CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper

r by Michael Lopez This report records the case study of Mr. Paris Lopez conducted by a graduate student as part of a career counseling course. Mr. Paris Lopez demonstrated an exemplar amount of trust in his volunteering to participate in this case study. I had felt that this trust was freely given. Although it was recommended by the instructor of the course, Dr. Sharyn Slavin Miller, that her students avoid conducting this case study with family members, as a graduate student and the his father I could not think of anyone whom I had a greater desire to help through the career counseling process.

INTAKE INTERVIEW The initial discussions of the sessions were really fairly straight forward since the student is my son, and we have an immense amount of rapport. Paris is currently twenty-one years old. He has a four year and half-year old daughter which he had at seventeen years of age. In May 2012, he and his fiance, the mother of their daughter, were married. Despite the statistical odds against the successful relationship of teen parents, he, his wife, and daughter have over the past nearly five years demonstrated a consistent growing maturity, and commitment to themselves as husband, wife, and family. Becoming a teen father created its unique challenges. Paris did not immediately graduate with his peers, and receive his high school diploma. He had attended Chaffey High school, but finished his senior year fifteen credits short of earning his diploma. His daughter was also born during that senior year, and this was a factor in his falling behind academically. He and his wife had been boyfriend and girlfriend since high school.

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez His first job was working for a company as a sign twirling advertiser. He held this for a single summer, before being hired at his current job. Three years ago he interviewed with approximately sixth other potential candidates for United Parcel Services, Inc. [UPS], and was successfully chosen for one of five positions at their hub at the Ontario Airport. He was hired to process the small packaging at that facility. He held this job until his promotion to a supervisory position this past summer. One of the requirements for his new supervisory position was that he earn his high school diploma or pass the GED by the end of 2012. Although Paris has been a part-time college student at Chaffey College for the past year and a half, after his promotion he enrolled concurrently at Chaffey Adult School and Chaffey College, and graduated from Chaffey Adult School, as he had promised his employer. He was proud to announce that his high school graduation ceremony will be held this coming summer. His experience as an undergraduate student at Chaffey College has also proven challenging. Because of the impacted nature of the California Community College system currently, he is often not able to get sufficient class to receive the financial aid for which he qualifies. Since Paris supports his daughter he meets one of the exceptions for students at his age to be considered independent students according to the federal financial aid guidelines. This means that his financial aid is based on his familys [he and his wife] earnings alone, rather than any additional parental income. Over the past two falls he has been awarded pell grants of $5,500.00, but has been unable to accept them because he is unable to schedule a sufficient

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez number of classes to accept the award. Yet, despite financial challenges, and the challenge of being a teen father has been markedly successful in his pursuits. When asked to define his career goals, his immediate answer was to continue to have a successful career and grow with UPS. His posture is congruent with his recent promotion, and recognition of his abilities and value by his employer. It seems likely that the he will use the information from the inventories and counseling sessions to discern a path to best navigate success at UPS. With his recent completion of his high school diploma and promotion, his employer has also made him aware that in order to be promoted to the next level of management that he will be required to have a bachelors degree. He has indicated that for him a goal of these career counseling sessions would be to help him determine what bachelors degree would best serve him in his current employment situation. As a student, father, and husband, Paris is not in the typically situation of most undergraduate students. He has life responsibilities equivalent to someone older that most young people whom are not married or parents would not have to consider. It is likely that his decisions will be framed in the context of his family and financial responsibilities just as much as they will about his concepts of vocation and meaning. This is somewhat unique for a student his age. In this initial intake interview the student had expressed career interests in growing with his current employer, law enforcement, or becoming a pilot. The interview also discovered that his interest as a child had been in the science of paleontology. His hobbies showed an interest in the outdoors which included camping, paintball, hiking, driving, road trips, and adventures.

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez Two hobbies contrasted his maturity during this interview, and these were an interest in video games and drinking beer. He stated a love for his current job, and a desire to go as far as he can in life. These reflected his desire to be successful and independent. His self-defined goals for the career counseling session were as follows: 1) desire to improve self; 2) Need to plan for future; 3) Need assistance in choosing a college major, and 4) need to set long-range career goals. These self-defined goals served the goals for our counseling sessions.

