SCC Counselor, Miguel Lucas, Teaches Students to Discover Career Paths by Discovering Themselves

Scottsdale, AZ (February 12, 2009) – Miguel Lucas has been teaching Career Exploration at SCC for over 6 years.  His favorite thing about the course is that it always gives his students concrete results.  This is important because students often enroll in the course not knowing what career or educational path to take, or what their future holds.

By the end of the semester, however, most of his students have landed on a path that feels just right.

Lucas, a masters-level counselor and the current division chair of SCC’s Counseling Services department, explains to his students on the first day of class that if they spend over one-third of their lives in a career, they should spend more time learning about themselves and doing the research up front to find the career that fits them best. 

To do that, Lucas has his students work together on exercises to identify their needs and values, conduct informational interviews with industry professionals to investigate possible career options, and take personality self-assessments including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Having gone through a career exploration and self-discovery process himself during his undergraduate years, Lucas finds it very rewarding to help his students discover their career paths.  He knows how important it is to ask questions, do the research, be open to learning new information, and sometimes even change course. 

“I tell them that career planning is a process,” he said.  “And I tell them that 75% of people surveyed said that they wished they’d researched their careers more.”

Haylee Thompson, SCC’s star volleyball player and two time NJCAA All-American, took Lucas’ Career Exploration class and feels she learned a lot about herself throughout the semester. 

“It was a big self discovery for me,” she explained.  “Although I did not know exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I narrowed my options down and realized that I could take paths that would not close any doors.”

Informational interviews are a major part of the course, and according to Thompson, one of the most helpful.  “I learned the most in the informational interviews,” she said.  “It was so awesome to learn more and then get to talk to someone in that actual field.”

Thompson, who is currently taking Communications classes at SCC, plans to transfer to a four year school.  “I am very excited about my future, and I’m not worried anymore, whereas before I was stressed like crazy!”

Informational interviews give Lucas’ students the opportunity to learn about career options from professionals in the field.  Natalie Bucur, who is currently majoring in Business Management at Harding University in Arkansas, took the Career Exploration course from Lucas in the spring of 2008. 

“We had several people come in on Career Panel Day and I personally interviewed Florists and Speech Pathologists,” she said.  “They too were confused about what direction to take, but eventually found their place in life.  They all encouraged us to do something we love to do, and something we are good at!”

Students in the Career Exploration class do the research, take the assessments, and explore their career options – then report back to Lucas.  He explains that he encourages them to look to the future when considering career options to avoid future conflicts and to avoid becoming unsatisfied in careers.

Thompson said that when evaluating career options, she thought about her future.  “I learned that I value my future, and I have plans for my future that might collide with a career,” she said.  “I realized through tests and questions that I want to be married and have a family.  I want to be able to spend time with them, and I then decided that I needed a flexible career.”

Personality assessments and inventories, such as the Myers-Briggs, provide students with information about how their relational styles and personalities fit best in certain career areas, thereby giving them special insights into their strengths and preferences for career-planning purposes.

“During the semester we took many different assessments that produced varying aspects of our personalities,” said Bucur.  “At the end of the semester, we put all of our assessment results and findings together and got a surprise ending, if you will – the various careers and educational paths we could take.”

Natalie Dominguez, a former SCC Honors student, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts Management at the University of Hartford.  She took Career Exploration with Lucas two years ago and explains that the course helped her identify her interest in performing arts.

“I can say without a doubt that this course shaped my educational path,” she said.  “The self awareness that this course offers has helped me understand how I work in groups in class and at work.  It helps the student understand their values and how they can find careers to match.”

Lucas asks for feedback at the end of every semester to improve the course for future classes.  He and his colleague, Jenny Vargas, SCC's Librarian, have incorporated the Wiki tech tool into the class to encourage even more interactivity and learning through messaging, blogging, and question/answer sessions.  He is now in the process of developing an online section for the class, but aims to keep it interactive.

According to Lucas, he provides the tools, but the students are the ones taking steps to solve problems.  “Their searches help them understand the challenges and realities of career options.”

By the end of class, students will have learned more about themselves and their preferences, as well as the realities of the job market, making it easier to decide on a meaningful career path.  Thompson’s discoveries have allowed her to visualize a future with a newfound optimism and certainty.

“Between the testing, experiences, advice, and self discovery, I gained useful insight!” she said.  “It relieved a lot of pressure from me because I realized how bright my future is.  I am on the right track and as I change and mature, I might end up doing something different with my life, but my options are not limited and I have a good idea about the journey I will endure.”

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About Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.

To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.