Career Development Paper

Mr. Pascal was involved in a car accident five years ago, and since then he has been undergoing various treatment and physical therapies to be able to return to his lifestyle. The following evaluation seeks to determine whether Mr. Pascal has regained his physical ability to engage in sedentary work on a continuing and full-time basis. In the evaluation process, assessments such as the self-directed search, MBTI, and strong Campbell are used. Additionally, the client’s pharmacy and medical records are reviewed, followed by an analysis of his education and vocational history to determine the client’s strengths, mental and physical limitations. There is also a counselor’s impression of the likelihood of the client obtaining suitable employment without further training and education. To sum it up, the evaluation avails a recommendation to the client on his mental and physical wellness as well as the referrals for psychological, medical, and vocational training providers. 

Background 

The client, Pascal Harrison requested a vocational evaluation to determine whether there is any form of work he would be able to do on a full-time and continuing basis. At the moment, Mr. Pascal is not working and has not worked since December 15, 2015, when he stopped his swimming career abruptly after a road accident. Mr. Pascal explains that he was the only survivor in the whole event as the driver and his wife died immediately. After the accident, Pascal went into a coma for one month after which he woke up and the doctors informed him that the lower part of his body was greatly affected. For the first three years after the accident, Mr. Pascal was not able to move even his finger, but in the last two years, he had shown so much improvement, after numerous physical therapies. Mr. Pascal explains that he had not engaged in any form of job since 2015, after the accident, which left him incapable of moving his lower limbs. 

Since 2015, Mr. Pascal stopped his swimming career, which he began at a very early age of ten years. Mr. Pascal was known as a remarkable swimmer during his time in school. Thus, he was more concerned with developing his talent and skills in swimming and paid little attention to schoolwork. He was a successful swimmer, but the accident left his lower limbs hurt, and thus, Mr. Pascal needs to choose another career path, which requires little physical movement. Dr. Sarah, medical reports show that Mr. Pascal is limited in his lower limbs, and he is required to use a wheelchair to aid in his movements. Additionally, there is no form of corrective surgery that can be performed on the client to aid in his movement. Thus, he needs to adopt another lifestyle, which will ensure less low limb movement because his backbone was fractured, and excess pressure on it would result in paralysis. 

Vocational History 

Pascal Harrison is a 31-year old white male who is 5’8’’ tall and weighs approximately 166.3 pounds. Currently, he resides with his parents who take care of him after his girlfriend left in 2015, when he was involved in the accident. They reside in 100 Peel Centre drive suite A, Brampton on 16t4b9. Mr. Pascal is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, and they are highly supportive of their child. This family lives in a five-bedroomed house, in which Mr. Pascal’s room is specially adjusted to suit all his needs. Mr. Pascal has a nurse, who helps him with exercises to aid in the healing process of his lower limbs. Pascal's parents are wealthy and are generous with the son availing whatever he desires, but the son feels useless and sometimes thinks of seeking the hospital's help to take his own life. Therefore, his parents have agreed to allow him to take any kind of job that he is capable of despite the payment as long as he is satisfied to avoid suicidal thoughts. Mr. Pascal is low-skilled with a high school diploma and has no other forms of vocational training. Pascal began swimming at the age of ten, and had paid all attention to the sporting activity, and had not been involved in any other jobs. 

Assessments Administered 

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) 

The Myers-Brigs Type Indicator is an assessment with several questions that measure and describe an individual's preference on matters of getting knowledge, focusing attention, orienting one's life, as well as making decisions. MBTI assessment helps in understanding an individual's personality, which is important in making significant decisions relating to leadership training, career development, and relationship training. The MBTI assessment can help an individual understand how he or she relates to others, their decision-making process, and how they interact with both the outer and inner world. The results from this assessment can help one understand their preferences concerning career types. Using the MBTI assessment an individual’s preference is noted through the way they answer the questions and are classifies in one of the personality types. 

