RUNNING HEAD: STRATEGIC CAREER PLANNING 1

Week 7 Strategic Career/Academic Planning

Shane Gray, 566541

LDR610

Siena Heights University, Graduate College

10/13/2017
STRATEGIC CAREER/ACADEMIC PLANNING 2

Table of Contents
Cover 1
Table of Contents 2
Introduction: Strategic career planning 3
Values, Interests, Skills 3
Self-Knowledge/Option Knowledge 3
CASVE Cycle 4
Communication 5
Analysis 7
Synthesis 9
Valuing 11
Execution 12
Communication 13
Conclusion 14
References 16
STRATEGIC CAREER/ACADEMIC PLANNING 3

Strategic career planning.

The primary will of the world is no longer about peace or freedom or even democracy; it

is not about having a family, and it is neither about God nor about owning a home or

land. The will of the world is first and foremost to have a good job. (Lenz, Peterson,

Reardon, & Sampson, 2012, p. 4)

More than ever, today holds career and academic planning high on its list of priorities.

Regardless of an individuals age or the amount of experience they have, career planning and

academic planning is well beyond its value in time. With the cost for higher education becoming

increasingly higher each year, an individual will only make a good investment when they have

developed a good plan. So it is with career planning, as well. The insecurities of business and

the percentage of workplace failures is an indicator that career planning must include near

sighted, far sighted, short term and long term career goals.

Values, interest, skills

In order to make the best decisions possible, an individual must consider several factors,

prior to making their final decision. One of the major factors to consider is in personal values.

Personal values assist all of us when making everyday choices, and an individuals values must

certainly be considered when making such life choices as academics and careers. The second of

several very important factors to consider is in the individual interests, when making academic

and career choices. Finally, individual skills must be considered when weighing the academic or

career choice of an individual (Lenz et al., 2012).

Self-knowledge/option-knowledge

When you are in a highly emotional state, it is almost impossible to consider all the

relevant information about your values, interests, and skills that is important in making a good

career decision (Lenz et al., 2012, p. 27). The stress and anxiety involved in making decisions
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about academic majors and careers is one of the greatest reasons for ensuring that an individual

makes the time to process their own self-knowledge and option-knowledge, while devising a

sound academic or career plan. Evaluation of self-knowledge for ones values, interests and skills

will assist in alleviating the stress and anxiety that is common throughout the thought process

one goes through while drawing their academic or career plan. The realization that we dont

ever come to the end of self-knowledge is important in understanding that this is not an event,

but a life long journey. However, our values, interests and skills must be evaluated thoroughly

during the drafting of the academic and career planning phase.

Foundational to academic and career planning, option knowledge also must be evaluated

and studied. Understanding that options are not simply a decision of saying yes or no; but is a

chain of several things to consider about ones life. Making the right decisions in reference to

academic focus or career choices will require recognizing that the persons whole life must be

considered just as the connecting links of option knowledge.

CASVE Cycle

The decision making process by which an individual is able to decide on something as

important as their academic major or their career choice, must be full proof and worthy of

warding off subjectivity, which is often exercised during bouts of anxiety or during highly

emotional periods. According to Eby, Allen and Brinkley (2005), career, or academic

management, that is closely affiliated with the strategic planning process of decision making, is

emphatically linked to satisfaction throughout the preferment processes (p. 565). Academic and

career planning is the process by which individuals develop insight into themselves and their

environment, formulate career goals and strategies and acquire feedback (p. 567) to

determine that they are on the path for making progress. Adopting the best practice for decision

making will assist only when the process facilitates focus on an internal, self-assessment
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and external academic or career direction. Good decision making (as in the best choices) is

greatest when an individual has a sound problem solving technique. The five phases of the

CASVE Cycle, and the order of the process, provides a best practices approach for problem

solving and decision making in academic and career planning.

