Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone

Introduction

Making a decision about what type of work you want to pursue after your education can be difficult. You might be
feeling a lot of pressure to figure it all out before you graduate but may not have any clarity about the path you want to
pursue. You are not alone! Many students need help considering or discovering their career options but have never
completed a full exploration of their options.

Some things to consider:

 You do not need to have your career totally figured out before you graduate from Harrison. Most people change
jobs and careers many times over the course of their lives.
 Beware of choosing a career path because it’s easier or because of the pay. Long-term job satisfaction goes a
long way.
 Don’t be too hung up on being certain that all will go as planned. Life takes a lot of unexpected turns that are
impossible to predict, and your career may be impacted by external factors such as falling in love, having a
family, finances, health/illness, etc.

Procedure

Different: not the same as another or each other; unlike in nature, form, or quality
Be sure that your career overviews are “different”! What is your back up plan? What else have you considered?
What did your self-evaluation suggest?

֍ Career Explorers will complete this for TWO DIFFERENT CAREERS

 One of the careers must be directly from the results you generated in Reflective Exercise #4 using the
CareerOneStop site.

֍ Interns will complete this once but it once must be for a career DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR INTERNSHIP!

You will complete the form below while considering the following questions:

Possible jobs/occupations
• What are some specializations in the field or specific occupations (job titles)?
• What are the typical duties and responsibilities of each specific occupation?
• In which sectors do most of the job opportunities fall? For-profit, nonprofit, government?
Work Environment/Conditions
• What is the work environment like?
• How many hours of work or overtime per week are expected or required?
• What type of supervision or management is typical?
• What is the dress code?
• Is travel required?
Preferred or required skills and personality traits
• Which technical or “hard” skills are necessary or helpful? (e.g. foreign language, specific computer program,
writing, math, data analysis)
• Which interpersonal or “soft” skills are necessary or helpful? (e.g. communication, teamwork, leadership,
problem-solving)
• What skills would you be able to develop in the work?
• What personality traits are a good fit for this type of work? (e.g. takes risks, likes to work long hours
independently, prefers working in a team, likes fast-paced environments)
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
Information/Knowledge
• What topics or information would you be learning more about?
• What knowledge or interests make a person well-suited for the work?

Values
• What personal values are encouraged or reflected in the work? (e.g. a life without stress, creating close
relationships, making lots of money, creating beauty, constant challenges, autonomy)

Education & Training

• What college courses or majors are required or helpful for preparing for this work?
• What previous work or extracurricular experience is required or helpful?
• What credentials, licensing, or certifications are required?
• What advanced degrees are helpful for necessary? (Masters? Professional School? PhD?)
• What are the types of graduate programs are helpful or necessary in order to be qualified and/or
competitive?
Types of employers
• What types of organizations, companies, and agencies employ people from this field or with this certain
occupation?
• What are the names of some specific organizations, companies, or agencies?
Earnings and Benefits
• What are the beginning, average and top salaries in the field?
• What other benefits are typically offered as part of the total compensation package?
• How much money do you think you need to live the kind of life you would like? How will you find out?
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
Career/Field/Occupation: Clinical Veterinarian
Possible job titles/occupations: Work Environment:
- Food Animal Veterinarian: Works with - Clinical setting
livestock/poultry. Maintains health of animals for - Dress code: lab coats/scrubs
large and small farms or large food corporations. - Travel required for Continued
- Veterinary Pathologist: Conducts post-mortem Education, seminars, etc (Rare for
analysis of large and small animals. Works in a clinical vets)
laboratory setting for private companies or the - Full time hours, often working on
government (USDA). weekends / staying on call after-hours
- Large Animal Veterinarian: Works with large
animals, mainly horses and cattle. Employed by
private clinics (stationary or mobile), large livestock
companies, or the government (USDA).
- Zoological Veterinarian: Monitors and treats
animals being kept in zoological institutions. These
include primarily zoos, aquariums, and wildlife
parks.
- Professor: May partake in clinical research or
veterinary practice, but is primarily responsible for
teaching at a veterinary school.

