The Vision Joseph T.

Swanson IAS 300/Adult Career Development 9/12/2013 Word Count=1959

Joseph Swanson Page 1 Dorsey breaks out the opportunities and tools one needs to achieve what they truly desire. The Future Picture consists of four snapshots that help determine how to approach life and what end results one wants to achieve in their lifetime. Ideal career, personal, family, and purpose snapshots help determine what one wants to accomplish or achieve. In one sentence, the Future Picture helps one feel inspired and in control of their life. Consequently, Dorsey believes that the more time, effort, and thought I put into my future picture, the more advantageous it will be when attempting to achieve my future goals. Dorsey (2007) states "Remember, when it comes to your Future Picture, destiny is in the details. The more emotional, inspiring, and meaningful the picture you create, the more you will buy into it so strongly that you will do whatever it takes to make it real" (p.25). The more I look at what I want to accomplish, the more I am going to get done. My future picture really inspires me to do the things that I truly want. To start, the first snapshot is called the ideal career. My ideal career was the most difficult snapshot to fill out compared to the others. Dorsey's questions point to what I would prefer to be accomplishing, and how much I am going to enjoy doing certain things. I would like to wear gym shoes, or comfortable shoes of any kind to work, but I truly do not have a considerable preference. My workplace should be somewhat quiet, or containing noises of coworkers preparing and gathering their possessions to leave at around three. I would prefer my workplace to allow me flexible shifts and hours. Also, It would be nice to have weekday nights

Joseph Swanson Page 2 off to run errands, exercise, and spend time with family respectively. I would like my main responsibility to either be helping people with certain tasks, or watching over things to make sure they are getting done. I also would possibly like my main responsibility to be achieving a certain goal. I do not like to waste any time or effort on something that does not need to get done. I think with certain goals in mind, it would allow me to be more efficient. I answered the next question by stating that I would like to talk with my boss, owner, or company representative most. I do not want to report to someone who does not care or feel any compassion for the business or workplace. As for what I would like to get paid, more than 80k annually sounds like a good wage. I would like a lot more than that, but I realize that in these harsh economic times, it is going to be a long and difficult process in order to achieve such a high annual income. Equally of importance, my ideal career is something that will have to be achieved throughout my life. I realize, that in order to be in the position I want, I am going to have to prove to my future employers that I am capable of completing difficult tasks and challenges. I think that once I prove to everyone what I am capable of, I will have what is necessary to achieve my idealistic picture of my future career. Furthermore, Dorsey's next snapshot is named "Your Ideal Family Life." I think this was probably the easiest set of questions to answer. I think I was more comfortable answering them because I truly know what I want my family life to be like. For me, it is more difficult figuring out the other things that need to be accomplished in order for me to start a family and own a home. I said that I would like photos of my kids and other family in my living room. Furthermore, I would try to take my kids golfing, fishing, or really whatever adventure they want

Joseph Swanson Page 3 to take part in on the weekends. As for what the view is from my front door, I would like to see ocean or mountains. I would like to stay on the west coast of the United States throughout the course of my life. So, by stating that I would prefer to see ocean or mountains, I really mean either Arizona or California, but who knows where life will take me. Taking my family on some type of vacation, at least once a year is a tradition I would like to start. My parents did not take me on many real vacations. Most of the time, we would go out of state because of a hockey tournament. We had plenty of good times this way, but it would be nice to allow yourself to relax and get away from the stressors of life from time to time. I want my grandchildren to brag about me the same way I brag about my own grandfather. He truly is a kind, generous, fun loving person, and I would like my grandkids to look at me the same way I look at him. In short, when looking at my ideal family life, I can think about what needs to be accomplished for me to obtain it. I believe that my Ideal family life will be achieved once I get a job and my ideal career on track for success. Accordingly, the third snapshot Dorsey implies is named "Your Ideal Personal Life." I think this snapshot is most important as well as one of the simpler snapshots for me to answer. I want to feel good and proud of myself when I wake up each day. I want to feel proud of my accomplishments, and what I am capable of achieving or about to achieve. My favorite way to relax is by floating in a pool. When it comes to reading, I would much rather watch TV, so I most likely will not have any book on my nightstand. I will most certainly be golfing or spending time with my family when outside of work. Experiencing new things and going on different

