Being a contractor is a career path I have always wanted to be in all my life. Working with the Department of Defense as a level one contractor has not only been insightful, but I believe, also serves as the beginning of my long journey in the field of procurement. Currently, I have already signed up for a course in BA. GS at SNHU. To ensure that I attain my goals in a timely manner, I have set both short and long term goals and ensured that I attach timeframes to each of them. My first short-term goal is to work with my advisor to create a degree plan that works well for my schedule and the remaining classes. The second one is that I complete all required assignments for all classes I am taking. As for my long term goals, I want to continue working in my job field as a contracting officer even as I take my degree in BA. GS. Secondly, I want to stay up to date on qualifications and certifications within my job field as well as get started on earning level two certifications. Most of these are to be done within the next year. Once I achieve these goals, I will be in a good position to work as a level two contractor, and this will not only boost the kind of projects I handle but will also help me take care of my family well.
Identification of Domains
Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have gained valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that can be applied to my professional and personal goals. I have identified three major domains that have helped me grow. The first is critical thinking. Procurement is a dynamic field whose rules tend to change fast as time goes. Consequently, a contractor is faced with new situations that need urgent and innovative solutions. The art of critical thinking is, therefore, necessary. Over time, I have taken up simple online courses about critical thinking. I practice the skills obtained from these courses when interacting with people on a daily basis. Having worked as a contractor for over 13 years, these skills have been polished well. Courses that support critical thinking include critical thinking for the information age, fundamentals of good reasoning, and introduction to human psychology. Studying human psychology is important as it helps when interacting with diverse people in the field of procurement. The second domain is how to relate to people. This skill was greatly enhanced during my time working in the navy as I got to interact with different sets of people from all over the world. I learned how to interact well with each individual irrespective of the diversity factors. While in the navy, I took courses such as soft skills for successful people, using emotional intelligence to build healthy relationships, and how to develop interpersonal communication for work. Lastly, I studied procurement which covers courses such as supply chain management, logistics in procurement, and accounting. These set of skills have immensely help me stand out in my organization.
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Strengths and Weaknesses
My thirst for knowledge is my biggest strength. For instance, even though I have enrolled for a degree in BA. GS, I still have some certification and qualifications I am undertaking at the same time. Furthermore, I am still working at the Department of Defense to ensure I keep gaining work experience. I do all these because of my curiosity to learn. I also cannot wait to integrate all the knowledge, skills, and abilities to help me become a top contractor. Prior knowledge in procurement as well as the enrollment for the BA. GS degree have and will certainly help me build this strength.
My anxiety problems have been a major issue since I was a child. I always become nervous when I have a lot of work to do or when faced with big challenges. However, the courses on interpersonal skills and human psychology have helped me to improve my critical thinking and interaction skills. This way, I have mastered the art of staying calm, even in situations that made me severely nervous before.
Prior or Planned Academic Learning
Currently, my enrollment for BA. GS was done with the objective of the course, helping me to become a second level contractor. This is my specific objective. However, to supplement it, I am still talking qualification, and certification course since the field of procurement rapidly changes. These courses will be fundamental in helping my climb up the corporate ladder much quicker. My specific objective is on course, and hence the future is quite promising. In the far future, I plan on starting my own procurement firm and create employment to other people in the field of procurement too. The knowledge and skills I am currently gaining are crucial as they are the same skills I will expect to see in the people I choose to work under me.
