Unit 2 Personal Effectiveness

The personal effectiveness unit is about maximising the quantity and quality of your work output
and how you communicate and interact with others as you do so making the most of the
resources that are available to you. The other key constraint that people face is the time that they
have available to work within. The resources available to you are mainly your own individual
capacity to deliver your objectives at work and the amount and type of human and IT resources
that you can use. The unit also helps you maintain professional competence and pursue life-long
learning.

Introduction

Accounting work is usually dependent on tight deadlines, particularly when there are requirements to
produce financial reports by due deadlines and to comply with law.

In order to provide meaningful data, financial and management accounts also need to be available in
time to provide information for decision-making. In order to consistently meet deadlines, accountants
need to have very good time management skills.

Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done in less
time, even when time is tight and pressures are high.

The benefits of good time management are enormous but failing to manage your time effectively may
have some very undesirable consequences.

Prioritising your time

The Objective of this section is to

 Understanding the importance of good time management and

 How to prioritise, organise and manage your time effectively.

This will be achieved in this section by:

 Reviewing how to organise your tasks and prioritising them

 Tips for effective time management

The Urgent/Important Principle
Important activities have an outcome that leads to us achieving our goals whether these are
professional or personal. Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are usually associated
with someone else’s goal.

These are often the one we concentrate on and they demand attention before the consequences of
not dealing with them are immediate. A quadrant can be used with the urgency being placed along
one axis and importance being placed along another.

Quadrant of necessity

There are two distinct types of urgent and important activities; ones that you could not have foreseen
and others that you have left until the last minute. These could be:

 Crisis/Emergency
 Pressing problems
 Deadline driven tasks
The best approach is to save some time in your schedule to handle unexpected issues.

If you have lots of urgent and important activities, identify which of these you could have foreseen and
think about how you could schedule similar activities ahead of time, so that they don’t become urgent.

Quadrant of quality

These are the activities that help you achieve your personal and professional goals and complete
important work. These could include:

 Planning and preparation

 System implementation
 Relationship building
Make sure you have plenty of time to do these things properly, so that they do not become urgent.
Remember to leave time in your schedule for unforeseen circumstances so that you keep on track.

Quadrant of deception

These are the activities that prevent you from achieving your goals. These could include:
  Interruptions
 Some meetings
 Some reports
You should ask yourself whether you can re-schedule or delegate them.

Quadrant of waste

These are activities that that should be avoided if possible. These could include:

 Distractions
 Junk mail
 Escape activities
You should understand that to manage your time effectively, you should avoid the time-wasters.

The Urgent/Important Principle

Step Two - Prioritise

Now you have a prioritised list, give it a reality check:

 Do you have enough time?

 How long will each take – be realistic?

Remember:

 Review it regularly

 Do your list either at the end of day or the beginning of each day
Ten ways to effectively manage your time

We have already covered keeping a to-do list as a tool for effective time management. Here are some
other tips to improve your productivity.

1. Review your workload regularly

Take a step back every so often to see which activities just don’t get done or are there ones that you
only seem to be concentrating on.

Speak to your manager about this as this may mean delegating activities to another team member.

2. Allow time for interruptions

Build into your schedule the reality that you will have to deal with interruptions. However, if you are
dealing with an urgent task – you should limit these and deal with them at a later time. Put your phone
away and don’t check your emails.

3. Avoid multi-tasking

Avoid starting more than one job at a time as you will not be able to provide your undivided attention
to all of them. Try to focus on one at a time.

4. Log your time

If you are still finding that you are not as productive as you feel you should be – think about keeping a
time log for a week. Note down all tasks and how long they take, all interruptions, how often you refer
to your emails and social media. You can then have a more realistic idea of where your time is being
spent. Then make the necessary changes.

5. Don’t be overwhelmed

If you feel that a task is too overwhelming, break it down into more manageable tasks and reward
yourself for each milestone achieved. You will feel motivated every step of the way!

