Career Coaching for Sara Cross

Click on the following link for your: Vocational Style & Personality Assessment (VoSPA) Click on the following link for your: Values Profile Assessment (VaPro) Click on the following link for your: Mutli-Dimensional Emotional Intelligence Quotient (MEIQ) Click on the following link for the: Emotional Wound First-Aid Kit by John Schurmann Click on the following link for the: O*Net Online Career Research Tool

Career Coaching Session #1: Friday December 14, 2012

- Sara's E-mail address is saralyn.cross@gmail.com - Sara is currently 25 years old and wants to determine the best career path to take. - She took the OJT (On-the-Job) Training programme to help with finding a suitable job for her personality and she scored 97% overall. She has an interview on Monday December 17 at 10:30 AM and she would like this first Career Coaching session to provide her with more definite guidelines to help steer the interviewer in the right direction for her job search. This placement is usually for 2 years, which Sara wants to make sure is properly aligned with skills. - Sara shared that she was assessed with dyslexia in primary school and this caused her to have some difficulties with Math. - She attended secondary school at St. Joseph's Convent in Port of Spain. - She enrolled in University of New Brunswick (Roytech) and obtained her degree in Business Administration in 2009 - Sara then enrolled in the law program at UWI but then decided not to continue because she did not like the way the program was taught. However, to make sure about the field of law, she decided to work at a law firm in Trinidad to get some experience. This confirmed the fact that a career in law was not suited to her personality. - She shared the fact that she is artistic and creative, and likes arranging and designing rooms with an eye for beauty and order. - Sara enrolled in the Sheffield School of Interior Design, but Sara does not like the the fact that the course is an online one with no face-to-face classroom interaction. She is not an auditory learner but a kinesthetic learner. - Growth, development and self-actualization are all very important to Sara, and must exist in any career she chooses to pursue. - Sara shared the fact that she likes to fix things and even people according to what she sees as wrong or "broken". - Both Sara and her mother shared the fact the Sara likes to be active and cannot be confined to an office job. Her career must involve some degree of moving around and interaction with people. - I discussed the results of the VoSPA assessment with Sara, 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 VoSPA assessment recommended for Sara and how she rated them in terms of her passion level (1 is no passion and 10 is the highest passion):

Mediator - Business (7/10)
Chief Executive / Business Manager (7/10)
Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (7/10)
Training and Development Managers (7/10)
Health and Safety Specialist (7/10)
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary (5/10)
Broadcast News Analysts (5/10)
Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School (3/10)
Coaches and Scouts (2/10)
Public Relations Managers (2/10)
Farm and Home Management Advisors (2/10)

- We discussed how Sara would rate herself in terms of her emotional IQ (EIQ) and she said that she expresses her emotions well and can also figure out other people's emotions. However, the death of her father and brother has left some emotional wounds that still need healing. I suggested journaling or blogging as a good step toward the healing process, and I also recommended John Schurmann's eBook entitled "Emotional Wound First-Aid Kit", which Sara agreed to read. - Sara shared with me that she had a tough childhood and in many ways felt that she had to grow up and mature very quickly because of the sudden death of her father when she was 13 years old, and the death of her brother when she was 22 years old. - I suggested that Sara complete the MEIQ and the Values Profile assessments, which she agreed to do. - We also discussed Sara's spirituality, and she said that even though she is Roman Catholic, she does not attend Mass, but prays sometimes at night. She sometimes feels loved by God and at other times, she feels abandoned and even angry at God. I acknowledged Sara for being open and honest about how she feels about God. I assured her that God loves her very much all the time, and that she can turn to Him at any time and ask for His help. He doesn't want her life to be hard all the time! - We also discussed Sara's physical health and exercise habits, and she said that she was extremely active in many racket sports as well as hiking. She recently hurt her arm and most of her physical activity stopped, but she has a plan to start back gradually in 2013. I acknowledged Sara for wanting to get back into physical fitness as it will help her overall sense of well-being. - Sara also shared that her 7 month old puppy died recently which hurt her a lot. - She also shared that her and her boyfriend Mark broke up earlier this year, and this hurt a lot because this was her first boyfriend ever. She feels that there hasn't been proper closure with Mark, and she would like to clear the air with him. Acknowledgements from Session #1: - I acknowledged Sara for completing the VoSPA assessment on such short notice, and for seeking career guidance in order to get her career path on track instead of just settling for any career. - I also acknowledged Sara for being open and honest about how she feels about God. - I also acknowledged Sara for being open about the hurts from her childhood and her recent hurts as well, and her desire to have those wounds healed over time. - Finally, I acknowledged her for wanting to get back into physical fitness in 2013. Takeaways from Session #1: - Sara liked the process of doing the assessment she feels a little clearer about the process of career discovery. Action Plan from Session #1: - Sara will review the VoSPA report in more detail and research on the Internet using the O*Net Online Career Research Tool the recommended careers above which she scored 5 or more out of 10, and document her research in this password-protected blog. - 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. - Sara also agreed to do the Values Profile assessment. - The next session will be scheduled for early in the week of December 17, 2012.