Communication

As a senior in high school the thought of going to work or going to college wasnt even a

question; one or the other, and both may have been expected. The lack of communication with a

school counselor caused me to assume on my own that college was unreachable, and therefore,

going to work was the necessity. The day my parents explained to me that there was no way

they could afford to send me to college, was the day the gap was realized. My dream was to

enter the field of Law Enforcement, to become a police office. Attending college was required

for my dreams to become relevant. Having a grade point average of 2.86 and no idea how to

even approach determining whether college was an option, created another gap. Feelings of

frustration, anger and discouragement plagued me into each sleepless night. The anxiety was so

great that it caused me to begin alienating myself from friends and family. Working was not

foreign to me, and it was what came natural to me, so I worked tirelessly to attempt to fill my

mind with something other than the pool of despair which seemed to flood my thoughts at each

quiet moment.

The friends that were around me began making decisions about what they would do

following graduation, and so it was with the closest friend I had. He enlisted in the US Army.

Soon, I heard of another classmate, and then another, and several others who all enlisted to enter

into the Armed Forces. Would entering into the Armed Forces, allow me to enter into Law

Enforcement without college tuition? Soon, I found myself meeting with the Army recruiter to

find the answers to that and many other questions. The gap began to close. Entering into the US
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Army Military Police Corp. did allow me to avoid college, and did allow me to work in the field

of Law Enforcement, enforcing the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, and US Army

Regulations, as well as the Department of Defense orders. After serving three years on active

duty and enjoying the life as a United States soldier, it was time to transition from the military

lifestyle, duties, and the job of my dreams, back into the unknown of civilian life, where I once

again, had no idea what I would do.

Depression set in, anxiety and fear of the unknown drove me to behaviors that some

would view as exacerbating the gap that once again existed. Thank goodness for friends who go

before us, to clear the path. The month before exiting active military service, one of my high

school friends wrote to me, and enclosed a newspaper clipping advertising that the Michigan

Department of Corrections would be hiring 5000 employees over the course of the next five

years. Immediately, resistance was what I would describe my feeling as. My paradigm

screamed that going to work in the prison system was a step down from being a police officer,

and only police officers who couldnt cut it on the road, worked in prison. Literally, the next two

weeks would be spent, many a quiet nights with me in my barracks room bawling over the

thought that this gap existed between where I was, and where I wanted to be.

Stringer, Kerpelman, and Skorikov (2012), provided excellent insight relative to the

developmental patterns in career preparation, such as indecision, planning, and confidence,

which were demonstrated by high school graduates. An examination of the association between

changes that occurred through career preparation and the adjustment from high school and up to

four and one half years post high school graduation, measured the adjustment in emotional

stability, social adaptation, and self-actualization. Results revealed that career preparation was

indicative of positive adjustment. Moreover, ones confidence in the career they had chosen

became an indicator of positive adjustment. In an altogether different examination, the

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increase in emotional stability was predictive of higher career confidence and lower indecision

(p. 1343).

Three full years following high school graduation, it seemed that the same problem

persisted. My confidence was damaged and the decision making ability that once came second

nature, was all but non-existent. Emotionally, it was difficult to maintain a thought process, let

alone the composure that was expected as a soldier, and as a Military Police Specialist.

Tirelessly, fighting the emotional effects of not knowing, began to become a hindrance to my

performance. A decision had to be made, at the risk of losing my mind, so it seemed. Finally,

the decision to exit the service became a solid option, as I became determined to enter into the

Michigan Department of Corrections as a launching pad to a career with the Michigan

Department of State Police. Almost immediately my emotional outlook changed, and once

again, I could function at a high level. The last week of my term of service would be spent

writing letters and talking on the telephone with multiple people that were connected to the

Michigan State Police, and my high school friend who had already started a career with the

Michigan Department of Corrections. The fact that several appointments and meetings had been

established lifted my spirits exponentially.

Analysis

The fact that an education had slipped out of reach following high school graduation,

caused me to believe that there were no more opportunities to attend college for any purpose.

Second, while in the service it became evident that not only was I intelligent, but I was also

capable. The confidence gained while in the Army provided me with a new outlook and a new

self-image that created a vision which would lead me into perusing educational opportunities.

Little did I know, the requirement to become eligible for a job as a corrections officer with the

Michigan Department of Corrections included 15 semester hours of academics that were

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specific to Criminal Justice and Corrections.