6. Set deadlines

Setting deadlines to the task you are concentrating on will focus your mind, but don’t be overoptimistic
as you do not want to be overwhelmed.

7. Batch items

Think about working on like items at the same time e.g. administration or dealing with your inbox. You
can allocate specific times of the day to these tasks.

8. Deal with emails at specified times

If you are working on an urgent task, think about setting your ‘out of office’ message. This will allow
those e-mailing you to know when you will reply, and it will give you the comfort of knowing you are
being professional in your approach. Even if your task is not urgent, do not check your inbox every
time a message arrives. Allocate time in your day to deal with emails. Emails are a huge distraction!

9. Manage social media

Time spent browsing LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat etc. can often take over and can be a huge drain
on productivity. Become more aware of the time you spend on social media, even if it is for work
purposes. You can get drawn in! Limit this time and stick to it.

10. Speak instead of email

Talking to others about a task or an issue at work either face to face or on the telephone can be
quicker and more effective than typing an email, particularly if a message is complex or requires
interpersonal sensitivity. Think about what is the most effective form of communication before
emailing as a matter of course.

Using email effectively

Email is currently the most popular form of communication used in business. This is because:

 It is fast;

 It can reach a large number of people (over a wide geographical area);

and, if used properly,

 It provides a useful trail of evidence.

The organised accountant should create electronic folders, under various subject headings, for easy
retrieval of emails if necessary. The use of a scanner and appropriate software means that almost any
business document may be attached to an email.

Email retrieval is also made easier by sorting the emails within a folder by sender, date sent or subject
matter. However, emails should be used with caution. Organisations should document protocols and
procedures for use of email. The language used in email should be clear and unambiguous. Emails
need to be carefully composed, in order to avoid confusion or offence to the reader. Email security
may also be an issue.

Not only does computer security and IT systems have an impact on confidentiality, IT systems should
be in place to ensure that emails can be securely stored and retrieved. This section will help you
make efficient and effective use of email. Follow the advice and you will be able to develop good
practice for handling email and avoid many potential pitfalls.

How to manage email

Explore each of the following sections and help develop good practice for handling email and avoid
many potential pitfalls.

Your inbox

Don’t store emails in your inbox. Move them into folders. Cluttered inbox items can be overlooked.

Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Folder management
Keep a simple filing system. Large folders can be difficult to manage and slow to open. Regularly
delete messages you no longer need. Use folders such as ‘to read’, ‘action’, ‘to-do’.

Creating Emails
Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Talk instead of type

It is easy to overuse email. It is often quicker and more effective to walk around and talk to colleagues
or use the phone.

Never email for urgent matters

If you need an urgent response, don’t email. Regularly using email as urgent creates an environment
in which people feel they must view each email as it arrives. This can lead to an inefficient work place.
It would be better to communicate in person or on the telephone.

Use informative professional subject lines

Recipients should have a good indication as to the subject of each email so they can decide which to
read first. It will also be easier for them to find relevant messages at a later date.

Be clear about any points of action

When you send a message to someone that requires an action make it very clear within the first few
lines of the email what is expected. If possible, you should also include a due date.

Avoid overuse of capital letters

Capital letters can be used sparingly to emphasise a word or phrase. If they are used excessively
then this is the email equivalent of SHOUTING!

Use mailing lists

Your organisation will have a mailing list. Use these instead of guessing addresses.

Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation

Using email in the workplace is different to texting for personal use. It is important to communicate in
a professional manner - poor spelling, grammar and punctuation may give a bad impression of you at
work and will not help you to clearly convey your message. It is a good idea to proof read every email.

Use a short informative email signature

Your email signature should include your name, position, contact details such as brief postal address,
telephone and email details. Your workplace may even have a policy about this.

Reading emails

Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Checking email
Manage this wisely as this is essential to productive time management. Try to keep specific time aside
to check your emails.

Don’t waste unnecessary time

If an email takes longer than 2 minutes to read and action - add it to your to-do list.

Read some later

For any emails that you are cc’ed in on or it has been sent to you FYI – file these into a ‘To read’
folder.

