GOALS STATEMENT/EDUCATION PLAN SAMPLE #1

      Having been a police officer for over 21 years now, I have reached a point in my career where I must look to

my future. With the ability to retire at 25 years of service, a major career move, in the not-so-distant future, is a

distinct possibility. It is a possibility that I must be prepared for.

      To this end, I have returned to school with the view in mind of finishing my studies and achieving my

Bachelor's degree. When I originally attended the University of Cincinnati, directly after finishing high school, my

goal was to become a pilot in the United States Air Force. To further this goal, I joined the Air Force Reserve

Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) and was awarded an academic scholarship to help finance my education.

      However, when the war in Vietnam began to wind down, the need for pilots in the Air Force Reserve

diminished, and as a result, the training programs were scaled back. As a result, my scholarship was withdrawn.

As I was somewhat tired of school, I chose to leave the university.

 

      I obtained employment in a metal fabricating factory, and although the pay was relatively good, I was not

satisfied and eventually became a police officer with the City of Brunswick. This proved to be a most satisfactory

career move.

     With the police department, I have been able to advance to a supervisory position (shift sergeant) and

become involved in all aspects of police administrative tasks, as well as routine police work. This is one

advantage of working for a small municipal police department. An officer may be called upon to perform a

variety of roles, as manpower resources are not lavish and many tasks must be accomplished in spite of this.

 

As a result, I have been involved in a number of projects with the police department which provided me with a

wealth of experience. It is this experience that I now wish to build upon, in order to provide me with a solid

foundation to move forward with my career.

 

      To this end, I now see that college degree would be a most useful complement to my work experience.

Achieving a degree in Public Safety Management from the Levin College of Urban Affairs would provide me with

the formal educational background that I now lack. Obtaining this degree can only help validate my work

experience and prepare me for advancing in my chosen career field.

 

      I have also found that continuing my education at Cleveland State University has provided me with some

other valuable benefits. Classes in this College of Urban Affairs have exposed me to new ideas and, most

importantly, to a number of new people. Some of these people, whether fellow students, instructors, or guest

speakers, have enabled me to make many contacts which may ultimately proved beneficial in the future.

 

I certainly hope to continue to keep my place on the Dean's List and achieve my degree at or near my 25-year

career milepost. This then will allow me to consider my future career path more clearly.

      Currently, to possibly advance within the police department to Chief of Police, the Bachelor's degree I would

have meets the minimum educational requirements for the position. Furthermore, as this degree would be in

public safety management, I would have to be considered favorably should the position become available in

Brunswick.

 

      Likewise, should a similar position become available in another city or governmental agency, I would be in an

advantageous position to consider applying for that position.

 

      In summary, I see the obtainment of my college degree as providing me with the proverbial stepping stone

to the future. It is an opportunity that I should not, indeed, cannot let pass by.

 

 

GOALS STATEMENT/EDUCATION PLAN SAMPLE #2

 

       I am a firm believer that in order to move forward in your life, you have to look back.That may seem contrary

to the "Never Look Back" philosophy, but for me, looking back is an educational and historical experience in

which I have the leading role. I am not condemning myself to reliving my mistakes, on the contrary; I have to be

able to remember my successes in order to plan for my future.

      My future is what has motivated me to return to school and strive to be awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree

from the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Directly out of high school, I felt no need to

pursue a college education. If my mother could hold a job as a clerical worker, why couldn’t I? After all, I was the

fastest and most accurate typist in the Port Clinton High School Class of 1973. That claim to fame carried me

through for about five years. Then one day, I applied for a job in which I had no experience and wasn’t even

sure what the job was, and a lifetime of public service was born.

      I cannot imagine a professional life that did not involve public service in one shape or another. I have had

the good fortune of being promoted time after time into positions that not only helped my resume to grow

professionally, but forced me to grow as a person. Working within the field of employment and training

programs has offered rewards that, for the most part, cannot be described in words. I have written "creative"

resumes for ex-offenders, planned job seeking skills trainings based on attendants that have never worked,

and offered hope to heads of households who feared for their families’ well being. Conversely, I have held

children that have run away from home until Family Services arrived, counseled youth on how to avoid getting

swept away by drugs, and referred 14 year old girls to family planning centers when the suspected that they

were pregnant. The employment and training jobs were bases to assist persons in finding employment, but they

were also bases for some people to start a life.

      Throughout my work experience, as my resume shows, sometimes public service turned to government and

municipal duties. Becoming involved in community projects that promised a safer environment for area

residents enhances a community’s opportunity to grow. It was an extremely educational experience to be a part

of the process of obtaining funding for a community and enabled it to achieve environmental responsibility

and/or visual improvements.

      My future is no different that anyone else’s--it will be what I make of it. My goals are to finish my degree

within the Urban Studies Program structure and continue in the field of public service. The award of college

credits from Cleveland State University validating my employment experiences accelerates and enhances the

opportunity of me reaching my personal and professional goals in two very important ways. First, I believe that

having an endorsement in the form of college credits from the Levin College of Urban Affairs recognizing my

specific employment experiences sends a strong message to potential employers that I have not only

knowledge in this field, but practical experience as well. Second, I am not bound for the "world of work" as a 22-

year-old college graduate. Though I do have many life experiences and I believe that I can make valuable

contributions to an employer, I no longer have the luxury of time that I once had. Obtaining the requested

college credits for my work experience accelerates the process in which I will be able to offer my self to

employers as a college degreed candidate.

       I have recently held a management position with an employment and training agency that dealt strictly with

persons who were referred from the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and determined "job ready." I have

always said that a patient, younger people make better case managers. Therefore, because I am now in my mid

40’s and because of recent personal employment changes, my plans including distancing myself from being a

direct service provider to a position based within economic development field.

        I believe that by "looking back" on the accomplishments that I have achieved so far in my life and looking

forward to the future with a solid work history and the educational validation from the Levin College of Urban

Affairs at CSU, I will be able to clearly determine the career path that will take me into the 21st century that

equals, in every way, the career choices that I made in the 20th century.

 

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