The Necessary Credential in the Success of My Chosen Career Plan, Pay Ranges, Career Change - Essay Example

?Career Plan: Of Changing, Thinking, and Acting Introduction As a high-school in my senior year, it is important that I ought to have career plans. In fact, I am pondering on them seriously. At the outset, my future career should coincide with my interest, passion, and liking. And I love teaching, especially teaching the young ones. Thus, my alternative career positions in the field of education are (1) teacher in the primary school, (2) special education teacher, and (3) guidance counselor in high school. Career plans, though, are merely guides in pursuing a particular career path. Changes are inevitable. Nevertheless, a career change requires a thorough and critical thinking. This paper explores the necessary credential in the success of my chosen career plan. Also, it tackles the steps in achieving my goal relative to time. Further, this paper discusses the pay ranges, career change, and support system characterized in the three positions that I have personally chosen. Credential Perhaps a Master’s Degree is essential as a strong credential prior to entering the work force in the realm of education. In the success of my career plan, an MA degree might be helpful. According to Kaplan (2008), there are over a million of people in the United States who annually enroll in the graduate programs (p. 3). One of the reasons why people take up an MA/PhD degree is because it provides them the greater advantage over others in the competitive job market. What Kaplan (2008) calls “career advancement,” persons who have a Master’s Degree possess the advantage of gaining career position and/or promotion against those people “with only a bachelor’s degree” (p. 4). The drawback, however, is that a Master’s degree is far from the assurance that one can land a good job or be promoted to a much higher position. Plus, pursuing a graduate program is a difficult and tremendous task. In fact, Peters (1997) compares the students in the graduate school as adults who are “judged by the standards of the adult world” (p. 6). To my mind, the notion of the “adult world” as understood by Peters is far from the ideal, child-like, or Utopia-like realm. From here, I seem to perceive it as something monstrous and hideous. In time and with perseverance, nevertheless, I might be able to cope up the challenges salient in the graduate program. And I might land a good job of my liking. Pay ranges The three positions, which I have chosen as my alternative careers in the field of education, have different pay ranges. In the primary education, on the one hand, a teacher receives an annual salary ranging from $30,719 to $54,000 (Bernstein, 2003, p. 466). Meaning to say, a teacher who is teaching in the primary school, particularly in the public school, receives from the minimum monthly pay of roughly $3,000 to the maximum monthly salary of approximately $4,500. In special education, on the other hand, a teacher gets a yearly salary ranging from $33,770 to $ 78,980 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005, p. 297). Finally, a guidance counselor in the field of education receives an annual pay from $25,200 to $71,900 (Bernstein, 2003, p. 394). As a whole, the teacher’s pay greatly varies on his or her academic background (e.g., with an MA degree) and years of teaching. In spite of their differences in pay range, all these positions in the realm of education widely receive similar benefit plans such as paid vacation and sick leave (Eberts & McGowan, 2000, p. 41) Steps to follow In order for me to be more fruitful in my career goals, I will take several rational steps. By and large, these practical steps will be either short-term or long-term. In the short-term goal, specifically in one-year plan, I will study and learn the fundamentals associated to my chosen career path. Example of which is the appropriate method in the practice of teaching. In the special education, in particular, teaching methodology is obviously distinct to, say, 5th-grade education. In the long-term goal, specifically in three- or five-year plan, I will insure that I have already mastered the pedagogy characterized in my chosen field and position. On the other hand, I am far from being too optimistic about the success of my plan; neither am I pessimistic concerning my career goal. There will be problems as I pursue my dream career. It is, I believe, unavoidable. Moreover, these problems or hurdles are difficult to be foreseen with respect to the present time. Nevertheless, I am prepared to them. I mean, problems can be solved with correct and critical thinking. Career change As to this time, there is no guarantee that, in the future, my plans will happen or succeed as they are planned or intended. Probably there will be changes with respect to my current and existing scheme. And perhaps a Plan B might be necessary. But that will fail as well considering that what is constant in this world is change. The questions that might be addressed here are as follow: (1) how to determine that one’s plan needs to be dramatically altered?; and (2) what are the things to do as a response to the inevitable changes? The first question can arguably be answered when one knows his or her main objective. In my case, my reason or “soul” (borrowed from Bolman and Deal’s (2001) term) for pursuing teaching either in the 5th-grade school or in the special education is principally to educate the young children without discrimination to their physical feature, age background, among other things. In the future, it is possible that my goal, interest, or objective may shift in a profound way. Hence, change of career plan may be imperative. In this note, Morgan and Lynch (2006) provide a valuable insight: “Think before you act” (p. 6). True, I have to first think before I decide and act for a career change -- and this is the answer to the second question. Decisions are very important, the consequences of which have great impact to one’s life. Support system Besides my parents, my support system includes the constituents that compose the college institution. In particular, the teachers who share my interest, passion, or soul are the ones who are my basic support system. They are the ones who provide life and vigor in pursuing my dreams in spite of the obstacles that come my way. Peters (1997) argues that choosing a teacher, especially as a thesis adviser, is very essential in succeeding the graduate program (p. 2). In other words, teachers can be a life support to the student or can be life threatening to them. As for me, I will follow the essential suggestion made by Peters; namely, to choose a good thesis adviser “before you choose the university.” And when my support system is safe and secured, I will definitely reap the benefits that such system offers. For one, good teachers provide good advices concerning teaching, in particular, and life, in general. Their thoughts and ideas are already tested by time and experience. To my mind, this support system (i.e., teacher) possesses a much wider scope of understanding. Further, my teachers better understand my strengths and weaknesses. Thus, they can arguably see what is in store for me. Conclusion Career plan is essential especially for a senior high school like me. I have already made my mind concerning the positions that I am going to pursue in the field of primary education. However, there are uncertainties in the coming years. Of what these uncertainties are, I have no idea. Still, I have Plan B. And I hope my Plan B works. Whatever unforeseen changes that may occur in the future, it is necessary for me to think before I act. References Bernstein, A. B. (2003). Guide to your career with comprehensive profiles of 204 of today’s hottest careers (5th ed.). New York, NY: Princeton Review Publishing. Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2001). Leading the soul: An uncommon journey of spirit. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Eberts, M., & McGowan, M. (2000). Opportunities in education careers. Chicago, Il: VGM Career Horizons. Kaplan. (2008). Get into graduate school: A strategic approach for master’s and doctoral candidates. New York, NY: Kaplan Publishing. Morgan, A., & Lynch, C. (2006). Leading from the front: No excuse leadership tactics for women. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Peters, R. L. (1997). Getting what you came for: The smart student’s guide to earning a master’s or PhD. Union Square West, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Department. (2005). Occupational outlook handbook: 2010- 2011. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read More