Replying
Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Think before you hit 'reply-all'

Ask yourself whether all of the people on the recipient list really need to see your reply. Many times
people are added to an email thread and get included in all of the subsequent discussions, which
occur. This can be a major inconvenience for some of the recipients and increases the risk that others
who are not as close to the issues as you and your immediate colleagues, start involving themselves
unnecessarily.

Pause before you hit the Send button

If you are angry or upset about the message you are replying to, give yourself some time to calm
down before replying. Reading through your reply several times will also help. Sending a quick and
angry response rarely helps and often leads to an increasingly acrimonious exchange of messages .

Paste responses to common queries

If you are frequently asked the same questions, then save the text of your responses so you can
paste it into subsequent replies.

Take care when replying to email lists

When you receive a message from an email list, be very careful to direct your reply to the appropriate
address. A common problem arises when a person should reply to an individual, but instead sends
that reply to the entire list.

Forwarding emails

Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Add a summary to put the forwarded message in context

When forwarding messages consider including a summary at the beginning. This will allow the new
recipient to determine what has already been discussed. It will also allow you to include the actions or
information specific to that person so that he/she can quickly provide the response you require.

Legal obligations
Never send or forward messages containing libellous, defamatory, offensive, discriminatory or
obscene remarks. Make sure, when forwarding a chain of emails, that there are no confidential or
contentious remarks made earlier that you would not wish the recipient of the forwarded email to read.

Transfer and Delete

Before saving emails you must identify if the email is a record. Use the information below to help:

Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Transfer
Emails which are considered records:

 If it shows part of a financial transaction

 If it is evidence of a decision or action
 If it could have any historic value
  If it shows information to carry out business, such as day to day administrative records or
material potentially relevant to present or future research
 If we will need the information to help us deal with similar situations in the future

Delete
Emails which can be deleted as soon as the relevant event has occurred or project has been
completed:

 Emails giving details of holidays

 Invitations to work events
 Appointments
 Messages sent as thanks for information
 Copies of reports and newsletters
 Internal messages into which you were "cc'd" or "bcc'd"
 Personal emails
Is your email a record that should be kept?
If so, it should be filed in a secure departmental record keeping system, either in paper or
electronic format. In some cases, you may need to print out the email as it makes it easy for all
the corresponding records to be held in the same place. However please take into account costs
associated with printing, including time. As well as this, if the record is required in court, a paper
print out may carry less weight than an electronic version.

If your email has no corporate value and therefore is not a record, it should be deleted and any
paper copies should be confidentially destroyed.

This includes personal emails, which should be deleted, however, if you do need to keep any
personal emails, keep them in a folder titled ‘personal’ in your inbox.

How to manage email

Your email is a doorway for unscrupulous people that could harm you and the organisation in which
you work.

Here are some hints and tips to keep you safe:

Please remember to read the content contained within each of these containers. To reveal the
content, simply select the relevant heading.

Use anti-virus software

Anti-virus software is a critical line of defence against malware. If you don't have an anti-virus program
on your computer, you should get one right now.

Watch out for spam

If you receive emails from someone you don’t know saying you’ve won money or a prize, this is likely
to be a scam. If something sounds too good, it is probably no good! Do not open these kinds of email
messages and delete them straight away.

Don't be tempted to 'click this link'

It may be going to a fake website where the details you use to login to it will be captured; or one that
will infect your computer with a virus.

Never give out your personal or workplace information

No legitimate organisation will ask for your personal details by email – and that includes you or your
workplace’s bank account, PIN, passwords, or contact details. If in doubt, do not use the link in the
email. Visit the main homepage of the organisation instead or call them with the phone number that is
advertised on their main website. If the enquiry or issue is genuine there will be information available
on the website.

Don't open attachments from people you don't know or if you're not expecting them
Not even if it seems to be from your bank, the government, or a reputable company. They rarely send
attachments. E-mail attachments infected with viruses are one of the most widely used methods for
infecting PCs.

