Self-Assessment Assignment

Name __KJ Taylor_______

Date ____9-1-15________________

1. Personal Philosophy:
a. Reflect on Values, people, and experiences that have impacted your life
A huge part of my life involved my family, camping in the summers, and
our involvement in 4H. Most of my memories included my four siblings and my
mother. My mother, a single parent kept us busy with extra-curricular activities,
sports, and volunteer work. It became routine to have only my mom there for my
gymnastic competitions, 4-H demonstrations, and 4-H camp. Having a single
parent was very normal to us four children. I think this made a huge impact on my
siblings and me and the decisions we make today. My husband, Dillon is also a
huge part of my life. He grew up in a family involved with addictions and abuse.
Hearing the stories and watching him overcome his past gave me a whole new
look at things. Dillon is the first in his family to go to college, he raised his
brother while in high school, is now studying to become a health care
administrator, and went without things that people take for granite. Having these
two people and the experiences they exposed me to reflects on who I am and is
continually shaping my values.
b. Use this information to describe yourself, what is important to you, and what
gives your life meaning

All of the experiences my mother exposed me to make me who I am. I

love to volunteer and I have a pull to help others in need. Giving back gives me
great satisfaction. I also love spending time outdoors with my son and exposing
him to all the adventures that my mother did for me. My husband, having exposed
me to his past life opened my eyes about the need for more opportunities for lowincome families and children. I questioned my husband, Why are you so
different? How did you turn out the way you did growing up with negativity and
addictions in your family? He said when he was surrounded by negative
experiences, he would take his little brother and go outside. He spent a lot of time
finding an escape in the outdoors and separating from those who were involved in
negative behaviors. I think a lot of children would find the outdoors healing and
therapeutic if they had more opportunities to do so. I consider the outdoors as my
escape also. I believe my passion to help others and the love of the outdoors can
make an impact on others.
c. How and why does this personal philosophy influence your choice of career?
My dream is to create and direct a summer camp/spring retreat/fall retreat
for children and their families. Involving low-income families, those struggling
with addictions, and any other life circumstance that may be separating the family.
For me, the outdoors and adventures were a supportive element in my family. We
built trust, wholeness, and connections through our experiences outdoors. I want
to be able to give families an escape from their day-to day lives and bring them
back together as a unit. My goal is to eliminate or reverse negative behaviors and
aid families to reach their full potential by exposing them to skill/team building

activities, new challenges, and outdoor therapy. I truly believe that the outdoors
can do miraculous things. I cherish what recreation gave me and my family, and I
want to give that back to those in need.
2. Record Career Goals and objectives:
a. Establish your career goals first (list 2-3)

Goal #1: Create and direct a year around camp by offering summer camp/spring
retreat/fall retreat programs for families in need by May 2020.

Goal #2: Create and manage a safe, productive environment for participants and
staff all year long (consider seasonal/program change).

Goal#3: Give participants a positive, satisfied, productive experience with their

family by the end of the 2-week camp session.

b. Beneath each goal write specific objectives that will help you achieve that goal
(2-3 per goal).
Goal #1:

A. Operate a similar camp for 3 years to gain experience and knowledge of

all the aspects that go into directing camps.
B. Create a strategy plan and set up an agenda on the steps to
opening/operating a camp/retreat program for the following year.
C. Hire and work with a financial advisor to keep records, write grants, and
handle transactions for the camp/retreat.
Goal #2:
A. Conduct/test safety procedures weekly with staff and volunteers.
B. Create and conduct safety board meetings twice a month to address safety
problems/solutions.
C. Provide safety surveys for participants after completion of the two-week
program, addressing safety concerns/suggestions.
Goal #3:
A. Form activities/tasks that focus on team building, are challenging, and
engaging for all ages.
B. Provide satisfaction/impact surveys for both the children and parents
within a family after the two-week program.
C. Conduct staff/volunteer meetings after each two-week camp to address the
impact of our program and how we can improve for the next group of
families.

3. Complete Self-Assessment of Skills Worksheet - Figure 1.1

RANKING
Mark each
item with +,
, or -

SKILLS

ACTION What you

can/should do to improve

Budgeting

I am aware of my
finances/spending, but I
feel I need more
knowledge on how to
budget more effectively so
I can reach a certain goal.

Communication (oral)

Practice giving oral

presentations in front of
my family.

Communication (written)

Communication (non-verbal)

I need to be aware of my
facial expressions during
certain times.

