Refined Career Plan

I would personally like to work for two years before I attend graduate school. The reason for this is because I want to be sure on what I want to study. I have already taken the GMAT because this score lasts for five years, but I didn’t do as well as I would like to. Therefore, I think it would be in my best interest to take the GMAT again in the summer of 2011. I will take a KAPLAN course, or something similar to it, in the spring of 2011 to prepare for it. Once I get my GMAT score, it will be time for me to start my application.

The fall is a good time to submit applications for the next school year. Therefore, I will submit my applications to the schools of my choice in the fall of 2011, with hopes of starting my program in 2012. It will also be important for me to tour a few of the campuses to make my decision clearer on where I would like to attend. Once I make a decision on my graduate school of choice, my goal is to attend in the fall of 2012 for two years and receive an MBA by the spring of 2014.

This is a very realistic plan for me to achieve. My new career as a financial planner will allow me to attend graduate school and work at the same time because of the flexible schedule that financial planners are able to have. My new goals for my financial planning career are to hit the Century Club every year for the first two years in the business. The Century Club means I will sell at least 100 cases each year under contract. I think this is an achievable goal, but it will take a lot of desire and patience.

The ways I will accomplish all of these goals are described in my Goal Sheet post.

Goal Sheet

Short Term Goals

Career

1. Receive my Securities license by the beginning of November by studying for two hours every weekday from September through October.

2. Make the 110% club 3 of the next 5 months. This will be accomplished through constant activity.

Education

1. Sign up for a KAPLAN course to be able to improve my GMAT score.

Mid-Term Goals

Career

1. Hit the Century Club. (Sell 100 policies in my first year as an agent).

i. Set weekly and monthly goals that will put me in a position to do this.

Network

2. Build professional relationships with insurance companies, and accountants in Logan, Pocatello, and Provo.

i. Call and meet with somebody once a month to discuss future business partnerships.

Education

3. Take the GMAT again in the summer of 2011 and receive a 600 or better.

i. The KAPLAN course in the spring will help prepare me for this.

4. Apply for graduate school in Fall of 2011 with preparations to begin my studies in Fall of 2012.

i. Select eight different schools of interest.

ii. Visit three different campuses.

Job Shadow

Kyle Micheli: Manager/Financial Advisor

Allegis Financial Partners: Orem, UT

1. How did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?

Answer: Kyle actually claims he started investing people’s money at the age of 12. Obviously he couldn’t legally invest it in the stock market at that age, but he said he told other ways to help people earn more money. He has had an interest and passion for personal finances ever since then.

He started his job when he was finishing up college at Utah State University. He became manager about two years ago after being one of the most successful financial advisors in the company.

2. What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying?

Answer: Kyle said he finds the most satisfaction when he sees people make progress on their financial goals. He has worked with people who started out as broke college students, but they were able to apply the principles he taught and showed them and now they are doing great. He also said he absolutely loves making a sale and developing relationships with his clients.

3. What part of this job do you personally find most challenging?

Answer: Kyle is the manager at Allegis Financial Partners so he is in charge of all the other advisors in the Orem office. He said it is really challenging sometimes to get his advisors to do the good habits that he teaches them to do. When they don’t do it, they suffer in the job and cannot support their families. It is very difficult for him to watch guys that he loves come in and drop out of the business because they are not making a living.

4. Is there flexibility related to dress, work hours, vacation schedule, place of residence, etc.?

Answer: One of the big perks to this job is the flexibility. Kyle said that he does not want his guys to ask for time off for vacation or something of that nature. He just wants them to take whatever time they want off as long as they produce as they should. Dress standards are pretty flexible, as long as the clothes are professional. He said that most people are successful in places where they are familiar. However, you can essentially live wherever you want.

5. How is the economy affecting this industry?

Answer: Actually in the financial advising world, the industry booms no matter the circumstances. Because the economy is down, many people feel the need to get financial advice because they are scared of the consequences of doing it on their own. And when the economy is up, people are really positive and willing to take some risks with their money. With the economy the way it has been the last few years, the financial advising industry is doing very well.