Be selective in the sending of attachments

Wherever possible either include the text in the body of the email, or even better, save the file onto a
shared drive or web space and then send your recipient the web address.

Never forward virus hoaxes and chain letters

If you receive a message warning you of a virus that will damage your PC, it is almost certainly a
hoax. Sometimes virus hoaxes actually contain viruses themselves! By forwarding hoaxes you will
waste valuable resources and will not be helping any of the recipients.

Report any suspicious emails to your IT team

Let’s see if you can spot the issues in the following example email.

Organising virtual meetings and managing diaries using appropriate software

Managing meetings, whether in the virtual world or face to face isn’t easy; a well-managed meeting is
invaluable to those attending. Running a virtual meeting has added difficulties due to technology. But
it’s a skill worth practicing, and your teammates will thank you for it. This section will explain what you
need to consider:

Before the meeting

Send an agenda in advance

If it’s a lengthy meeting with many people attending, your agenda should also list the timing and
outcomes (or objectives) for each agenda item. If you don’t know why you are holding this meeting —
don’t hold it. It’s your job to make sure people don’t waste their time. Your advanced preparation
shows respect to the participants and to the organisation.

Appoint a backup facilitator and review the agenda with them

Make sure they know the host code to your conference call or virtual meeting software, so they can
run the meeting if you are absent.

Practice with the technology

Most companies have a preferred software for webinars, online demonstrations and web-based
meetings. Make sure you can navigate confidently and use the features you need for your meeting.
And prepare some contingency plans, because invariably the technology will fail you at a key
moment. Best advice: talk to an experienced web presenter in your office and learn their technique.

At the beginning of the meeting

Be there early
(In the room, on the phone, and online) so you can boot up and test — there’s nothing worse than
watching and listening as someone fumbles with the technology; you can feel the energy dissipate
before the meeting even starts.

Greet each arrival

As they “beep in” to a phone meeting by asking, “Hi, who just joined the call?” When everyone is
assembled, introduce the attendees and their roles. Make sure everyone knows why they are at this
meeting.

During the meeting

Begin the meeting on time

And don’t start again for latecomers. It is unfair to the people who make an effort to arrive on time,
and it stops the meeting progressing smoothly. Add a note to the agenda that latecomers should wait
for the facilitator to check for new attendees (perhaps at the 15-minute mark).

Do not multi-task
You will quickly lose focus and lose control of the meeting. You already have a big job: watch the
clock, take brief notes, and make sure the discussion is moving. Your goal is to help the group reach
a specific objective or outcome. They need to move forward, so keep your eye on the ball.

Keep the pace lively

You don’t have the luxury of visual cues in the way you might with an in-person meeting (cues like
sighing, eye-rolling, doodling, dozing, etc.), so be sensitive to pacing and don’t let energy or focus
leak out of the meeting.

If you are sharing your desktop as a presenter, avoid excessive scrolling, sudden rapid cursor
movements or jumping too quickly between pages; it can be disorienting for viewers.

Make sure everyone gets their say

Keep track of who is not participating and call on them periodically in a gentle way. You can ask: “How
might this apply to your area?” or “What factors would contribute to making this work?” Virtual
meetings can devolve into a conversation between the host and one participant. Try to get all
participants to engage with each other, not you.

This is a particular problem when some participants are in the room face-to-face, who may use body
language to express themselves at times, and where others are online and who may not be able to
see those in the room. As the leader of such meetings try and ensure that those who are in the room
speak slowly and clearly into microphones, and that those connected remotely can hear and are able
to participate actively in the meeting.

Check this by prompting them to do so from time to time, keeping them attentive and involved. Where
people in the room use predominantly body language such as vigorous nodding or shaking of heads
at a point made by someone in the room or online, for transparency try and make that silent
approval/disapproval known to all the online participants so that they are fully aware of feelings and
opinions within the meeting.

