¶ … Arts Degree Contributes to My Career Goals
Opening Paragraph that Reflects on Your Title
The Associate of Arts degree will contribute to my career goals in two ways. Firstly, it will enhance the skills that I use every day in my current job and secondly, it will allow me to pursue a change of career.
Firstly, as defined in most publications, an Associate of Arts degree helps an individual acquire the writing skills, oral communication skills, and critical thinking skills associated with the foundation experiences in the arts and sciences. Even though I have not been in an academic role for over 20 years, I work with these skills every day. This includes activities such as participating in working groups, giving daily briefs and working on time critical projects associated with the Department of Defense. Completing the Associate of Arts degree will help me to acquire and develop these skills which can then be applied to my current job.
Secondly, the Associate of Arts degree is essential in helping me manage a career change into a new field outside of the armed forces. The degree is a stepping stone that will give me the educational background I can then combine with my work and life experience to move on to a new career. The ultimate goal is to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology. The Associate of Arts degree will help me prepare for the Bachelor of Science degree which will ultimately lead me to a new career outside of the armed forces.
B. Present Status in Military or Reserves
I am proud to say that I have served for over 20 years in the armed forces. I am currently in the United States Navy and plan on staying in for four more years. My current position is Assistant Strike Officer for Commander Carrier Group 7. In this role, I assist the Strike Officer in preparation and dissemination in Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) operational task, weapons doctrine, strike plans and training directives to ships in our battle group. I review TLAM exercises and recommend courses of action required to achieve and maintain proficiency in weapons delivery. I am personally involved in the improvement process of present and future Tomahawk weapon systems and tactics.
C. Purpose of Paper
Promotions within the military are very tight, especially when they want a younger and smaller force. This means there is not a lot of future for me in the Navy. For this reason, I am keen to prepare myself for civilian employment.
In the remainder of the paper I will discuss my learning experiences. This will include the most important things I have learnt from military training, college education, academic courses and life experience. I will also relate some specific examples of things I have learnt and how I have applied them in the past, at the current time and how I plan to apply them in the future.
This information will all relate to how my background will help me achieve my career goal, which is to complete the Associate of Arts degree. The Associate of Arts degree is needed for my next step in life, which is to prepare myself for a change of career and for civilian employment. My ultimate goal is to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology, which will lead me to a new career. Completing the Associate of Arts degree is the first step to achieving this career change.
II. Description of Learning
A. Military Training
My time in the military has been a learning experience, where I have received training and had many experiences that have taught me a lot. The most significant learning experience was boot camp, which I attended in 1982. Boot camp taught me all the rules needed for a successful career in the Navy. This included being taught about honor, courage and commitment. While these core values were focused on how to have a successful career in the Navy, they apply equally to all aspects of my life and will also apply to the civilian career I intend to pursue.
In my daily life these core values have helped me develop relationships with peers, superiors and subordinates. They have also made me willing to make honest recommendations and accept those recommendations of junior personnel. The core values have also acted as a guide and have given me the moral and mental strength to do what was right, even in the face of personal or professional adversity. The training taught me to treat...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now