as well. Top Personal Value: Social Values For people whose top personal value is social, their interests, hobbies, home life and general attitude will revolve around people. In their free time they seek to be surrounded by those they care about, as relationships in general are very important to them. On a wider scale, they may start social causes or respect and support those people who fight for them. Those with social values have a knack for networking and connecting with others - they simply cannot imagine their lives without the camaraderie of others. While almost anyone would dislike conflict, people with strong social values are particularly affected by it. It bothers them to see others in pain or to see a relationship break apart, and so they will strive to help, heal, and resolve disagreements. Top Work Value: Realistic Values People for whom realistic values are important in work settings are happiest and utilize their talents best in positions where they can see tangible results of the fruits of their labor. They need to feel that they are accomplishing something with their work, as they desire to be productive and make an impact in some way. Hands-on projects are often their specialty, although they excel at any task that requires a practical and systematic approach. People with realistic values are not afraid of hard work, but like barter systems of old, they want to make sure that they are given fair compensation for their efforts. Given their more down-to-earth personality, projects that require them to think "outside the box" may not be their specialty. They could potentially complement creative people and projects in the sense of making sure proposed visions and ideas are feasible, but they can clash with more unconventional thinkers. - The following is a summarized version of Robyn's results, categorized according to her Dominant Values (those that are most important to her), Influencing Values (those of moderate importance to her), and Minor Values (those of least importance to her). Dominant Values

Social Values (77/10)
Traditional Values (70/100)

Influencing Values

Aesthetic Values (56/100)
Realistic Values (54/100)
Political Values (51/100)

Minor Values

Theoretical Values (35/100)

- The following careers from the VoSCA-St and Values Profile (VaPro) assessments still interest Robyn: #1 Interior Designer (8.5/10) #2 Landscape Architect (8.5/10) #3 Counselor/Social Worker/Psychologist (8.5/10) #4 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (8.5/10) #5 Real Estate Brokers (8/10) #6 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (7.5/10) #7 Public Relations Specialists (7.5/10) #8 Industrial Organizational Psychologists (7.5/10) #9 Architect (7/10) #10 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (6.5/10) #11 Photographer (5/10) Acknowledgements from Session #2: - I acknowledged Robyn for completing the Values Profile assessment. - I also acknowledged her for researching various careers on interest from the VoSCA-St assessment, and enter her research in the password-protected blog. Takeaways from Session #2: - Robyn is feeling a lot better about her career choices, and she is getting a good feeling about a possible career as an Interior Designer, with the ability to design exteriors as well. Action Plan from Session #2: - Robyn agreed to review the Values Profile assessment report in more detail. - Robyn will continue researching the careers on her shortlist: #1 Interior Designer (8.5/10) #2 Landscape Architect (8.5/10) #3 Counselor/Social Worker/Psychologist (8.5/10) #4 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (8.5/10) #5 Real Estate Brokers (8/10) #6 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (7.5/10) #7 Public Relations Specialists (7.5/10) #8 Industrial Organizational Psychologists (7.5/10) #9 Architect (7/10) #10 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (6.5/10) #11 Photographer (5/10) - In particular, she agreed to research Universities and Colleges in Florida that offer programs in Interior Design, where she would also be able to gains skills and knowledge in exterior design. She wants to make sure that the school she chooses for Interior Design also offers courses in Psychology as part of the program. She may even decide to take some additional Psychology courses. - The next session schedule was scheduled for Wednesday 24 September 2014 at 3:00 PM, but will have to be changed because that day is a public holiday in Trinidad.