Don’t let the discussion drag on

Gauge when you can move to the next topic by asking, “Do you have enough information to move the
process forward, or do you need more time?” Enlist the attendees to help keep the meeting on track
— it gets them to take ownership of meeting success. Ask haven't we now explored this point as far
as we can? 'Can we take that offline (especially if it doesn’t involve the whole team)?'

Recap at the end of the meeting

Make clear the next steps or due dates, and ensure people know what tasks they are responsible for.
After the meeting

Send out brief meeting notes

Send out brief meeting notes and ask for corrections.

Post the webinar online

Post the webinar online and send everyone the link.

Follow up
Follow up on the items people are responsible for.

Arranging a meeting

At work, we are often tasked with not only looking after our own diaries but need to understand the
best ways of using our diaries to help us work more effectively. We often share our calendars with our
team so having a well organised diary is important so that it can be organised, and that others
perceive you this way too.

To help you manage your diary better, think about the following:

Recurring meetings

If you have a weekly, fortnightly or monthly meeting, or a yearly occurrence, most diaries will
automatically update this for you without you having to go in an enter each individual appointment.
Simply use the recurrence button from within the appointment. This is perfect if you want to make a
note that at a certain time each year you need to raise an invoice, arrange an event etc. and for
weekly meetings/catch-ups.

Use for tasks and reminders

You can use your diary to record tasks or reminders. For example, if someone is on leave or sick, or if
you need to chase someone up today or start working on a report i.e. things that need to be done
today but at no specific time. It is also useful for recording deadlines.

Look either side of a meeting

No one can be in two places at once. Think about what is happening either side of that meeting. Have
you already had two late evenings that week? Do you have a meeting away from the office in the
middle of the day?

If so, will you want to come back to the office afterwards or go straight home. It may look like 16.00 on
Thursday would be a good time for a meeting, but would you want to come all the way back to the
office at that time for an internal meeting if not urgent?

Include travel time

You should always put this in the diary either side of a meeting out of the office just to make sure it’s
not forgotten about. This also helps when other people may be using the scheduling assistant to
arrange a meeting. It shows time when you will be travelling as busy so prevents others from booking
a meeting during that slot, or immediately before it.

Include details

If you are organising a meeting, always include all the necessary details in the calendar invite. This
should include:
  Date, time and location
 Attendees
 Agenda/meeting purpose
 Supporting papers
 Type of meeting (video conference, face to face etc.)

Colour code

Colour coding different types of meetings makes it easier to read, and you will be able to establish at
a glance what type of meeting is in your calendar without looking at the details.

Virtual Software

Now you can test what you've learned from the video:

 Hide rows and columns

 Hide worksheet

 Colour cells

 Colour worksheets

 Add comments

 Auto Fill

 Flash Fill

 Multiple Cells, Same data

 Validate Data

 Insert Excel Data into Word

Why Is Big Data Important?

The importance of big data doesn't revolve around how much data you have, but what you do with it.
You can take data from any source and analyse it to find answers that enable:

 Cost reductions.

 Time reductions.

 New product development and optimized offerings.

 Smart decision making.

When you combine big data with high-powered analytics, you can accomplish business-related tasks
such as:

 Determining root causes of failures, issues and defects in near-real time.

 Generating coupons at the point of sale based on the customer’s buying habits.

 Recalculating entire risk portfolios in minutes.

 Detecting fraudulent behaviour before it affects your organisation.

Data Security
The main principles of data security have been embodied in legislation in many countries. Generally,
an organisation needs to consider several broad questions:

 What information is it holding / processing?

 As a result, what level of responsibility attaches to that information?

 How valuable or sensitive is the information?

 Should the subjects of the data have access to that data?

 What damage or distress could be caused to individuals if there was a security breach?

 What effect would a security breach have on the organisation, in terms of cost and
reputation?
It is crucial that you understand the need to value and protect information, and that measures are put
in place to protect against malicious insiders. It is perhaps no surprise that most cyber breaches are
the result of human error.

These financial costs, of course, do not include the huge reputational damage caused by your
business hitting the headlines for failing to protect one of its most vital assets, information.