6. What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field? Is there a salary ceiling?

Answer: This job is 100% commission. Therefore, the salary ranges are all over the place. Generally guys in their first year will make an average of 40K. However, the sky is the limit. One guy in their office makes well over 400K. How much you make depends on how hard you work.

7. What abilities or personal qualities do you believe contribute most to success in this field/job?

Answer: Kyle said for sure a sense of competitiveness. People have to have the desire to make and set goals. He also said people need to be outgoing and willing to go the extra mile for their clients. Organized is another attribute that he mentioned because a lot of paper work is involved in this job, and you have to be able to keep everything together.

8. What were the keys to your career advancement? How did you get where you are and what are your long-term goals?

Answer: Kyle said the key to him being a part owner of the company and a manager in the Orem office was hard work. He said he figured out how to effectively work the business and impressed his bosses so much that they offered him a job as manager. He has developed great working habits in this field and knows what it takes to be successful. He said his long-term goal is to continue to work as manager and continue to own part of the business. He would like to start working a bit with real estate as well.

Summary

I really enjoyed this opportunity I had to follow the manager of a financial advising company. It really helped me to see all of the things he is required to do in a day. I also really liked how he always seemed happy. He really enjoys his career. It was also interesting to hear him talk with some of his clients. His clients love him, and I can tell he has developed a very good relationship with them.

I am really interested now at becoming a manager in a financial advising firm because of the relationship he also had with his employees. His employees work hard and enjoy working hard for Kyle. I want to continue to further my research in a managing position, but I obviously need to get my personal experience as a financial advisor first. Financial advising seems like a very flexible yet challenging job. I feel like I am a diligent person, and I also know that I want to run my own schedule. I think I would be good at financial advising because of the relationship building that is so heavily involved in this career.

Mock Interview Reflection

Who did you interview with and what is their job title?

I interviewed with Robert Clegg, and he is a Social Therapist.

What was most useful to you about this experience?

It was very useful for me to prepare for this interview. I have always had a tough time with interviews because I feel like I am bragging when I talk about my achievements. Before this interview I was able to prepare a few stories about myself, and how they would make me stand out as a future employee.

What was the most difficult question you were asked? Why?

The most difficult question for me to answer was what are my strengths and weaknesses. This was difficult because I know I have many weaknesses, but I didn't want to make it be a weakness that would disqualify me for the position I was a interviewing for so it took me like 30 seconds to come up with a pretty good answer.

What advice would you give to others preparing for an interview?

I would give the advice to prepare a couple of stories about yourself because people enjoy hearing stories of your talents in real life situations. I would also recommend studying up on the company beforehand because you never know what type of question the interviewee might ask you about the business. Plus, if you want to be able to ask questions at the end of the interview, you need to know some specifics about the company.

Name at least three (3) things you learned.

I learned that no matter how well you prepare, you will still be very nervous. I also learned that it is not bad to talk yourself up as long as it is true. We do not need to feel fearful of being cocky. Just show confidence and the employers will see that I also learned the importance of remembering past situations in my life so that I can now share them with others.

Name at least three (3) things that can be improved on for your next interview.

I can improve my posture next time. Sometimes I felt like I was really slouching on the couch I was sitting on. I can also improve my vocabulary. For some reason, big words were coming to my head during the interview, but I didn't exactly know what they meant so sometimes I think the interviewee got a little confused. And the last thing I think I can improve on is my ability to state my strengths. I need to already know what I am good at and what I am not good at. This will help me to respond with confidence to many questions.

Elevator Speech

Hi my name is Brian Wilde. I will graduate this August in International Business Management. I have worked and interned for a couple financial advising companies, and I love what I do. I am very personable and able to get along with just about anyone. This is very important in the business world, and I want to be able to form successful business relationships with great people who require my financial services. I know my experience, education, and work ethic will help me be a great asset to any company I join.

I would give this speech to anyone who asked me about my professional life. I guess it could happen in an elevator, or in a job interview. Obviously I would not memorize it, but it would need to be somewhat prepared. I practiced on my wife, and she seemed to think it was good.

Personality/Interest Assessment

MBTI Report

 

1.            List your reported type. (Example: ESTJ)

·       I am ESFJ.

 

2.            According to your report, what are some of the characteristics that best describe your personality type?

·       A lot of the characteristics described in my report reflect who I am.  An ESFJ is friendly, tactful, and sympathetic, and I would say that I am all of those.  It also says that much of my pleasure and satisfaction comes from the warmth of feeling of people around me.  I would totally agree with that statement.  Another characteristic that describes an ESFJ and totally describes me is being loyal to people, institutions, or causes, sometimes to the point of idealizing whatever or whomever they admire.  I think this report hit the ball on my personality traits.

 

3.            Refer to the list of the 50 most popular occupations page or go to http://www.careervoyages.gov/top50occupations-main.cfm                                   Read the list of occupations, circle the ones that you would like to explore, and list them below.

·       Honestly, the top 10 jobs they have listed here don’t really interest me.  However, of the top 50, I think I would enjoy the following occupations:

o   School teacher

o   School administrator

o   Director of religious activities

o   Public health educator

o   Manager/supervisor of health care support workers

 

4.            How do you believe the occupations you have chosen to explore fit with your personality preferences?  Explain how these occupations allow you to work in your preferred work environment.

·       Well I think an important part of being a teacher is being friendly and sympathetic.  I have a good ability to show empathy for others, and I think a school teacher needs to understand the needs of their students.  All of the occupations I chose also involve being around people and forming relationships with them.

 

SII Report           

 

1.            List your general occupational theme code. (Example EAS)

·       My theme code is SCE.

 

2.            List your 5 Basic Interests Scales and determine what type of interest they represent from the following: vocational, educational, leisure activities, personal interest. (Examples might include: religion-personal interest, teaching-leisure, healthcare-vocational)

·       My top five interest areas are the following areas:

o   Athletics

o   Religion and Spirituality

o   Teaching and Education

o   Sales

o   Social Sciences

 

3.            Refer to pages 5, 6, and 7 of your SII profile.  Look at all the occupational scales you scored highest in (generally 40 or above), or that have a combination of your theme code.  List the occupations from the scales that you might like to research.

·       Some of the occupations that I might like to research would be the following occupations:

o   School Administrator

o   Business Education Teacher

o   Banker

o   Financial Analyst

o   Life Insurance Agent

o   Travel Consultant

o   Top Executive

 

4.            For the following questions refer to Personal Style Scales on page 8 of your SII profile.

 

A.    Look at your “Work Style” rating.  What does your score suggest to you in relation to the occupations you listed above?

 

·       It is a 64, which shows that I clearly prefer working with people, enjoy helping others, and I am outgoing.  The occupations listed above describe these jobs to a “T”.

 

B.            Look at your “Learning Environment” rating.  How do the educational requirements of the occupations you listed fit with your interest to pursue additional training?

 

·       I am midrange as far as this goes at a score of 50.  I am more than willing to go to more school to be qualified for certain positions.  However, I also don’t think a book can teach me everything.  The occupations listed above require some schooling, and a few of them require graduate school.

 

C.            Look at your “Leadership Style” rating.  How do these occupations fit your personal style?

 

·       I am still in Midrange with a score of 57.  Many of these occupations don’t require being an absolute leader, yet they do require a bit of directing and leading by example.

 

D.            Look at your “Risk Taking/Adventure” rating.  Explain how the occupations do or do not match your risk taking style.

 

·       I have a score of 60.  A few of the occupations listed above involve some risk such as a top executive, life insurance agent, and a financial analyst.  The others are pretty conservative as far as risk goes.  Executives, insurance agents, and financial agents must take risks to be able to succeed in their careers.  They do not always know what the competitors will do, or how their clients will respond to certain decisions and this fits me pretty well.

 

5.          What college majors are suggested for your theme code that you find interesting?

·       Accounting

·       Banking and Finance

·       Financial Planning

·       Hotel Management

·       Secondary Education

·       Business Administration

·       International Relations

    

6.               Of your top 10 occupations, list 3 you are most interested in and the educational

       preparation required for each.

 

·       Travel Consultant = Vocational/technical certificate, AA, or BA, plus specialized travel training

·       Business Education Teacher = MA plus teaching certificate preferred

·       Parks and Recreation Manager = BA or MA in recreation or leisure studies.

 

Occupations not listed on MBTI or SII

 

1.              List any occupations you are interested in that were not listed on your MBTI or SII reports.

·       Sports Broadcaster

 

 

Meet with a Career Counselor at CACC

 

1.            Make an appointment to review your assessment reports with a career counselor in Career and Academic Counseling (LC402 or contact by phone: 801-863-8425).

 

 

2.              List any comments or suggestions made by the counselor regarding selection of a career or major and/or your assessment results.

·       My counselor already knew that I have chosen an occupation for now as a Financial Planner.  However, she did help me realize the importance of having a few backup plans in case things fall through.  Many people switch careers in a lifetime.  She does think I am doing something that fits my assessment results.

 

3.        Write the name of the counselor you met with and the date of your appointment.

 

Name:  Janiece Commichaux               Date   June 10, 2010

SWOT Analysis for Major

Major:  Business Management: International Business

Courses Taken: 

·      Acct 2010, 2020,

·      Calc 1100

·      MGMT 3600, 3100, 2200, 3010, 2390, 332G, 3350, 3890, 3450, 4870, 495R, 2340

·      DGM 1010, 2010, INFO 3120

·      FIN 4180

·      SPAN 3200, 4200

·      ECON 1010, 2010

·      LEGL 3000

Courses Needed to Graduate:

·      MGMT 4800, 4830   I am currently taking both.

 

 

 

 

SWOT Analysis of Major

Strengths:

·      My favorite part of this major is the chance to participate in business classes.  Business is fascinating to me.  I really enjoy learning about the different opportunities that exist globally and what I can do to prepare myself to snag those opportunities.

·      The advantage I see with this degree is the basic knowledge of business and financial principles that I am learning.  These are applicable in almost every field that somebody enters.  I will be valuable to a company because of this knowledge.  (I want an MBA.)

·      Appealing courses for me are accounting, finance, and management.

·      I only have 4 credit hours left to graduate and will have them done in August.

·      I have already officially started my career as a Financial Advisor so this path is working out great for me.

·      Business fits well for me because I have good people skills.  I love getting to know people and forming relationships. This is crucial in the business world.

·      I love studying domestic and global business.

Weaknesses:

·      My least favorite part of this major has been deciding on what to do for a career.  Business is quite broad, and it was hard for me to determine what I wanted to do.  But luckily, I think I have figured it out.

·      Statistics and Calculus were the most challenges courses I took.

·      In order for me to really stand apart from other business majors, I need to get an MBA.  A Bachelor’s in business can only get you so far.  If you want to go further on with a company, a lot of times an MBA is necessary.

Opportunities:

·      My degree is preparing me for my future career in business.  My finance classes have really helped me understand the importance of understanding where to invest money and other things like that.

·      This degree has already opened a door for me because I received a job offer before I graduated.

·      I graduate in August of this year.

·      I do know many people who have been successful in the business world, and I hope to work hard and gain the respect of my employers and clients.

·      I have a few mentors that will help me along the way.  They work with me and are basically my trainers.

Threats:

·      I have always considered teaching high school.  I really think I would love it.  However, I am convinced I would not earn the income I desire. 

·      Financing my college education has not been too bad with scholarships, pell grants, and some help from my parents.