Completing the vocational training with a grade point average of 3.98 allowed me to

move to the top of the list of eligible candidates for the Civil Service examination. One of the

issues that I realized in the military was that I suffered testing anxiety. Immediately, the nervous

feeling came over me on test day. While preparing for the exam, suddenly I began to remember

the techniques that we trained in test taking. The nervousness began to subside. After beginning

the exam, and realizing that preparing for this exam was what I had been doing through all of the

college classes I had taken, peace fell over me. Because I was a veteran, the award of veterans

preference points were added to my final exam scores, which placed me well within those with

high potential for being hiring.

The fact that the last three years had trained me to become a Military Police member,

provided me with new confidence in the decision that I was making to enter into the hiring

process for the Michigan Department of Corrections. Secondary to the training I had already

received, entering into a career with the Civil Service provided job security, all of the benefits,

pay with regular increases, a retirement system, and there was no requirement to continue an

education. These factors clearly provided the leverage which closed the gap, from where I once

was, to the place I had come to.

As the information continued to come in, it was realized that the opportunities were vast

in reference to becoming a corrections officer. Adding to the potential for opportunity was the

fact that I had already proven success in college classes, and if I chose to finish a degree, there

were no limits within the Department of Corrections. Along with this knowledge, learning that

the Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan State Police were also options, it seemed

the gap that once had existed for me had all but closed.

The Michigan Department of Corrections would become the employer from which all
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of my decision making anxiety could be quelled. The fact that I wanted to work in the field of

Law Enforcement, was cushioned by the knowledge that I would still be working within the

Criminal Justice System. My pride in the career path of corrections began swelling when I

realized the unique mission that the corrections officer has, over the police officer. The

corrections officer deals 100% with convicted felons, where a police officer might have to deal

with the same criminally minded individuals on several occasions, almost as if ones work is not

ever done. Also appealing was the fact that the corrections officer pay topped out in five years,

and an employee became vested at ten years, and most police officers were not paid as much as a

corrections officer. Retirement age for a corrections officer in the Michigan Department of

Corrections is fifty-one years of age.

Weighing all of the options available for promotion, work locations, and shifts seemed to

make this career choice all the sweeter. The major aim of the Michigan Department of

Correction is to protect the public. Not only would this career choice provide peace of mind for

myself and my family, a sense of pride in the uniform and employer, it would provide a sense of

purpose and value, as well. The fact that protecting the public is the number one stated goal,

created the commitment to a societal well-being. Finally, the customers were the only reason

why the corrections officer exists; providing humane treatment and living conditions within a

safe, secure and healthy environment, for prisoners, staff and visitors, is an admirable mission.

Synthesis

Returning to a civilian lifestyle, without an opportunity to apply for work or school, the

alternatives should seem endless. Unfortunately, the options knowledge was low, as well as my

self-knowledge, in reference to the best career opportunities, and what educational programs

were providing the most job placement. Different today, from when I transitioned out of the

Service; Clemens and Milsom (2008), presented that a service member is required to attend pre-
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separation counseling within 90 days of separation from active service. The pre-separation

counseling provides a presentation of the transitional services available to the service member.

The idea is that these services will assist is closing the gap by providing job counseling and

placement services, along with financial planning. This in turn will provide the service member

with several options for both career opportunities, as well as educational focuses (p. 247).

The self-knowledge that I had, provided me with the desire to consider a career as a

police officer, game warden, corrections officer, security guard or campus police/security.

Options-knowledge provided that the position of police officer would have to be ranked as a long

term goal, as a position within a police force as a police officer would require a certain amount

of college, and going through an MCOLES certified police academy. The criteria for becoming

a Michigan State Trooper is a high school diploma or equivalent, and passing the Civil Service

examination. Corrections Officer positions require a certain number of college credits along

with achieving a passing score on the Civil Service examination to qualify for an interview in

State service, or meeting similar requirements for working at a County jail, with a Sherriffs

Department. The education and requirements for becoming a security guard depended on the

employer. Generally, a high school diploma or equivalent was required and training upon being

hired, by the employer. Campus police/security requirements differ among the employer as well.

