That sense of security is very important for someone who wants to come out of school and then feel secure about one's employment for the next forty years. There are a couple of things that do not appeal to me about the health care profession. One of them is that the corporate culture seems very rigid and bureaucratic. There is a lot of paperwork and everything is very exacting. This is something that does not necessarily appeal to my personality, which is oriented towards the problem-solving aspect of the profession. Another thing that does not appeal to me about health care is that many positions require long working hours. This is okay when I am young, but I also envision a time when I will have a family and not want to work so hard so that I can see my children grow up. My uncle said some things that made me wonder if the work-life balance in the health care industry is right for me.

With my skills there is a high alignment between me and the health care industry. I also feel that helping people and improving lives is one of the biggest attractions for me in terms of values, so in that respect there are few better industries than health care. I believe that I share the same interests as a lot of people in terms of compassion and curiosity about how our body works, because that is so important to who we are as people.

I think that based on this interview the health care industry still interests me. The strong career possibilities appeals to me a lot, because I do not want to find myself looking for work in middle age, wondering where my next mortgage payment is going...

I also think that there is a significant alignment between what health care offers me and what I want out of life.
In order to have the flexibility that I want in this career, I believe that I must finish my undergraduate education. After working for a few years, I think I will pursue some sort of graduate education, as this will give me the most flexibility of all in finding the best position in the health care industry.

Appendix a

1. What sorts of positions are available in health care?

2. For someone with my education and work experience, what is a typical entry point into the industry?

3. What sorts of companies are hiring in the health care industry?

4. Where do you see the industry going in the next five, ten or twenty years?

5. What is the pay like in this industry?

6. What are the benefits like in this industry?

7. What are the hours like in this industry?

8. What is the corporate culture of companies in this industry usually like?

9. How would you characterize the working conditions in the health care industry?

10. Do you think that I would be a good fit in this industry?

11. What sort of career could somebody like myself expect in health care?

12. How easy is it to build a long, progressive career in health care with my qualifications?

Works Cited:

BLS.gov. (2012). Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition. Retrieved March 7, 2012 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos326.htm