Helping Mr. Pascal understand his personality type is necessary to aid in his overall career development. For instance, by understanding his personality preference, Mr. Pascal will know how to manage challenges that arise in his career. Additionally, understanding one’s personality helps in choosing the best career one is suited for in gaining more effective results (Brown, 2016). Nonetheless, Mr. Pascal will get to know his learning style, which will aid in acquiring significant knowledge offered during the career. Mr. Pascal's understanding of his personality type will help in his process of searching for a job. For instance, it will aid in evaluating the available opportunities and in describing oneself for the management to assess whether he is suited for the available positions. The results from the MBTI test show that Mr. Pascal is an ISTJ (NERIS Analytics Limited, 2021 ) . The characteristics of the ESTP personality include 

Dutiful 

Dependable 

Responsible 

Perseveres even in challenging situations 

Work within routines but enjoy a variety 

Sympathetic with other people’s situations 

Patient and work towards achieving their goals 

They work within the set rules 

They are dependable and can see to it that all projects are completed 

Are punctual and responsible 

They are vigilant on mistakes and report to the management whenever the need arises. 

Strong Campbell Interest Inventory 

Strong Campbell Interest Inventory, is one of the most applied career planning tools, which is updated regularly to reflect new jobs and careers appearing every year. Consulting Psychologists Press owns the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory and only certified consultants and practitioners can offer the assessment to career-coaching clients. This tool plays a significant role in business and academic institutions guiding many people on the best choices during their career change processes. Using this particular assessment tool, business organizations can tap talents, which otherwise go unnoticed. In the case of Mr. Pascal, the O'NET interest profiler helps in finding out his interest and how they relate to the world of work (Brown, 2016). The O’NET interest profiler provides significant information, which aids in making decisions of the careers one can explore ( O*NET Interest Profiler, 2021). Mr. Pascal’s results using the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory are 

Realistic 

Interested in practical work that involves real-world materials such as tools, machinery, and wood avoiding social activities such as healing, and teaching 

Perceives oneself as realistic, practical, and mechanical 

High-skilled in tool-work or in activities that involve plants and animals with little concern on activities that require their interaction with other people. 

Investigative 

Interested in work that involves thinking and ideas with little concern on leading other people 

Likes to work with puzzles searching for facts 

Works towards figuring out problems and solving them 

Social 

Interested in solving other people’s problems by providing first aid, nursing, teaching, and availing significant information to people that require it. In the clinical interview, Mr. Pascal explained that he had developed an interest in being a solution to other people's problems that his all life had been changed. 

Is concerned with providing solutions to social problems and helping other people that fall into depression after facing life-threatening situations 

Views oneself as trustworthy and helpful in traumatic situations 

Self-Directed Search 

John Holland is the original developer of Self-Directed Search (SDS). This test was developed in 1970, and it measures an individual's career interest using the RIASEC categorization. RIASEC is a term referring to realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional (Bullock-Yowell et al., 2015). Since 1970 the SDS has undergone various revisions although it remains true to Holland's original inventory. Using the SDS basic scale an individual is assigned a three-letter Holland code that is based on the RIASEC's categorization (Bullock-Yowell et al., 2015). This inventory helps people find careers, which match their interests and skills. The more likes a client provides for a certain activity or occupation which is related to a particular RIASEC area the higher the scale they are assigned in that particular domain. The results from the self-directed tests on vocational interest confirmed that Mr. Pascal can be assigned the RIS code. 

Mr. Pascal results using the SDS are 

Mr. Pascal is interested in working with tools, such as metals 

Prefers jobs that require figuring out problems and solving them 

Searches for facts top aid in solving problems 

Interested in volunteering in community activities to motivate other people that have faced life-saving events such as accidents, and cancer survivors 

Clinical Interview and Counsellors Impression 

The interview with Mr. Pascal took place on 13 May 2021. The session commenced immediately after I introduced myself. Mr. Pascal was cooperative and understood clearly the reason for the interview. His main reason for seeking help is to assess the type of job he would be able to do with his current situation as he was tired of staying at home. Mr. Pascal explained that he still felt pain in some parts of his body and he was physically limited to the extent that he mostly used a wheelchair to navigate through. Mr. Pascal was not interested in benefitting from the disability money and he explained that money was never a problem to him. He also explained that he wanted to gain work to aid in restoring his emotional state, which was greatly affected by the fact that his fiancé was to marry his best friend and he could not get back to his dream profession, swimming Therefore, to determine the eligibility of Mr. Pascal for sedentary work we discussed his daily routine. 

