Discussion: The Case of Fred the Baker

ASSIGNMENT

Reply to the following 2 classmates with constructive feedback that identifies comments that stood out to you along with new analysis, ideas, questions, or other comments that extend their learning and yours. One (1) of the responses must be supported by academic/peer-reviewed sources – each response my be at least 150+ words for full credit.

CLASSMATE #1
Goros, Jonathan A

The Case of Fred The Baker

In the case of Mr. Fred Wozniak, a 72-year-old Polish male residing in Boston, Massachusetts, has decided to retire from baking at Dunkin’ Donuts after working for decades. This comes as a result of desiring to spend more time with family instead of residing in the workplace for the rest of his lifetime. While taking this life-cycle transition, he soon began to exhibit depression, as noted by his wife. She mentions that Mr. Wozniak, after his departure from working, began sleeping all day, refusing to go out or visit friends and family, and mumbles ‘Time to make donuts’ while thrashing about in his sleep. It has been noted that he appears to be exhibiting symptoms of adjustment disorder, characterized by the time frame in which the symptoms began and the type of symptoms presented at the retirement phase of his life.

One of the main assessments that should be used to assess Chief is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment. The MBTI is an assessment designed to identify an individual’s strengths, weaknesses, personality type, and possible interests, which in the case of Mr. Wozniak would allow for the possible designation of career options suitable for his specific desires to be able to work while also providing more room for family time and not negatively impacting his life through a career as demanding as his past career as a baker (Turner & Elson, 2022). It could also detail his personality to create a standard for not only his career decision but also for how his new career endeavors affect his personality over time through reassessment. Another assessment that would be excellent for Mr. Wozniak, especially when paired with the MBTI, is the Strong Interest Inventory Assessment. This assessment test not for the personality of the individual as a socialite, but as a worker and in the factors of realistic, artistic, investigative, social, enterprising, and conventional (Yang et al., 2018). These, when analyzed, can provide huge insight as to the nature of Mr. Wozniak’s interest while placing him in a more specific realm of careers to nail in on what could be a potential candidate for a career.

Additionally, several factors must be considered alongside the career assessment results. Physical health is a primary factor as Mr. Wozniak will need to be able to decide on a career that he will be able to comply with. Due to Mr. Wozniak’s Diabetes and arthritis, this could make a final decision more difficult as these two health issues can limit his ability to lift specific amounts of weights, grasp materials in certain ways, and freely move about in the workplace. Another factor to be wary of is hours. Mr. Wozniak, due to his health and his need to spend time with his family and friends, will need to seek a career that allows him to work but not on an intense schedule requiring many hours. This goes into the factor of having a career fluent in allowing Mr. Wozniak to call out whenever he needs his time to recuperate or take time off for his mental health. These are just a few of the factors that need to be considered, but nonetheless hold a great deal of weight on the career decision process for Mr. Wozniak.

 

CLASSMATE #2
Anguiano, Renae J

As with many retired people that feel they are defined by their careers, Fred Wozniak seems to have not found much fulfillment in his retired life. He went from having purpose, responsibility, and daily occupation to sitting at home possibly feeling useless and obsolete. Additionally, people that work in cognitively demanding careers can suffer cognitive decline at a faster pace than those with less cognitively challenging jobs (Hyun et al., 2019). Fred may be feeling the loss of mental challenge and therefore cognitive decline. He likely made hundreds of decisions every day when he was working. The loss of mental challenge could be adding to his feelings of depression. Fortunately, re-engaging in activities that are cognitively challenging can reduce cognitive decline and the risk of dementia (Hyun et al., 2019). Fred Wozniak has already had a full career. He does not need to look at occupational scales or possible careers. It would be more useful for him to look at interest scales or personality types. That way he can be guided in choosing a hobby or multiple hobbies, some leisure activities, and possibly some volunteer activities. The first assessment I would suggest for Fred would be the Strong Interests Inventory. It is useful at any time of life, especially at a time of change or crossroads. Cheryl Hollatz-Wisely, in her webinar on the Strong Interest Inventory Assessment, mentioned the Basic Interests Scale as a good measure for retirement, when thinking of hobbies, volunteering, part-time work, leisure, and work-life balance (Hollatz-Wisely, 2015). Another assessment I would recommend would be the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Although Fred has worked with a corporation, it may not have been common practice to use assessments for type. Learning his personality type may be insightful for him. The results of the MBTI are not compared to other personalities, it is used to gain information about the unique personality of the test taker (Cherry, 2022). There are no wrong answers and no one preferable personality type. When Fred gets a chance to learn more about himself, his therapist can help guide him in finding the best fit for activities, leisure, and volunteer opportunities. If Fred and his wife both took the assessments, they could find common activities to do together, further enriching their retired life.