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Self-Assessment

Brenda Lee Morales González

Walden University
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Self-Assessment

Identifying Your “Why”

I have always been of the belief that knowledge gives power and as once told me a Pastor

said to me you cannot live a life inferior to your potential. I was raised by my grandmother,

grandfather, aunt and mother with all the love that can have and feel in life, I was taught great

values and always I told them I dreamed of being a teacher. My grandfather (daddy), to rest in

peace, always told me, “my daughter dreams, but dreams big”, and I answered your right daddy

I'll be a doctor, but in education. Unfortunately, could not live or even see me finish my Bachelor

Degree, because he left before, but I know that from up there is very proud of me. I currently

have a PhD in Educational Leadership from Keiser University. However, as I was taught to sound

big, I understand that I am still in time to open roads in new fields besides education.

I started the process of searching for information on different areas where I could develop,

and I also looked for recommendations from colleagues on colleges that offered postdoctoral

programs. I was interested in the Business Administration area and a colleague recommended to

me Walden University, I analyzed their curriculum and I was shocked. Anyway, I loved it, I

started the process with my admissions advisor which I am very grateful for all her help. I selected

Walden University because I understand that it is a respectable university where I have no doubt

that I will come out with new knowledge to be a better professional in the area. Although the

decision to enter Walden was very difficult, because my first language is Spanish, the English is

difficult to me, but by my way of being, I understand that I will achieve by pushing everything on

my side through my daily commitment to achieve successful completion of the course.

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Personal SWOT Analysis Results

The ability to act professionally depends on the personal ability to perform adequately. It

is also true that every human being works in an environment composed of positive and negative

forces. The SWOT analysis, an acronym of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, is a

useful tool that helps identify the differences between my strengths and what I need to achieve my

professional goals. This analysis helped me to take into account factors that are under my control,

as well as future threats that are beyond my control, although I was able to discover positive

results beyond what I thought.

Strengths

1. I’m very stable.

2. I’m very hardworking person.

3. I’m very committed to everything that I undertake.

4. I consider my ser to be a leader.

5. I was taught some values of humility, responsibility and honesty.

6. I really like working as a team.

7. I am a person that I love to learn, I really like studying.

8. I like to grow myself as a professional.

9. I am resilient.

Weaknesses

1. The English language is the biggest weakness that I have since my first language is

Spanish.
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2. I'm very afraid to speak English.

3. I'm a little afraid of the changes.

4. I am a person of very strong character.

5. In the area of my studies I am too severe with myself.

6. I have no experience in the area of finance.

Opportunities

1. The difficulties have been an opportunity to know strengths and capacities.

2. The diversity of jobs I've developed in the field of education.

3. The opportunities that I have been presented to me in the area of leadership.

4. Support from my family to perform my major projects and achieve all kinds of goals of

my interest.

5. Friends support.

6. Tranquility of the place where I live.

7. I have domain of the APA style.

8. I feel very comfortable when I am doing academic research and writing papers.

Threats

1. There are no universities in Puerto Rico that offer postdoctoral programs.

2. The negative people who try to make you think that things will not go well.

3. The economy of the place where I live.

4. In Puerto Rico, the opportunities to grow professionally are somewhat limited.

5. In my case, the English language, also, is a threat.

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Formulating Goals and Strategies

Goals

1. Finish my postdoctoral degree in Finance with an average of 4.00.

2. To perfect my written English and to speak it with greater fluency for greater

success in my studies.

3. Become a better professional and a better human being.

Strengths and Challenges

Strengtshs

1. I am a committed person, I have faith that I will complete what I started on

September 4, 2018.

2. I love learning and studying, therefore, this will help me achieve my goals, the sky

is the limit.

3. I am a person who comes from below, this made me a person who overcomes all

the adversities that come my way in life, I am a resilient person, another reason to

achieve my goals successfully.

Challenges

1. One of the biggest challenges that I will face in this process is the language

because I am an expert writing and speaking Spanish but I have to work harder

than those whose first language is English.

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2. Another challenge is that I have always dedicated myself to the academic area,

never in the area of finance.

3. The third challenge and no less important is the fear that I sometimes have to

change.

Self-Assessment for Overcoming Challenges

I am ready for the challenges and challenges that come my way in this new goal that I

have set for myself. I do not have the slightest doubt that I will achieve it because I am a very

fighter, committed and demanding with myself. Several years ago I did it by finishing my PhD in

Educational Leadership also in English, so this time it will not be the exception. According to

Barker (2014), to be successful on the road, in my case, I call it my adventure of fa, you have to

learn to delegate, prioritize, expect the best of everything but be prepared for everything that can

happen along of the crossing and be constant to achieve the goal, winning the race, among other

things. The success and achievement of the goals are met by fighting day by day without dropping

a single moment. Commitment is the key to success.

Conclusion

Making the decision to study a post-doctoral program is not easy, since it requires a great

effort and dedicate part of your time to achieve the goal. Every professional should know that

nowadays, postgraduate studies are of great importance because this will achieve greater

competitive advantages that can open many doors in today's demanding market.

Competing to win the future, is to compete to create and dominate the opportunities that

arise and thereby define a new competitive space, but this must be based on a rational fight, which

is appropriate to the characteristics of the company in question, as Creating the future involves

the challenge of building our own map and our own path. Opening a road is more rewarding than
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taking the path of others as a reference, because you do not reach the future first, letting someone

else lead the way.

Through different studies, it has been proven that, at a local and international level, a

higher level of studies corresponds to greater and better access to professional and personal

opportunities. Therefore, it is easy to understand that those who possess this training can access

greater opportunities to offer their country, the community, the labor force greater benefits and

strategies in the field of study.

Having taken the challenge of studying a post-doc in finance in the area of business

administration, is a great challenge for me, since one of my goals is to become a teacher in this

area, therefore, I would contribute to my community and society Through the delivery of my

knowledge in the field of finance with efficiency and excellence.

References

Barker, K. (2014). Personal and collective transitions along the scholar-practitioner journey:

Challenges to sustain balance as a whole person while meeting the substantive investment

in simultaneous careers and maintaining family togetherness and stability. Organization

Development Journal, 32(3), 9–16.