INQUIRY

Career Exploration and Opportunities

Prospect for Success Paper # 2

Submitted to
Dr. Daryl L. Kerr
Department of Management
Belk College of Business
UNC Charlotte

Submitted by
Richard L. Byrd
BUSN 1101-090
November 14, 2016
 The inquiry process is an open-ended process that explores evidence and approaches to

generate ideas and conclusions. The inquiry process may also be used to answer certain ethical

business problems. Using this process also allows me to use a different form of learning. Instead

of just picking a career, I am going to use this open-ended process to explore possible careers in

the financing field. Using this process consists of researching and answering smaller questions

which are then used to answer the main topic question of, What I want to do after graduation?

The purpose of using this process is to acquire enough knowledge to be able to give a well

thought out answer to my main question. While also knowing for myself what I would like to do.

Career Exploration and Questions for Research

I was given the main topic question, What do I want to do after I graduate college?

Before, when I would be asked what I wanted to do for a living, I always responded with

working in business. Many questions came to mind when thinking about a career in financial

services, more specifically, working with investments. Specific questions to consider when

exploring career opportunities for me include:

1. How much do I want to be paid?

2. Where do I want to live?
3. What interests do I have?
4. What skills will I need?
5. Will I work alone or in a team?
6. How many hours will be worked in a week?
7. What kind of degree do I need?
8. What Certifications will I need?
9. What kind of personality do I have?
10. What experience is needed if any?

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 The inquiry process is extremely useful when answering these questions. It easily allows

the individual questions to be tied together into answering the main topic question. By the end of

the inquiry process, I will be able to determine if I want to pursue a career as a risk manager

specialist after graduation.

Evidence

The annual income when working with investments range greatly. According to Onet,

the median annual salary for a risk manager specialist is $66,670. When considering where I

want to live, it is important to think about the cost of living compared to my salary. The average

cost of living in Charlotte is nine percent lower than the national average and housing alone is 23

percent lower. Meaning, I will be able to live comfortably within my means.

To find out what my interests are, and what my personality type is, I used the Strong

Interest Inventory and the Holland Code Hexagon. From the hexagon, I took away that I was

practical, accurate, optimistic, ambitious, self-confident, friendly, idealistic, and many more. The

Strong Interest Inventory results told me, I was mainly conventional and enterprising. Onet

describes some of the skills and abilities needed to be a risk manager specialist. Some of the

skills and abilities listed were active listening, critical thinking, problem sensitivity, and

deductive and inductive reasoning. Onet also states a four year bachelors degree is usually

required but not always to be a risk manager.

When asked about the kind of training needed to work in the financial industry, I

discovered usually at least one internship is required. In order to obtain a top level position, after

an internship, many years of on-the-job training or vocational training is usually needed. Other

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certifications may be required as well. The most common brokerage certification requirements

are passing the Series seven, 63, and 66 exams.

A recent Onet online poll taken by current risk manager specialists showed 43 percent of

employees work in teams almost everyday. The same poll also showed 86 percent of employees

reported working over 40 hours a week.

Ideas and Conclusions

After having thoroughly explored a career in finance with a emphasis as a risk

management specialist, there are many things to think about. For example, I discovered the

annual income would be sufficient to live on. Based on research found, the annual income would

provide a fairly high quality of life based on the cost of living in Charlotte.

My personality traits and holland code both bring up risk management as a potential job.

The resource, Onet, also pulled up risk management as a potential job based on me being

conventional and enterprising. Also, many of the job skills and abilities needed, as listed on

Onet, I believe I possess or will in the near future. I also plan to finish college with a four year

bachelors degree as well as a completed internship. The long work week is a downside, but I

believe other positives overcome the one negative.

I used the inquiry process to answer the questions above. By answering the smaller

questions, I am able to give a better, well thought out answer to the main question. Now I know

what my answer will be when asked. I am more than likely to respond, After graduation I want

to be a risk manager specialist!

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