SELF AND CAREER INTEGRATIVE PAPER 1

Self and Career Integrative Paper

Tamara Perk-Schlueter

8175564

HSF 1180

Debashis Dutta

January 5th, 2017

SELF AND CAREER INTEGRATIVE PAPER 2

I have put much thought into what I want to do in the future and changed my

mind many times. Over the course of the term, I have decided that I would like to

practice law as a career. The assessments and research I have done around this career

have been helpful in deciding my educational path. Throughout this paper, I will be

evaluating and discussing my findings from the discovery phase, explore phase, and

build phase of my career planning. I will conclude this paper with a plan of action for my

chosen career and will discuss some concerns I have as well as how I can address

those issues.

Discover Phase

Within the discovery phase of my career planning, I completed the TypeFocus

assessment. By doing this, I became more aware of my values, interests, and

personality traits as it relates to my career of interest. I also put together a shopping list

to decide what qualities I am looking for in terms of a career.

Once I completed the TypeFocus assessment, I learned what values were most

important to me. These values were support, independence, and recognition

(TypeFocus, 2017). The first value I was provided by the assessment was support. This

means that I value having encouragement and opinions from other professionals. This

value fits with my career interest because as a lawyer I will be working with other

professionals not only within my career but also my education. These professionals will

have more experience than I will at the beginning of my career and I will be able to look

to these people if I need a second opinion. The second value I received from the

TypeFocus assessment was independence. I truly value independence, as I enjoy

working on my own. This aligns with my career of interest because, as I become more
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experienced I will have more opportunity to work on my own. I understand that I will still

have to work with others, however, I enjoy working independently in regards to a

physical setting. The final value I received from the assessment was recognition. I value

working in a situation where I am recognized for the work I have done, or where the

career is considered prestigious (TypeFocus, 2017). This value aligns with my career

interest because a career as a lawyer is considered honorable. Within this career, I will

be given the opportunity to help others while being rewarded well financially and with

many open doors for opportunities.

The TypeFocus activity also provided me with an assessment of my personality.

The assessment showed that I have an “ISTJ” personality type. This shows me that I

am an introvert, sensing, thinking, and judging. I would say that my personality

assessment aligns with my career of interest. Because I am introverted, this means that

I direct my attention towards my inner self and understanding (TypeFocus, 2017).

Within my chosen career, I will often have to dig deeper into my thoughts and

understanding in order to be successful. My personality also prefers sensing over

Intuition. This means that I like to learn through experience and tend to have a more

practical outlook of the world (TypeFocus, 2017). I believe that either personality trait

would be helpful within a career in law, however having a practical outlook is beneficial

in order to look at situations from a black and white perspective. Furthermore, I also

prefer thinking rather feeling when it comes to making decisions. This is beneficial to my

career as a lawyer because I will have to make strong logical decisions, rather than

deciding what to do based on my feelings. My final personality trait provided by the

TypeFocus assessment was judging. This means that I prefer to be organized and have
SELF AND CAREER INTEGRATIVE PAPER 4

my life be predictable (TypeFocus, 2017). It is necessary within my career to be very

organized in order to stay on top of each case and not mix up clients. Being organized

ahead of time allows me to be able to think quickly which will be beneficial to me within

my career. Overall, the personality assessment helped me reflect on what traits will

benefit me in the long run in regards to my career choice.

Explore Phase

Qualifications

There are several qualifications that are required to become a lawyer. All lawyers

must complete a law degree. It is necessary to graduate from a bachelor program to be

accepted into law school. In general, students must write the Law School Admissions

Test (LSAT) before applying to law school (University of Toronto, 2017). The first step is

completing an undergraduate degree. Most law schools will not accept students until

they have completed at least three years of their undergraduate degree. Then, the

LSAT must be written. This test analyzes the applicant’s logical thinking skills and

reading comprehension. After completing this test, students can apply to law school.

Different law schools have different entry requirements in terms of grades and LSAT

score requirements. Once a student is accepted to law school, they must complete a

first-level law degree, and this takes three years to complete. After graduating from law

school, the graduate must the provincial bar exams.

Day to Day Life

Working as a lawyer means putting in a lot of work and hours, especially at the

start of the career. Depending on the size of the law firm, typical working hours range

between 40-70 hours per week. Some daily tasks a lawyer may have to do day to day
SELF AND CAREER INTEGRATIVE PAPER 5

are research, writing documents, preparing for hearings, attending court, and meeting

with clients (AceLSAT, 2018). A lawyer still has to research and study even after they

finish law school. They will need to study for their cases and do research about what

they can do for their client. Depending on the field a lawyer focuses on, they can spend

many hours in the courtroom as well as having meetings with clients.

