My four siblings and I would play pretend games in which we would act like “grown ups”. For my sixth birthday my father got me a walkway and a Bangles tape. I loved that tape! I listened to the tape so frequently I memorized the lyrics quickly. An amazing performance with doting audience was inevitable. I choreographed a dance for each of the songs, made flyers, crafted tickets, and set up a stage (the stage was my bed with chairs all around the bed for the audience). I handed out the flyers to each of my family members and Insisted that this would be the performance of a lifetime.
On the night of the planned event I charged a dollar for admission. Everybody from my family showed. I loved the feeling of earning money through hard work. It is one of the earliest memories that I have regarding my initial desire to have a successful career. As a child you are often asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up? ” I always answered that question with, “Either an actress or a counselor. I absolutely loved performing. It was the only time that I felt completely free to be myself. It was safe to be somebody else in front of hundreds of other people.
In grade school I was reviled to get to participate In an orchestra that Just encouraged my love for performance. I remember making statements that I wanted to be counselor before I knew fully what that encompassed. I have always felt that counseling was more of a calling for me instead off chosen career. Instead of encouraging me in a specific career path my family encouraged me to be a hard worker. There was an expectation that It did not matter what you were doing as long as you worked honorably and with 110% effort. My mother is an elementary school teacher and always emphasized the importance of caring for hose around you.
My parent’s modeled values that have influenced my career by the role they played In the neighborhood we lived In, Our house was always open to the neighborhood kids. My parents were always created an environment open to helping anybody that needed a safe place to be. These models and values have inspired me to continue creating safe environments to help those in need. In the sixth grade we were given the opportunity to shadow a career of choice. I knew that shadowing an actress or a counselor would be difficult to find In a small town. Finding an actress was not only difficult it was impossible.
Following a 1 OFF teacher. Being the daughter of a teacher I had several opportunities to work along side my mother in the classroom and also volunteered out to her colleagues that needed help. I always brought my passion for theater into the classroom with me and even started a community children’s theater program as my required volunteer hours in high school. I grew to love the idea of teaching theater and was passionate about the therapeutic value for every body involved. After graduating college with a degree in theater education and minor in psychology I taught high school drama.
I had never felt more rewarded. The experience was almost everything that I had ever wanted in a career. I was able to be part of my students’ Journey of discovering themselves, developing pride in themselves, and then sharing their story with an audience. The only piece that I still yearned for was the ability to do more when I saw specific individuals in need. I left the teaching career in hopes that I would find something Just as rewarding. I landed in a nonprofit agency working with children with trauma histories. I learned skills deed to be successful in community-based programs.
Working along side of some of the therapists is when I truly understood that counseling is my dream Job, especially since I knew that performing arts could be used in a therapeutic setting. Assessment My personal results of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (_) denote my personality traits as the following: extroversion, intuition, feeling, and Judging (NEFF). I did not know what to expect from the test, it was the first personality test that I have ever taken. I was only marginally surprised by some of the results from the AMBIT. Before I received my results I predicted that I would be typed as an introvert.
It has always taken me time to get to the point in a relationship where I feel safe enough to be my outgoing self. I also take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I’ll be doing when I decide to act. When I received my results showing that I was an extrovert I was surprised until I saw that the strength score only was a one. I know at times that I can appear to be shy. However, I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. I like moving into action ND making things happen.
I often understand a problem better when I can talk out loud about it and hear what others have to say. These characteristics are common among extroverts. I know that as I begin my career in counseling both my introvert and extrovert characteristics will be helpful. I will be able to help create a safe nurturing environment for both my introvert and extrovert clients. I will be able to utilize my extrovert when facilitating groups and introvert when working in individual sessions. I scored highly on the following two types intuitive and feeling (both 20).
I knew hat I would score highly on intuitive as opposed thinking. The intuitive characteristics that I have are most strongly displayed in my attention to impressions or the meaning and patterns of the information I get. This characteristic will be helpful when helping a client investigate their own lives for meanings and patterns. I’m interested in new things and what might be possible, so that I think more about the future than the past. It is important as for a counselor to have a hopeful picture for a client’s future. More as an impression of what it was like than as actual facts or details of what appended.
I believe I can make the best decisions by weighing what people care about and the points-of-view of persons involved in a situation. I am concerned with values and what is the best for the people involved. The characteristics associated with being a feeling type will be beneficial since I will need to be in tune to others needs and feelings. I was surprised that I landed on the side of Judging verses perceiving until learning a little more about the characteristics of the two. Though I lean closer to one than the other it does not mean that I am Judging all the time, especially with a score f eight.
To others, I seem to prefer a planned or orderly way of life. I like to have things settled and organized, feel more comfortable when decisions are made, and like to bring life under control as much as possible. The common weakness associated with being an NEFF type I also share. I often take on too much work or get deeply involved in other people’s problems, trying too hard not to offend or disappoint anybody. This particular weakness could hinder clients’ progress if I am afraid of offending them or lead to burn out if I am not able to set appropriate personal boundaries.
Deep down, Infer are sensitive and emotional individuals who can get hurt and disappointed very easily. NEFF personalities have a strong inner core of principles and values, and they can get very hurt if someone criticizes them. Infer may also have difficulties reacting calmly to general criticism and negativity. I know from personal experience that even with constructive criticism I can take the feedback personally and be hurt. After taking the Strong Interest Inventory I had confirmation that I have chosen a career that will to utilize my strengths and passions.
In fact, the three top suggested reversions are: counselor, educator, and performing artists. My four subspaces are social, artistic, investigative, and realistic. Each of these seems to fit well with how I have always perceived myself. I have always been interested in working with others and love to be around my close friends. The artistic interest is expressed through my love for the theater and other forms of art. I think that the investigative interest is shown through my avid curiosity in a variety of different subjects but especially in human nature. The realistic is the only one that I did not anticipate, but fits nicely.
I know that I have always enjoyed working with tools and my hands. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (AMBIT 2013) and Strong Interest Inventory (AMBIT 2013) were actually the first assessments that I have used to evaluate my interests and abilities. I have always felt that I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to go in life. Even though the test confirmed what I had already believed in myself to be true the results also opened my eyes to see that the interests that I have always had are also my strengths. Some of the things that I also thought were weaknesses I have legalized can be strengths.
I have always thought of myself as rigid but know I can see that my desire for structure can be a strength. Integration: I honorably reflect back to my younger self, knowing what was always my true calling. I am both amazed and proud of the progress that I have made to fulfill that dream. I do not feel like many people get to be what they had wanted dreamed of becoming as young children. The results of both the tests have affirmed that the field forward over the next few years I’m excited to see the details of the big picture that I have always envisioned.
