Introduction

During the past Career Development class, our lecturer, Madam Azmah Ghous

had given us an individual assignment. In this assignment, we need to find an adult

working client of around 25 to 45 years of age. After that we need to conduct an

interview with the client by focusing on our client’s career path up to the present

moment.

In order to trace our client’s career history, we need to examine our client’s

career inclinations, what they enjoys and what they don’t like during his or her primary

school days, lower secondary school days, upper secondary school days, tertiary level

period and post tertiary level period.

We also need to give a full account of the important factors or events that had

happened in these stages that influenced our client’s decision in choosing his or her

occupation to the current one. Then, we are also can apply the career development

theories of John Holland’s, Donald Super’s and Work Adjustment theory that can help

us to more understand about how our client fits into his or her work environment and to

what extent he or she is satisfied with their current job.

1
The Personal Details of my Client

In process of finding my client for this assignment, I try to find a person that he or

she is relating with a school or education in their career. I have found female client who

has interested to be interview by sharing her career path until the present moment and

agreed to make her life career be write in my assignment.

During the interviewing process with my client, I have asked my client about her

family background, personal details, what her interest, what has been passed in her life

and so on. I started my interviewed with her by asking about her name first. My client

name is Azimah Binti Rasli, aged 34 years old. Ms. Azimah was born on 24th of April

1976. She was born in Kota Bharu, Kelantan and now stayed at Taman Setapak, Kuala

Lumpur. Her father work is a teacher in the religious school while her mother is a

housewife. She is the eldest son from three siblings.

2
Primary School Days

I started my interviewed by focused on the history of my client. In 1983, she was

studied in Sekolah Kebangsaan Kem Pengkalan Chepa,Kota Bharu Kelantan. I asked

her about what is her ambitious in her primary school times then she told me that her

ambitious at that that was to be a doctor. My client told me that during her primary

school times, she does dot interest in mathematics and science subject but she enjoy in

Islamic subject. She also told me that she does not interest in co curriculum activities at

that time. When she was at standard six in 1988, she got 3A’s in Primary School

Assessment.

3
Lower Secondary School Days

After finishing her primary school, in 1989 she want to continue her study in

secondary school. She had two choices whether to enter the science school or religious

school. She decided to enter the religious school, Sekolah Menengah Ugama Arab

Maahad Muhammadi Perempuan, Kota Bharu. During this lower secondary school, she

told me that she always participate in many activities that was organized by her school.

In form 2, she was a school representative in debating competition between schools in

Kota Bharu. In 1992, my client get 5A’s in her lower secondary assessment test. In this

year, once again she had to decide whether to continue her study for form 4 by taking

art or science stream.

She decided to take art to continue her study although she qualified to take

science stream subject. Again, I ask her what her plan about her future at that time?

She told me at that time she ambitious to be a counselor at the Islamic institution. She

told me that she likes the value activities like help people and helping friends with

personal problems. She changed her ambitious from to be a doctor to be a counselor

because she think that it is not possible for her to be a doctor when she decide to take

art after her lower secondary test examination result. To be a doctor, she needs to take

science stream. She told me that she still can help others by becoming a counselor in

her future career.

4
Upper Secondary School Days

In 1994, my client had a Malaysian Certificate Examination or Sijil Pelajaran

Malaysia. I asked my client about the society that she joined. Then, she told me that she

was a member of Red Crescent Society and School Counseling Club. She enjoyed

participated in society in her school because it need teamwork and to be friendly. After

the result of her exam, she applies to further her studies in the universities but did not

get an offer. Then, I asked her what is her planning at that time to ensure her ambitions

become real? She told me at that time she planned to continue her study in form 6. In

1996, she had a certificate of higher education Malaysia or Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran

Malaysia and several months after the result, she got an offer to further her studies in

International Islamic Universities Malaysia, majoring in Islamic Revealed Knowledge.

5
Tertiary Level Period

On the first semester at IIUM in 1997, my client told me that she has difficulties in

participating in class. This is because she does not understand what the lecturer had

taught. But, the problem only in the short term and solved when she started to use her

verbal and social skills to connect with her new friends to studied together.

After three years study at IIUM, my client realized that she interested to be a

teacher. I asked her what the cause or factor that affect the changes of their career

decision from want to become a counselor since primary school and now she said that

she want to be a teacher. Then, she explained to me the reason why she interested

and want to be a teacher when she observed how lecturers taught in her classes that

really influenced her to be a teacher rather to be a counselor.

My client graduated from IIUM in 2001. After that, she had another problem in

her career which is difficulties in finding a job as a teacher. After graduated, she always

applied for university post-graduate diploma or Diploma Perguruan Lepasan

Ijazah(DPLI) under The Ministry of Education but she does not get an offer. During that

time, she that period, she works as a substitute teacher for several months in schools.

6
Post-Tertiary Level Period

IN 2003, my client got an offered from The Ministry of Education to join the

diploma of Islamic education at Maktab Perguruan Teknik, Kuala Lumpur. She accepted

the offer and after that she was transferred to the Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru

Sentul, Kuala Lumpur as a religious teacher until now.She told me that she enjoys

working as a teacher because she interest to provide knowledge and enjoy helping

others. After I had finished my interviewed with her, I showed her some appreciation by

greetings a lot of thank for willing to spend her for my interviewing session.

7
Conclusion

From the interviewed that I had done with my client, Ms. Azimah, now who was a

teacher, the career development of John Holland’s help me to understand about how

Ms. Azimah fits into her work environment.

In my understanding about several career development theories that I had

learned from my lecturer, I think that I can relate my client development of career path

with the John Holland’s Theory of Types. From the six types of work by Holland’s, I think

that Ms. Azimah is a social person

According to John Holland’s, people express themselves, their interest and

values through their work choices. As a teacher, my client work of environment

emphasizes human values such as being kind and friendly especially among the

students and personnel. John Holland’s described that the behavior of social client is

likely to value activities such as teaching and helping friend with personal problem. I

categorized her as social client from Holland’s Theory of Types because she is

interested in teaching. She also prefers to talk since at her secondary school when she

participated in debate competition. So, I think the experience, values and interest

influence the career that chooses by a person.

Lastly, I am very grateful to my beloved lecturer, Madam Azmah Binti Ghaus for

taught and helped in learning to make me understand about several career

development theories and allows the interview session that I had conducted running

smoothly and thus completed this assignment.