Joseph Swanson Page 4 types of adventures makes me feel most alive. Similarly, I really enjoy trying new things, and attempting different activities. Additionally, my ideal personal life can be transformed as I grow older and wiser. I believe that a healthy personal life is the first step in achieving all of the four snapshots Dorsey presents. I think that if I did not feel good about myself, I would never accomplish anything, and that a pessimistic attitude will deliver negative consequences. Henceforth, Dorsey's final snapshot is named "What Your Life Means." This snapshot was a little more difficult to answer because it questions how others will view me, and how I want to be viewed. My friends and family will say I am a good, funny, and kind-hearted person that means well. Playing golf and simply interacting with my friends and family will be one of the greatest and important memories I will have. I will give people guidance by showing them to always be optimistic, and always do their best to not let any opportunities slip away. My biggest legacy will be my children. I would hope that they learn a great deal from me, and use those experiences to guide them through life. At my funeral, people will say I was a good hearted, kind person who lived with no regrets. Contextually, by looking at what my life means, it allows me to attempt to make a valuable impact on people. By doing so, I strive to make more of my own accomplishments and realize that my life is of value to myself but to others as well. In comparison, Dorsey asks questions with a wider range of variety that dont necessarily relate to one or all of the four snapshots. However, he makes note that the questions should be considered as much as, or possibly even more so than the others.

Joseph Swanson Page 5 Relatively, I would play golf without pay for three years, because it makes me feel proud of myself, and there is always room for improvement. I would give everything to learn from my grandfather. He always makes good decisions and never lets anything bring him down. I would push to accomplish my ideal career snapshot because it will require me to push my intellectual abilities to the limit and that may mean sacrificing sleep to accomplish tasks. I want to experience the overall feeling of success in my life time. I am most passionate about my family and friends because they mean the most to me, and I know without them, I will not be able to accomplish my own goals. In conclusion, Dorsey's Future Picture represents an overall outline of how my life will be if I strive for what I truly want, and accomplish the goals that I need to in order to generate my interpretation of success. Adversely, the Holland SDS assessment determines what career opportunities are best suited for certain personalities and expertise. It questions what types of careers people would like to do as well as what types of careers match certain skills. They group people into six different groups: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. After the assessment, they issue a three letter code that indicates which categories the user most fits. The SDS assessment really enables the user to determine what jobs or occupations they will enjoy doing, and if they have the necessary skills to meet the requirements. To elaborate, my three letter summary code turned out to be ISE. I scored highest in Investigative with a score of 41, while also scoring a comparative number of 25 in both the Social and Enterprising category. I think that this code truly reflects my interests and skill set.

Joseph Swanson Page 6 In detail, I have always excelled in the science and math area of study, and the Investigative category matches the criteria in order to be effective in both studies. SDS also points out that the Investigative category includes people who are analytical and cautious. This matches up to the data revealed in my Future Picture. I said that I would like having a certain set of goals in mind, and by investigating I would be trying to find pieces of the puzzle with a particular goal in mind. The second letter of my code is S, which stands for Social. SDS indicates that the Social category includes people who like to help others, instead of partaking in mechanical or technical activity, while also preferring to engage in acts that reveal how certain people get along. I think that this part of my SDS code also reflects what was previously mentioned in my Future Picture. I wrote that I would like to help others, or guide and look over their processes which clearly supports the fact that I would like to be around and interacting with people throughout my career. In addition, the last letter to my SDS code is E, which stands for Enterprise. SDS claims that the E category is situated with people who have leadership, while having interest in money and politics. SDS also describes people in the E category as acquisitive, adventurous, sociable, and optimistic. I think that this category also fits my behavior described in my Future Picture. I wrote that I like to experience new things and adventures, as well as having an optimistic view on situations. Overall, I think that my code is fine just the way it is. I think it reflects on my beliefs and abilities, as well as how I interpret and understand different material. It shows that I want to be

Joseph Swanson Page 7 Investigative, Social, and Enterprising. All in all, the SDS code supports my statements made in the Future Picture.