Career Coaching Session #3: Thursday 25 September 2014

- Robyn and I reviewed her career shortlist, and after her research from the last session, and further thought, here is how she changed the list: #1 Interior Designer (8.5/10) -> (9.5/10) #2 Landscape Architect (8.5/10) -> (7.5/10) #3 Counselor/Social Worker/Psychologist (8.5/10) -> (6.5/10) #4 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators (8.5/10) -> (6/10) #5 Real Estate Brokers (8/10) -> (7/10) [maybe a career for later in her life] #6 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (7.5/10) -> (4/10) #7 Public Relations Specialists (7.5/10) -> (3/10) #8 Industrial Organizational Psychologists (7.5/10) -> (3/10) #9 Architect (7/10) -> (6/10) #10 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (6.5/10) -> (5/10) #11 Photographer (5/10) [interesting as a side-career for her] - Next, we reviewed her MEIQ results which were as follows: Overall Results EIQ score = 100/155 Percentile score = 53 - Robyn's score on this assessment is satisfactory, but there is room for improvement. Overall, she is adequately skilled at understanding and dealing with emotions, but she needs to further develop her skills. Awareness is key to helping her find the motivation to improve in this area, and knowing which areas she most needs to work on developing. - The following is a summarized version of Robyn's results, categorized as Strengths, Potential Strengths, and Limitation: Strengths

Her overall emotional IQ level is good
She is doing well in the area of Emotional Understanding
She is empathetic
She is socially insightful
She performed well on the emotional integration aspect of the test
She is able to let go/rise above minor issues
She shows social responsibility for the well-being of others

Potential Strengths

She is doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Identification, Perception, and Expression
She was sometimes able to recognize the emotions depicted on the test
Her approach to problem solving is sometimes conducive to resolution
She sometimes acts in accordance with her values
She chose some reasonably good forms of resolution for conflict situations on the test
She is moderately driven towards further self-development
She is sometimes able/willing to adapt her social skills to the circumstances around her
The manner in which she would resolve conflict situations on the test were reasonably effective/healthy

Limitations

Her emotional self-awareness is limited
She doesn't seem to be entirely aware of her strengths and weaknesses
She is not very comfortable with emotions in general
Improvement is required in the area of Emotional Facilitation of Thought
She has a tendency to ruminate excessively
Her mindset could stand to be more positive
Improvement is required in the area of Emotional Management
Her impulse control needs improvement
Her self-control needs improvement
Her resilience/hardiness needs further development
She needs to work on using more healthy coping techniques
She is not very self-motivated
She is not very assertive
Her self-esteem needs to be strengthened
She does not seem to be very content
She seems to struggle to act independently
She is not in the habit of setting goals
Her flexibility is limited

