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Joined: 07 Jul 2006
Posts: 373
Location: US
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 Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 12:04 pm Post subject: My College Writing Essay |
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This is an essay i just got done doing for my college writing class .its the first assignment, so i hope i didnt do too bad for the first try. here we go:
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Zachary Schuessler
Betty Fennewald, Instructor
EN 103: Introduction to College Writing
03 September 2006
My Life as Holland Knows it: a Career Path and Personal Satisfaction
It is said that if you choose the career path you wanted as a child, you would be happy with your career. When I was younger, I wanted to be a baseball player. I played on a local team, and watched Brave’s baseball every chance I got. The thousands of baseball cards in my closet at the time would only reaffirm what you can already tell; I loved baseball. I loved having a sense of membership to a team, the butterflies in my stomach before the game, and all the free bubblegum I wanted. Even playing on a team that had a poor record, the crowd always cheered us on anyway. I didn’t have to think about it when anyone asked what I wanted to do when I grow up; I wanted to play ball. But, I can’t say that I would have a career now with this choice, and John Holland agrees with me.
E, A, R. These letters might not mean much to you; but to me, they are my life. These three letters dominate my personality. They are just three out of the six possible letters you can be assigned, and make up what is called the Holland code. The psychologist John Holland argues that everyone belongs to one of these six types. But, how accurate you can get with only three letters is the big question.
Out of the numerous job outlook surveys you can take, what makes Holland’s so special is Accuracy. The Holland Code breaks down personality types into six categories: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. The Holland Code is a test to find out which personalities you possess, and furthermore will tell you which job would best suit you. Upon completing this test, my first and second letters, E and A, tied for the lead. R came in last, with a noticeable gap between my first two letters.
E stands for enterprising, which would describe me as energetic, ambitious, adventurous, and sociable. Enterprising individuals excel in public speaking and leadership, but lack scientific abilities. Hobbies and interests go hand-in-hand with an emphasis on leadership and persuasive activities. Admirable enterprisers would include the likes of Bill Gates and Henry Ford. Overall, I feel this accurately describes me. I do admire Bill Gates for his enterprising skills over the years. The energy, ambition, and adventure are right on with my personality. So far, so good.
As for my letter A, this stands for artistic. These individuals are imaginative, creative, and original. They enjoy writing or artistic creation, and are generally very expressive about themselves. Interests and hobbies would include anything concerning dramatic, artistic, or writing skills. Clerical activities are very lacking, however. Artistic leaders to admire would include anyone from Robert Deniro to Van Gogh. Again, this is describing me very accurately. From personality, to my strong dislike of clerical activities, it seems as though the Holland Code scores another point.
My last letter, R, stands for realistic. These individuals enjoy stable, hands-on activities. They are more physical and practical, and value material things. They are lacking in human relations, and communicate in a very direct manner. Building, mechanics, and athletics would fall into hobbies and interests for this category. Heroes may include Joe Montana or Terrell Owens. This category conflicts with enterprising and artistic, but one thing about the Holland Code is, that you are not expected to be exactly defined by a category. Rather, you are a mixture of 2-3 categories. The Holland Code, again, is effectively describing my personality.
My low-scores would include the letters I, C, and S. For the most part, I agree with this. Social and conventional work bore me. Investigative work, however, I would consider an option. It would certainly be more accurate to be my tie for a third letter. Other than that, however, the Holland Code did a great job in finding out my personality by just asking a few questions and assigning me letters. I found these results to be very accurate, and it is no surprise that the Holland Code is first choice in career outlook quizzes.
Careers that come as a result of my letters are very few. In fact, I only saw two or three jobs that would fit my letters, and I was disappointed in the results. Out of these few, I got such results as a Baker or Marketer. I decided to proceed with finding jobs with the letter E only, and got a much broader range of jobs to analyze. Out of these jobs, I considered Executive and Managerial positions. Others include work with computer science, and programming. Surprisingly, I wasn’t content with any of the jobs for artisans. With it being tied for first, it is a little ironic. It would seem that enterprising is the dominating trait in my job choice. Out of all of the possible jobs, three seemed to grab my attention.
The first career I would enjoy would be a Computer and Information Systems Manager. They play one of many roles. They work as technological director of the company employed with, as well as construct business plans, oversee network security, and internet applications. Their goal is to coordinate and facilitate computer-related activities of firms. They enjoy clean, comfortable offices. But stress can be a problem near deadlines, as they may have to work evenings and weekends to complete the task. To get this position, you need an MBA and preferably a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field. Leadership and communication skills are a must. The median salary falls around $95,000, and jobs will be in high demand in the future. Stress, eye problems, and carpal tunnel syndrome come as a concern from this job. High pay, laid-back atmosphere, and job outlook make this my first choice as a career.
Secondly, I would consider pursuing a career in computer software engineering. These engineers design, develop, evaluate, and test software that enables computers to perform their many functions. This would include operating systems, networking, compliers, and other applications. These engineers are part of the 40-hour work week, and enjoy well-lighted, comfortable offices. Stress again comes into the equation with deadlines, meaning weekend and evening work may be mandatory. It is preferred you have a graduates degree, but you can get by with a bachelor’s. The median salary falls at about $75,000. Job employment is very favorable, with the fastest projected job growth in all occupations. The interesting work and good pay make this my second choice.
For my last career choice, I chose to be a software publisher. They design, develop, and publish support software. This may include designing internet-related applications, data storage, operating systems, graphics or game packages, and other applications. The quiet, clean office is again the environment for my career. Also following the same pattern, deadlines can add stress to the equation. Weekends and evenings may be required to work to make deadlines. Associate’s degrees are generally required. But a bachelor’s degree is preferred. Median salary comes to about $85,000. Benefits and opportunities make this a great job to have. Employment is expected to grow incredibly, which is another plus. The benefits and interesting work make this my third choice.
John Holland is right; I’m not a baseball player. I’m a Systems Manager, a Software Engineer, and a Publisher. I am enterprising, artistic, and realistic. I am battling the deadline, not the press coverage. I am taking the week off from stress, not a pulled muscle. I am glancing up from my paperwork to see the game on the television. I am another successful stereotype of John Holland.
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