, business and crime among others (Kuther, 2016). Studying of psychology is important in everyday life and the graduate will benefit in various ways. One will be skilled in having better relationships with others as they will have better understanding of their behaviors. One’s communication skills will be enhanced due to better understanding of skills and behaviors of others. Self-confidence will also be improved because one will understand own personality. Given the various settings and fields in which a psychology graduate can work in, the most suitable setting for me is on mental health. This paper will focus on the proper transition that I will undertake from my studies to profession setting.
Work Values
Following the self-inventory and self-assessment exercise, I came up with a total of five work values applicable to me. I recognize that making my career choice on the basis of the work values will be important in ensuring that I have greater satisfaction and fulfillment in my work. The first value is flexibility and this is evident in me as I am not rigid to the set schedules, rather I am willing and able to respond to different expectations and circumstances. Flexibility is an important value in work as one can handle different responsibilities and tasks and thus will be more productive. I also have the push to help others and this is with the aim of betterment of the community. This is a clear indication where its results will be better living in the society. Helping those in various needs will improve their standards and this will benefit the society as a whole in the end.
I have also had an impact in the activities that I have been involved in. This is because of the various accomplishments I realized. This is important as it indicates that I add value in whatever activity I undertake. The other value that I have is the influence I have over other people, this value is importance in all levels of work from being an ordinary employee, a supervisor or even a manager. With this value, I can be able to persuade others so that they can change their attitude towards something. Being persuasive is important in work as it plays a big role in achieving success. I am also driven by the urge to gain more knowledge in whatever I do, this work value is important particularly given the nature of psychology which seeks to understand human thinking and behavior. Having knowledge is significant as it helps in better relations with others.
Skills
From the self-inventory, I came up with five skills that I consider will be important in ensuring that I succeed in my future career. The first skill is excellent communication skills, this is evident in my ability to explain myself and be understood. In addition I can give instructions effectively as the recipient can clearly understand me. Management skill is an important strength to me and this is important in a number of ways. I am able to work efficiently and effectively. The ability to lead, motivate and communicate effectively with other employees constitutes good management skills and this helps in achievement of the set goals and objectives. Apart from being a good manager, I have excellent skills in supervision. Being a good listener, I usually recognize problems once they arise and report or take action to remedy the situation. Supervision means close contact with junior employees and this requires one to have respect and being considerate. The other skill that I have is the ability to teach and transmit knowledge to others. This skill will be of great importance in my future career as fellow employees will benefit from my knowledge. Closely related to this is my ability to train others, unlike teaching, this is usually practical. With exceptional demonstration skills, I can easily equip others will proper skills to ensure that there is better performance.
Professional Philosophy
Having gained extensive knowledge in psychology, my career goal is to work in mental health field. It is my expectation that I act in management position in the field. As a psychologist, it will be my target and focus to ensure that I offer the best services to those experiencing mental illnesses and disorders. It will be my responsibility to improve the mental health status of the society. I will therefore help in assessment and diagnosis of the behavior and the needs of individuals who seek my help using my knowledge in order to give or recommend the best treatment. I will collaborate with other health officers since mental health usually involves working with an interdisciplinary team. Together with other health officials, we will work together to ensure we monitor and create more effective programs in treatment of mental illnesses (American Psychological Association, 2014). I will also selflessly offer therapies for those experiencing problems such as depression, interpersonal problems and destructive behaviors among others. I will reach out in rehabilitation of the affected patients in the society. It is also my wish to see that there is an improvement in various areas of mental health provision, I won’t hesitate in doing research towards the same. Being in management position, I will provide consultation to the staff and other health officers.
Overcoming Obstacles to reach Professional Goals
Following evaluation and analysis of my work values and skills, I am optimistic that with my motivation and positive attitude, I will be able to reach my goals of being in management in the field of mental health. Although there could be obstacles in achieving my career goals, the knowledge and principles I gained from studying psychology will be important in overcoming the challenges. Psychology equips one with various life skills that are important in facing obstacles with courage and overcoming them. One of the most important aspects of studying psychology is that it improves the chances of one being employed. Studying psychology equips one with a lot of knowledge which enables one to perform well in variety of areas. This is important in improving my chances of working well in the field of mental health and even working at the management level. Proper understanding of human behaviors will be of benefit to me as it is important in having success in any field if work.
Psychology helps in having a better understanding of the well-being and relationships with other people (Arnold, 2005). It is important to have good interpersonal skills with others in order to be successful. The skills will help me relate better with those in the course of my journey to career goals. By having better relationship with colleagues, they will be able to appreciate my contribution and will easily achieve my goals. Psychology also enables one to be more effective in their work. This is because the basis of success in management or supervision is highly dependent on a good understanding of human behavior and thinking. Since my ultimate goal is to work in managerial position, I will be the right person based on my knowledge in psychology. Critical thinking is another benefit one gains by studying psychology. Most of the content taught in psychology classes focuses on one an think critically (Furnham, 2013). Critical thinking is particularly important in decision making. Making of good decisions is an outcome of critical thinking. Psychology equips one with skills required in interpretation of statistical results and knowledge in research methods. This will be important in ensuring that I have success as the elements are critical in conducting research to improve mental health status.
Action Plan
In order to reach my final goal of being a manager in the field of mental, I will have a number of objectives that will be achieved in a stepwise process. In order to reach management, it will require experience and more academic qualifications. However, before applying to join a graduate school, I will first prioritize in getting more experience as it is more importance in ensuring that I climb up the ladder of my career faster. In my last semester of my undergraduate program, I will apply for jobs in various institutions that deal with mental health. I will take up any opportunity including an internship and I will be expecting to complete this after six months. During my internship, I will have a supervisor who will be assessing and evaluating my work and will give me a recommendation after the internship. After this period, I will apply for a job in a different institution, this will improve my exposure rather than remaining in the same institution. I will apply for a job in a supervisory position and will work for a maximum of two years. Working under this position will prepare me to work later in a managerial position.
After the two years, I will apply for a senior supervisory role in the same institution. At the same time, I will enroll in a graduate school in which I will be studying part-time. This will be in preparation to serve in a more senior position. Working and study at the same time may be tedious but it will be more beneficial as I will be gaining more experience as I further my studies. After graduation from graduate school, I will then apply to be a manager. I will be having an experience of about five years and this is enough to be a manager.
References
American Psychological Association. (2014). Careers in psychology. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers.aspx
Arnold, J., & Silvester, J. (2005). Work psychology: Understanding human behaviour in the workplace. Pearson Education.
Furnham, A. & Oakley, D. (2013). Why Psychology? University College London Press.
Kuther, T. L. (2016). The psychology major's handbook (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
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