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Career Planning Assessment Report

Career Planning Assessment Report

Jennifer L. Beaver

Wilmington University
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Career Planning Assessment Report

I believe that it is our duty on this earth to assist our neighbors and those less fortunate

than ourselves. I have always enjoyed helping others. It makes me feel good when I can help

someone or something accomplish a goal, or just feel better for the moment. When I was a child,

I was always trying to help others and brought home every injured animal that I found. My

mother never knew what to expect!

I had a psychology teacher in high school, Mrs. Rash, who inspired me to go into the

field of psychology. I attended the University of Delaware for undergrad. I discovered quickly

that I did not have a head for numbers. I hated statistics, and math just gave me a headache. I

kept failing the required math classes, dropping my GPA down to cause me to lose full time

status. I ended up attending Delaware Technical and Community College, as they had compatible

math classes that would transfer back to the University. I finished the required classes, but then

discovered Delaware Techs American Sign Language (ASL) program. I have loved sign

language ever since I saw The Miracle Worker when I was nine. I got my first college degree

from Delaware Technical and Community College in ASL Interpreting. I then transferred back

to the University of Delaware to eventually complete my bachelors degree in Psychology.

I started working in the Human Services field while in college. I started my career as a

secretary for Psychiatry Management of Delaware, then as the office manager for the Tressler

Brandywine Program, which was an adolescent mental health crisis unit. After I graduated from

the University of Delaware, I went to work in Delaware County, PA for Northwestern Human

Services as a case manager. I worked my way up to an intensive case manager, before I left to

work at Horizon House, Inc. in Homeless Services. After about two years, I was promoted to

CRR Manager in Chester County, PA. I have been at my site in Chester Springs for ten years. I

enjoy helping people achieve their goals and develop life skills. and be the best them they can
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Career Planning Assessment Report

be. For several years, I served on the Community Support Program committee. In this role I

advocated, created brochures, and put together a mental health resource library for Chester

County individuals. Currently I am the Chester County Horizon House medication management

trainer, and have held that position for the past three years. With my Capstone Project, I am

creating a new intake assessment called the Global Inventory of Challenging and Risky

Behaviors (GI CARB) for the agency. This will assist with screening incoming individuals to

ensure overall safety and level of support needed to aid participants in achieving their Recovery.

My Strengths Finder Assessment results were good. The top five themes for my

assessment were Input, Responsibility, Empathy, Developer, and Consistency. I like to gather

information on individuals to help better learn their strengths and how to help them achieve

success. People are likely to know that I will go to great lengths to do the right thing and

practice ethical behavior. It is likely that I can tune into the mood of my group or interpret the

emotions of some of the group. As a developer, I usually make sacrifices to benefit others. I am

generous with my time, knowledge and experience to help others realize their potential.

Consistency stated that I like to create policies and set up rules for how repetitive tasks should be

performed. I treat all people the same and like continuity.

I really enjoyed the Strengths Finder Assessment. I found the results interesting. Some

of the findings I was already aware of, like the Empathy and Responsibility themes. I have

always been empathetic even as a small child. I was afraid of hurting my stuffed animals

feelings and would cry if one got hurt.

My parents divorced when I was five and my older sister eight. We had to take care of

ourselves and be more responsible when my mother had to go back to work. We knew at an

early age how important it was to take care of things such as chores and homework. I learned to
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Career Planning Assessment Report

cook when I was six. I remember making scrambled eggs and toast for my mother for Mothers

Day. My sister and I made it together, brought it upstairs, and promptly dropped it on the floor.

My mom scooped the eggs and toast up and ate it, proclaiming it the best breakfast ever. She is a

great mother.

The other themes, such as Input, Developer, and Consistency, were a bit of a

surprise. When I thought about Input, about being a collector and keeper of knowledge with a

thirst to know more, I realized it was dead on. I love to learn new things, go to new places and

experience the atmosphere and culture. I will seek out all the information possible regarding a

certain idea or project before I start it, as I need to know as much as possible.

