PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 4 Respective Career Plan

Student Name

Capella University

PSYC FPX 4900 Psychology Capstone Project

Prof. Name:

Date

Personal Career Plan

I am just one assignment away from achieving my goal of completing my bachelor’s degree, allowing me to focus on my career aspirations and other academic objectives. In this assessment, I will outline a career plan and an action plan to help me achieve my career and educational goals. I will analyze theories that will influence my professional strengths and weaknesses and summarize the results from my self-assessment and self-inventory exercises. The purpose of this assessment is to clarify my objectives, values, and professional qualities. I intend to utilize this career plan and action plan in the future until I accomplish all my goals.

Assessment and Inventory Results

My professional qualities and values have evolved over the years as I have pursued my bachelor’s degree and contemplated my career path. Various professional and personal experiences have shaped my qualities and values. I reviewed a presentation on psychology careers and completed two evaluations that helped me identify my current skills, qualities, and values. Understanding my qualities, skills, and values is essential for leveraging my strengths and addressing my weaknesses in the workplace.

Initially, I reviewed the “Careers in Psychology” presentation, which outlined various career options available to individuals with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate in psychology. Currently, I work in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) field as a registered behavior technician. This role is one of the options listed for those pursuing a bachelor’s degree. I enjoy my work in the ABA field and am interested in exploring other career opportunities within this domain. After reviewing the different career paths, I found several appealing options, including psychiatric technician and child life specialist. Both roles are of interest to me should I decide not to continue in the ABA field. My previous experience in mental health has been enjoyable, and pursuing a career as a psychiatric technician would allow me to expand my knowledge and experience in this area.

I chose to pursue a psychology degree because it serves as a foundation for numerous opportunities in various fields, including ABA, mental health, education, counseling, and sports. I completed the Career Skills Inventory assessment, which aims to identify an individual’s five most critical professional values. My top five skills were: communication, development, learning new skills, rapport building, and teaching. I resonate with these results and believe these values are crucial for my career path. I also feel that these values align well with my personality. Nauta (2010) suggests that when an individual’s personality aligns with their work environment, it leads to higher job satisfaction, stability, and performance.

PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 4 Respective Career Plan

The expectancy theory posits that individuals will behave based on their expectations of the consequences of their actions (Lawler III, 1973). I can relate to this theory, as I engage in behaviors with specific outcomes in mind. For instance, when working with a client whose behavior is escalating, I remain calm and speak in a soft voice, expecting them to gradually calm down. My goal is to de-escalate the situation, making it easier for me to listen to them, assist with tasks, and provide instruction. I believe the five values I have identified are among my strengths, and I will continue to leverage them to grow in my field.

I also completed the Work Values Card Sort, which helped me focus on the qualities and values I need in my work environment. The five most important values to me were advancement, creativity, impact, knowledge, and collaboration. It is essential for me to work in a field that offers opportunities for advancement. The ABA field provides such opportunities; for example, I currently work as a registered behavior technician, but with further education and experience, I could become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or even a Clinical Director. The ABA field also allows me to be creative, learn something new almost every day, collaborate with others, and make a significant impact on people’s lives.

Goals and Career Plans

My ultimate career goal is to become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). To achieve this goal, I will need to pursue a master’s degree or a certificate program that meets the requirements set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Additionally, I must obtain the required supervision experience hours before I can sit for the BCBA certification exam. I have already begun taking the necessary steps toward becoming a BCBA, including researching master’s programs and narrowing my options to two specific universities. I have applied to these universities, and my acceptance is contingent upon completing my bachelor’s degree. I have also discussed obtaining my supervision hours with the ABA company where I am currently employed, and I will begin accruing these hours on the first day of classes for my master’s program. I genuinely believe that my skills, values, and qualities align with my chosen career path and educational goals.