Skills & Personality Traits: Information/Knowledge:

- Sociability, Teamwork, Compassion: Soft - Biological Sciences
skills absolutely necessary. Must be able to - Anatomy
communicate calmly, professionally, and - Diseases/pathology
distinctly with clients and coworkers. - Animal handling
- Management skills: Veterinarians are often in - Social etiquette/proper “bedside
leadership positions. Must be able to take charge manner”
of situations.
- Strong will: May need to make tough decisions,
i.e. Euthanasia.
- Manual Dexterity: Must have stable hands for
procedures.
- Problem Solving Skills: Must be able to solve
difficult or challenging problems.
- Hardiness: Must be able to endure long,
challenging hours
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview
Values:
- Personal accomplishment
- Making a difference in client’s lives
- Constant learning and new challenges
Types of Employers:
- Small practices/clinics
- Large practices/clinics
- Food production companies (Purdue,
Tyson, etc)
- Farms
- Zoos
- Veterinary schools/teaching hospitals
- Ecological Advocacy Organizations
- Self-Employment (practice ownership)
- Government/ Military
Employment & Advancement Outlook:
- High demand for qualified
veterinarians
- BLS Predicts career field to grow by
16% in next 10 years
Harrison STEM Capstone
Education & Training:
- Bachelors degree (Any field is fine,
but a STEM major would be most
beneficial)
- 400+ hours of veterinary experience
during undergraduate studies
- 4 years of veterinary school (DVM or
VMD degree)
- No residency necessary
Earnings & Benefits:
- Lowest paid 25% : $75,580
- Highest paid 25% : $122,590
- Median Salary : $95,460
- Benefits vary between practices /
clinics. Can include paid holidays and
vacations, health, dental, and vision
insurance, pension plans, CE pay,
Related Occupation/Fields:
- Veterinary Technician
- Pharmacist
- Zoologist
- Wildlife Biologist
- Physician
- Agricultural scientist
- Rancher / Farmer
- Animal Care worker (Shelters, etc)
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
Notes on field/occupation fit for you:
- I believe I am a good fit for this career, I’ve taken numerous in order to secure my
future as a veterinarian, and I hope they will pay off. I love the clinical setting of a
veterinary practice, and from my experience, I believe myself to be a wonderful fit
for the occupation.

Career Overview Analysis:

1. Are you still interested in this career now that you’ve completed your research? Why or why not?
• Yes I am still interested in this career path. Because of my extensive experience within the field, I’ve
been able to garner an appreciation for the challenging field of veterinary medicine, regardless of
the issues or difficulties it may present.

2. Did you discover anything about this career that surprised you?
• No I did not. I’ve been researching this career for a good while, so I already had a fairly
comprehensive idea of what is required and what is expected within the career.

3. List five characteristics about this career that you like most.
• Collaboration in a clinical setting
• Constant problem solving
• Not boring or repetitive, every day is a new experience or challenge
• Working with animals (cliché but true)
• Constant learning (new procedures, techniques, etc)

4. List any characteristics about this career that you do not like.
• Long Hours
• Lower than desirable (or frankly deserved) pay as compared to average student loan debt in the
field.

5. What more do you need to learn about this career in order to know if you’d like to pursue it?
• Nothing. This is my desired career path and I have already applied to many schools with that intent
reflected.

6. What other resources could you use to learn more? (people, groups/associations, print/web, etc.)
• Online forums, reddit, veterinary blogs, etc
• Veterinary connections through my work
• Academic research and mental health / workplace satisfaction studies for those within the
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
field

7. What barriers might you face in pursuing this career and how might you overcome them?

• Disgustingly high student loan debt is a major barrier and a major deterrent for prospective
veterinarians. Through the MS State Early Entry vet program (should I get in, fingers
crossed) I may be able to dock an entire year off my undergrad education, significantly
lowering my total debt. This, paired with proper budgeting during and after college, may
end up reducing the detriment of high loans.

