Question One
As a receptionist at the headquarters of a large corporation, Mike Scott was a dedicated employee who focused on career development. Based on the case study, we can see that he was aware of the educational limitations that hindered him from getting promotions that might improve his economic positions. To curb this vice, he started taking accounting courses in an evening educational program. Even though the move was positive towards his career, the results during interviews were not as welcoming, putting the high-school graduate to depression from disappointments and frustrations. Scott did not seek or even receive advice from his immediate supervisor. Instead, he followed the guidance of Sonya Munoz, a department manager because of various reasons.
First, even though the study did not reflect the company's policies about career development, we could assume that its absence was the primary reason Scott failed to receive advice from his immediate supervisor. The assumption of lack of policy could be concluded based on the characters of Scott; first, he was disengaged and was demanding greater flexibility to improve his financial situation. Large corporations and other companies in the United States and around the globe should make employee development a priority if they want to maximize returns on their skills ( Hooley, 2020) . According to research, over 73 percent of employers in the United States believed fostering employment is critical for organizational development, even though about 45 percent of employees confessed that organizational leaders adhere to these practices ( Mehrmann et al., 2018) . With a concrete policy on career development, the organization could retain key workers such as Scott and differentiate itself from the labor market by implementing policies that put employee development first.
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Secondly, Scott did not receive advice from his immediate supervisor because of possible different work relations. According to the study, Scott was a high school graduate and based on the interview with Elizabeth Burroughs. It negatively impacted his self-esteem. Therefore, he was fearful of rejection or any negative feedback from the supervisor, which might have accelerated his depression and discouragement. He viewed his personal qualifications and competencies as a hindrance to job promotions or career development, making him resentful by the idea of seeking advice from his immediate supervisor.
Lastly, he was good at his job, and seeking advice from his supervisor might have led to negative feedback. Therefore, he was willing to open up to Elizabeth Burroughs, who was not his immediate supervisor. Most employees view their supervisors as their bosses, and their role is to give direction and instructions as leaders, not personal advice. Therefore, even though Elizabeth was a manager, Scott viewed her as his peer, as he did not answer directly to him, making it easier for him to share his concerns.
Question Two
Even though he was on a positive trajectory towards a brighter career path, there were several factors that hindered his success and others that he might incorporate to accelerate his path towards being a better employee. After an interview with Elizabeth, a department manager in the corporation, it was evident that Scott had low self-esteem because of his education standards. However, he can prepare for career advancement and choose a boundaryless career by attaining basic education skills such as performing all basic math functions, comprehending, analyzing, and explaining information while developing effective oral communication skills ( Snell et al., 2016) . Additionally, he might consider being computer literacy since skills such as keyboarding and professional use of email and mobile devices might come in handy. Since basic oral communication skills, personal academic results, and self-esteem were the main inhibitors of his career development, and there are some ways he could prepare himself for career advancement.
First, Scott should develop personal skills and competencies which involve more than just acquiring specific job knowledge such as accountancy. He should develop customer service skills to enable him to work in a team environment or even consider having a personal mentor who would develop his interpersonal skills. With interpersonal skills, Scott will cooperate with others by accepting supervision, developing and maintaining productive teamwork relations, and working well with people from diverse backgrounds ( Snell et al., 2016) . Secondly, he should conduct an accurate self-evaluation whereby he would dictate his strengths and weaknesses. While self-evaluating, Scott should consider external factors such as his economic situation and job market information to accurately pin his job. Thirdly, since work is most probably the primary factor for the quality of his life, he should keep it in perspective so that other critical areas are not neglected. In this case, he should develop an off-the-job interest that would develop his physical, emotional, and interpersonal relationship well-being. While a career can provide economic and partial emotional satisfaction to Scott, it is necessary that he turn to an interest unrelated to work that would significantly increase his self-esteem.
Finally, while developing his career, Scott should choose an employer to work for. An employer's choice should be based on location, basic salary, and other considerations such as flexibility and opportunity for growth. Since Scott is a focused individual, he might consider an achievement-oriented organization with the ability to provide equal opportunity for growth to its employees. With all these considerations, Scott would more likely develop his career while developing higher self-esteem simultaneously.
References
Hooley, T. (2020). An emergency career development plan to maintain employment, productivity and progression post-Covid-19.
Mehrmann, V., Scholz, L., & Vergara, C. (2018). Personal Career Development Plans for all ESRs.
Snell, S., Morris, S., & Bohlander, G. (2016). Managing human resources . Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning.
