The student took the FOCUS career assessment which identified their top 5 career matches. The top match was electro-mechanical technician, followed by airport engineer, automotive engineer, civil engineer, and computer programmer. The student has selected computer programming as their career path based on their interest in technology and programming. They discussed how their chosen areas of study - computer science, mathematics, and organizational leadership - relate to and support their career choice. The assessment helped the student confirm and explore their career interests.

1. Running head: FOCUS ASSESSMET 1
Focus Assessment
Turner Sparks
Texas Tech University

2. FOCUS ASSESSMET 2
Top Career Choices
After completing the FOCUS Assessment, I looked at the career possibilities that fit me
best. The first career, which appeared in four of the five assessments, was Electro-Mechanical
Technician. The tasks for an Electro-Mechanical Tech can range from designing robotics to
operating and maintaining various forms of unmanned vehicles and crafts. The rest of the career
matches only appeared in three of the assessments. They are Airport Engineer, Automotive
Engineer, Civil Engineer, and Computer Programmer. Airport Engineers design and make
technical decisions concerning buildings, runways, and other facilities at airports, while
Automotive Engineers design and develop various automobile components. Civil Engineering
deals with the design and construction aspect of roadways, tunnels, bridges, buildings, and more.
Computer Programming write programs and software that tells computers what to do and what
order to do it in to get the desired result the user may be wanting.
Career and Future Plans
I have always had an interest in computers and how they process information, therefore, I
have selected a career path in Computer Programming. I like working with technology and being
able to design something from scratch, seeing it compile, and then watching it come to life and
operate successfully. While I was in high school, I enrolled in a dual credit class at the local
community college. This class was Intro to Programming Principles. I loved it! This was the first
time I had ever enjoyed a class and couldn’t wait until the next assignment to learn and work on
a new programming concept.
After taking the FOCUS Assessment, I confirmed my interests in computer
programming, however, I also discovered a few more career possibilities that I could see myself

3. FOCUS ASSESSMET 3
potentially pursuing in the future. The main career choice that peaked my interest, and I had not
previously considered, was Electro-Mechanical Technician. One of the fields in this career is
robotics, and though I have always thought the field of robotics was intriguing, I never imagined
it being a career choice for me. One of my hobbies is building and operating remote-controlled
airplanes, helicopters, and stadium trucks. Because of this, I have some experience with
electrical circuits, servos, and other components that are used in robotics.
Another hobby of mine, is making modifications to my car. I enjoy shopping around for
components that can make my car unique. It’s also cool to make it faster, look cooler, and sound
better. When I saw Automotive Engineer in the list of top career choices, I thought this could be
a potential career path if computer programming did not work out. For the time being, however, I
would like my automotive endeavors to just remain a hobby.
Overall, I am reasonably pleased with the results of the top five career choices given by
the FOCUS Assessment. I am currently on my way to becoming a Computer Programmer, so it
was nice seeing that in the top five results. Electro-Mechanical Technician and Automotive
Engineer are definitely fields that I am interested in and possible would have pursued had I
known more about them in the past. In the future, there is still a possibility of entering into one
of these fields, but for now, I will focus on Computer Programming. Airport Engineer and Civil
Engineer are careers I would have absolutely no interest in at all. My friend is a Civil Engineer
and I have looked at some of his work and found it very bland and it just didn’t appeal to me. An
Airport Engineer is basically a glorified Architect that specializes in airport facilities.
Architecture is something I have never considered pursuing, and even though it is in the top five
choices, I still don’t think it would be something I would be happy doing.
Connections

4. FOCUS ASSESSMET 4
After determining the field I wanted to go into, and assessing my current academic
situation, I have decided to choose Computer Science, Mathematics, and Organizational
Leadership as my three areas of concentration in the University Studies program. For obvious
reasons, I chose Computer Science to help me in the Computer Programming career field.
Computer Science is the theory of how computers work, or how they think. Computer Scientists
make good programmers because they don’t just try to write a program, they think about how a
computer processes information and create the most efficient and practical program they can.
Computers don’t think like we do. They are electronic so the only thing they understand is either
there is an electrical signal, or there isn’t. In the digital world, this is interpreted as ones and
zeros. These ones and zeros, when stringed together to solve a complex problem, become too
difficult to understand as a human. We have software called Integrative Development
Environment, or IDE’s that help us translate our language into something the computer can read,
and then compute. Even with the help of an IDE, you still have to understand the science behind
the computer to be a good programmer. For the other career fields, Computer Science doesn’t
necessarily relate to them directly, but workers in those fields will have to work closely with
Computer Programmers to develop software that will help design, build, and monitor projects
that need to be completed.
Since all of the career choices the FOCUS Assessment matched me with are either
Engineering or some type of Technical field, Math is very important. Universities require several
Mathematics courses when obtaining an Engineering degree of any sort. The reason math is such
an integral part of engineering is it is required to know several formulas and be able to make very
specific calculations to determine things like the structural integrity of a bridge, building, or any
other work of construction. For Computer Programming, Math will help you develop the type of

5. FOCUS ASSESSMET 5
abstract reasoning needed to create better, more efficient design algorithms for programs. This
helps us make faster programs that take up less of the precious resources in the computer.
In just about all career fields these days, you have to work in a team at some point in
some way. This is especially true for Engineering and Computer Programming. This is why I
chose Organizational Leadership as one of my areas of concentration. I believe with the courses I
take in this program, I will become a better team player. Understanding the dynamics of
leadership and how teams work, will be extremely helpful in determining my role in whatever
teams I may be placed in. I will be able to observe the team and figure out what the team needs
to function at maximum capacity and to produce the best results. Organizational Leadership, I
believe, will also be useful when being promoted to upper level, managerial type positions within
the field I am in. This is true for all of the top five fields suggested by the FOCUS Assessment.
Conclusion

6. FOCUS ASSESSMET 6
The FOCUS Assessment has helped me in several ways when making decisions about my
career and future plans. For one, it has helped me verify that Computer Programming, the career
I have strived toward for the past few years, is the correct path for me. The assessment has also
provided me with other options that I could possibly be equally happy pursuing if for some
reason I was faced with an obstacle that prevented me from continuing in the Computer
Programming field, or if I decide to continue my education just to have more options. Lastly, the
assessment will help me move forward with my career choices as a more confident, and
motivated professional knowing that I did not choose my career path because I though it seemed
cool, but instead based my decisions on the career that best fit my skills, personality, values, and
interests. This will ensure I will be satisfied with my career long term.

7. FOCUS ASSESSMET 7
FOCUS Assessment Grading Rubric
Criteria
Points
Possible
Points
Earned
General
Paper adheres to APA formatting (title page, citations,
references page, etc.). Filename correct. This rubric pasted at
the end of the assignment. Headings are appropriately
labeled.
10
Writing is clear with appropriate grammar, spelling,
and punctuation.
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
Total 100
Instructor Comments: