Career Coaching for Kim Mora

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) Click on the following link for the: O*Net Online Career Research Tool

Career Coaching Session #1: Friday September 6, 2013

- Kim's E-mail address is kimorabella@hotmail.com - Kim currently is 23 years old, and has two brothers and three sisters. Kim is the youngest in the family, and was the only child to attend a prestigious school at the secondary level. Because of her academic ability, she shared that with me that she became the "golden" child, and her father then had high expectations of her in terms of what career she should choose. This caused Kim to feel a lot of pressure to please her Dad. - She attended secondary school at St. Joseph's Convent (St. Joseph's) up to Form 6 and was initially going to take Math, Further Math, and Physics for CAPE. But her father really wanted her to do medicine and so she decided to take Biology, Chemistry, and Math. She graduated in 2009 with good marks, but decided to repeat Form 6 to get all distinctions, which she did in 2010. Kim shared with me that she really did not like Biology at all, but was trying to please her father. - She applied to UWI (St. Augustine) with medicine as her first choice, and pharmacy as her second choice. She did not get into either, but she got into St. George University (SGU) in Grenada to do medicine in January 2011. - She spent two and a half years in the premed program at SGU, and found it to be difficult especially because of the adjustment of coming from a warm, friendly, and helpful environment at St. Joseph's Convent in Trinidad to a more competitive American university in Grenada. She also had some issues with insomnia because her her tendency to worry, and she was given medication for this, which worked for a while. - At SGU, she struggled with biology and biochemistry in her first year, but by the second semester, she had brought her GPA up to 3.5, which is very good. However, Kim shared that GATE was not being consistent with funding her education, which was another factor that contributed to her decision to leave SGU in August 2013 (two weeks ago0> - Kim shared with me that her father likes things his own way, and Kim found herself not being able to say no to him in terms of going into medicine. - She also shared with me that her mother was over-protective with her when she was a teenager, and as a result, she did not have a very active social life. This may have been the cause of her scoring lower on the interpersonal scale that she otherwise might have. - Her father got robbed and shot when Kim was eleven, and he spent about one year in hospital recovering. That had a profound effect on Kim, and she has always had compassion on people who are suffering. - Kim has an aunt who is a Pharmacist, and Kim volunteered in her pharmacy for some time. Even though she found it hectic, and the clients were sometimes difficult, she nevertheless thought that it was a reasonable career to consider for herself. She would rate this career 7/10. - Kim also wanted to get married and have a family of her own one day, and so the career that she chooses must lend itself to this personal desire of hers. She feels at times that being a doctor would be a very hectic and busy life, and may not mesh with her family-life goals. She shared that unless she worked in emergency or as a medical lecturer with a more reasonable 9 - 5 schedule, then being a doctor may not be the right career for her, even though she feels that she can complete the program and work as a doctor. However, the part of the premed program that she enjoyed were the hospital visits, and interacting with the patients because it involved more than just their physical health, and also included a counseling aspect to it. - I asked Kim if she had ever considered a career in the field of Psychology/Counseling but she felt that this would not be an appropriate career for her. - Kim shares that she did well in her premed course on genetics, and I shared with her that genetics is a very fast growing field within medical research. - I discussed the results of the VoSCA assessment with Kim, 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 assessment recommended for Kim and how she rated them in terms of her passion level (1 is no passion and 10 is the highest passion): #1 Statistical Assistants (4/10) #2 Logistics Analysts (4/10) #3 Web Developers (6/10) #4 Network and Computer Systems Administrators (6/10) #5 Insurance Underwriters (1/10) #6 Food Science Technicians (5/10) #7 Software Developers, Applications (6/10) #8 Food Scientists and Technologists (2/10) #9 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (2/10) #10 Agricultural Technicians (2/10) #11 Computer and Information Systems Managers (5/10) #12 Biological Technicians (2/10) #13 Database Administrators (5/10) #14 Precision Agriculture Technicians (3/10) #15 Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers (2/10) #16 Power Distributors and Dispatchers (5/10) #17 Computer Systems Analysts (6/10) #18 Computer Programmers (5/10) #19 Software Developers, Systems Software (5/10) #20 Bioinformatics Scientists (7/10) #21 Chemists (5/10) #22 Web Administrators (4/10) #23 Microbiologists (3/10) #24 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (2/10) #25 Management Analysts (2/10) #26 Cytogenetic Technologists (7/10) #27 Logisticians (3/10) #28 Office Clerks, Genera (2/10) #29 Nuclear Monitoring Technicians (2/10) #30 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (5/10) #31 Pharmacists (7/10) #32 Petroleum Engineers (6/10) - Kim seems to lean more toward a career in the fields of medicine or engineering. - We discussed how Kim would rate herself in terms of her emotional IQ (EIQ) and she said that she is reserved about her emotions. I stressed the importance of developing a healthy EIQ as Psychologists have recently discovered that it is as important and maybe even more important than having a high IQ score. I asked her if she would be willing to do the MEIQ assessment and she said yes. - 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. - We also discussed Kim's spirituality, and she said her mother was a good influence on her as a young girl growing up as a Roman Catholic. She has quite a collection of books on the Saints, which her mother gave to her. However, Kim has experienced many setbacks and obstacles since CAPE and SGU, and now her faith has weakened and she no longer attends Sunday Mass. I shared with Kim that all of these unfortunate events on her life were not God's fault, and neither is anything bad that has happened in our world since the original sin of Adam and Eve! I shared with her that God has given every human being the gift of free will, and unfortunately some men and women use their free wills for evil purposes. However, God is always near to each and every one of us, and especially in our difficulties and broken-heartedness. Acknowledgements from Session #1: - I acknowledged Kim for completing the VoSCA 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: - Kim liked the process of doing the assessment she feels a little clearer about the process of career discovery. Action Plan from Session #1: - Kim agreed to review the VoSCA report in more detail and research on the Internet using the O*Net Online Career Research Tool (www.onetonline.org) the recommended careers above which she scored 6 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 Bioinformatics Scientists (7/10) #2 Cytogenetic Technologists (7/10) #3 Pharmacists (7/10) #4 Web Developers (6/10) #5 Network and Computer Systems Administrators (6/10) #6 Software Developers, Applications (6/10) #7 Computer Systems Analysts (6/10) #8 Petroleum Engineers (6/10) - She also agreed to see if any of the careers in the Related section of the O*Net Online website 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. - Kim also agreed to complete the Values Profile assessment. - The next session was scheduled for Friday September 13, 2013 at 10:00 AM.