Career Coaching Session #2: Friday December 21, 2012

- Sara and I reviewed the results of her Values Profile assessment. The results below are a summary of Sara'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: Aesthetic Values People for whom aesthetic values are important in work settings love being given tasks and projects that allow them to flex their creative muscle. In fact, to be tied down to any form of structure, be it in the form of rules or work approach, would make them feel stifled. Aesthetic people also need to be given time to "incubate" ideas. They have to be given the opportunity to work at their own pace and follow their own approach, knowing that masterpieces aren't created in a day. Given that they are constantly drawn to and appreciate beauty and harmony, it would be a bit of a faux pas for the appearance of their work environment to not follow this trend. Much like social people love having contact with the public, aesthetic people want to be surrounded by splendor. Bland cubicles/offices may drain their energy (or in the least bore them) if they can't personalize how their workspace looks. - The following is a summarized version of Sara'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

None of the values fall into this category

Influencing Values

Social Values
Aesthetic Values
Realistic Values
Traditional Values
Theoretical Values

Minor Values

Political Values

- 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 suggested occupations for those with aesthetic values are:

Interior Designer
Architect
Photographer
Journalist/Reporter
Painter/Sculptor
Composer/Musician/Singer
Hairstylist/Fashion Designer
Art Director/Film Editor/Producer
Actor
Radio/Television Announcer

- The following careers from the VoSPA and VaPro assessments still interest Sara:

Human Resources Specialist (7/10)
Mediator - Business (7/10)
Chief Executive / Business Manager (7/10)
Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (7/10)
Training and Development Managers (7/10)
Health and Safety Specialist (7/10)

- I asked Sara if she would be willing to do the MEIQ assessment, and she agreed to. Acknowledgements from Session #2: - I acknowledged Sara for completing the Values Profile assessment for for being open in her sharing. Takeaways from Session #2: - Sara is starting to feel a bit more clarity in terms of her career path. Action Plan from Session #2: - Sara will continue researching the careers on the VoSPA shortlist. - Sara will complete the MEIQ assessment before our next session. - The next session schedule was scheduled for December 28, 2012 at 10:30 AM.

Career Coaching Session #3: Friday December 28, 2012

- I asked Sara if she would consider the field of Life & Career Coaching as she has a lot that she can share with her own life struggles with younger people. She said it was something she would consider as a medium-term goal after she gets some work experience. - We then discussed the results of Sara's MEIQ assessment. Her overall results were: EIQ score = 117, Percentile score = 87% which is quite good. - The following is a summarized version of Sara's results, categorized as Strengths, Potential Strengths, and Limitation. Strengths

