Monday, December 12, 2011

Updated PDP

Professional Development Plan


Mission –

To live a happy enjoyable life, while providing whatever my family needs to do the same.



Skills and Talents –

 I believe I am a level headed individual and can make critical decisions under high pressure situations.  I am very determined and pursue what I want until I have it.  Can stay optimistic in whatever situation I find myself in.  Place the needs of those I care about, or am in charge of above my own.




Self-awareness –

 My intelligence is probably lower than many other science major students in the country, so my work ethic needs to be greater to overcome that.



Short term goals (five years)

-          Graduate from stout

-          Go to officer candidate school / Warrant officer school

-          Possibly go to graduate school (figure out what I may like to do with my science degree)

-          Marry Glenna

-          Buy a House

-          Enjoy last years of college, and don’t worry about the future




Checkpoints for Short term goals – 

     -        Finish my Army physicians assistant packet by the end of the Spring semester.

     -         Graduate from Stout Next May.



Long term Goals (10 years)

-          Have children

-          Achieve the rank of Captain

-          Go on one more deployment





 
Strategy to achieve short term goals –

-          Graduate from Stout – Continue to strive for high grades, while gaining knowledge and enjoying my time at UW- Stout. 

1.       Graduate with a G.P.A above 3.5

2.       Do one research project

3.       Take as many classes that I can that interest me

4.       Graduate in the next 1.5 years

-          Go to officer candidate school / Warrant officer school

1.       Continue to learn from my superiors

2.       Continue to go to NCO academies until I go to OCS or WOS

-          Graduate school

1.       Keep all the knowledge I have gained at UW – Stout

2.       Find what my passion is in the science world

-          Marry Glenna

1.       Don’t piss her off more than I already do

-          Buy a House

1.       Continue to save

2.       Find an area Glenna and I would like to start a family


Strategy to achieve Long term goals –

-          Have children

-          Achieve the rank of Captain

1.       Learn from officers above me

2.       Maintain high PT scores

3.       Attend as many officer schools as I can

4.       Take all promotions even if a move is necessary

-          Go on one more deployment

1.       Serve one more time overseas to gain more experience

2.       Stay with my home unit if possible





Possible obstacles for all goals –

-          Graduate from Stout – Academic problems / drinking

-          Go to officer candidate school / Warrant officer school – Glenna

-          Possibly go to graduate school – I don’t know what I want to do

-          Marry Glenna - military

-          Buy a House - money

-          Have children -

-          Achieve the rank of Captain -

-          Go on one more deployment – Glenna


Plan to overcome obstacles

-          Academic problems / drinking – I do not for see these two obstacles being much of a problem to achieving my goal of graduating.  I enjoy the courses and I am taking at Stout and really enjoy learning about science.  If I do start struggling with grades I will make sure I make use of the tutors available.  As well as put more time and effort into studying.  I do enjoy spending my free time at the bar with friends, and if starts to become an issue I will have to take action immediately.  Glenna is a very good evaluator of this obstacle.  She keeps me in check when it comes to drinking, and if in the future she has serious concerns I will need to acknowledge her and take action.

-          Graduate school (I don’t know what I want to do) – I think I would enjoy going on to further education very much.  The problem is I have no idea what I want to do.  I find many if not all the courses I have taken very interesting, and I don’t know which I would like to focus on.  I have been a medic for 5 years, and have thought of going to P.A. school.  I believe to overcome this issue I need to start doing some research and continue to shadow the family practice doctor I have been working with to see if it is something I would like to do.



Updated Information after Meeting -



Five Choices for AGR Positions –

1.       Infantry

2.       Medical Officer

3.       Engineer Officer

4.       Recruiting and Retention

5.       Warrant Officer

I made these decisions after I contacted my current Commanding Officer as well as another officer in my unit that I know well.  Each told me there experiences as well as how they came to the decision they did.  Both of them went through the ROTC program at different colleges in Wisconsin.  That was not something I was interested in doing, so I also talked with a new lieutenant in my unit who just completed his officer training through an accelerated program after he received his bachelor’s degree.  After talking with him for a while about the program I decided that I would start getting my packet ready for that school.  I decided not to talk with Colonel Stout, because I already knew about the ROTC program and didn’t want to get hassled about joining Stout’s ROTC program.  Right now I have two separate packets started.    I have sent my transcripts to the physician’s assistant program and was told I can continue in the entry process, so that is going to be my main focus for the next couple of months.  I was told that the courses I have taken and my current G.P.A. are not going to be a problem.  They also said that my deployment experience as well as military service will help with the entry process.  I have been in contact with Wisconsin’s representative for this program who has been guiding my through the process.  If all goes well I could possibly be accepted into the program before I graduate from Stout, and be granted a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska.  I know that is wishful thinking, but I am going to continue following his instructions and continue the entry process.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Entrepreneurship

Choose a focus of either your final project topic or your career plan to develop an entrepreneurial assessment of yourself. This should be about a "1-page" activity. Some of these questions may help guide your thoughts: Do you want to be a "businessperson or an entrepreneur?" What traits and/or strengths do you see in your PDP that aligns with your thought? What weaknesses or opportunities for improvement do you notice that you would like to address to become a "businessperson or an entrepreneur?" Is entrepreneurship just about starting a business? Or is it much deeper and holistic than that? As the world quickly changes, which type of folks do you feel will be more on their "toes" and less on their "heels." Who do you think will achieve and live the happinesses that they seek in life?

My career goals and professional development plan are aimed at leading me to become a officer in the United States Army.  I have had this goal since I can remember as a child.  I started this goal professionally when I was 17, and joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard.  I have been trying to accomplish my goal by attending college and continuing my military NCO courses.  I have been fortunate enough to receive my first four promotions rather quickly and gained the rank of Sergeant.  As a Sergeant I have been in control of many soldiers, which has led me to learn how to lead soldier's.  This experience in leadership is going to be help me attain my goal as successful and respected officer in the U.S. Army.  I do not plan on ever getting involved with business, but I believe that I can apply traits of an entrepreneur to achieve my goals.  Some of the traits of an entrepreneur will apply to my own personal aspirations but that is about it.  As a leader of soldier's my goals and aspirations should not be a part of my thought process when making decisions.  I have had leader's in the past who make their decisions to reach their own goals and make themselves appear better in the eyes of the higher ups.  I know I will reach my goal, because of my own determination to accomplish it.  Once I attain my goal I hope that I will be able to make all of my decisions based upon the needs of the mission and the needs of the soldiers under my control.  I will do this through professionalism, passion, respect for subordinates, discipline, and love for country.  I am not worried about categorizing myself as a businessman or an entrepreneur.  I am not trying to reinvent the wheel or be the next Bill Gates.  I will be trained to lead the way that the military wants me to lead.  I do believe I can bring a lot to the table, and possible do things a different way to benefit the needs and well being of my soldiers.  The main goal is always going to be the mission and soon after that the needs of the soldier.  Decisions that I make when I reach my goal will solely be based on those two things and those alone.  If I make a decision that is not going to benefit the mission or the soldier then I should not be in the position to make those decisions.  If I can be successful and respected by my peers and subordinates as a leader of soldier's that should be all the happiness that I am seeking.  Members of the military are always on their toes.  One day we are packing our bags ready to go home, and the next we are unpacking and staying a month longer.