The options for secondary education were unknown to me, but living under the paradigm that

college costs too much and was not attainable by someone who was as academically challenged

as I was, automatically ruled that out as an option.

Other educational, occupational and employment opportunities considered were auto

mechanic, auto-parts sales, automobile sales, repo-man, fitness instructor or personal trainer, and

bouncer. Other employment opportunities I was considering included armored car driver, farm

hand, residential construction, and school custodian. Once my employment allowed me to earn a
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steady income, I planned to consider an educational path to follow. Either enough of an

education to continue pursuing a career in law enforcement, or to obtain a degree in Criminal

Justice, and then decide what part of the Criminal Justice career field I would pursue.

Valuing

As a younger man, it was important for me to feel as if I were living up to standards that

were either imagined or that I felt were real according to what others would think of me. This

obstacle obviously placed itself between making decisions and considering whats best for

myself, significant others and society. As maturity often does, and I began to age, wisdom

replaced the desire to please others and suddenly considering all things became more important.

While allowing decisions to prove the good character and maturity I lived by, the reality

of my situation required that I considered pay, benefits, retirement packages, longevity, and the

promotional paths available by each alternative. Due to my inability to accept the insecurities

that came with jobs, my focus was on a career. The longevity, pay scale, benefits, retirement

system and promotional opportunities were the most important factors for me, personally. Also

considered was the future conditions for a healthy work/life balance.

The costs for a career path which required an extensive criteria or several requirements

prior to becoming qualified for an interview, let alone a position with the organization was an

important point to consider. The benefits of a position within an organization which provided

the means for completing training and the criteria in order to be completely qualified, would

allow me to begin working and earning pay, which would eliminate stress and anxiety. The

benefits to significant others would include a lesser degree of burdening them with the possibly

for having to ask for loans or use of vehicles, or even a place to stay. Where the obvious cost to

them would be the opposite. To society, the contribution of paying taxes while earning an

income, the ability to do my part in boosting the economy, along with the services provided,
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would be the greatest benefit. The cost to society when considering jobs rather than a career

opportunity would mean less stability, which in turn could lead to less motivation for

volunteerism, or the feeling that society should be assisting me.

When prioritizing the alternatives, I immediately decided to place those jobs which were

the least likely to provide me with a lasting opportunity, and that my skillset was least aligned

with, at the bottom of the list. Following the lower prioritized jobs, I felt that it was easiest to list

those alternatives that I was most interested in, and that were aligned with my skillset and values;

therefore, I created a list of highest prioritized careers, jobs and educational opportunities. To

completely exhaust the list of alternatives, I began placing the remaining items either under the

highest prioritized, or above the lowest prioritized alternatives. Upon completion of this task, it

was evident that the career opportunities which rose to the top were corrections officer with the

Michigan Department of Corrections, and police trooper with the Michigan State Police. The

Michigan State Police were not hiring at the rate that the Michigan Department of Corrections

were, and therefore I made an emotional commitment to pursue the career path of a corrections

officer.

Execution

Following the process for making the emotional commitment to attain a position within

the Michigan Department of Corrections, I immediately began gathering information on all of

the steps necessary to meet the criteria and establish the interview process. Because there is a

college requirement to meet, I attended a meeting with the local community college to determine

how I would register and pay for classes. Determining how I would go about completing classes

was an easy decision, as I needed to complete them as quickly as possible. Upon completion of

the college classes that are required, I would qualify to register for and take the Civil Service

examination to enter into the hiring process for corrections officer.

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The necessary effort, to accomplish meeting the timeframe that I had set for myself to

complete the college classes, would mean taking on a fulltime classroom schedule, while

working as much as physically possible, to make ends meet. Once college classes were

completed, I began working through the multiple documents to apply for and get registered to

take the Civil Service examination. Upon completion of the Civil Service examination,

continuous documentation and updating the information submitted, was necessary. Finally,

undergoing an interview process which consists of an oral board, a physical fitness test, a

complete physical health examination and drug test would be required. Making myself

available, as each appointment was established, proved to be quite a commitment to endure, as I

was also maintaining employment outside of the commitment to complete the interview and

hiring process. This commitment would prove to be fruitful.

