My Dream Occupation

Nicole Palmer Table of Contents Credentials................................................................................................................................4 Personality.................................................................................................................................5 Goals...........................................................................................................................................7 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................8

Nicole Palmer Outline I. Introduction II. Credentials needed for a Counselor A. Master Degree in Psychology B. Master Degree in Education III. Personality IV. Goals V. Conclusion

Nicole Palmer Nicole G. Palmer Mr. Steigner Genre Literature 29 August 2012 My Dream Occupation A job. This is the one vocation that a lifetime of work pinpoints down to. My dream job is to be a guidance or school counselor, not only for the income and benefit, but also for the goal of helping and caring for people. I want to be a counselor because I enjoy being around and helping people, and I want to have a job that makes a difference to others lives, not just focused on my own life, my own problems and cares. Counseling will allow me to see a new perspective. There are many requirements and skills needed to be a counselor, but with perseverance, this career could become my vocation. Counseling is not like any other job. It is a job that requires a heart to listen and enjoy the presence of other people, not only knowledge and intelligence. Counseling is a job that allows the interaction of many people. It builds relationships and gives the opportunity for new beginnings. This job is not only my dream occupation because it sounds exciting and it pays well, but it allows me to establish good relationships with other people and actively listening to others. Credentials To graduate a certified counselor, I would need to complete college with a Masters degree in either education or psychology. Psychology is the study of the human mind, while education can be expanded into various preferences such as the study of history, science, or working as an elementary school teacher. Understanding the mind and its characteristics as a major in psychology is extremely important in counseling because a counselor is continuously involved with the

Nicole Palmer patients emotions and thoughts. Educational degrees can mold a counselor to become more sympathetic, supportive and beneficial to his or her patients. Being an active listener, having a charismatic personality and enjoying the presence of other people are three simple examples of personality traits needed to become a counselor. It is also important to be knowledgeable about different addictions, depressions and crises that constantly affect individual's lives today. I enjoy being around people, and I try my best to be an active listener. If I expand my knowledge in areas of research such as addictions, crisis and mental wellness, this job is reachable. Counseling would be an experience that allows me to care especially for others. Skills in the areas of listening, caring and sympathizing will improve and mold my personality to be more congenial in this career. Counseling is my dream job because it allows me to interact with people, sympathize with others, and to practice the skill of listening. Although listening and the capability to be attentive can be overlooked, it is a skill that is needed by everyone, but not practiced and possessed by most. Another key factor of why I would prefer to be a counselor is because according to the Myers Briggs personality test, as an Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging teen, this vocation of guidance counseling, or majoring in psychology will fit my personality and character exceptionally well. Personality According to the Myers Briggs personality test, counseling is the perfect job for my character and personality, because I am an extravert and I enjoy listening to and interacting with people. No job can be perfect for anyone, but my personality test results show that counseling would fit who I am and what I am like well. My personality came out Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging. I appreciate talking and cooperating with others, and as a guidance or school

Nicole Palmer counselor this would be extremely important. Traits such as the ability to envision the big picture, an understanding attitude, and a passion to teach and guide are all important. The trait and ability to see the big picture and not only to think about the here and now could allow myself as a counselor to teach and guide others because I could assist the patient in their choices for their future, such as guidance in job choice, which area to major in, or simply what an individual wants to do with their life. Seeing the big picture can help not only myself, but also when giving others advice about what to do next. As a counselor, it is important to be comfortable talking about what is important not only now but the ripple effect of the choices and decisions in years to come. It is important to understand when dealing with other peoples feelings as a counselor, so that others may relate to me, and I to them. An understanding person puts others before themselves, and a counselor needs to be aware of peoples feelings and thoughts. By understanding others, a counselor can develop better relationships with his or her patients. Having an understanding heart and character is important for this job. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a child, but counseling allows me to teach at the same time as caring for other people and investing in their lives. Teaching is a job that causes the instructor to constantly interact with others. As a counselor, I would have the opportunity to teach a smaller party of people, while investing and listening more than a schoolteacher. As a teacher, there is less support and more instruction. But, counseling would allow for a balanced amount of support and instruction to be carried out. Counseling would be a balance of teaching and investing. This is the perfect job for me because it mixes my interests and goals equally. Counseling is the perfect job for me because my personality and goals match to fit this job. I posses the trait and ability to see the big picture and not only think about here and now, I am

Nicole Palmer working to be even more understanding, and I enjoy teaching and interacting with people. Counseling would give me the opportunity to be more understanding, caring and sympathetic while guiding and instructing. This career also matches my results from the Myers Briggs personality test, which came out as Extravert, iNtuitive, Feeling and Judging. Goals Goals leading up to a career of counseling include shaping and adjusting my courses in high school so I can get into a supportive school studying either education or philosophy, joining clubs that will train me to listen and help others, and interning with a counselor. Through opportunities and goals such as these, counseling could become a more reachable career. As I have already shown, my dream job is a perfect fit for my personality. Working with these goals will give me time and step-by-step instructions and investments to reach my dream job working as a school or guidance counselor. Shaping my high school courses into subjects that will increase my education in psychology or an education degree will help my name be more than considered in supportive, quality schools. There are many hurdles that must be overcome to get into a good college, and one of these hurdles is to enroll in appropriate courses. Courses that will allow me to gain experience and knowledge in the area of psychology and an education degree will help me to get one step closer to the goal of achieving a job as a counselor. Starting in high school, I can make the choice to join classes that will support my future vocation. Joining clubs that will train me to listen and help others will improve my social skills and charismatic personality. As of now, I am not involved in any clubs that will improve my knowledge and personality to fit a counseling career. But, next year I will have the opportunity to join clubs such as Community Service, Teach Play Love, Teens helping Teens, or Teens helping

Nicole Palmer Kids. These kinds of clubs will give me a first hand experience dealing with people who would appreciate my presence in their lives. Participating in these clubs would give me experience and more love for people and interacting with others. Eventually, interning with a counselor will give me a first hand experience seeing what this career is like, and get a feel for the process of this job. The best way to learn is to see the process of how to do something. By watching someone counsel, seeing their patterns of guiding and sympathizing, it will help me to construct my own patterns and habits in my own vocation. This will help me to get a feel for working as a counselor if I grow up to achieve my dream job. Conclusion Counseling is the perfect job for me because my personality and goals match to fit this job. By taking the Myers Briggs personality test, surfing the web for colleges specialized in counseling careers and psychology or educational degrees, and writing this paper, I have confirmed that counseling would be the perfect job for me. My personality and goals show that I would make a good school or guidance counselor. Counseling is my dream job because it allows me not only to teach, but also to listen, sympathize with others and to learn, not only from the college I attend, but to learn from the honest words and actions of people with life issues that need action and attention.

Works Cited

Nicole Palmer 10 Summer Jobs Your Teen May Not Have Considered. http://archive.blisstree.com/live/sldkfjsd10-summer-jobs-your-teen-may-not-have-thoughtabout-119/. blisstree.com. Web. 21 May 2008. 18 May 2012.

Counseling Schools & Colleges. http://www.trade-schools.ca/programs/counseling.asp. tradeschools.ca. Web. n.d. 18 May 2012 Colleges and Majors. http://www.princetonreview.com/colleges-majors.aspx. The Princeton Review. Web. n.d. 18 May 2012 Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging. http://typelogic.com/enfj.html. Joe Butt. Web. 23 Feb 2005. 18 May 2012 Art Directors. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors.htm. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition. 18 May 2012