Career, Career Interests, and the Value of a College Education

Running Header: CAREER

Career, Career Interests, and the Value of a College Education

Univeristy of Phoenix

GEN/300: Skills for Professional Development

22 May 2005

I am currently employed as a software integration technologist with Motorola. The division I work in develops software used to identify persons, usually for law enforcement purposes, through fingerprint, palm print, facial, and demographic matching technologies. My job is to integrate these technologies into a single, fast, and easy to use system. Specifically, I code the workflow engine that allows the separate technologies to function as a single system.

Instead of moving from company to company, changing jobs every few years like many of my past and present co-workers have done; I have been working at the same company for the last 18 years. I started at the bottom, in a data entry position while attending college classes in the evening. I worked my up the corporate ladder, meeting the challenges offered to me by my superiors, discovering my talents, developing my skills and performing to the best of my abilities. The reward was career advancement and increased compensation.

Experience has taught me that there are many behaviors that will help you to succeed in a career. These behaviors include self-confidence, productivity, respect, the ability to work with others, a focus on quality, and a commitment to ethics.

Self-confidence in your own abilities will allow you to face challenges with a positive attitude and enthusiasm. You will be able to demonstrate a boldness and decisiveness that radiates professional integrity and communicate with impact. You must be "willing to say what you think is in the best interest of the organization Ð'- even if it's not popular." (Troiano, 1998)

Plan and organize with the goal of being productive. Motivate yourself to achieve "necessary tasks and take on more challenges." (Will your future, 2000) Be responsible for your own education. Learn quickly and work efficiently.

Build and sustain relationships with your coworkers and customers. Show respect and be courteous. Demonstrate an ability to work with others. Look to your peers for assistance and do not be reluctant to give assistance on work related problems.

Focus on quality, client service, and customer perceptions. The customer will be delighted with a quality product or service delivered punctually and professionally. Your superiors will note this satisfaction and use it when making future decisions that involve you.

According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, ethics is "the body of obligations and duties that a particular society requires of its members." Society, in this case, refers to the corporate body. An employee has a responsibility to their employer to abide by the company's code of ethics at all times.

I enjoy the responsibilities and satisfaction my career bestows and I do not want to move on to a new career, but continue advancing within it. There are two major components of career growth, additional education, and additional experience, (Kiehn and Wright, 2004) I have been concentrating most of my efforts on experience, but now I would like to put more emphasis on education. Radcliff states, "A college education