Challenges of Profession

There are several challenges that a lawyer may face throughout their career.

One challenge that practicing law involves working long hours. Depending on the type

of law firm a lawyer works in, they could be working upwards of 70 hours per week. The

challenge here is being able to balance work and personal life. In the beginning of a

career as a lawyer, a lot of focus on is required more on the career rather than personal

life. This could be difficult for some people because after completing years of school,

they may want to move on with their personal life or start a family. A decision will have

to be made regarding putting their personal life or career on hold. Another challenge

with this career is spending hours working in court that could possibly end up not getting

any further with a case. A lawyer can spend hours in court and end up with the

opposing side requesting a continuance, and that results in time wasted (AceLSAT,

2018). On the other side, a more positive challenge is getting the education required to

become a lawyer. The education is long and expensive but the outcome is worth it.

Attending law school involves a great deal of study, and may involve putting some

personal and social life aspects to the side in order to do well. Although these may be

seen as negative, the outcome is positive if law school is what the student truly wants to

do in regards to their education and career path. Lawyers also have to deal with many
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cases, and some may be more difficult than others. Difficult cases can be stressful and

involve putting in extended hours in order to move forward. Working with clients with

difficult cases may have some negative aspects, it provides a learning opportunity for

the lawyer. Many challenges can be seen as both positive and negative depending on

the way they are perceived.

Opportunities for Advancement

There are a few opportunities for advancement within the career. After obtaining

three year Juris Doctor Degree which is required to practice law, lawyers can take an

advanced degree which allows them to specialize in a certain area, do research, or

teach law (Salary, 2018). After several years of experience working as an attorney,

there is potential opportunity to advance and work as a judge. A long history of working

as an attorney is typically required to advance as a judge. Lawyers need to be

appointed to apply for a judgeship. After being appointed, a lawyer may have to

complete additional training before they can work as a judge.

What I Learned From My Research

Over the course of the term, I have done quite a bit of research about my career

choice. I learned about what the educational requirements are, what happens after

graduating law school, and about some of the day to day expectations as a lawyer.

Learning about how long my education will take me is somewhat concerning, however, I

look forward to the experience and believe that I will find it very interesting. I am very

excited to start my undergraduate degree, as I am applying to the criminology program

at Wilfred Laurier University. I have done research about what courses are offered

throughout the program and found them to sound quite interesting. I also have my
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concerns about being accepted to university and law school, but I have faith in myself

and it inspires me to work harder now. The research I have done within this course has

been extremely helpful in influencing my career choice.

Build Phase
Career Decision Making Grid

Criteria: things from Detective

Lawyer Criminologist Judge
your shopping list

Work Environment Option 1 Option 3 Option 4

Option 2
5 4 5 5

Good Salary

5 4 5 5

Independence

4 2 4 3

Interesting/Constant
Changing Work
5 5 5 4

Total Score
19 15 19 18

(Conestoga College, 2017)

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Career Action Plan

Long term goal: Complete undergraduate and law degree

Short term goal: Get accepted to university

Action Steps To be
completed by:

1. Maintain grades throughout Human Services Foundation program End of April 2018

st
2. Apply to Wilfred Laurier University – Criminology & Law and Society January 31 ,
programs 2018

3. After two years at Laurier, apply to University of Sussex – Law TBD

School

4. Graduate Law School, and finish undergrad TBD

5. Complete Bar exams, provincial tests TBD

Obstacles I could face / things I’m worried about

Financial obstacles, relationship obstacles, difficulties studying abroad

Possible solutions
Student loan, working out visits while studying abroad

Projected completion dates

Immediate goals by the end of April 2018, long term goal 6 years from now around 2024.

(Conestoga College, 2017)

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SMART Goals Worksheet

Finish two degrees in six years at WLU
& University of Sussex
Specific

With the plan the schools have

provided completing these programs
Measurable within 6 years is possible.

Practicing law is a career I have been

interested in for a while, something I am
Meaningful determined to do.

Studying and putting in many hours of

work will be necessary for success.
Action-oriented

I am extremely motivated to do well. I

have control over how successful I will
Achievable be throughout university.

I have the resources available to

achieve my goal. Money, time, and
Realistic support are available to me.

Reaching this goal will benefit me and

my family in the future. Reaching this
Responsible goal will have a huge effect on my
future by providing me with a good job.
Several deadlines within long term goal.
Such as applying to university,
Timed completing undergraduate degree, and
finishing law school.
I really want to do well in school, getting
high grades is very important to me. It
To what you want is important to me to reach my long
term goal, I am highly motivated
because it is something I want to do.