Computer skills (functional use of basic

computer software - Word processing
[including mail merge], spreadsheets
[formulas & statistics], slide shows,
email, database management [running
reports])

I find my self getting

frustrated with
technology. To help I can
take education courses on
computer programs.

Creativity
Delegating

Focus on clearly giving

each person a task.

Employee Supervision

Create routine to check on

employees daily.

Evaluation (of others)

Eliminate assuming too

quickly before digging
deeper into the individual.

Facility Supervision

Create a routine to
perform daily to insure
facility is properly running.

Graphic Design (flyers/posters)

Initiative

Leadership

Marketing

Attend training classes on

how to become
comfortable with
marketing (one on one)
with someone about a
product/idea/myself.

Negotiating

Learn to say no, better

my skills in bargaining.

Newsletter (writing/layout)

Better my education on
how to
correctly/effectively make
a newsletter.

Organizing

Follow a model to lead me

through creating and
running a program
(eliminate anxiousness).

Planning

Learn to take it slow and

allow time to take its
course (I like for things to
be done at that moment).

Problem solving

I tend to ignore certain

problems, and let them
blow over. I should
address them
immediately, and find a
solution.

Programming

Focus on safety hazards

and think in depth about
what could happen
during programming
events/activities.

Promoting events

Research better ways to

reach out to the public,
other than
Facebook/Instagram.

Scheduling

Keep in mind the

importance of staying on
schedule instead of going
with the flow. Use a
scheduling assistance
program to train myself.

Social Media management

Learn what types of

apps/programs can help
organize social media
more effectively.

Team Building

Make sure to include

everyone, and have
patience for those who
need more time to
participate.

Time Management

Eliminate procrastination
and it will work out
attitude.

Typing/keyboarding skills

Explore how to improve

and become more
knowledgeable about
keyboard functions and
shortcuts.

Website design/maintenance

Take an online course and

learn how to create a
website and effectively
operate it.

4. Complete the Personality Traits Inventory - Figure 1.2

RANKING
Mark each
item with +,
, or -

Traits

ACTION What you

can/should do to improve

Ability to say no

Contemplate whether the

situation will cause stress
and reduce over
scheduling myself for
others.

Accepting criticism
Confident

Considerate of others

Determined

I find myself more

comfortable in
physical/engaging
situations than inactive
settings. Familiarize
myself with others from
the beginning.

Empathetic

Have more patience with

others that are less
determined than me.

Enthusiastic

This can go either way. I

do think I can improve
with this skill by reflecting
that just because I dont
find this topic/activity
interesting, someone else
does.

Ethical

Flexible

Friendly

Dont hold a grudge

against someone and let it
ruin your friendliness to
others.

Good Listener

Create more eye contact

with the other person, and
let them finish their
thought before
interrupting.

Hard Worker

Honest

Open Minded

Patient

Punctual

Reliable

Resourceful

Self-motivated
Takes Initiative

I find it extremely hard to

be patient with those that
I cant trust, or those that
do not work hard. I need
to remember there are
situations/life challenges
others face and could be
the reasoning for that.

Take initiative in things

and become more
involved, even if I dont
enjoy or care much about
it.

5. Complete the Job Preferences Worksheet - Figure 1.3

ISSUE

SPECIFIC PREFERENCE

RANK SCALE OF 1-5

1 = Completely
unimportant
2= Somewhat
unimportant
3= Not unimportant
4= Important
5 =Extremely important

Career Setting

I like to know who I am, how I

play a role in the functioning of
a organization, and how I can
improve myself to better the
organization.

Organizational
Climate

Teamwork and passion among

fellow employees needs to be
essential in the organization.

Agency Philosophy

I like to work for an agency with

a passion and love for what
they do.

Types of Services
Provided by Agency

I believe the agency should

provide positive, meaningful
services offered to the public.

Job Scope

I would like to be clear on my

tasks and given
direction/training that will aid
me to better prepare me for the
task at hand.

Salary

I want to live comfortably,

provide for my family, and
afford a vacation every year. I
dont have to be rich, just
happy.

Geographic location

I love to travel and explore, and 3

I also love where my family is so
I am open for either opportunity.

Travel (necessary for An equal balance of travel and

work)
work near my family would be
sufficient.

Agency reputation

This will make or break an

4
agency. The public is your
biggest consumer and
determines if you are successful
or not.

Specific job
responsibilities

I like to have a detailed job

description and responsibilities
so I know what I can do without
over stepping my boundaries.

Other