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THE STORY OF SAM'S WORK VALUESIn looking at Sam's work values, we begin with his top priority all through school, which was to make a lot of money and find respect in the community. His parents - immigrants from China - supported the family by running a produce store. They always saw doctors as wealthy people who had beautiful homes and lots of prestige in the community. They passed on this family value to their son. THE VISIONSam latched on to this belief in elementary school. He didn't question it. He saw himself opening a big practice, patients filling his waiting room, and his bank balance growing as a result. He knew he would be able to afford a shiny black Mercedes, and a home in the best part of town. The title and the respect that went with it, was an added incentive. Sam was lucky in the sense that he did well enough in school to get into Pre-Med at university. If you asked Sam why he wanted to be a doctor, he'd say: "Being a doctor is all I ever thought about from the time I could talk". GETTING ACCEPTED INTO MEDICAL SCHOOLFor a brief moment, while waiting to hear back from the Medical Schools he'd applied to across the country, he wondered what else he might do, if he wasn't accepted into Medical School. Sam had an Enterprising Work Style, he was a natural leader and had a quick mind, and a personal presence, he could have done many things. But an acceptance came through at the last minute and he was swept up in the excitement. ACHIEVING HIS DREAMSam sweated through seven long years to get his MD, fsollowed by a grueling three years interning in a general hospital. Through it all he never lost focus of his dream to make money and find respect in the community. When he opened his practice, he found he was indeed in demand, many sick people sat in his waiting room. He bought the black Mercedes, got married, started a family and acquired a mortgage in an upscale neighborhood. His father was proud of his son, "The Doctor" and proudly showed him off at family gatherings. WHAT WENT WRONG?But the money wasn't coming in fast enough. Sam began to resent the long lines of patients, the time they took, their constant complaints. He felt trapped. He had little time for himself. He toyed with opening a practice in Plastic Surgery, but decided he didn't want to spend any more time in school. Things weren't working out the way he'd expected.
How do you think Sam could change things to make them work for him?
SAM'S WORK VALUES: ECONOMIC RETURNS, PRESTIGE, LIFESTYLE The main thing to remember is that no matter what choices we make, we learn from them. And most times we can change our choices or modify them to make them work for us. Let's look at what Sam really needs. He needs a career with a lot of potential for making money. This would point towards doing something that has making money as its main goal. Perhaps Business - either working for himself or for an organization. It should also be something that brings prestige and status to his family. And he also wants to be able to have a more leisurely lifestyle, than his parents had working in their store all the time. Working for himself might not give him this freedom. However, he has a strong desire to achieve, and will work hard if his knows the rewards are there. WHAT CAN SAM DO NOW?Sam needs to do a little Career Planning and Assessment. It's not too late for him. In order to get through medical school, he had to have perseverance and persistence in spite of the difficulties. It is much harder to change direction in mid-stream. However, he has the power to do it. The real question now is: Does he have the will? His values came from his family. His parents struggled all their lives to earn a living in their own store. His father wanted to see his son do better than himself. The best, most prestigious career he could think of was a medical doctor. PLEASING OTHERS vs. FINDING YOUR OWN WAYSam wanted to please his father, and he knew the whole family would be able to hold up their heads a little higher if he became a doctor. So, in a way, he sacrificed himself to bring his family the prestige they wanted. Sam's enterprising orientation was towards making a profit which would give him a freer lifestyle. He saw being a doctor more like a business. To him the helping aspect was low on his list of Work Values. His Highest Work Values were pointing toward impressing other people and gathering around him the symbols of status and prestige. He loved the title that came with this type of work, and looked forward to the respect in the community that being a doctor would bring him and his family. And he wanted to please his father, who dreamed of having a doctor in the family. Notice how easy it is to confuse the values of those we love, or want to please, with our own. OTHER CHOICES OPEN TO SAMIf Sam was more aware of his Work Values, he might have made other choices. But it's never too late. He is flexible, enterprising, persuasive, and able to make his life happen. He may eventually leave medicine, but he will always have the title of Dr. before his name. He has achieved his father's dream and raised the status of his family. TIME TO FOLLOW HIS OWN DREAMSam is now clearly aware of his work values and how these affect his choices. His new choices will take into consideration such things as his passion, what really excites him, his personality style, his motivations, and the work environment he prefers. The choices are many and can take him in different directions. When you have finished working through this program, you too, will have a clear idea of the best career match for you.
Karen also chose to become a Medical Doctor. But her story has a happier outcome. Notice how her work gives her real satisfaction and sustains her energy, even as she faces difficult decisions on a daily basis.
What other choices are open to her?
These Links Point the Way Through Steps 1, 2, 3 & 4
1. Discovering Your Work Style Preferences 2. Choosing Your Work Values 3. Identifying Your Personality Style 4. Pinpointing What Motivates You 5. Making Your Multiple Intelligences Work For You Links to Step 2 - Career Exploration Getting Started - Opening the Door to Exploring New Careers 9 Frequently Asked Questions on Job Searching How to Do Job Research - Your Search Tool Links Links to Step 3 - Getting into the Nitty Gritty How to Do Job Searching Paper Research Online Research People Research Links Participation Research Links Links to Step 4 - Taking Care of Your Career Ways to Make Yourself More Valuable to Employers | ||
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