Introduction
For this interview, a subject by the name of Dennis was chosen for his unique situation and perspective on life. Dennis is a 36-year-old Caucasian male that still lives with his elderly mother and has no family of his own. A decade ago, he had completed a bachelor’s degree in engineering but never found a job to his liking. He began to show interest in forging with metal as a hobby while working odd jobs through his youth. Eventually, he focused full time on that, working from his garage fulfilling scarce orders. Concurrently, it puts him at risk of financial instability and stagnation in both professional and personal development.
Main body
Dennis feels like his craft is his passion that both excites and challenges him. He is seeking a way to be able to practice his craft professionally. Meanwhile, efficiently apply the skills of planning, designing, and construction professionally would bring about numerous opportunities. It is important to help steer Dennis towards the right professional decision, while he is still in the establishment phase of his life, hopefully allowing for growth given his acquired perseverance and patience.
It is evident that Dennis is a rational and slightly eccentric individual, but not to the point of being unsociable. A normal development incurs a change in opinions and perceptions that differ from the ones expressed by Dennis when he was younger. “Self-concept changes over time and develops as a result of experience” (“Super’s Theory”). Here are some themes observed during the interview:
- Dennis admires some of the great minds in history, not so much for their achievements but their perseverance and resilience. He feels like he has many obstacles to overcome.
- Some of Dennis’s favorite books included works by Greek philosophers, a book on metal forging, and a book on astrophysics. His favorite TV shows and movies are all history and science-related. It shows a variety of interests and desires for self-growth.
- When questioned about free-time, Dennis implied that outside of his hobby, and some brief reading/TV before sleep, he rarely does anything else. He says that in between his garage and doing some chores around his private home, there is simply no time left. In his work, he also loses track of time. Overall, this suggests a lack of balance in the schedule, perhaps the reason his life has stagnated.
- Overall an optimistic person with the motto “Why be sad when there’s so much to live for,” Dennis, however, has a rather grim outlook for the future, believing that his age hinders new opportunities.
Looking at Dennis as a person, he is obviously seeking to widen his knowledge and develop new skills. He is resilient and independent, but that makes him extremely hardworking. If he finds a balance in life, he can be very successful in whatever he attempts. “Satisfaction depends on the extent to which the individual finds adequate outlets for abilities, needs, values, interests, personality traits, and self-concepts” (“Super’s Theory”).
Due to his age, Dennis has work experience that used his natural wit, the ability to strategize, and technical skill. Through this trial stage, he never discovered anything worthwhile, always feeling restrained in action and creativity. While Dennis is following his passion, he is unable to guarantee himself stability, which in turn is a necessary keystone to any future growth, balance, and happiness. He can find the correct career approach now and enter the field to establish himself. Later in life, Dennis will be able to tweak the little dissatisfactions in the maintenance stage of his human growth, as rationalized by Super’s theory.
Conclusion
It may be possible to grow his hobby into a business to utilize Dennis’ enormous talent without stifling his creativity. Another way would be to enter the metalworking industry in a higher position due to experience and be able to pitch projects there while having the financial and industrial support of a whole staff. Consequently, Dennis will find balance and the ability to work with others in his personal growth.
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Questions used in an interview
- Who do you admire the most and why?
- What are three of your favorite books and what do you remember about the books?
- What is your favorite saying/motto/line from a song?
- What are three of your favorite TV shows and why?
- Name three movies that you like and explain what you liked about them.
- What do you picture when you think about your future?
- What were you doing the last time you lost track of time?
- What do you like to do with your free time and why?
Work Cited
“Super’s Theory.” CareersNZ, New Zealand Government. 2015. Web.