Blog 7

            On Friday, I interviewed a gentleman named Doug for the case study paper that we have assigned for this class. I have known Doug for a number of years because he is a regular guest at the YMCA and the lake that I work at over the summer. Quite frequently, the guards at the lake would ask me what Doug does for a living. I knew that he worked in a nursing home and was pretty high up, but had no idea exactly what he did or how he got to where is now; this is the reason that I chose him for the career development paper that we have assigned. As I was sitting there discussing his career development and journey, I could not help but to start to think about theories that we have learned thus far in the class and how they would apply to Doug’s journey. Currently, Doug is an executive director at Elmcroft Senior Living located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. However, he would never have seen himself in this position when he was younger and was a marketing and sales major in undergraduate study. Doug’s career development is an interesting tale and one that has a lot of potential when it comes to analyzing it in regards to career development theories.

            One theory that I kept thinking of when Doug was recounting his story was synchronicity. Doug is a very self-aware individual; while we were discussing his journey, he stated, “I paid attention to my gut, to what made sense”. When individuals become aware of their authentic selves, they are able to seek work that is congruent with the person they want to be (Guindon & Hanna, 2002, p. 197).  Because of Doug’s level of cogniscence, he was able to realize that he needed to get more out of a career. This is originally that led him out of the sales/advertising world into the people services industry.   “Many counselors are aware that unknowable instances of coincidence, happenstance, and chance factors can play a significant role in career opportunities” (Betsworth & Henson, 1996, as cited in Guindon & Hanna, 2002, p. 185). There were many events that fall into these factors in Doug’s journey. For example, when Doug had is interview at Elmcoft, he was not seeking employment at other companies at the moment, but rather practicing interviewing to find jobs in the next couple months. His interview and vision for what senior living homes should look like and growth potential of the job itself lined up perfectly with what he was seeking.

            When I inquired if Doug had ever sought out career counseling, he said that he did not other than performance appraisals that are the norm in his industry. Doug recounted how the best career advice he received was from his father and from his friends who were successful and inspiring to him. Doug’s story was definitely interesting, and I am excited that I had the opportunity to interview him.

References

Guindon, M. H. & Hanna, F. J. (2002). Coincidence, happenstance, serendipity, fate, or the hand of God: Case studies in synchronicity. The Career Development Quarterly, 50: 195