She is comfortable with emotions in general
She is doing well in the area of Emotional Facilitation of Thought
Her approach to problem solving is conducive to resolution
She typically acts in accordance with her values
She has a positive mindset
She is empathetic
She is socially insightful
She is doing well in the area of Emotional Management
She shows resilience/hardiness
She possesses healthy coping skills
She is driven toward further self-development
She is able to let go/rise above minor issues
She is able/willing to adapt her social skills to the circumstances around her
She has a healthy level of self-esteem

Potential Strengths

She has a satisfactory emotional IQ level
She is doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Identification, Perception, and Expression
She possesses some emotional self-awareness
She is somewhat aware of her strengths and weaknesses
She does not ruminate excessively, which is good, but she also may not give things sufficient thought
She is doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Understanding
She performed relatively well on the emotional integration aspect of the test
She chose some reasonably good forms of resolution for conflict situations on the test
Her impulse control is satisfactory
She shows some self-control
She is reasonably self-motivated
The manner in which she would resolve conflict situations on the test were reasonably effective/healthy
She is moderately assertive
She seems to be reasonably content
She shows some social responsibility for the wellbeing of others

Limitations

She struggled with recognizing emotions depicted on the test
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 Sara for completing the MEIQ assessment for for scoring so well on it. - I also acknowledged her for persisting with Mark to ask for an apology and for clearing the air with him. Takeaways from Session #3: - Sara said that she is feeling a lot better about things in general, and she says that her future is starting to look brighter. Action Plan from Session #3: - Sara agreed to start interviewing some professionals in the various careers of interest using the Microsoft Word template that I will send her for the interview process. - The next session was scheduled for January 4, 2013 at 10:30 AM.

Career Coaching Session #4: January 11, 2013

-The following careers from the VoSPA and VaPro assessments still interest Sara:

Training and Development Managers (7/10)
Human Resources Specialist (7/10)
Mediator - Business (7/10)
Chief Executive / Business Manager (7/10)

- She is mo longer interested in the following two careers:

Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
Health and Safety Specialist

- Sara interviewed four professionals from careers on her shortlist, namely, Training and Development Manager, HR Manager, Mediator, and CEO/Business Owner. Her results were entered in the Comments section of this blog. Her is a summary of her thoughts about each of thses four careers: - Training and Development Manager (Jane Quesnell): Sara found this career to a more focussed type of career wothin the HR field, which she liked. She also liked the fact that the job involved making presentations, which she really enjoys and is good at. She would also consider doing her Masters degree in HR/Training Development, especially if she gets the HR Assistant job at Arthur Lok Jack School of Business. - HR Manager (Lily Akien): Sara reflected in her interview with Lily and found that Lily's job entailed many and very varied tasks , which didn't appeal to her. She prefers a more focussed job in HR if she were to settle on HR. - Mediator (Anthony Hadeed): Sara commented that while she might see herself doing some business to individual mediation as part of her job, she thinks that doing mediation full time, especially between individuals, might be too emotionally stessful for her. - CEO/Business Owner: Sara commented that this type of career might apply to her much later in life, and that she would prefer to have family support and encouragement in starting her own business. - Sara shared that her interview at Arthur Lok Jack went well and that it lasted an hour and a half. The position is for an HR Assistant, and she is hopeful. John Hadad also shared with me and Sara that he would be willing to offer her a junior HR position at Hadco Limited to see if she likes the HR field. Acknowledgements from Session #4: - I acknowledged Sara for completing and blogging the four interviews. Takeaways from Session #4: - Sara is feeling more confident about herself as she goes out to companies and is interviewing people as well as being interviewed herself. - She is starting to become clearer on what field within HR might be of more interest to her (training and development). Action Plan from Session #4: - Sara is going to enter the rest of her interviews in the blog. - She is also going to interview a friend of the family from Jamaica who also owns his own business. - She agreed to follow up with Arthur Lok Jack on Wednesday January 16 to see how their decision making process was coming along. - Sara also agreed to do a few more Psychometric assessments, and the ones that I assigned were Coping Skills and Self Esteem.

Protected: Career Coaching zkirejT