(Conestoga College, 2017)

SELF AND CAREER INTEGRATIVE PAPER 10

TAMARA PERK-SCHLUETER
271 Wilson Avenue
Kitchener, ON
N2C 1G9
(226) 791-4381
tamaraperkschlueter@gmail.com

Objective: To obtain a long term part-time position

Highlights of Qualifications:
- Highly skilled in providing prompt and friendly customer service
- Exceptional listener and communicator
- Self-disciplined, able to work well as part of a team and individually
- Always on time and attentive to detail

Work Experience:
August 2017 – present
Sears, Kitchener, ON
Sales Floor Associate
- Assist customers, employees, and managers when needed
- Manage fitting room operations to provide friendly customer service and ensure
security against theft
- Set-up, and displayed product merchandise on the sales floor

December 2014 – July 2017

McDonald’s, Kitchener, Ontario
Crew Member, Service/Cashier
- Greeted customers, received and assembled orders
- Maintained high standards of customer service in a fast-paced environment
- Resolved complaints promptly and professionally

August 2016 - December 31st, 2016

Little Short Stop, Kitchener, ON
Cashier
- Greeted customers, rang through and bagged purchases
- Counted tills, made floats, and performed store close
- Followed procedures regarding minimum age for tobacco and lottery sales
- Kept informed on promotions regarding store merchandise and lottery

Education:
September 2017 – present
Conestoga College, Kitchener, Ontario
- Current student of Human Services Foundations program

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

SELF AND CAREER INTEGRATIVE PAPER 11

Conclusion
After completing this program, I plan on going to university. I am going to apply to

both the Criminology and the Law and Society program at Wilfred Laurier University.

Both of these programs are eligible for studying abroad at the University of Sussex in

the United Kingdom for Law school. In my first two years of university, I will be studying

either Criminology or Law and Society working towards earning an honors bachelor

degree. I will then apply to the University of Sussex for Law school, and study abroad

for three years. After I graduate law school, I will return to Laurier for one last year to

complete my bachelor degree. After this, I will have to complete bar exams, and other

tests in order for my Law degree to be useful in Canada.

In order to be accepted to university and be successful, I will need to keep my

grades up, control my stress, and maintain focus on my goals. It is important for me to

stay motivated throughout university in order to receive high enough grades to be

accepted to Law school. I find that the more goals I set for myself and write them down

on paper, the more likely I am to reach them. I have noticed that if I start off doing well

at the beginning of the year, I feel more motivated to keep doing well. I plan on creating

an effective study schedule that will allow me to meet deadlines without burning out. To

avoid burning out, I will need to find ways to manage my stress levels. I can accomplish

this by staying organized and on top of deadlines, taking personal time away from

studying, and making sure that I am physically and mentally healthy.

I have some anxieties about my future regarding being accepted to university,

studying abroad and going to law school. I tend to overthink stressful situations and

have currently had some anxiety about attending university. I frequently doubt that I will
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be accepted, or that I will be able to do it. I need to remind myself that I am capable of

doing anything as long as I work hard. The thought of studying abroad is very exciting to

me as I have never been out of the country. It would give me the opportunity to travel

and experience a new culture while getting an education. Although this is a very exciting

opportunity, thinking about it causes some anxiety. I feel that it will be difficult for me to

be far away from my family and friends. When I feel anxious about this, I try to think

about the positive aspects of this opportunity. I know that getting a law degree requires

many hours of hard work and sometimes I doubt that I will be capable of doing this.

Although I feel this way, I also know that I am quite determined to reach my goals.

Overall, the assessments, research, and activities I have completed throughout

the course have been helpful in deciding my career path and developing a deeper

understanding of what being a lawyer entails. The discovery phase was helpful in

deciding what careers I was interested in, while the explore phase was more helpful in

learning how to get to where I want to be. I would say that the build phase provided me

with the tools I need to organize my goals, and that was the most beneficial to me. The

process of developing my career interest has provided me with the information I need to

move forward with my education.

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References
AceLSAT. (2018). A Day in the Life of a Lawyer. Retrieved January 3rd, 2018, from

http://www.acelsat.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-lawyer

Conestoga College. (2017). Career Start-up. Retrieved January 3rd, 2017, from

https://mycareer.conestogac.on.ca/myAccount/career/career.htm

Salary. (2018). Lawyer Career Education and Advancement. Retrieved January 4th,

2018, from https://www.salary.com/lawyer-career-education-and-advancement/

TypeFocus. (2017). Self-Assessments. Retrieved January 3rd, 2018, from

http://v6.typefocus.com/self_assessments/index

Univerity of Toronto. (2017). So, You Want to Become a Lawyer. Retrieved January 3rd,

2018, from https://www.law.utoronto.ca/admissions/youth-outreach/so-you-want-

become-lawyer