2. Payge Fehr
INTS 3301: L#3 A#1
9/15/15
Top Career Choices
In the self-assessment provided by Texas Tech University, I received a number of
potential careers that I might consider looking into following graduation. The top five that
seemed to fit my own personal preferences were as follows: Broker Floor Representative, which
can be summarized into “buying and selling financial securities on the "floor" of a stock
exchange market.” Secondly, a Computer Systems Analyst, simply investigating the information
handling problems in an organization to determine how computer-based systems can solve the
problems and improve management decision-making, workflow and productivity. Thirdly, the
assessment suggested Financial Planner, “developing and implementing financial plans for
individuals and organizations by using their knowledge of tax laws and the earnings to be gained
by investing in securities, real estate and pension plans.” The following recommendation was
that of a Financial Services Sales Agent, handling financial issues in the departments of loans,
taxations, and security counseling towards financial institutions and business. The final
assessment recommended was Food and Drug Inspector. The responsibilities of this particular
occupation include analyzing product contents and certain facilities these contents are both
housed and made. Individuals within this field enforce legal standards for sanitation, purity and
consumer safety, as well as long term studies of product impact on health.”
Career and future Plans
My dream job would be to work for a record label. I would love to go find new talent and
bring them to the table and work with him/her/them expanding their views on music and what
their potential really is. As much as I would love to be in the studio and handle the soundboard, I
decided to go for a different approach and I went with the business side of things. A large sum of
my college career has been involved within the Rawls College of Business, justifying the endless
3. Payge Fehr
INTS 3301: L#3 A#1
9/15/15
opportunities that can be achieved outside the collegiate world, and even outside my very own
comfort zone. That being stated, I would say my ultimate goal is to complete my bachelors and
have a good understanding of the business world while furthering my education into graduate
school. Assuming all goes as planned, eventually I will get my foot in the door with a record
label, learning the in’s and out’s of all aspects behind the development of the company as a
whole, and pursuing into a further career. Therefore, with the results of my assessment and
where I believe I stand in my career path, I would say they are not quite in line with each other.
They do both have that business like background to them, but the assessment deals more to the
financial side of business, as I feel I will have much greater success in the personal and business-
to-business transactions. In no way or form am I opposed to the results of this particular
assessment or the recommendations I have encountered with my participation, I simply feel the
financial aspect of these suggested careers is steering me in a somewhat opposing direction. On
the other hand, with the way the music industry is changing, there is also the worry of job
security. Technology has turned a full 180, for example, Compact Discs were a high profit item
that have recently gone to gifts for the less fortunate it would almost seem. Streaming sites are
constantly arising from the ground up, and with the Apple Company came a whole new scene for
music and how it is delivered. There is also the factor of YouTube, people are finding talent by
searching through peoples YouTube channel. In 2011 Simon Cowell found Rebecca Black
through YouTube and helped her produce her hit “Friday”. I have yet to hear her have a hit song
again, but the fact that he found her just off of YouTube is quite the game changer. Regardless of
what career path I choose, there is always going to be the factor of “what if?” which is my
biggest concern, but honestly you will never know until you try. I do not see my self being on
that stock floor, dealing with computer programs, handling ones financial plans, or analyzing
4. Payge Fehr
INTS 3301: L#3 A#1
9/15/15
products, but since I have never really thought about these types of careers, it would be unheard
of to completely shut them out of my equation. I want to be successful and to be able to love
what I do, and with this assessment I will try to at very least pursue one of these positions and
see where it carries me. I would still like to go through graduate school and pursue more of the
business world, but I could apply for one of these five and work in the business field at the same
time just to test the waters. There is no harm in trying and you never know, I might love the
whole stock market world and love going to work everyday. The things that seem to make us the
happiest, for me anyway, are the things that you never expect. Which is why I will look into
these on a more positive note and really see what they are all about and then base my decision on
that instead of automatically assuming “I dislike this” or “ I like that”.
Connections
My three areas of concentration are Organizational leadership, Human Resources
Development, and Integrated Studies. Again, I was on the business track in the Rawls College of
Business and with those classes organizational leadership came easy. It also helps that I have
been in a leadership role of roughly five years now. I took classes including Introduction of
Organization Management, Financial Management, as well as some Economics and Accounting
classes. My HRDV classes really helped me understand the “how stores operate” and what to
look for in employees. I have taken Employee and Labor Relations, Staffing Strategies, and
Research of HRDV. I really enjoyed theses classes and I felt like they opened my mind up to
what companies are looking for in an employee. Lastly, Integrated Studies is simply learning
how to use my other two disciplines together. So far what I have gathered is that there is nothing
wrong with having different areas, it is just the way in which you put them together and utilize
them that can really set you a part form others. These three concentrations relate a little with my
5. Payge Fehr
INTS 3301: L#3 A#1
9/15/15
top five choices. I can see where some of my Organizational leadership classes come into play
with the financial choice given to me by this assessment. I can also see where HRDV comes into
play as well here. I honestly feel that having the knowledge of the business world will help in
any aspect of any job. It is helpful to know and understand what type of ethical situations you
might be in and how to stay true and honest, and it is also important to know what employers are
looking for when you are applying.
Conclusion
This assessment was very helpful to me personally. I never thought in a million years that
I might be cut out for such careers. I am a very laid back person, but when it boils down to
numbers, I have little to zero confidence. I am the type of person that never has cash because I
will spend it if I have it, and I also hang on to all of my receipts and balance out my check book
weekly and that is stressful enough for me. With that being said though, I can see where my
ability to do that can be viewed as a good thing and could very easily be beneficial for me in the
financial field. In the end it got me thinking about all kinds of different careers and how I might
actually be decent or very good at. Maybe I need to focus on my skills and seeing where they
will take me instead of flowing something I am passionate about and have no idea if I can
actually be a success.
6. Payge Fehr
INTS 3301: L#3 A#1
9/15/15
Reference:
Focus2: Career Assessment and Planning System for College Students.
(n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2015.
http://www.focuscareer2.com/LoggedIn/MainMenu.cfm?Unique=%7Bts%20'2015-09-
23%2012:43:18'%7D&SID=393&CFID=6442246&CFTOKEN=bdb3d978585da81d-
CEDE99E5-B82A-72DD-7468F46E0BA8F328
7. Payge Fehr
INTS 3301: L#3 A#1
9/15/15
FOCUS Assessment Grading Rubric
Criteria
Points
Possible
Points
Earned
General
Paper adheres to APA formatting (title page, citations,
references page, etc.). Filename is correct. This rubric pasted
at the end of the assignment.
10
Writing is clear with appropriate grammar, spelling, and
punctuation. Headings are appropriately labeled
10
Top Career Choices (100 Words)
Clear identification of the identified top 5 career choices with
a brief description.
10
Career and Future Plans (500 Words)
Student identifies own career choice in relation to those
identified by the assessment. 10
Student provides a discussion of how these identified choices
fit or not into student’s career and future plans. 20
Connections (500 Words)
Identifies three areas of concentration.
10
Student discusses how those three areas relate to top 5 career
choices or their own career choice.
20
Conclusion (150 words)
Student articulates a conclusion summarizing the helpfulness
of the assessment to career and future plans.
10
