Personal Goal My personal goal as a student at the is to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management within the next two years. This goal is very important to me because of the impact it will have on my family, work and personal life. In my family it will set a positive example for my daughters, grandchildren, and youngest sister. My family has been a source of support throughout my years in college as I have pursued this degree while maintaining a full time job. Obtaining the degree will be an accomplishment not only for me but also for my family who has given me the encouragement to reach my goal. I would like for my grandchildren to remember their grandmother as a strong and educated woman.
In the workplace the Bachelor’s degree will allow for a promotion to a management position within Boeing. This will allow me to have a greater impact on the day- to- day decisions made in my work environment. A management position would allow me to make a difference in the workplace, my idea of professional success. In addition, my salary will increase which will allow me to retire at the age of 55. After retirement, if I wish, I could get a part time business management position anywhere. Achieving a degree will enable me to be a woman with the tools necessary to overcome the current obstacles that I’m faced with on a daily basis.
I have been employed with Boeing for 21 years. I have many skills and experiences gained from my years of work, but because I don’t have a college degree, I have not been able to obtain a management position. In many occasions I had to train a new manager to do the work I know how to do. I can not hold a management position without a Bachelor’s degree. I understand that in order to achieve my goal, I will have to make many sacrifices such as continuing to balance a full time job with family responsibilities and numerous difficult classes. I will work hard and plan to put a lot of effort into my classes to assure success in each of them.
The greatest challenge that I will encounter is giving my family the time they deserve. Dedicating my weekends to doing school work and not getting distracted with family and friends is extremely difficult. I come from a large family and there is always something going on; Birthday parties and other social activities. My mother doesn’t like going anywhere by herself and depends on me to take her shopping to the Mall. I have asked my other sisters to invite her to go shopping until I finish school. My sisters have agreed to keep Mom in mind and take her to the Mall.
My daughter just had baby and it’s tough to stay away and not help her out. My daughter understands but at times I can’t help feeling guilty that I can’t help her as much as I would like to. Another obstacle that will interfere with my goal is the required travels for my job. This will make it difficult for me to meet with the team and attend class on some occasions. I plan to work with my management so that they schedule other personnel who are not attending school to do the business travel.
The University of Phoenix is the avenue and resources that will help me reach my goals. I will overcome the challenges I encounter in my job and personal life so that I can complete the degree. The University of Phoenix will provide me with the learning tools to further develop my skills. A few of the skills that I need to strengthen are: time management, written and oral communications, and presentation skills. I know that through efficient training at the University of Phoenix can perfect these skills. University of Phoenix provides the students the opportunity to work in learning teams.
These learning teams will assist me in achieving my goal as a student. Working in teams will strengthen my communications and people skills. The workplace has a diverse employee population and strengthening these skills is extremely important when working with different personalities. Working with teams presents a challenge because the team’s involvement on assignments affects my grade. I am used to being solely responsible for my grades. As a student of University of Phoenix and as a member of a team, I plan to communicate any issues or concerns I have with the team.
Communicating problems early on will help prevent future misunderstanding throughout the program. In conclusion, to successfully achieve my goal, to obtain a Bachelor’s degree, I must be determined and have strong willpower. Academically I will challenge myself to work hard at whatever does not come easy. I will utilize all the learning tools the University of Phoenix has to offer to further develop skills and strengthen my weaknesses.
If everything goes as planned, I will graduate from University of Phoenix in 2007.