THE CAREER PUZZLE This student was given a blank copy of the career puzzle worksheet. Members of the cohort had completed it themselves as part of our participation in class. The puzzle was a worksheet with rather free formed puzzle pieces hand drawn on it. Within each of the illustrated puzzle parts was a label that reflected relevant aspects of a students potential career decision. This was explained to the student. These aspects were as follows: interests, skills, environment, strengths, personality, values, and location. The student was shown an example of a completed worksheet, and asked to explore how the different drivers related to him or his career interests. The student returned the puzzle within the next 48 hours, and his interests were discussed. The student lists of interest in regard to each aspect were not extensive, in fact under the aspect of values the single word listed was, honest. His listing under location illustrated an evident interest in nature, and he listed, Nor-Cal, on the road, outdoors, and redwoods. His listings under environment and personality expressed the following: in a tent, in a car,

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez around positive people, in the air, and fast pace and fun, peaceful, good, calm, adventurous, and easy to talk to, respectively. But, the themes of nature, adventure, and open spaces were continued and marked. His interests listed the forest, the ocean, and flying, again extending these themes; but also listed some possible career interests like law enforcement, management, and biology. Puzzles was also listed in this section, and this was similar to problem solver, thinker, and fast learner which appeared in this skills and strengths sections. Skills and strengths both also listed speaker as an asset, and finally strengths listed leader. The counseling then involved how these different themes could be integrated into a career path or course of study.

THE ASSESSMENTS and THE DEBRIEFING The student agreed to take two assessment inventories to assist with the career counseling goals. These were the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator [MBTI] Inventory and the Strong Interest Inventory. From the MBTI Report indicated the student to have an E[extroversion], N[intuition], F[feeling], and P[perceiving] type personality. There was a slight preference for extroversion, a moderate preference for intuition, and a clear distinction for perceiving. His most unique score was on the thinking v. feeling scale in which he scored a twelve on each. The report records this as an F[eeling]. The test standard is that when scores are tied the individual is assigned the attribute that is less popular in the culture. But, being so balanced in regard to his T[hinking] and F[eeling] I am sure that he shares elements of both decision making styles.

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez ENFPs compose only 6% to 7% of the U.S. population. Some of their strengths would be the enjoyment of new ideas or possibilities that are original or out of the ordinary. They are free spirited by nature and are characterized by curiosity, creativity, and an abundance of energy. They are spontaneous, playful, adaptable people that are unimpressed by authority, and appreciate the unconventional. Non-conformity characterizes this type, but they are often focused and committed to family and relationships being by naturally warm, caring, and sympathetic partners or friends. It was easy to see how his personality type contributes to his love of nature and the outdoors. It was explained to the student that the Strong Interest Inventory measures interest rather than skills or abilities, and that it measures over six interest patterns. These patterns are realistic [R], investigative [I], artistic [A], social [S], enterprising [E], and conventional [C]. Typically a three letter code matching a students strongest interest patterns is created from the inventory. This students interest code is ICE [investigative, conventional, and enterprising]. His Strong Interest Inventory profile also matches or compares the students interest with his top five interest areas, his top ten Strong Occupations, and his personality style scale preferences. The student was encouraged to explore his primary interest as indicated by the inventory as well as possible secondary interests. It was explained that the inventory is a tool to assist the student rather that a dictate or pre-destiny. His Strong Interest Inventory Profile indicated the following five interest area: 1) protective services, 2) science, 3) management, 4) mathematics, and 5) office management. These areas match the student earlier self-expressed interest from the career puzzle. On the

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez career puzzle under interests the student had listed law enforcement, management, and biology as important. As can be seen above, these are reflected in in his strong interest profile. The next section of the inventory discussed with the student was his occupational scale. The inventory had identified ten occupations. These were in order: 1) radiological technology, 2) military enlist, 3) musician, 4) production worker, 5) facilities manager, 6) firefighter, 7) biologist, 8) geologist, 9) law enforcement officer, and 10) landscape/grounds manager. To the student some of these made immediate sense, others were surprising, but not so surprising that there was disinterest. Only one occupation on this list elicited a negative response. This was military enlist. The student was taken to the O*Net database and shown how to explore these different occupations, and work environments. Personal style scales were also discussed in relation to defining the work environment that would be the best match for the student preferences. The final part of the discussion revolved around assistance regarding the selection of a college major. Initially the student felt that a business degree would serve him best with his current employer. This was acknowledged. But, an effort was made as counselor to have the student explore the elements regarding his interests that had been revealed by the inventory tests. He was informed that the decision was completely his if he chose to reaffirm that, but that in the process of exploration there was the opportunity for discovery. It was hoped that this would appeal to the innate sense of adventure and exploration the student had initially expressed in the career puzzle, and also confirmed by his designation as an ENFP personality type by the MBTI inventory report. The student seems excited about the possibility of

