Introduction
Students who leave college at times get into the job market without clearly understanding what is required of them. They could be having the right skills yet do not comprehend how these skills can be put into practice in the labor markets. It is, therefore, essential for the students to seek professional help from those individuals in their field to get a better perspective of their functional area. The primary focus of the current paper is to give responses to the interview questions asked by a student seeking professional advice on the specific area of specialization.
Functional Area
I am currently working at Baxter Bay University as a financial aid advisor within the student affairs division. I have vast knowledge in the field of financial aid for students. I have previously worked in two other universities in the same position for a combined four years. I do believe I have the right skills and expertise to offer professional help regarding financial aid to students as well as advice regarding the requirements of a financial aid advisor. My role is to provide detailed information to students seeking financial assistance. Primarily, my purpose is to provide the students with knowledge and data about the available options for financial aid, the requirements they must meet to qualify for the support, and the reasons as to whether or not they should apply for financial assistance. It is a role that requires one to do extensive research and evaluate students to ascertain if they need financial aid. It is an exciting job to do is challenging, especially when trying to convince students need financial aid that they do not qualify.
Student Development Theory
As a financial aid advisor, my principal role is to ensure that those students who are facing economic challenges in college get access to financial assistance based on eligibility. The common theory that I use is Stanford’s Theory of challenge and Support. The theory explains that students undergo personal growth and development while in college, and the college environment influences all these. The environment comprises all the activities that happen in the classroom and outside class. For the students to achieve personal growth, they must have a support/challenge balance (Ward, Trautvetter & Braskamp, 2005). The concept behind the theory is that for students to achieve personal growth, there should be a balance between the amount of support and the amount of challenge. When there is too much support, the students will fail to learn what they need for them to grow, also, when the problems increase, they become frustrated and eventually quit trying.
Justification
Stanford’s theory of challenge and support is functional for students in this functional area as it equips them with the skills to interrogate the student’s capacity and the need to apply for financial aid. By assessing the financial challenges within the college environment and the support they receive towards the same problems, it becomes easy to get a balance and advise the students to seek financial aid. Some could be undergoing challenges whose financial support will not improve their personal growth. For example, one could be lacking money to go on trips that are not related to their functional area. It could be a challenge but does not warrant one to seek financial aid. Some could be having serious difficulties with their tuition fees, and it would be wise to advise them to seek financial assistance. As for the support, those students who often get enough financial support from friends and families are encouraged not to seek financial aid. The theory, therefore, is critical in evaluating the nature of challenges and support the students go through, thus making it possible to offer the best financial aid advice. Previously, I had to deal with a student who had a huge challenge in settling tuition fees. Being an international student, he could not figure out how he could cater for his educational costs. I engaged the student and tried to evaluate the nature of the challenges he had and the available support. Even though he could not qualify for a number of financial aid services, I took the matter to head of student affairs, and he was finally helped out.
Counseling Theory
The counseling theory that I used more often is the person-centered theory. It is one of the most useful approaches in managing students with financial challenges. As a financial advisor, most students bring their financial queries and problems expecting solutions. My primary role is to allow the student to cope with the current and future financial problems, whether or not they get financial aid (Hazler, 1999). In this manner, a financial advisor can provide professional advice that motivates and empowers the students. It is the role of the financial advisor that after every session, the student leaves the office fully satisfied regardless of whether or not they get financial assistance. The approach is more practical to this functional area as it focuses on an individual’s personal needs. Through counseling, the theory allows the advisor to focus more on the person than the problem and enable them to develop inner abilities to cope with the financial challenges they face.
Helping Skill
The helping skill that I use is open/closed questioning. It is a skill that is common to many financial aid advisors. By asking both closed and open questions, they get to know the nature of financial aid the student is going through. Asking questions about their source of support and the current financial situation helps in assessing the student’s financial need. I used the skill in my previous case with the international student. As I got more in-depth with the questions, I gained more understanding. Finally, I was convinced that even though he did not qualify for the available options, I was obliged to go further and engage the division to handle his situation.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcome for this program is to achieve 95% successful application and award of financial aid to qualifying students in every semester. The criterion can be measured using the number of students who seek financial advice, apply for financial aid, and get awarded. In this context, successful students will be measured using the number of students awarded against the number of students who applied for financial aid.
Conclusion
Students will financial challenges are always advised to seek advice from the financial advisors within their student affairs division. It is a section that has been created by universities to handle issues from students facing financial challenges. Therefore, they should utilize the resources available in such offices to enhance their financial support.
References
Ward, K., Trautvetter, L., & Braskamp, L. (2005). Putting students first: Creating a climate of support and challenge. Journal of College and Character, 6(8).
Hazler, R. J. (1999). Person-centered theory. Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions, 179-201.