Individual Portfolio: Career Readiness
Brenna Augustin
Introduction: When I first began my assignment, I was fairly set on what I would be doing with my life in the future, in terms of my career and major. I was planning to either go into some sort of medical field or pick a job that lets me work with animals. However, after the research I did for this topic, I’m not so sure about what I want to do with my life anymore, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. My research led me to think about my future in more depth than I have ever thought about before. Learning about myself was probably one of the most important things I could learn this semester, as if I didn’t, I would’ve been setting myself up for failure.
Service Hours:
Our group had a bit of an issue on deciding a service project as our very different majors and schedules made it difficult. Eventually we all agreed on the decision to volunteer at the garden at the Witte Museum. I had to miss my soccer game but some sacrifices must be made in the name of education. We all met each other at the Witte at around the same time, and even ended up being a little early. Volunteering at the Witte was a great opportunity for me, as it is a science and history oriented museum, that I even hope to work part time for in the future. I used to go there as a child frequently and have a special connection with the place. While volunteering there I practiced teamwork and communication, along with following directions.
Preparation:
-Career fair: As prep for my topic of Career Readiness and my future I paid a visit to the All-Majors Career Fair. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to the STEM career fair, which would probably have been more helpful to me, however the All-Major Career Fair was still an educational experience, and I think I learned that I want to stay in a STEM related major.
-Research: One of the biggest parts of this project was researching for our futures, specifically our majors and career choices. This is especially pertinent for Career Readiness, as the topic is career oriented. The annotated bibliography, informational interview, and income survey were probably the most helpful research projects I got to do.
Marine Biology: I had always wanted to be a marine biologist, as studying the creatures of the deep has been a passion of mine since I was little. The job itself still sounds fun to me, however once I researched the job I discovered it didn’t pay anywhere near enough to support a family if I decided I wanted one in the future.
Veterinarian: One of the other jobs I had been very interested in was being a veterinarian, and helping animals. I was either planning to be a zoo veterinarian or a veterinary surgeon originally. However it was the informational interview that changed my mind. Not only was the job the lowest paid profession, but it was stated to have long hours and a lot of difficult customers. So, I ended up deciding against it.
Ophthalmologist: Another career that I wasn’t quite as passionate about as the first two was ophthalmologist, however this one is the most plausible career choice out of the jobs I was considering. Not only does it pay more than enough, but after researching it, it seems ophthalmologists are usually pretty happy with their jobs. Along with that, I know a family friend who is an ophthalmologist who can answer some of my questions about the job.
Navy Marine Mammal Program: This would be a top choice for me, that is until I realized the probability of me actually being able to get this job. The job itself sounds amazing, being able to train dolphins and sea lions coupled with the benefits that come with working for the military. However, after some interviews I sadly discovered you don’t really get to choose what profession you do in the military, so I would most likely not get the job I desired.
Conclusion:
Although I learned a lot about the careers I had been thinking about, I may end up changing to a math major. After doing the research for this project I realized I may be doing extra work for a job I don’t even know if I’ll be able to obtain. For now, I am going to keep trying and doing research. Biology is still my passion, and I hope to someday have a career where I can follow that passion.