If an attacker can gain the trust of their target, just for as long as it takes to click a link, then a huge
amount of information, and money, is at stake.
If a business only holds information that is publicly available, then security measures will merely focus
on protecting the premises and equipment, and having an appropriate disaster recovery plan. In other
words, data security is only important in respect of any interruption of business that a security breach
could cause.

Where sensitive data is being maintained, there will usually be a requirement for documented
procedures to ensure security of the data and access to the data where appropriate. Such procedures
should include staff training.

Physical Security

Many security incidents relate to the loss or theft of laptops, briefcases, storage media, etc. Physical
security is very important, and as an employee you should consider the following questions:

 How secure are the premises in which you work?

 Are you required to lock away personal information at night?

 Are you required to lock away your laptop at night?

 Does your laptop / computer screen lock automatically if it is left unattended for a certain
length of time?

 Are you required to dispose of waste paper securely, for example by shredding?

 Are you aware of where to find the organisation’s policies and procedures regarding security?

Computer Security

Computer security at work should be appropriate to the system used. For example, a networked
system will need more controls than a stand-alone computer. A stand-alone computer that is
connected to the internet will need more protection than one that is not.

An organisation should address the following questions:

 Is there adequate protection against the possible loss of information because the power
supply fails?

 Is the equipment of the organisation properly maintained to reduce the risk of loss of, or
interruption to, work due to hardware failure?

 Are there proper controls over access to the computer systems?

 Does each member of staff have their own user name and password, and are they prompted
to change this periodically?

 Is there a hierarchy of privileges controlling access to certain parts of the network?

 Does the organisation regularly obtain security software updates?

  Are laptops and portable media (such as memory sticks and disks) only allowed to leave the
premises if transported securely and with a manager’s authority?

 Are there procedures to securely delete information held on computer when appropriate?

 Are computer back-ups taken? If so, how often, and how are they stored? Is there a clear
procedure for taking back-ups and archiving data?

 Does the organisation test the recovery of information from back-ups to see if it is effective?

 If employees use the internet or email, are there adequate security measures to detect and
protect against malicious software that could be downloaded onto the system? Is the firewall
and virus protection up-to-date?

 Does the organisation have appropriate disaster recovery procedures?

What's my role?

As well as being aware of the dangers you are required to observe the fundamental principle of
confidentiality. In addition, you should ask yourself the following questions:

 Are you familiar with the security policy and procedures of your organisation?
 Have you received adequate training regarding your responsibilities for the personal
information the organisation holds or processes?
 Can you recognise when information is confidential?
In your personal and professional use of the internet and technology, you need to be aware that this
can open you, and your organisation, up to potential vulnerabilities.
You need to become aware of those vulnerabilities and restrict the following:

 Browsing unauthorised websites.

 Visiting social networking sites.

 Sharing confidential information in social network environment.

 Opening spam or suspicious links and email attachments.

 Accidentally sending sensitive information to wrong people.

 Choosing weak passwords and never changing them.

 Using the same password on multiple accounts.

 Installing unauthorised programmes on their machines.

 Shopping or banking online via workplace computers.

 Uploading files to online file-sharing service, personal cloud or storage network.

 Downloading unauthorised files (e.g. music, films or photographs).

 Misplacing or losing property (e.g. laptops, mobile phones, USB devices).

  Providing information to a third-party, e.g. suppliers or vendors.

 Transporting company information via unsecure portable devices.

 Sending sensitive work documents to your personal email addresses.

 Using unsecure mobile devices to share work data or access company information.

 Accessing your business' virtual private network via public computers and wireless hotspots.

What legislation exists in the country where you live regarding data protection and security? The
following show the main elements of security policy, procedures and safeguards.

Please select those elements that your organisation, or an organisation you are familiar with, has in
place.

Scope and Responsibilities

High-level organisational objectives in relation to security and having an overall security policy,
including roles and responsibilities relating to implementing the policy.