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez discovering something new about his career interests, and agreed to further explore the O*Net and the Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS] websites. He was given the form for applying the Strong Inventory results to a possible college major that is referred to on the final page of the Strong report, and agreed to have this completed for our next session.

FUTURE GOALS AND CLOSURE OF CASE STUDY The next session did reveal some surprises. Despite the student stating his initial interest in growing his career with UPS, his interests in potential majors were more aligned with his investigative interest pattern rather than his conventional or enterprising patterns. He cited potential majors that were distinctly sciences like biochemistry, the biology, chemistry, and physics. Considering Hollands theory of types, its application to both personality types and work environments, and its related constructs of congruence and differentiation are revealing in the case of this student. It can be seen on O*Net that when examining careers like logistic managers and shipping managers that the Holland code for these are identified as E[nterprising] and C[onventional]. This would mean that there is a significant match in congruence with the work environment and the student, and a limited amount of differentiation. Yet when examining the potential majors in which this student has expressed interest as part of this last counseling exercise, it seems to demonstrate the potential of the student moving toward his primary interest pattern, investigative. This indicates that despite the apparent congruence between the students secondary and tertiary interest patterns,

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez conventional and enterprising, and his current job as a supervisor at UPS that this student may define his vocation more in terms of this primary interest rather than chose to continue along the path of success he has with this current employer. The student, although he has expressed only satisfaction in his current job situation had distinctly expressed the pattern of having an academic interest in pursuing the sciences for his undergraduate studies. Because of this the student was asked how it is that he felt that this degree could be of benefit to his current employer since there did not seem to be an obvious match with his current work environment. He was also encouraged to speak with the human resources department at UPS to determine if there was a science niche that was a part of the job opportunities available through them. Finally he was asked if his interest in the sciences and a potential career in that field could lead to greater long term satisfaction regarding a future vocation, rather than the path he foresaw evolving at UPS and why. This later question remained ideas to contemplate for the student. He again seemed receptive to discovery. Because has still has not yet finished his associates degree nor his general education requirement his was encourage to explore is interest academically through different classes, through his colleges co-curricular activities, or through possible internships or job shadowing. At twenty-one years of age, what is clear is that the student is still in the process of defining who it is that he will be. These sessions conducted with this student helped him to understand the tools of career exploration, and the resources available to him as an undergraduate student at his educational institute.

CCSD 573: Career Counseling and Development Professor Sharyn Slavin Miller Career Counseling Case Study Paper by Michael Lopez In addition to conceptualized the case through Hollands theory, an effort was made to view the students current career and academic choices in context of Krumboltz Social Learning Theory, but more specifically the theories component of planned happenstance. His ambitions about a career were discussed from his earlier high school years, and he was asked how the birth of his daughter changed things for him. Early in high school he had had an interest in law enforcement, and it is still one of his interests. Becoming a father and husband has changed him creating a new level of responsibility that he now has for his family. The understanding caused him to reevaluate his life and role in relation to his wife and child. The result of the birth of his daughter is more of a pragmatic posture in relation to the reality of the financial requirements that are now integrated into his life experience. These are decisions that most young people do not confront at seventeen years of age, and it did cause him to reevaluate his career ambitions. In the end, it was an unexpected happenstance event that did change his perspective on life; and although it did happen for him at a young age, the transition to parenthood is a monumental life event for anyone. The discussion on this happenstance event was more of a conversation that has happened in retrospect of his daughters birth. She is almost five years old, and the student is now married. He is now cognitive of the responsibilities and rewards of that transition from non-parent to parent. It is clear that he is comfortable now discovering who he is in his new context of being a father and husband, and exhibited the desire to improve not only his life by participating in career counseling, but also the lives of his daughter and wife his family.