Career Plan Essays Examples

Part One

As I get closer to graduation, the next steps toward my career require a well thought out plan. The decision to think through what I will do next, after receiving my undergraduate degree in Psychology, is important so that I do not waste time. I will be graduating with my Bachelors of Science in Psychology this May 2015. After graduation I want to take an extended break from school until January 2016. My plan to pursue a graduate degree for my Masters in Counseling requires some serious preparation during the planned break.
The first step towards my immediate plans require that I take the GRE test to that I could apply to William Carey University, as well as the University of Southern Mississippi. I need to research if either school has requirements in the test score range so that I can ensure that I do well enough to be accepted to these schools. I need specific timeline details here that I do not have so I am putting a highlighted message.
My interest to work specifically with individuals with addictions, abused women, and veterans challenged by PTSD are fields that I must learn more about. I may take several online courses to gain further knowledge in each of these areas as a preparatory process. I would add more specific detail here about how you will do this. This is where you may want to add the volunteering or internship or whatever other ideas you may have toward your career.

Part Two

My empathetic nature and personal challenges are one of the prime motivators in the decision to pursue the field of psychology. I have a deep desire to help others who have or are experiencing mental and emotional turmoil. By committing to a career in counseling I believe that my life will serve a purpose other than just having a job for the sole purpose of earning income. Several aspects of my life have exposed me to challenges that give me a perspective that I can use to help my patients.
My goals to work with individuals battling addiction, abused women, and veterans struggling with PTSD requires a high level of sensitivity that I know I am capable of bringing into the counseling that I will provide these individuals. I am a single mother who has experienced some emotionally difficult decisions that I have made as I raise my daughter, work, and attend school. I have an extraordinary amount of patience when I sit and listen to family and friends as they share good and bad stories about themselves with me. This ability is going to be an extremely handy tool as a therapist. Understanding the power and value that a caring and qualified counselor can provide, let me know that some of my innate abilities will prove to strengthen my career in counseling.
The primary point of weakness in achieving my goal to provide excellence in my services to clients is in my tendency to become too emotionally attached to people. As an extremely sensitive and caring individual who has suffered difficulties that some may consider unfair, I am keen to fight the good fight for people often to my own detriment. The other challenge that I see with this character trait includes the tendency to become bias based on my personal life experiences. I will have to work on practicing mindfulness as I begin counseling individuals who may have similar emotional challenges as ones I have faced in the past. Another weakness in my life is the guilt I have of leaving my child whenever I have to go. Whether the time away is for work, school, or pleasure, I always feel incredibly sad and stressed out to be away from him or her. I am concerned that this will become a distraction in my professional life, which worries me.

Part Three

Now that I have some clarity on my strength and weakness, that will either help or hinder my professional effectiveness in the area of counseling, I need goals to work on to improve myself. Three specific goals come to mind as I consider how to develop a foundation for superior skills for my profession. The three goals I have are directed toward minimizing my weaknesses and maximizing my strengths.
The first goal involves learning techniques that I have learned through my education or through spending some time working with a therapist on the areas that trigger this excessive emotional attachment and bias to situations. My plan is to keep a diary to log moments that trigger me to become overly emotional, and discuss with a counselor the issues that are repeatedly occurring. One of the biggest triggers involves my ex, so I will know that I have attained my goal when I am no longer affected by my interactions with him.
The second goal is to expand my listening skills. As an individual who already is fortunate enough to have the patience to become ‘a sound board’ for many friends and family members, I think maximizing this skill will give me a unique specialty in my professional life. My goal is to purchase and read People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflict, this is a book a have been told of by several friends who have found it useful. I will know that I have improved my listening skills by utilizing the techniques that I learn from the book. The people close to me will ideally be able to notice this difference and inform me that I am listening even better than I was before.
The last goal I have is to overcome the guilt I experience as a mother as pertaining to leaving my child to tend to other responsibilities in my life. The work required to help myself in this area of life will most likely need to be done with the help of some one-on-one therapy. As an individual that is pursuing the field of counseling, I see that it will be the most effective method to tackle these emotional challenges. I will acknowledge this goal as accomplished when I am able to drop of my son or daughter without the stress and anxiety that is common to my experience in the majority of my daily separations.