According to Super’s Developmental Self-concept Theory, I am in the exploration stage since I am in my early 20’s. I have already chosen the career path I would like to pursue in future, which is to become a human resource official of large organization in future. My career choice was driven by my interest while growing up especially when I was 12 to 14 years old. I would always take control of situations at home and in school. My passion and encouragement from my parents to pursue what I wanted to be in life has made me the person I am today. With my sociology degree, I have majored in business in the field of human resource, which entails dealing with employees. According to Smore (2016), I am in the crystallization sub stage of exploration since I am finalizing my sociology degree to enter the job market to apply what I have studied in college.
Stojan was not given a chance to choose the path he wanted to take in life. His father decided that he should be a police officer and even took him through college to be one. My case is different from Stojan’s since my parents encouraged me to pursue the career of my choice. The troubles Stojan has faced before he settled on the work he liked can be attributed to lack of self-conceptualization in his exploration stage (Lim, 2013). He was not given an opportunity to make a choice of what he wanted to do with his life. Considering Stojan’s career development gives impressive revelations. At 14 years, which is the exploration stage in career development, Stojan was influenced by his father to be a police officer thus revealing that his career choice was premature and by 19 years, he already had a job.
According to Lim (2013), Stojan’s establishment stage is marred by several layoffs as he tries to establish the field that he sufficiently fits in so that he can advance in it. Stojan takes up different jobs to provide for his family and regrets moving to Canada at some point. Of the many jobs that he undertakes, he appreciates the knowledge gained in each. However, working as painting assistant pleases him the most thus inspiring him to venture into painting fully by establishing his own painting firm. Stojan is in the maintenance stage having stabilized his painting business through his experience as a painting assistant, a job that he loved very much (Career New Zealand, 2012). The major activities that Stojan concerns himself with are preservation of gains in the painting business and focusing on the important activities in the business.
Conclusion
I am in in the exploration stage of career development since am yet to convert my interests and passions in life into a career that will determine my future (Smore, 2016). Having volunteered and undertaken various leadership positions in college, I believe I have the capability to work in the human resource department of any organization. The skills and knowledge I have learned in in my course will aid me in my work. I have realized that I have to apply different approaches while dealing with different kinds of people. Doing so will simply my job in the human resource department. Learning the personality traits of employees is crucial if one aspires to be a member of human resource personnel in any organization. One of my major goals will be to promote harmony and cohesiveness in the organization and that can only be achieved by understanding employees in their different capacities.
References
Careers New Zealand. (2012). Donald Super Developmental self-concept. Retrieved on 19th January 2015 from www.careers.govt.nz
Lim, S. (2013). Case Study: Super Late Adult Career Development. Retrieved on 19th January 2015 from http://contactpoint.ca/2013/01/case-study-supers-late-adolescent-and-adult- career-development/
Smore, (2016), Donald Super’s Lifespan Theory. Retrieved on 19th January 2015 from https://www.smore.com/kuq9u