Communication

Upon gaining employment as a corrections officer with the Michigan Department of

Correction, the focus immediately moved to improving job skills and gaining experience, as

opposed to wondering whether or not I had made the right decision. The pay and benefits were

all I had hoped they would be, and the step increases in wages were an asset toward motivation.

Once the honeymoon phase began to wear off, it was important to begin considering what the

future would hold, while continuing to become as sharp as possible in the current position.

As the months passed and I began to become educated with more opportunities that the

Department offered, with my qualifications, it was exciting to learn how to realize the next

advancement in the Department. With this knowledge, it required that the continued

development of a career plan remain in the works. The first career decision I would begin

contemplating would involve a pay increase, a position which was closer to my skillset, and it

would also require a longer commute and a different shift. These factors obviously caused me to
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begin recognizing the needed cycle of communication, analysis, valuing, synthesis, and

execution in setting career goals both short term and long term.

According to Chang (2002), career planning provides for a positive relationship to

developing a career management strategy. This strategy becomes an affiliate of professional

enhancement, which provides satisfaction in the career of choice. Planning and strategizing

ones own career seems to remain an important implication, especially among IT and computer

professionals (p. 6). Twenty eight years into the career which started as a corrections officer, I

have made several position changes, and changes in the location that I worked. Planning my

own career was very important to me, and when I got it right, it was very satisfying. When I got

it wrong, it was normally because the planning cycle lacked the valuing step in making the

decision. However, every position that I held and location that I worked provided an education

that has proven very useful in my growth and maturity.

As indicated by Broscio and Scherer (2003) developing an education and career plan is

essential to creating a future for professional success. Like a financial plan, a career plan must

be based on reality and must be updated regularly to account for changes in personal needs and

the marketplace (p. 76). Following through with a career plan is important to worker

satisfaction, and it is also important to maintain an open mind to moving in a direction that you

werent necessarily planning on, but was necessary for meeting the long term goals of the career

plan. Currently, I hold a position which I did not really desire, however it was necessary to make

myself eligible for the desired promotional opportunity. The desired promotional opportunity

also was a part of the motivating factor for which I made the decision to continue in my

education.

Conclusion

Currently, my career plan is being updated as I weigh the circumstances and

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conditions for meeting my next set of goals. The cycle of communication, analysis, synthesis,

and execution has taken on many angles and has tested many options for the transition from my

current career, to the next chapter and career plan. Today, my insecurities are few and the fear of

what is unknown lends itself to the intrigue maintained in becoming more excited about what lies

ahead. A dream without a plan is simply an idea; but a dream with a plan is sure to become

reality.
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References

Broscio, M., & Scherer, J. (2003). Creating and implementing a reality-based career plan.

Journal of Healthcare Management, 48(2), 76-81. Retrieved from https://search-

proquest-com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu/docview/206728564?accountid=28644

Chang, B. L. (2002). Career goals and career management strategy among information

technology professionals. Career Development International, 7(1), 6-13. Retrieved from

https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu/docview/219286911?accountid=28644

Clemens, E. V., & Milsom, A. S. (2008). Enlisted service members' transition into the civilian

world of work: A cognitive information processing approach. The Career Development

Quarterly, 56(3), 246-256. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu/docview/219432341?accountid=28644

Eby, L. T., Allen, T. D., & Brinley, A. (2005). A cross-level investigation of the relationship

between career management practices and career-related attitudes. Group & Organization

Management, 30(6), 565-596. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu/docview/203373924?accountid=28644

Lenz, J., Peterson, G., Reardon, R., & Sampson, J. (2012) Career Development & Planning.

Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Stringer, K., Kerpelman, J., & Skorikov, V. (2012). A longitudinal examination of career

preparation and adjustment during the transition from high school. Developmental

Psychology, 48(5), 1343-1354.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu:2048/10.1037/a0027296