Identity and Career Development Seminar

Identity and Career Development Seminar

[Student’s Name]

[Professor’s Name]

[Course Title]

[Date]

Overview

Our college, Case Western Reserve, organized a one-day seminar to discuss the topic of identity and career development. The seminar targeted youths from the college where professionals were invited to talk and have open discussions with the students. It was a privilege to have nursing scholars as part of the invited guests. Identity development in general is a topic that focuses on the various aspects of life that every growing youth should take into account. It includes sexual and physical identity, occupational goals, ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs (Cote, 2009). These aspects are explored and committed to by the adolescent as they grow into their early adulthood (Andersen & Kerpelman, 2010). As a nursing student, it was important for me to understand who I am, what are my strengths and weaknesses and how best I can use them to better my career.

Problem

Most youth nowadays rush into making decisions without really knowing who they are and what they are capable of. Such decisions have affected their productivity especially in their careers. Some chose careers out of curiosity while some follow their parent’s decisions. They later become bored and demotivated. Identity development seminar that focused on the adolescent enables us to discover who we are and what best we could do with our lives. It enables us to identify our strengths and weaknesses and to learn ways of dealing with them to better our future. There were sessions for career advice which was really crucial in understanding the requirements of various careers. The nursing scholars discussed what is expected in the nursing field and this enabled us to prepare well for the career.

Solution

Adolescents need to understand themselves. They must know what they are capable of, their strengths and weaknesses. In case there is something they should work on, this is the perfect time before they begin their careers. This is also the time to seek career advice according to their capabilities. It is therefore important that colleges hold such seminars to help the students in self discovery. The school should quite often invite counselors from various fields to help the students discover themselves. This will help the students to be confident, to increase their self-esteem, to choose the right careers and to prepare well for their career fields.

Opportunity

The aim of the seminar was to enable the students to discover who they are, their strengths and weaknesses as well as career choices. The open forum discussions enabled us to ask questions concerning our abilities in relation to career choices. At the end of the seminar, we were able our strengths and how we could use them to better our lives. We also learnt ways taking advantage of our weaknesses and how we can work on them to better ourselves. As a nursing student, I was able to understand what is required in the nursing career, which crucial areas I should focus on to prepare myself well.

Program Competencies Addressed

In discovering oneself in the career field, the following competencies came to light as far as nursing professionalism in concerned:

Professionalism in the diverse fields of healthcare

Ability to manage patient care considering the changing environments of health care systems.

Ability to exercise professional nursing management and leadership roles in providing high quality care and patient safety

Maintain the dignity, privacy and integrity of every patient in the healthcare systems

Understand and value the processes of decision making , critical thinking and ethical reasoning.

Reference

Cote, J. (2009). Identity Formation and Self‐Development in Adolescence.

Andersen, K., & Kerpelman, J. (2010). Career Identity Development in College Students: Decision Making, Parental Support, and Work Experience (Vol. 10).