Working as a BCBA

As a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), I will have the opportunity to utilize the skills and qualities that I value most. I will apply my creativity and build rapport while strengthening relationships during sessions with my clients and their families. Additionally, I will work with a diverse range of individuals, which will enhance my skills. Over the past three years in the field, I have discovered that it offers numerous opportunities for advancement, growth, and learning across various areas. There are several conferences and training sessions held annually for professionals in the ABA field. These events provide opportunities to expand knowledge and network with others who share similar interests and passions. The field is challenging, and no two days are alike. Most importantly, I will have the chance to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Working as a behavior therapist has been incredibly rewarding. I enjoy collaborating with my clients and witnessing their growth and acquisition of new skills daily. I take great pleasure in sharing the news with my clients’ parents when they discover a new skill or reduce maladaptive behaviors. These experiences are just a few reasons why I believe my professional career goals align with my values and interests.

Motivation

The self-determination theory emphasizes the importance of autonomy, competence, and understanding (Huang et al., 2016). When these needs are met, they enhance an individual’s motivation, leading to increased effort in the workplace (Huang et al., 2016). I interpret this to mean that I will be more motivated to perform my job effectively if I find enjoyment in my work. Enjoying what I do will not only drive me to work harder but also inspire me to expand my knowledge (Bayne, 2015). I believe that increased motivation and experience will benefit me professionally, as well as my clients and colleagues. I will provide my clients with exceptional therapy and support my team in doing the same. If my needs, values, and qualities are consistently met in my work environment, I will exert great effort and perform my job responsibilities to the best of my ability.

Action Plan

Having a plan of action is essential for achieving my career and educational goals. In this section, I will outline my career goals and the steps I need to take to accomplish them. My primary goal is to become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). First, I need to successfully obtain my bachelor’s degree. I will graduate at the end of September 2020 with a BS in General Psychology. Next, I will need to pursue a master’s degree or certification that meets the BACB requirements. I have applied to Capella University for a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program. My second option is to attend Arizona State University for their Special Education Program with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis. After researching both universities and programs, I am confident that they both meet BACB requirements and are recognized as acceptable institutions. Both Capella and ASU have start dates in October, and I plan to begin my program then. Capella also offers start dates in November and December 2020, should any unforeseen circumstances prevent me from starting in October 2020.

Additionally, I will need to complete at least 2,000 hours of restricted supervision while working under a BCBA. The BCBA will supervise me and assist in teaching me the various tasks I will need to complete once I become a BCBA. I have already discussed the supervision hours with my current employer. Once I begin my master’s program in October 2020, I will be paired with a BCBA to start accumulating my supervision hours. After fulfilling the educational program and supervision requirements, I will apply to become a BCBA. Once my application is accepted and approved, I will be eligible to sit for the BCBA exam. Upon receiving a passing score, I can begin working as a BCBA with a company of my choice. My goal is to complete both my supervision requirements and the educational program by January 2022, and I aim to take the BCBA exam by the end of August 2022. After gaining significant experience as a BCBA, I aspire to advance my career as a Clinical Director of an ABA company or to establish my own ABA practice.

Conclusion

Setting professional and educational goals is crucial. It is equally important to understand the values, qualities, and skills necessary to achieve these goals. Completing this assessment has allowed me to reflect on the qualities, values, and essential skills I possess. I have also had the chance to evaluate the skills, values, and qualities I wish to see in my work environment. My objective is to remain in the ABA field while seeking opportunities for growth, learning, and advancement. I have devised a plan of action to achieve both my professional and educational aspirations. Furthermore, I have identified what will motivate me most as I progress on my journey. A strong sense of motivation will influence my professional behavior and improve my work performance, benefiting myself, my future clients, and my colleagues. As I continue on this path, I will adhere to my action plan, trust my values, and enhance my qualities and skills.

References

Bayne, H. (2015). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In E. Neukrug (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 632-634). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781483346502.n224

Huang, Y., Lv, W., & Wu, J. (2016). Relationship between intrinsic motivation and undergraduate students’ depression and stress: The moderating effect of interpersonal conflict. Psychological Reports, 119(2), 527–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294116661512

Lawler III, E. E., & Suttle, J. L. (1973). Expectancy theory and job behavior. Organizational behavior and human performance, 9(3), 482-503.