Career Coaching Session #2: Friday September 13, 2013

- I discussed the results Values Profile Assessment with Kim and the results below are a summary of Kim'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: Social Values People for whom social values are important in work settings are happiest and utilize their talents best when their job does some good for mankind, they have contact with people, and/or they do not feel that they are taking advantage of others. People with social values either work or see themselves working in a "helping" profession (e.g. medicine, nursing, teaching, or counseling). Even if they don't, they probably bring a sense of humanity to their position that makes them considerate to fellow employees, employers and clients. They are often very personable colleagues - people may come to them for help and advice, and they are often well-liked. If social people work in a position where they do not have contact with others, either coworkers or the public, they may feel lonely and frustrated, especially if their job doesn't satisfy any other values they may hold. - The following is a summarized version of Kim'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

Influencing Values

Traditional Values
Theoretical Values
Realistic Values
Political Values
Aesthetic Values

Minor Values

None of the values fall into this category

- The suggested occupations for those with social values are:

Caregiver/Nurse
Physical Therapist
Animal Trainer
Teacher
Counselor/Social Worker/Psychologist
Personnel Trainer
Civil Rights Lawyer
Receptionist
Customer Service Representative
Retail Salesperson

- The following careers from the VoSCA assessment still interest Kim: #1 Medical Doctor (7/10) #2 Electrical Engineer (6/10) #3 Pharmacist (5/10) - I asked Kim if she had a plan for each of the above three careers, and here are the plans which she came up with: (1) Kim's plan to go back to Medical school:

Kim said that at this point, it is not feasible to go back to SGU because GATE will not fund her, and SGU costs over $25,000 US per term. Kim got a 73% average in her latest term at SGU, but GATE requires a 77% average.
Kim said that she would apply to MUA, an American University in St. Kitts, because it only costs approximately $10,000 US per term, and about $1,500 US per term for living expenses.
Kim would then try to get a scholarship for her clinical portion of the program.
She would then apply for a Sallie Mae student loan from the US for approximately $75,000 US to cover her four years at MUA.
Here are the pros and cons that Kim listed for the career of Medical Doctor:

Pros and Cons for Career of Medical Doctor

(2) Kim's plan for Electrical Engineering:

Kim would apply to SBCS which is affiliated with the University of Greenwich.
The program costs about $24,000 TT per year, or approximately $4,000 US per year. Her parents would more easily be able to cover this cost.
The program is three years in duration.
Here are the pros and cons that Kim listed for the career of Electrical Engineer:

Pros and Cons for Career of Electrical Engineer

(3) Kim's plan for Pharmacy:

Kim would apply to UWI - St. Augustine for Pharmacy
The program costs about $20,000 TT per year, or approximately $4,000 US per year. Her parents would more easily be able to cover this cost, and Kim may be able to apply to GATE for funding.
The program is four years in duration.
Here are the pros and cons that Kim listed for the career of Pharmacy:

- I encouraged Kim to apply to MUA, SBCS, and UWI for the three careers on her current shortlist, just to be on the safe side, and she agreed. - I discussed with Kim the three distinct vocational calls that each person should discern from an early age (18 to 24 years old), and these are (i) the married life, (ii) the single life, and (iii) the religious life. Kim said that she is leaning more towards the vocation of married life, and she currently has a boyfriend who is also studying to become a medical doctor. Acknowledgements from Session #2: - I acknowledged Kim for completing the Values Profile assessment. - I also acknowledged her for narrowing down her shortlist of careers to just three, and for researching the pros and cons of each of these three careers. Takeaways from Session #2: - Kim is feeling a little clearer about a shorter list of careers to choose from, and the fact that she has a clear plan to pursue each of the three careers on her shortlist. Action Plan from Session #2: - Kim agreed to read through the Values Profile report in more detail. - She also agreed to complete the Multidimensional Emotional IQ assessment. - Start looking into applying to MUA, SBCS, and UWI for the three careers on her current shortlist, namely: #1 Medical Doctor (7/10) #2 Electrical Engineer (6/10) #3 Pharmacist (5/10) - The next session schedule was scheduled for Saturday September 28, 2013 at 10:00 AM.

Career Coaching Session #3: Saturday September 28, 2013

- Kim completed and documented all of her interviews with the following professionals:

Electrical Engineer, John Hadad
Commercial Pharmacist, Bertina Hernandez
Retail Pharmacist, Reshma
Medical Doctor, Dr. Jackie Sabga

- From her interview with Engineer John Hadad, Kim decided to raise her passion level from 6/10 to 7/10 for the following reasons:

This career fits better with her desire to have a good family life
It pays better than the other professions on her shortlist.
Studying for this profession would come more naturally for Kim because she is very good at memorizing and working with numbers.

- From her interview with the two Pharmacists Bertina and Reshma, Kim decided to lower her passion level from 5/10 to 2/10 for the following reasons:

It does not pay well as a career.
It is dead-end field.
There is very little time spent on patient counseling.

- From her interview with Dr. Jackie Sabga, Kim decided to leave her passion level at 7/10 for the following reasons:

This career could provide a challenge for her desire to have a good family life.
It does not pay as well as some of the other professions on her shortlist.
Studying for this profession would hard for Kim because she is better at memorizing and working with numbers than with the complex vocabulary that accompanies medicine.
The financial cost for medicine would be much greater than the other careers on her shortlist.
Her passion level in terms of the actual practice of medicine would be greater than the other careers on her shortlist, and she would experience the most career fulfillment.
Medicine is not a dead-end career by any means, and would be the most intellectually stimulating of the three career choices.
Kim said that she would be able to handle the lack of sleep and stress associated with medicine for short periods of time, but would know when to take ca break and recharge her energy.

Acknowledgements from Session #3: - I acknowledged Kim for completing all of her interviews and documenting her findings in the blog. Takeaways from Session #3: - Kim said that the three career coaching sessions were a huge help to her in terms of understanding herself better, and she has a clear idea of her career choices: either Medicine or Engineering. - She also said that she now knows that if she chooses either of these careers, she would not be making a mistake. Action Plan from Session #3: - Kim agreed to apply to MUA (Nevis) and UWI (Trinidad) for Medicine. - She also agreed to apply to SBCS for Electrical Engineering. - She agreed to have her medical text books shipped from Grenada to Trinidad, and to start reading them as a way to keep her mind active, and possibly get a head-start to medical school if that is the career she finally chooses. - Kim is going to volunteer at Vitas House with Dr. Jackie Sabga, which is a hospice for terminally ill cancer patients. - Kim also expressed the desire to pray and maybe even go on a retreat to Mount St. Benedict in order to confirm her choice of career. I also encouraged Kim to try to attend Mass on Sundays, and I explained a little more about what really happens at Mass in terms of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

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