Academic Advisor Career Goals and Professional Development Plans

This essay reflects on the author's aspirations to become an academic advisor after completing a course in educational research. The author highlights the importance of the role in guiding students through the complexities of university life, acting as a liaison between students and educational policies. The essay outlines the various responsibilities of an academic advisor, including providing academic support, fostering student success, and offering a comfortable environment for students to discuss their concerns. Furthermore, the author discusses their preparation for the role, including skills gained in the course, and the need for additional skills such as interpersonal communication, patience, and cultural competence. The essay also details the author's plans to pursue the role, including networking, visiting universities, and developing a personal philosophy to guide their practice. The author also considers alternative career paths and the importance of continuous professional development. The essay concludes with a proactive approach to securing a position as an academic advisor.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 1
Introduction to Educational Research
Name
Institution

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After the completion of this course, I want to pursue a career as an academic advisor
in a university department. There are several reasons why my professional interests are
aligned towards this particular career, including the desire to assist students in optimizing
their academic potential. University education lacks the rigidity associated with high school,
and often students could have a tough time adjusting. Proper guidance is thus required for
students to be well adjusted, and not to take courses out of mere interest even when they are
not in satisfaction of degree requirements. As an academic advisor I would have several roles,
the most important of which is to act as a humanizing agent, acting as a liaison between
students and educational policy and structures. Much like counselling, academic advisors
operate within an informal setting, so as to enable students to feel comfortable. It will be my
role to ensure students are geared towards academic success, by equipping them with a better
comprehension of the curriculum. These roles are in line with my professional interests which
include counselling, and helping others to develop life skills.
If my career as an academic advisor fails, the other option I would consider is
working with kids. Working with young children has always been my calling and that my
role model, Tricia McDevitt Ortiz has been working with kids and today she is among the
most successful professionals. As my referee, this will help me get a job in children
organizations where I will practice my skills and excel in my career goals.
The role of academic advisor exists in various organizational settings, mostly
academic institutions. They include high school, colleges and universities. In high schools,
the role of academic advisor is mostly delegated to school counsellors whose portfolio is
wider in terms of the scope of their work. Other than academic counselling, high school
counsellors deal with behavioural and psychological issues among students. The role of
academic advisor is more defined in colleges and universities, where the scope of their work

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only covers educational matters. Since academic advisors operate in an informal set up,
students may raise other issues not related to their academic work. In such cases, the
academic advisor is required to refer the student to the relevant persons from who they can
seek further assistance. In other cases, an academic advisor is taken as a role model in the
society, and youths emulate his or her conduct in order to become responsible citizens in the
world.
At the moment I am fully prepared for this role as far as my educational requirements
are concerned. In this course I have learnt to be well versed in the following areas, training
and development, mediation, organizational development, human resource management,
leadership development and organizational learning, and community organization. With this
knowledge I would be able to perform well in an organizational setting with adult learners.
Additionally, I would have to be proficient in some more skills, including interpersonal,
coordination, communication, and problem-solving skills. Given the sensitivity of the issues
that students experience in university, I would have to be more patient, adopt good listening
skills, and also be flexible. A university is a large organization with numerous departments
and people from diverse backgrounds. This means that I would have to improve my social
skills if I am to build a strong rapport with my colleagues and the students I will be serving.
I also anticipate to be working in a dynamic environment which is also complex and
fast-paced. Thus, I should be able to work autonomously and also collaboratively with others
if I am to keep up with the pressures of such an environment. Students have varying needs
hence it is necessary to create solutions that are unique to each individual. In this regard I
have to be more creative in order to develop a variety of solutions that suit different students’
needs. In the event that I have to serve many students at a time, or give lectures, I would have
to work on my public speaking, which at the most is not as good. Different states have

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varying labour regulations which determine the requirements needed for job applications. In
that regard, I may need certification or a license depending on where I intend to apply for a
job. In some instances, work experience may be required, a factor that will also determine the
organizations from which I will seek job opportunities. Also, I would need exposure to
diverse cultures to become multi-culturally competent; as I look forward to interacting with
diverse people whose cultures differ and impact on my profession. The desire to interact and
learn from many cultures drives me to learn the aspect of culture in counselling.
My plan is to start pursuing the role of academic advisor way before completing this
course. This will give me time to make applications to a variety of educational institutions,
and reduce the time I would have to spend searching for a job upon the completion of this
course. My plan is to identify a number of universities within my locality and beyond, just to
broaden the scope of my job applications. However, first I will develop my personal
philosophy as an advisor, which will act as a guideline on how I plan on offering my services
to students. It will be a philosophy with which potential employers can identify me with,
since I plan on attaching it to my resume in every application I make. Throughout this course
I have been networking with professionals in academic advising, both established and
aspiring ones like me.
I have been engaging myself in conversations related to the emerging issues in the
academic advising profession. This way, I have managed to keep abreast with what is
expected of me when I actually start practicing the profession. After identifying the
universities in which I am interested in working with, I plan on conducting visits and learning
more about the said institutions, including their organizational culture. These visits will
provide an opportunity for me to personally hand in my resume and seek potential job

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vacancies. Even after the application process, I plan on being proactive in following up with
potential employers.