Adolescence is a developmental stage that occurs through childhood to adulthood. Adolescence is a critical time in one’s life in which changes are taking place through major factors of physiological, cognitive, and behavioural aspects. As for this period in life it comes with puberty that is referred to as a change and development in the body as a child moves from kid to adult. Also, it is a time where they begin to explore who they are as individuals and develop their own identities as they get more into adulthood. This stage is known as “identity versus role confusion”.
The stage comes from Erik Erikson’s model from the identified eight stages in the developmental process from birth to old age. In Erikson’s life-span stage theory, identity development is the main developmental task in late adolescence. The identity development in adolescence is career choosing which is seen as one of the major tasks in adolescence is a challenging period due to the fact that maturity is an important aspect in the period especially when it comes to decision making through the career chooses that a young adult makes.
Growing up before high school I had a dream to become a lawyer because my family felt that I was the type of adolescence that was the type to always debate on what people would say to me. I was going to consider being a lawyer as a career because of how talkative and demanding I was growing up. I was very indecisive because growing uplnever understood my values and what interests I had, I just considered following my family’s ideas of what they thought was best for me, which was becoming a lawyer. Late adolescence and young adulthood can be a very trying time for most.
Throughout late adolescence decisions are made for the teen through guidance especially through high school and as for the young adulthood decisions are expected to be made on their own. When it came to choosing a career, I wanted to do what I was passionate about doing which was helping people and talking to people about their issues they have throughout their life, for instance a psychologist. At the time throughout grade 10 l was quite unsure if I really wanted to pursue psychology as a career, as I realize this was more than I expected it would be.
Also, the reason I chose psychology as my career, I felt that it was inline with what I was passionate about. I was focused on getting a career that paid well and that I would enjoy. For me throughout high school I always wanted to do things the easy way. For this reason I never really considered exploring any other careers. When looking more into the psychology profession I felt that it was best to do really good in my English classes in high school, and I realized that I had a passion in writing and that was a major factor in the profession I was seeking.
One thing that got me through high school day by day was the guidance from family and friends giving me the support I needed in order for me to do my best in all my classes. However, throughout my early to late adolescent years I was very good at making my own decisions when it came to choosing the type of peers I hung out with, so for me I chose people that were a good influence to me by motivating and encouraging me. My home values was to know right from wrong and never follow the crowd.
As I went into grade 11 not everyone would attend their class or do their work, but I would do the opposite. By making a commitment toward becoming a psychologist without really taking into consideration if I really would consider this career path, brought confusion in my late adolescent years during high school. When realizing this confusion I had to think more on the smart side by making some values on what | wanted in life and who I really wanted to be.
Therefore, one of my values was to never gave up on myself, which allowed me to explore more opportunities that would probably be a better suit for me then psychology. The more I explored the more I found new ideas that peeked my interest. As I searched I came a cross social service work, as I looked more deeper into this profession I found how many options there was then psychology, so my intention was to be committed to stick with this option and follow through with it.
I wanted to commit to this career choose because I felt that this was it and this is what I wanted to pursue in after high school. The reasons I choose social work as a career is because I felt that it was something I can manage due even though I was a very shy person. My career path that I stuck with through my ending of high school, conflicted on my values as a person because I am the type that likes to deal with the elderly care and help them the best way I can knowing that they don’t have the independence as much anymore.
For me what interest me the most about the professional to have that mindset to be grateful for what I have in my life and focusing on how society works as a whole. I viewed social work to be a very open minded profession. Throughout my last year of high school I was reconsidering my career of social work because I was nervous to attended college. I wanted to wait out a year before going to college because I didn’t know what it was going to be like, but I had to do what was best for me and go straight from high school to college so it wouldn’t be hard for me when i get into my young adulthood.
Being surrounded in a positive environment allowed me to want to continue this career choose. Also, I was guided by my family to do the right thing because growing up seeing how hard it was for my mother | wanted her to see that I was going for a career that I would stick to. Even though I am in the program now in college it is not what I expected but the fact that I got the chance it is a real eye opener to have the experience to continue on in the program.