8. What could you do now to begin preparing for this career?

• I’ve already dedicated much of my time preparing for this career. I’ve spend over 1400
hours working at a veterinary clinic, gaining invaluable work experience. I’ve also worked
heavily on getting into esteemed veterinary programs and pre-veterinary schools. I’ve
joined internet forums where veterinarians discuss their day-to-day, and I’ve spoken to
veterinary students online. The only other thing I could think of to do now would be
focusing on applying for scholarships

9. Are there other careers that you discovered in this process that you’d like to learn more about?

• I’ve mostly looked into clinical veterinary medicine as a career, though given all the
branching options within the veterinary field, I believe my desire to pursue that area may
change. I’ve been mostly aware of the options within the veterinary field, and I will
continue to research them and consider them throughout my educational career.
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
STOP! If you are an intern, you do not need to proceed. If you are a Career Explorer you must continue and complete
the remainder of this assignment.

Career/Field/Occupation: Biological Science Teacher, Postsecondary *High School*

(INTEREST ASSESSMENT RESULT)
Possible job titles/occupations:
- College/university Professor: Teaches students
enrolled in a college or university. A professor
focusing on biological science may teach a number
of classes in the field depending on their specialty.
They may also pursue research through the
university.
- High School Biology/Anatomy Teacher: Teaches - Travel rarely required
students biological sciences at a high school level.
A biological science teacher may teach a range of
courses depending on the what high school offers.
Work Environment:
- Dress code depends on the school,
though many prefer a combination of
khakis and a dress shirt for men, and
a reasonable dress for women
- Constantly interacting with students
and faculty
- Full time hours required during school
year. Not including school holidays or
breaks.

Skills & Personality Traits: Information/Knowledge:

- Sociability, Collaboration, Empathy, - Biological Sciences
Patience: Soft skills absolutely necessary. Must - General biology
be able to teach and communicate calmly, - Anatomy
professionally, and distinctly with students and - Genetics
faculty coworkers - Evolution
- General teaching skills: Teachers must be able - Ecology
to convey necessary information to students in a - Diseases/pathology
productive manner. This requires adaptability as - Teaching strategies/methodology
well.
- Problem Solving Skills: Must be able to solve
difficult or challenging problems.
- Organization: Teachers must be organized and
well situated in order to maintain coursework,
graded work, important files, etc.

Values: Education & Training:

- Helping the younger generation - Bachelor’s degree (Biology or
- Contributing to society in a meaningful Education)
way - Teaching Certification, either through
- Love of the subject matter a college/university or through a third
Profession Profile #1
- Love of students
Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
party program such as the American
Board for Certification of Teacher
Excellence (ABCTE) or the National
Board for Professional Teaching
Standards
- Advanced degrees like a Masters or a
PhD, while not required for high
school educators, vastly improves
chances of higher compensation and
hiring power.

Types of Employers: Earnings & Benefits:

- High Schools
- Colleges (2 and 4 year)
- Universities
- Tutoring companies
- Online school programs (GAVS, CVA)
- Lowest paid 25% : $49,060
- Highest paid 25% : $79,820
- Median Salary : $61,660
- Benefits vary between schools. Can
include paid sick and other paid leave,
health, dental, and vision insurance,
as well as school breaks

Employment & Advancement Outlook: Related Occupation/Fields:

- Job growth for postsecondary biology
teaching occupations expected to
grow 11%, which is much higher than
the average for teaching professions.
- High School History, Math, Literature,
or Physical Science Teacher
- Tutor
- Special Education Teacher
- School Counselor
- Curriculum Developer
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
Notes on field/occupation fit for you:
- I believe I may be suited for a career as a postsecondary biological science
teacher. I think I have many of the traits required to pursue a career in the field and
I genuinely think I would enjoy it. My only downside that I can see is the salary,
while not awful, it’s certainly not ideal, and I hope to earn more than that so that I
can live a more comfortable life and provide for a family. This would be remedied by
supplemental income provided by a spouse in the future, though that’s way to far
off for me to consider immediately.