Acknowledgements from Session #3: - I acknowledged Robyn for completing the MEIQ assessment. - I also acknowledged her for doing research on the various careers on her shortlist, and for blogging the results. - Finally, I acknowledged her for being able to shrink the number of careers on her shortlist down to just three possible careers! Takeaways from Session #3: - Robyn is feeling much better and clearer given that the number of careers on her shortlist is down to just three possible careers. - Robyn also gained much self-awareness from now knowing her strengths and limitations in the area of emotional IQ. Action Plan from Session #3: - Robyn agreed to review the MEIQ assessment report in more detail. - She also agreed to interview professionals in her career shortlist using the Word document template provided to her, and which can also be found at the top of this blog, and to record her answers for each career on a separate form. Her career shortlist is now: #1 Interior Designer (9.5/10) Contact for interview: Rosemary Hadeed, Cell: 1-954-242-2539, E-mail: jrkinteriorsone@aol.com #2 Landscape Architect (7.5/10) Contact for interview: Allan Darwent, Office: (868) 622-2923 #3 Real Estate Brokers (7/10) [maybe a career for later in her life] Contact for interview: Pamela Hadeed, Cell: (868) 756-8530, E-mail: pam.hadeed@gmail.com - She also agreed to start working on the first of her main emotional IQ limitations (#1A and #1B), which were as follows: #1A She has a tendency to ruminate excessively Advice: View setbacks as short-lived. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and find yourself plunging into negativity, remind yourself that things can get better. If you're having a hard time in a class you're taking, for example, or you're having relationship problems, look at it as temporary. Whatever the situation, you can take proactive steps to deal with the underlying issues. Even if you are faced with something that you will have to deal with for a lifetime (like a health problem or family issue), there is always some way to improve the situation. You will grow stronger, heal, or find better ways to cope. #1B Her mindset could stand to be more positive Advice: Refuse to be a victim. Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, renowned author and noted expert on positive psychology, states that the feeling of being a victim leads to learned helplessness. If you blame your problems on other people or circumstances, you will avoid taking personal responsibility for your life. While it may be true that there are things beyond your control, the majority of what happens in your life is up to YOU. Life may throw you many curve-balls, but it is you who decides how you'll react to them. #2 Her self-esteem needs to be strengthened Advice: Get to know yourself better. For example, make a list of your strengths and limitations. The more in touch you are with who you are, the better you will be able to understand and handle your emotions. Realize that God has created everyone including you in His image and likeness, and that no matter what other people say about you in the present or have said about you in the past, it doesn't change the fact that you are precious in God's sight. #3 She seems to struggle to act independently Advice: Consider the implications for your life of always putting aside what you want to do or what is important to you to always accommodate other people's wishes. Remember that other people constantly change their opinions about you, and that looking for positive affirmation from others by always trying to be a people-pleaser usually never works anyway. Try to see yourself as a valuable human being in the eyes of God, who is the only one whose opinion of us matters! #4 Her self-control needs improvement Advice: Don't try to avoid confrontation at all costs. This results in a buildup of unresolved anger and frustration for both people. Sulking and denial do not accomplish anything either. Besides, bottled up frustration finds its way out, one way or another. Take a time out. "When angry count to ten; when very angry count to 100." It's not always easy to maintain your composure when you feel like your "buttons" are being pushed, but it is essential that you make an effort to do so. It's important to cool down emotionally when a situation makes you upset or stressed. As time passes, you will be able to be more objective about the issues and to sort out the situation more clearly. Count for as long as it takes for you to reach a state of mind conducive to the cool, rational consideration of possible consequences of your actions. This counting technique can be used no matter what the intense feeling is. - The next session was scheduled for Thursday 2 October 2014 at 4:00 PM.

Career Coaching Session #4: Thursday 2 October 2014

- Robyn shared with me that she interviewed Pamela Hadeed, who is a Real Estate Agent living and working in Trinidad. Robyn said that she learned a lot from this interview, but that this might be a possible career for later in her life, when she has networked more in the business world. - She said that she could not get in touch with Allan Darwent, who is a Landscape Architect living and working in Trinidad. But she said that it wasn't too important for her to pursue this interview because she is not leaning toward a career as a Landscape Architect anyway. The reason for this is that even Landscape Architects have to deal with a fair amount of engineering and math considerations when designing exterior landscapes, which are fields that Robyn says are not her strengths. - Robyn first interviewed Rosemary Hadeed, who is a Trinidadian Interior Designer who lives in Florida, but whose client base in mainly in Trinidad. Rosemary does a combination of residential and commercial projects, and makes a good income which is an important factor for Robyn. Robyn shared with me that she would like to be financially independent and not to have to depend on her future husband for maintaining the life style that is important to her. She said this because she feels that nowadays marriages are not as stable as they were in the past. - After the interview with Rosemary, Robyn shared with me that she felt really good about choosing a career as an Interior Designer, which she now rates as 9/10 in terms of her passion level. Acknowledgements from Session #4: - I acknowledged Robyn for conducting her interviews. - I also acknowledged her for attending all four Career Coaching sessions, and for completing all of the items on the action plans. - Finally, I commended her for choosing her ideal career, an Interior Designer. Takeaways from Session #4: - Robyn expressed her satisfaction that the process of using Psychometric assessments with the four session of Career Coaching was invaluable to her in being able to decide on her ideal career of Interior Designer. Action Plan from Session #4: - Robyn agreed to continue working at the hair salon during her year off in order to make and save money - She is going to aim to do her SAT exams in preparation for going to University in the US for Interior Design. - She is also going to look into taking a few courses in Interior Design her in Trinidad to wet her appetite for the field.

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