Interview with a City Administrator Essays

I conducted an interview with Ms. Jamila Corria on her duties as an academic achievement program advisor at the University of Maryland. The purpose of this interview was to gain clarity and understanding in what truly goes in to counseling others on making life choices. While also analyzing communication challenges she has faced overall through her current career and techniques to deal with those challenges. While conducting the interview I monitored various different verbal and non-verbal signals throughout the interview. The reason I choose Ms. Jamila is because as a student who is currently pursuing a degree in Sociology it is important to learn about the different career paths that can be chosen with this major. Sociology is a broad subject and can be pursued through many different paths. I have yet to decide on exactly which path to choose so by conducting this interview it allows me to see one option. Counseling is a career I have often thought of pursing but have not quite decided on.

After graduating from Wright State University, with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, her initial plan was to become a Therapist. But over the years, pursuing

Miller’s office I was very nervous because and shy, but as we broke the ice I discovered that she was a very bubbly and energetic person. One of my first questions that I asked her is what made her want to be involved in the Human Services Profession. She said that she has always wanted to help people and impact their lives, so when she first got to college her major was in Nursing, but that soon changed because she could not get over her fear of blood. She also stated that she felt very comfortable in the Human Services’ courses because she loved to talk and learn about people so that made her decide to switch majors. She was also very drawn to Human Services because it involves aspects of Psychology, which is her minor. Amanda always enjoyed working with kids as well. She was a mentor to middle school children while she was in high school and volunteered at homeless shelters during the holiday

She reported that she worked in home health care administration after graduation before relocating with her family to Atlanta, Georgia. She also worked as an administrator for the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services reviewing cases for services for needy families. She then enrolled in a certification program to certify as a career development facilitator before working as a part-time adjunct instructor for a technical college and a state college in the Atlanta, Georgia area until she started her

When one thinks of a counselor, what ideas come to mind? To advise, to instruct, to counsel? My reaction to counseling in my early days in the profession was to receive guidance from a professional when I did not have the answers myself or when I felt “stuck” with a problem in my personal life that I felt I could not solve. What did I wish to get from seeing a counselor? The question depends on what aspect you are seeking guidance or counsel in your life. The question changed when I began to pursue a career in counseling. The question became “Why do I want to be a counselor? Who do I want to serve? What

I interviewed, Ivonne Suarez, who is a case manager at Arizona Counseling and Treatment Services (ACTS). She has worked in the field for seven years, but has only worked at ACTS for seven months. Next, she has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Master’s degree in public administration. Also, she is in the Army reserves, prior to her working at ACTS, she was active duty and was stationed all over Europe. While in the military she worked as a medical tech, and also in behavioral health. Lastly, she enjoys her job because she gets the gratification from helping others who are in need.

On the first night of my Lifestyle and Career Development class we each were assigned a partner to work with for the purpose of learning how to initiate a career counseling case study. My partner for this assignment was Ellen, she and I have collaborated for the last three in a half months, providing one another with as much information as possible to make the outcome of this experience as authentic as possible.

The Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City has served the Oklahoma City region since 1946, attempting to bring social and financial uniformity to ruined nationals in our group. Under their Workforce and Career Development program, The Urban League Employment and Training program has practical experience in preparing for people with hindrances in their experience and people who are underemployed alongside Job and Career Fairs. A year ago, they helped 3,480 customers discover work through this

Further, even when they do get re-hired, many do not get support for training, and they may find that upward mobility in the workplace continues to be problematic. PLAR provides a process that renews self-confidence and provides career focus. This personal confidence and career focus enables women to identify transferable and vocational skills and to match these skills with jobs that require them. (Wong, 1997).

There are several different nonprofit adult learning programs in my community that helps adult learns skills to obtain employment. The purpose for the programs is to provide lifelong learning experiences to the residences of South Carolina by offering free training, educational and career growth opportunities to individuals that maybe experiencing difficulty entering the job market. Two community based programs that I selected to discuss are Goodwill Job Connections and The Midlands Workforce Innovative and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Vince Molinaro, managing director of the leadership practice at Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, Canada’s biggest HR advisory, tells clients he knows exactly when his career direction snapped into focus. It was at his first job out of college, with an organization that helped needy individuals get back on their feet. Vince loved the mission but found the atmosphere uninspiring. “Everyone just went through the motions,” he says. “I remember thinking, ‘Is this it? Is this what working in the real world is

After reading Melissa’s career path and goals , I analized how Melissa and I share similar struggles in our career paths. The two of us experience related obstacles to reach goals and become successful. Like Melissa, my career development is troubled so my decison to venture back to school twice. Working as Director of Operations for a charter bus company for 6 years has provided me with a great deal of work experience. My job duties are somewhat similar to a managers position and I have the ability to make management decisions. Unlike Melissa’s hectic schedule, my work day starts at 8am and ends at 4:30pm each day. Weekends are my off days, but occasionally I am on call after hours. Unexpected inturreptions can interfere with family time.

Initially, the guidance and client context is identified, with reference to their age group, diversity and need for careers guidance. This is followed by theories of

Kelly’s husband, himself has struggled to find a job, with no contact, and having gaps in understand and functioning of this new culture. Despite all his efforts, he has not successfully attempted to find a job when he was previously a good position.

As a successful retail store manager for a large wireless company, I made a good living, successfully developed leadership skills in my staff, often resulting in their promotion, achieved exceptional record breaking results in every opportunity, and bringing out the best in the employees that I led, while maintaining high ethical standards. My employees actively sought my guidance for professional development, as well as personal life choices. Often, they relied on me as a reliable, caring, resource for them to achieve personal and individual goals. Although my professional success was well documented, I was no longer achieving the meaningful fulfillment I once experienced in my career. The industry had taken a shift in focus that minimized the opportunity to develop employees in favor of reducing costs by utilizing part time staff to increase profitability. Ultimately, the direction was to eliminate, or at a minimum, substantially reduce, the most fulfilling aspect of my position. Interestingly, the company leadership did me a favor in that I felt compelled to identify what was lacking in my professional life leading me to act on filling that void. In the end, the industry’s shift prompted a life changing event for me, to pursue a career in social services, providing me with the opportunity to assist the individual in a more in-depth, purposeful manner.