Career Overview Analysis:

1. Are you still interested in this career now that you’ve completed your research? Why or why not?
• I am still mildly interested in pursuing this career. The salary is a deterrent, though I realize that a
large salary is not the most important aspect of a career. I have always had a desire to teach,
though I’m not sure yet how that may play out. As of now, I might end up teaching at a high school
or a university as a potential backup if veterinary medicine doesn’t go well, or I may teach at a
veterinary hospital as a part of my career.

2. Did you discover anything about this career that surprised you?
• I didn’t discover anything surprising about this career really. Given that I’ve been a student for so
long, I’ve been on the opposite end of a teacher’s career with dozens of teachers. I’m fairly aware
of what makes a good teacher, and how I might follow suit eventually.

3. List five characteristics about this career that you like most.
• Helping the younger generation
• Contributing to society in a meaningful way
• Developing ways to teach curriculum
• Interacting and working with students
• Constant change, no day is the same

4. List any characteristics about this career that you do not like.
• Lower than desirable salary
• Less working hours (entire summer to fill up with supplemental income/work)

5. What more do you need to learn about this career in order to know if you’d like to pursue it?
• I’d like to understand more about the ways teachers supplement their income, their total
satisfaction, and any potential educational or professional hurdles teachers may have to overcome.

6. What other resources could you use to learn more? (people, groups/associations, print/web, etc.)
• I could talk with my own teachers about their experience in the field, and I could also read
testimonies and stories from blogs or forums online.
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone
7. What barriers might you face in pursuing this career and how might you overcome them?

• Student loan debt is always a factor in any career, so handling that along with a small
starting salary would be very important. Some other barriers may include educational
challenges, financial support during the student teaching/certification process, or
personal/family struggles. Each of which would have to be handled with hard work,
patience, and determination.

8. What could you do now to begin preparing for this career?

• My first step would be to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Right now, my best course of action
would be to apply for as many scholarships as possible in order to minimize my debt and
financial stress during college.

9. Are there other careers that you discovered in this process that you’d like to learn more about?

• The only other teaching careers I might be interested in pursuing/learning more about
would most likely be collegiate level teaching. I would probably be interested in teaching as
a professor either in the field of veterinary medicine or just as a regular professor at a
university.
Profession Profile #1 Career Overview Harrison STEM Capstone

References

Biology teacher certification | teaching-certification.com. (n.d.). Teaching Certification | Explore requirements and

programs for teaching certification. https://www.teaching-certification.com/biology-teacher-certification.html

Careers in education: Career paths, salaries, responsibilities & demand. (n.d.). Gwynedd Mercy University | GMercyU |

Pennsylvania. https://www.gmercyu.edu/academics/learn/careers-in-education

How much can a veterinarian expect to get paid? (n.d.). https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/veterinarian/salary

How Much Does a High School Teacher Make? (n.d.). https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/high-school-

teacher/salary

National Research Council, Policy and Global Affairs, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Board on Higher Education and

Workforce, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, & Committee to Assess the Current and Future

Workforce Needs in Veterinary Medicine. (2013). Workforce needs in veterinary medicine. National Academies

Press.

Veterinarian. (2020, May 18). Truity. https://www.truity.com/career-profile/veterinarian

Veterinarians: Jobs, career, salary and education information. (n.d.). CollegeGrad #1 Entry Level Jobs and Internships for

College Students and Grads. https://collegegrad.com/careers/veterinarians

Veterinary pathologist. (n.d.). agexplorer.com. https://agexplorer.com/career/veterinary-pathologist#:~:text=Veterinary

%20pathologists%20are%20doctors%20of,analysis%20of%20urine%20or%20blood

What do board-certified veterinary specialists do? (n.d.). American Veterinary Medical

Association. https://www.avma.org/education/veterinary-specialties/what-board-certified-veterinary-specialists-

do