Empowering Futures Through Education: My Plan to Graduate With Honours

Introduction

Education is one of the most essential things in life that people seek to acquire. The path of education is never easy and that is why many graduates hope to benefit from their education. As one goes through education, he or she has some future prospects which he or she has planned. To some people, it may be to employed after graduating and to others want to use the skills and knowledge they acquire from education to be in self-employment. For me, I intend to graduate from NUC with honours and enroll for a postgraduate course in UEL. I intend to do this by the end of June, 2019. My passion is to work in organizations especially in a position that I am able to serve people. As such, I will choose to study a postgraduate course which will make suitable to work as a Human Resources Manager after graduation. To achieve this, I will strive to get graduate with at least 2:2 for me to get a chance to be accepted to study at UEL. I intend to do this by August 2019. By September, 2020 I want to be have graduated from UEL and started working as a HR manager. I am interested to work as HR Manager because the strengths I possess allow me to work in that field. Some of my strengths are that I am an excellent communicator, an organizer and a flexible person. These are qualities that are very important for an HR manager.

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Career Management Theories

There are various career management theories which are related to my field of interest. Some of these are the Career Construction theory by Savickas (2011), Parson's theory of traits and factors (1909), Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Laswell's communication formula, Heppner- Career transition (1998) and Nicholson's transition cycle.

Career Construction theory by Savickas (2011) is a theory that offers a way of thinking about how people choose as well as use work. This theory offers a model offers ways that career counselors can use to help students choose the appropriate vocational behavior throughout their lifecycle. It helps people to choose the most suitable jobs so that they can maintain successful and satisfying jobs at the workplace.

Parson's theory of traits and factors (1909) is a theory that helps a person to choose their career path based on an accurate understanding of their interests, aptitudes and personal abilities and a proper understanding of the available jobs and the labor market. Through this theory, it is possible to understand the relationship between a person's individual traits and the labour market.

Myers Briggs Type Indicator is a self-report inventory which is made in such a way that it is able to identify the personality type of a person, their preferences and strengths which can help them to determine the kind of job that is most suitable for them.

Laswell's communication formula is a model that considers communication as a key factor in any interaction. It assesses the person communicating, the channels used for communication, and the intended receiver of the message.

Heppner- Career transition was developed by Heppner (1991) and it seeks to assess the psychological resources as well as converse barriers which aged people experience as they move from one career to the other (Naros and Simionescu 2019). This theory is based on the premise that old people are not as flexible as young people when it comes to the transitioning of careers.

Usefulness of Career Management Theories

Career Construction theory was developed by Savickas in 2011 (Beale 2001). This means that it is a theory that is still relevant in the current world. This theory is useful because it helps people to choose the most satisfying job to maintain a healthy work life. I can apply this theory in my career of becoming a HR manager. This is my most preferred job and I am certain that it will make me lead a very happy work life. However, the weakness of this theory is that is does not address the changing tastes and preferences as a person ages. What excites one immediately after graduation may not be the same thing that will excite the same person at an older age.

Parson's theory of traits and factors was developed by Parson in 1909 (Schwanenberg 1971). Although this theory was developed long time ago, it is still applicable to my career plan. This theory looks at the interests of the person and compares them against the labour market to be able to identify the most suitable career direction of the person. The strength of this theory is that is puts into consideration all the factors that affect a person's career. It is mindful that career is not just dependent on the interests of a person but also on the nature of the labour market. I will use this theory to look at my interests and the available positions in the job market.

Myers Briggs Type Indicator theory will also be very useful for my career. This theory looks at personality type of a person and their preferences to determine the kind of job that the person is most suited for (Pittenger 1993). Since I am a good communicator, this theory will be useful to me to determine the jobs that require good communicators. This theory is, however, faulted for it can be used a means of labeling and stereotyping employees based on their personalities. In some cases, this theory can be used as means of labeling employees which is not good. This theory was developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs in 1942. The main purpose of it was to help people identify their psychological type preferences and match them with the right job (Muller 1999). Although this is a theory that may appear too old for today's market, it offers a lot of insight on the right job for a person based on their personalities.

Current Climate in my Area

The current climate in the recruitment of HR managers is promising. Kaup and Hehl (2003) stated that as the economy continues to expand, so is there the need for HR managers in organizations, industries and companies. HR manager cut across a wide range of businesses and this is why their demand is always on the increase since new businesses continue to emerge every day (Dunn 2010). The demand for HR managers is higher than the national job growth average for all other professionals. As such, this is one of the best jobs that one can yearn for since the prospects of being retained are high. It is also noteworthy that the higher qualifications one has, the higher their chances of securing a job in the HR industry. Many graduates out there are only armed with a bachelor's degree and this poses a lot of competition during the recruitment exercises. As for me, I am optimistic that I will secure a job very fast since I will have a master's degree which is a rare asset in the job market. Many employers are looking for someone who has a combination of both talent and academic qualifications for their organizations (Caldwell, Truong, Link and Tuan 2011). As a good communicator, I and a holder of a master's degree, I am sure that I will be a favorite of the employees and securing a job will not be a challenge for me. Both the political and economic situations present an appealing future for the HR professionals. Employment of HR managers is expected to grow to 9 percent from 2016 to 2026 (Naros and Simionescu 2019). This is boosted by the fact the growth of companies is on an upward trajectory.

Career Prospects

Many theories act as guides that one can use to determine the kind of job they are suited for. For my case, Myers Briggs Type Indicator theory is very applicable since it links the personality and academic qualifications to be able to determine the kind of job that I am best suited for (Pittenger 1993). This theory has helped me to plan develop my career plan by looking at my personality, the job market and my academic qualifications. The HR industry is growing and it is expected to have grown even higher in the next 5 years. The demand of HR managers is on the rise (Sharma 2018). Once I graduate, I am optimistic that will secure a job very easily. I am optimistic that I will reach my goals since I have developed a realistic timelines for each activity. The demand for HR managers is expected to be at its peak between 2024 and 2026. Fortunately, this is the time that I will be seeking for a job as an HR manager, thus I do not intend to adapt my goals. I am confident that I will get through the recruitment process since the demand for HR managers will be at its peak and I will also possess a master's degree which a valued asset during the recruitment exercise. I will have to work on my punctuality since I am not a very good time keeper and this could hinder my chances of getting recruited.

References

Beale, A. (2001). Emerging Career Development Theories: A Test for School Counselors. Professional School Counseling, 5(1), 1-5.

Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Link, P., & Tuan, A. (2011). Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(1), 171-182.

Condrey, S., & Ledvinka, C. (2010). Human Resource Management in the Public Sector: Examining International Cases. Public Administration Review, 70(3), 500-501.

Dunn, B. (2010). Human Resource Management: The Importance of Getting It Right. Rangelands, 32(4), 2-3.

Kaup, C., & Hehl, G. (2003). Human Resource Management Audit. Personal, 55(12), 46-51.

Muller, M. (1999). Unitarism, Pluralism, and Human Resource Management in Germany. MIR: Management International Review, 39(3), 125-144.

Naros, M., & Simionescu, M. (2019). The Role of Education In Ensuring Skilled Human Capital For Companies. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 14(1), 75-84.Pittenger, D. (1993). The Utility of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Review of Educational Research, 63(4), 467-488.

Schwanenberg, E. (1971). The Two Problems of Order in Parsons' Theory: An Analysis from Within. Social Forces, 49(4), 569-581. doi:10.2307/2576739

Sharma, S. (2018). Human Resource Management-A Profession in Dilemma. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 43(3), 438-449.

Vaanholt, S. (1995). Literaturreport: Human Resource Management. Personal, 47(10), 546-554.