Mr. Pascal explains that on some occasions he does his bathing, dressing, and toileting in his room, which is adjusted to suit his physical needs. For instance, his door width is 86.5cm to allow the easy movement of his wheelchair. Heat and adequate insulation are availed in his room. His door handles are also leverage-shaped. Additionally, has a private nurse who assesses his progress every morning. He says that his mother makes sure he is provided with everything, such that she hired a house help to keep him company so that he does not feel lonely. He explains that he wakes up at 7:00 am and goes to bed by 7:00 pm. However, he is also required to sleep for some time during the day. He explains that he has problems with his sweating and is prone to various health conditions when under extreme weather conditions. In general, Mr. Pascal does not lift or move about doing any kind of chores in his house. More so, he seems to be closed to the outside world. He feels sad and jealous when he remembers his amazing life before the accident. 

Cultural Consideration and Special Needs 

Mr. Pascal has a major physical limitation on the lower part of the body. He is incapable of moving on his own and experiences a lot of pain in his lower limbs. Due to the injury on his back, Mr. Pascal is incapable of perf even the postural demands of jobs such as crouching, climbing, kneeling, twisting, and crawling. He has undergone several corrective surgeries on his back to fix his problem, but the problem is yet to be solved with several doctors confirming that his condition is severe and cannot be corrected instead, he should learn to live with the condition. Problems in the lower part of Mr. Pascal's body require him to use a wheelchair to aid in his daily activities. Therefore, due to these limitations, Mr. Pascal may not walk and stand 6 out of 8 hours in a normal workday. Sometimes, Mr. Pascal experiences problems with his arms, which is also associated with his spinal cord problem such that they may limit his finger movement in handling and manipulating things. Therefore, this limitation will allow Mr. Pascal to get sedentary work, which allows sitting with minimum movements. 

Mr. Pascal's previous work is classified as part of amusement entertainment. In this kind of job, the professionals entertain their audiences by displaying special kinds of skills such as underwater ballet (O*NET Occupational Information Organization, 2015). Mr. Pascal had worked long enough to be highly skilled in his amusement job. His previous occupation was a high physical activity job. Some other skills that he used in his profession were a communication that aided in exchanging information with his partners. 

Physical and Mental Limitation 

Mr. Pascal has not accepted his new life, which is affecting his emotional and psychological state negatively. According to Nas et al. (2015), depression is a common problem among people who have had a spinal cord injury, especially those below the age of 55 years. Suicide is one major cause of death among these people. Depression is a complication that requires the psychiatrist's care. Mr. Pascal has expressed his dissatisfaction with his new life, which appears sad and lonely. He described his previous life as fun, with the new one making him useless in society. He felt hurt by his fiancée, who left him, chose his best friend, and was now getting married. Suicidal thought had crossed his mind severally. He was feeling worthless and was searching for a type of activity that would make him a significant member of society. 

Mr. Pascal’s medical history confirms his existing medical condition. X-rays, taken last year in June 2020 confirm that Mr. Pascal's spinal cord is hurt limiting his lower limb movement. Medical records from Dr. Sarah confirm that Mr. Pascal is in pain most of the time, with some days being worse than others. She also indicates that Mr. Pascal may not sweat normally and needs special attention to bring his temperature down. More so, he has to take prescription pain medication most of the time to alleviate the pain. 

Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses 

Mr. Pascal's previous work is classified as high exertion level, which he had worked long enough to acquire all the specific vocational preparation. He loved his work as an amusement entertainer. Mr. Pascal’s work is accurately reflected by the job title of amusement entertainer with DOT 34056D. His job description was entertaining audiences through the exhibition of unique skills such as diving and acrobatics underwater. His other skills that aided in his profession are communication and high judgment skills. Additionally, his perception skills helped to understand reactions, from his customers. Additionally, he had great marketing and selling skills, which attracted many customers. However, none of the skills from the previous work could be readily transferable to sedentary work without further training 

Jobs Available 

General Office Clerks 

General office clerks perform different responsibilities, which change depending on the employer's curriculum. Some of the roles of a general office clerk include answering phone calls and using various software applications to perform other tasks. Generally, they schedule appointments, receive visitors and provide general information to the client, staff, and the public. They also edit format routine memos and other reports. They are also responsible for processing bills and other office documents. Thus the specific type of duties assigned to these clerks depends on the office type they are working. 

This job is light exertional work according to the DOT, which requires an individual to stand or sit 6 out of 8 hours in a working day. Mr. Pascal's situation requires him to have a lot of rest with minimum movements. In analyzing this type of job, there will be no industries willing to offer this option. The medium pay per hour in this job is 16.98 dollars per hour, with an annual salary of 35,330 dollars per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2021). This work requires a high school diploma and with no previous work experience, as on-the-job training will be provided. As of 2019, there were 3,126, 300 with an estimated decline of 5% by 2029. 

Receptionist 

A receptionist is the first employee in an organization that meets a client. The receptionist's responsibilities change depending on the employer. For instance, a receptionist in a healthcare organization collects information of the client and directs them to the waiting area. In general, receptionists check and directs visitors to their destinations, informs them of any cancellations or arrivals, and handle any incoming and outgoing correspondence. Additionally, they copy files and maintain any electronic documents. 

This job is light exertional work, which requires one 6 out of the 8 hours during the day. Additionally, these individuals ought to walk for approximately two hours a day. Mr. Pascal needs a lot of rest and little movement, which means that he can only come to work and leave at will. The site visits for this type of job shows that there are very few industries that could offer an opportunity to Mr. Pascal. The median pay for this job in 2020 was 14.96 dollars per hour and 31,110 dollars per year. The receptionist jobs available in 2019 were 1,105,300, with an estimated change of 39,500 by 2029 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2021). This job requires no experience because the employees will receive on-the-job training. 

Summary and Conclusion 

Mr. Pascal is a young man in his early thirties who has a long life ahead of him. His application of walking aids confirms his significant physical limitation on his lower limbs. He is also in constant pain and requires prescription pain medication regularly. Mr. Pascal cannot return to his previous career of swimming because of the current physical limitation. More so, he appears depressed and has lost the will to live because of his current situation, which makes him dependent on others for his day-to-day activities. Therefore, Mr. Pascal needs to see a psychiatrist, who will help him restore his psychological state. Occupational therapy is also necessary for helping the client become more social and help with the psychological problem. 

References 

Brown, D. (2016).  Career Counselling: Career information, career counselling and career development  (11th ed.). Pearson Education Inc. 

Bullock-Yowell, E., Leuty, M., To, Y. & Mathis, E. (2015). Self-Directed Search Response Project. Journal of Career Assessment, 25(2), 1-16. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2021). Occupational Outlook Handbook, General Office Clerks. Retrieved 18 June 2021, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/general-office-clerks.htm 

Nas, K., Yazmalar, L., Sah, V., Aydin, A. & Ones, K. (2015). Rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries. World Journal of Orthopedics, 6(1), 8-16. 

NERIS Analytics Limited. (2021).  16 Personalities . 16personalities. com. Retrieved 18 June 2021, from https://www.16personalities.com/ 

O*NET Interest Profiler. (2021).  O*NET Interest Profiler . My Next Move. Retrieved 18 June 2021, from https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip . 

O*NET Occupational Information Organization. (2015). O*NET Occupational Information Network . Retrieved 18 June 2021, from https://occupationalinfo.org/onet/34056d.html .