Should I Get a Second Degree?

Let’s meet Alicia.

Alicia has come a long way.  Her high school counselor gave her the personality strength tests, and she got her PSA©.  When she graduated from high school she did not have money for college, but she does have determination. So everyone wants to help her.

Alicia worked her way through college selling clothes in a department store.  Her business degree is in marketing with a minor in fashion design.  One of her real personality strengths is in Theoretical Value  (higher than 99% of us).  That means that she examines all of her options, tests them, and then selects he most promising one.  Then she has the commitment to Achievement (higher than 95% of us) to accomplish what she sets out to do.

For 10 years she has been going up through the ranks in the same company.   She has four younger brothers and sisters, and is helping the next two go to college.  They will follow her example, get their degrees, and help the younger two children get their degrees, too.

Where is Alicia 10 years after graduating from high school?

Alicia’s first supervisor Karen was impressed with Alicia’s PSA© the first time that she saw it.  After watching Alicia for 10 years she sees that Alicia has learned each aspect of the business as she has come up through the ranks.  Alicia has had offers for other jobs offers; she stays at this company because its management really cares about employees.

Karen remembers that Alicia does want to make money (at 75% in Economic Value), but also has seen across the years how she really is kind, sympathetic, and unselfish (at 91% in Social Value) and does Read Feelings (at 83%). Ranking at 90% in Autonomy is promising because it shows that she can run a profit center.   Karen has already seen her run a very profitable division.

Karen has just been made CEO of the company.  It is experiencing robust growth –  opening 12 new profit centers in the next 5 years.  As CEO it is Karen’s responsibility to identify executives  to run the profit centers.  She has Alicia’s work history, series of managers’ and vice presidents’ recommendations, and performance records of people who have worked under her for 10 years.  Alicia would have to get an mba and become a vice president to run a profit center.  Karen wants her to run one, tells her that, and asks her to get an MBA.

Should Alicia get an MBA and run a profit center?  As you study Alicia’s PSA© what personality strengths do you see in her profile that would help her run a profit center?   Which coping strengths tend to bring in money?  Which values does she have that strong leaders have?  Which of her temperament strengths show how she helps people she manages do their best?   What do you see here?

Print out the Test Results for Alicia so that you can look at the Test Results while you read about her on this website.

Open the Test Results for Alicia.

Let’s meet Edward.

Edward’s Personality Strengths Assessment (PSA)© helps to assess what to do about Walt’s Offer.

Edward looks like an unlikely candidate to be a top executive in a company. When he graduated from high school he had no clue what to do and  no interest in going to college.  His parents got him a Personality Strengths Assessment  (PSA)© to help him figure out he could support himself.

Edward is a natural born leader – people just want to follow him.  He is higher in Dominance, Political Value, and Sociability than 99% of us.  People just like him and want him to do well.  He got a job in sales.

His first supervisor Walt saw his potential.  Walt told Edward that if he did not get a college degree he had a low ceiling on how far he could advance in the company.  However, with a college degree he could easily be promoted.  Walt asked, “Edward, what do you want to do?”  Edward got a business degree with a concentration in marketing.

Edward has been in sales for 10 years.  Where is his career going now?

Walt is now CEO of the company.  He wants Edward to be his Vice President of Marketing. He barely talked Edward into getting a business degree 10 years ago.  Now he’s got to talk him into getting an mba in marketing.  How is he ever going to do that?

Walt turns to Edward and says, “We are thinking of you for Vice President of Marketing.”

Edward says, “And I am thinking about getting an mba in marketing.  What do you think?”

Look at Edward’s PSA©.  Do you think he could be a good Vice President of Marketing?

Print out the Test Results for Edward so tht you can look at these Test Results while you read about Edward.

Open the Test Results for Edward.

What happens in Edward’s career?

Edward continues to love marketing.  And he loves golf.  International marketing is now his thing.  That means he can play golf all over the world, too.  Gotta’ keep in shape some way.

Don’t you worry about Edward.  He will always have fun!

After getting his MBA in marketing, Edward gets to be VP of Marketing.  See how his PSA© fits with CEO Walt’s PSA© and another VP’s PSA© and then where he fits in the Corporation’s Executive Group PSA©.