Developers cultivate and develop other peoples potential. I do find myself wanting to

make others feel worthwhile and valuable. I want people to reach their potential, and the best

way for me to do that is to take the time to get to know them. Without delving too much into my

own issues, I know what it is like to feel worthless, unwanted and unloved. My father told me as

an eight-year-old child that he couldnt stand the sight of me because I looked like my mother. It

was pretty devastating to hear that from your father. He doted on my sister, but barely had time

for me when I was a child. My sister did everything in her power to destroy my self-esteem.

Because of those early influences, I never want anyone to feel that way. If I can do something

about it, I will.

Consistency was not what I expected, but as I read through the summary I found that I

agreed with most of it. I do try to treat all people the same, avoiding singling someone out or

playing favorites. I have a strong sense of right and wrong, and believe that employees should

be given clear instructions that are the same across the board, so that no one feels slighted and

everyone understands the procedure. I like to streamline the steps to be more efficient.
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Career Planning Assessment Report

I did not enjoy the MAPP Assessment nearly as much as the Strengths Finder

Assessment. The options that we had to choose from were, at times, all unacceptable. It had

nothing to do with my personal strengths or skills and at times it seemed there was no good

option that fit me. Nor did I find it as interesting; it was simply stressful. Interestingly, the

results were similar to those of the Strengths Finder. Both discussed my interest in knowledge,

my kindheartedness towards other, the need to share information and ideas, and my need to

interact with others not machines. Even though both assessments used different questions,

styles, and looked at the assessment from different angles, the results were closely related. I

learned much about myself, my style and approach to interactions and supervising staff. I gained

an understanding of the many strengths I do possess. I, as the Strengths Finder 2.0 text states,

worked on my weaknesses, not fortifying my strengths. From the cradle to the cubicle, we

devote more time to our shortcomings than to our strengths (Rath, 2007).

Taking both assessment results into consideration, the career I chose on the United States

Bureau of Labor Statistics was a Social and Community Service Manager. Social and

Community Service Managers coordinate and supervise social service programs, create and

manage budgets, and supervise social service workers. They meet with stakeholders, analyze

data to ascertain if a program is successful, suggest and implement improvement plans to

programs and community services, and institute methods to gather information influence of their

programs.

I felt that this would be a good fit for me, as it involves the supervision of human services

staff and the coordination of the social service programs. It would give me an opportunity to

develop programs that would best fit the specific needs of the community, as opposed to the

cookie cutter approach that many agencies take with their programming. It would be another
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Career Planning Assessment Report

way to advocate for human service participants. These agencies do not meet with the community

to assess their needs. They just create standard programs regardless of demographic population.

I bring to the table a strong advocacy history, as well as ten years of managerial

experience. I have run my own program, supervised and mentored staff, worked with external

agencies and funding sources, created budgets and adhered to said budgets. I have analyzed data

for trends to see what is working and what is not. I biannually conduct participant satisfaction

surveys, and have two years of homeless outreach experience that can translate into community

outreach ability. My empathetic nature, strong sense of responsibility and honesty would be

invaluable as a candidate for the Social and Community Service Manager position. I have an

innate desire to get to know my staff and team. I have a thirst for knowledge and a love of

learning. My mathematic skills will need to be addressed to be successful in this career. There

will be statistics, data analysis, and budgets to be worked on. I have found that my mathematic

and accounting skills are strengthened by doing them repetitively. The more I work with

numbers, the more comfortable I become. If I have a good calculator, computer with Microsoft

Excel, and a calm atmosphere I can succeed. I feel that I would be up to the challenge of

becoming a Social and Community Service Manager.

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Career Planning Assessment Report

Resources

Rath, T. (2007). Strengths Finder 2.0. New York, NY: Gallup Press.

United States of Labor Statistics. (2015, December 17). Social and Community Service

Managers. Retrieved July 17, 2017, from www.bls.gov