Career Summary Research Paper
Career Summary Research Paper
Jonathan Mackey
CAPS 495 – Senior Capstone
Mar 21, 2015
Nam Pham
Southwestern College Professional Studies
Career Summary Research Paper
Abstract
This paper will discuss the many career opportunities that are open to me now that I will soon be graduating Southwestern College with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. This paper will concentrate on the career opportunities that I have researched, then discuss the different career paths that I could pursue that take in consideration my knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. Finally I will select a career path that is best suited for someone with my strengths and background and discuss this career path in detail.
Introduction
Graduating with a with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration is completing an important goal in my life and certainly setting myself up for success in my current career and my future career once I retire from the military. I first began my pursuit of a Bachelors degree with the intent of remaining competitive for promotion in the Army. However, throughout my pursuit for a degree I realized that I have acquired the knowledge and skills in business administration to also be competitive for many other career paths outside the military once I retire. The research that I conducted in several career fields has given me confidence that I could pursue these career fields if I chose to do so and the research has also assisted me in understanding what other skills, certifications, and experiences will be beneficial in pursuing certain career paths.
The Research
The first step in my research was to research career, career and industry trends that may impact the careers and their paths, and specific roles in organizations related to my major field of study.
I focused my research in two different career paths of financial analyst and a field in federal government service. What I found was that the career trends for both career paths were quite positive. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for financial analyst will rise 16% between 2012 and 2022(Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2015). Also the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that Business Operation Specialist is the second largest occupations in the federal government(Occupational Employment Statistics, 2015).
Therefore finding career opportunities related to my field of study should not be an issue. I was concerned with the budget constraints imposed by the Federal Government Sequester. According the to the Washington Post the Sequester forces $85 billion in budget reductions and the federal workforce faces furloughs, hiring freezes, and reduced overtime due to these budget constraints (Cameron & Hicks, How is the sequester affecting federal agencies?, 2013). However after researching the affects of the Sequester on federal government jobs I have come to the conclusion that the Sequester did not have the impact on federal government jobs that was forecasted, only 11 of the 48 of the predicted impacts of the Sequester came true(Cameron, Fahrenthold, & Rein, Tracking the Predicted Sequester Impacts, 2013). Also the current amount of federal jobs on USAJobs.gov which I qualify for at my current location, is 162 positions(USAJobs, 2015). Understanding the actual impact of the Sequester builds confidence that a career in federal government service is promising.
Career Path Selection
After a significant amount of research on potential career paths that my knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and education cater towards I narrowed the career paths down to two different careers as a financial analyst and a career as a federal employee specifically as a Health Service Support Planner.
A career as a financial analyst has always intrigued me. I have always been interested in finances and follow the world’s stock markets frequently as a hobby. Also, the median salary as of May 2012 for a financial analyst is $76,950(Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2015) which is a respectable salary when you include my future military pension.
However, a career in financial analysis has a few barriers for entry. The barriers are licensing and certification; I currently am not licensed or certified as a financial analyst and would have to attain licensing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority once I was hired as a financial analyst. Certification as a financial analyst could be completed once I complete my Bachelor’s degree through the Chartered Financial Analyst Instituteresulting in being more competitive for potential jobs as a financial analyst(Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2015). This career path would be a sharp change in direction from my current career. Therefore my current network of contacts, military education, and experience would be of little assistance as a financial analyst.
The other career path I researched was career as a federal employee specifically as a Health Service Support Planner at the Combatant Command level (COCOM). As I researched positions on USAJobs.gov I ran across a few positions as planners at the COCOM level. These jobs were rated at the GS11 level which equates to $63,722.00 to $82,840.00 per year in addition to benefits such as retirement pension, locality pay, and up to 5% match in the Thrift Savings Plan. As a Health Service Support Planner, I would be part of a team that would be responsible for the planning of all health service support into all operational plans that are conducted in a COCOM. Once I earn my Bachelors I will be fully qualified for this position once my military education and experience is taken into consideration. However, after researching this career field I determined there are a few military schools that I could complete that would make me more competitive in the Health Service Support Planner career field. The courses that would benefit me the most as a Health Service Support Planner at the COCOM level would be the Joint Medical Operations Course and the Joint Medical Planners Tool Kit(Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, 2015). I have already attended the Medical Stability Operations Course which would provide insight as a Health Service Support Planner when planning disaster relief or humanitarian assistance operations. I have vast knowledge and experience in joint military medical planning and medical stability operations. Also, I instructed the Army’s medical plans and operations course. I believe this experience with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration will make me a competitive candidate asHealth Service Support Planner.
Ultimately a career path as a Federal employee as a Health Service Support Planner would be the better fit when considering my experience in the military, deployment experience, military education, and civilian education. Also my military service would give me preference during the hiring process and my network of contacts throughout the military would be beneficial in this line of work.
Conclusion
The research conducted throughout this assignment has been quite beneficial. This research has provided me insight on getting on the correct path for a career after I retire. I now have a better understanding of the certifications and other education requirements that might be required or highly recommended to remain competitive. I have also learned more about the benefits of federal employment and how this relates to my military service. As a veteran, I would qualify for preference during the hiring process. Also as a veteran, I could purchase my military service time back resulting in nearly a 100% increase in a federal employee pension that would be in addition to my military pension(DFAS, 2015). In addition to the increase in pension, I would also accrue leave at a higher rate. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for me to pursue a career as a federal employee as aHealth Service Support Planner. I enjoy medical planning in the military and would love to carry this passion into another career after the military. The few years I have left in the military I will use to continue to prepare myself for a career path after the military. I will continue pursuing military schools that enhance my skills needed as a military planner. Also I will continue my education and will pursue a Masters degree in business administration.
Works Cited
Cameron, D., & Hicks, J. (2013, February 26). How is the sequester affecting federal agencies? Retrieved March 21, 2015, from The Washington Post:
Cameron, D., Fahrenthold, D. A., & Rein, L. (2013, June 30). Tracking the Predicted Sequester Impacts. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from The Wasington Post:
Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute. (2015, March 21). DMRTI. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from Joint Medical Operations Course:
DFAS. (2015, March 21). DFAS Civilian Employees Military Service. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from DFAS Civilian Employees Military Service:
Occupational Employment Statistics. (2015, 03 21). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 03 21, 2015, from United States Department of Labor:
Occupational Outlook Handbook. (2015, 03 21). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 03 21, 2015, from United States Department of Labor:
USAJobs. (2015, March 21). USA Jobs The Federal Governments Official Jobs site. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from USA JobsThe Federal Governments Official Jobs site: