Life is full of decisions, many are simple like what to eat or what to wear (at least for a guy,) but for life decisions involving what career to pursue, it is not as easy to decide. Many aspects must be considering when deciding on a career, setting a goal to include an education plan and determining what the future advancement might affect that career must be carefully researched. My current career goals are determined by the fundamental desire to provide for my family. Several key factors must be evaluated prior to making any career decision.
First and foremost is determining the current standard of living and evaluating what are the essentials needed to provide for the family. Comparing the current budget to the projected budget is the next step. The minimum desired income for the needs of my family is 45,000 dollar a year salary or twenty-one dollars an hour. Picking a career is the next step, capitalizing on 20 year career in the military as an electronic technician has set the course for narrowing down my next job.
I will obtain a job utilizing the skills, training and experience, of not only repair but management and leadership that I have acquired from the United States Navy. The key to all my experience is to translate them into words for a resume that a civilian corporation will understand. Researching the job field and what companies are looking for will determine the type of information placed in the resume.
For example, if a job opening is for a level one technician, the resume should be geared toward skills of troubleshooting and problem identification, rather than addressing my abilities of management and leadership. Practicing interviewing technique will greatly increase my chance landing a job that will meet my family’s financial requirements. The future of my career field will continue to change as technology advances; many manufacturing corporations utilize Program Logic Controllers and computer software to run production, both will continue to change and develop.
As a future employee of these businesses, I must continue to stay informed of these changes in order to keep a job, also by keeping up to date on changes and development of new technologies, I can identify potential upgrades for the company making manufacturing/production more cost effective. I imagine as electronic field advances and replacement parts are more accessible or can be easily manufactured parts through 3D printers.
I suspect that more and more electronic repair jobs will be outsourced to private contractors, unless I as the technician am able to develop and capitalize on new technology. Being proactive in continuing my education will keep me abreast of changes in the electronic field. Informally, I can accomplish this through researching via the web, understanding the difference between search engines and databases will be the key to keeping up to date accurate information.
These databases will allow me to research though magazines or academic journals in the field of technology and engineering. Formally, I can accomplish this through certification provided by the company, or through college classes that provide certification and credentials for newly arisen technology. Getting a degree from an ABET accredited engineering program is the best way to insure that I am best prepared for obtaining a job in the career field of electronic technologies.
As a student at Thomas Edison State University, my education plan is to finish the remaining 18 credits need for BA in Electronic Technologies prior retiring from the United States Navy in eighteen months. Paying for the courses is being accomplished through the Navy Tuition Assistance Program that allows me to take up to 16 credit hours a year. Purchasing of books will require budgeting each month, by setting aside fifty dollars in preparation for the upcoming expense of the text books. Also the resale of text books upon competition of class will help reduce the overall cost.
Coordinating the time to take each course is determined by my current work schedule. Courtesy of Thomas Edison State University’s online course programs, I am able to plan my courses in a cascading effect, so that I am not taking more than two classes at a time with finals on due in the same week. The six courses I need to complete are English Composition II, Calculus I and II, and three humanities. The three humanities that I will accomplish are American Literature I and II and Humanities II Drama, Poetry and Narrative.
Pending my work load and holiday schedule I will plan my courses to be finished by the end of the year, that way I can attend the spring graduation ceremony. The last step in my current education plan is to take the Fundamental Engineering Exam prior to June of 2018. After getting a new job outside of the military I will need to maintain my credentials in electronic technologies, by periodically taking the Practice of Engineering exam. Also, in expectations for future promotions, I will have to prepare for the Professional Engineering Exam if I desire to advance to upper level management.
In conclusion, the next step in my career is to finish my degree in order to guarantee my qualification for my job search after departing the United States Navy. I must remember to keep in mind the future not only to maintain my license, but to keep in sync with growing and development in the electronic field. By proper researching through accredited sources I will have the opportunity to learn how the advancement will help the company grow. Insuring that I will keep my job and thereby securing a career that will generate enough income to provide for my family.