Physical Security
Implemented by:

 Securing premises.
 Controlling access to appropriate areas and equipment.
 Using secure locks, keys and passwords.
 Changing passwords frequently.
 Logging on and off computers.
 Implementing firewalls and anti-virus.

Physical Asset Control

Implemented by:

 Keeping an asset register including users.

 Logging serial numbers.
 Undertaking periodic audit of physical existence and condition.

Verbal Communication (face-to-face or telephone)

Implemented by:

 Communicating discretely.
 Using meeting rooms to discuss confidential matters.

Paper Documents
Implemented by:

 Ensuring confidential documents are not left unattended.

 Shredding confidential documents when no longer required.
Information Storage
Implemented by:
  Storing back-up copies of critical information
 Arranging remote archive facility.
 Implementing disaster recovery plan.

Use of Internet
Implemented by:

 Enabling appropriate security features on web browsers.

 Monitoring staff internet use.
 Securing premises.
 Blocking inappropriate content.

Portable Computers, Mobile Smart Phones, Flash Drives etc

Implemented by:

 Keeping physically secure with locks.

 Never leaving unattended while travelling.
 Enabling security features.

Use of Email and Instant Messaging

Implemented by:

 Ensuring information is sent only to intended recipient(s).

 Avoiding unnecessary copying to other people.

Average score
4
The closer your score is to 5 the more up to date and professional you are in your approach to
technology. If your score is under 2.5 you need to examine and reflect on how personally effective you
are, to ensure you become more organised and professional in your approach to technology.

Continuing Professional Development

Why reflecting on your learning and development and reviewing your professional knowledge and
skills is useful?

Reflecting on your learning and development and reviewing your professional knowledge and skills is
useful as it:

 Provides an overview of your professional development to date.

 Reminds you of your achievements and how far you've progressed.

 Directs your career and helps you keep your eye on your goals.

 Uncovers gaps in your skills and capabilities.

  Opens up further development needs.

 Provides examples and scenarios for a CV or interview.

What development have you undertaken? Did you think about?

 Learning from colleagues or shared learning from networking.

 Reading about new technologies, new methods of working, legislative changes.

 Shadowing or assisting an experienced colleague.

 Insights and learning points from coaching and mentoring.

 Reflections, insights and learning points from taking on a new responsibility.

 Organisational or role change.

 Temporary job swaps within the department/organisation.

 Deputising or covering for colleagues.

 Insights and lessons learned from mistakes.

 Lessons learned from critical incidents or events.

Continuing your professional development is essential.

Personal Development Plan

Now that you have considered what development you are carrying out, writing a Personal
Development Plan (PDP) is the next step.

Writing a PDP will help you to:

 Become aware of skills you have.

 Identify and develop skills you need.

 Work out what you want to achieve and how to achieve it.

 Focus on potential study, career and personal development options and goals.

 Develop a source of information.

o For CVs, job applications and interviews.

o To support appraisals at work.

o To demonstrate your readiness for promotion or for development opportunities.

The time and effort you invest on planning your development will enable to continue developing
effectively throughout your life.
There are five stages to Personal Development Planning:
1. Identify

First identify your strengths, the skills you wish to develop and then set yourself realistic goals for
each area you wish to focus on: careers and employability, study, or personal development.

Are there smaller short-term goals that will lead to your larger goals? Remember that goals need to be
SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

2. Plan

Plan what resources you need and when you intend to work on the goals that you’ve set. Think about
how much time you have available each week. Be realistic to ensure your plans are achievable.

3. Action

Carry out the tasks you’ve set yourself for each goal, and be aware of any new skills that you’re
picking up along the way.

4. Record

Record how the process is going: the progress you’ve made and the skills you’re gaining. Where
might you need to develop further?

Recording your insights will help to inform your CVs, job applications and developmental reviews. It
may also reveal other aspects involved in achieving your goals.

5. Review

Take a step back, collate everything you’ve recorded and review what you have learnt. You should be
more aware of your skills and also be able to identify the next area or skill for development.

How to craft your CV for the job of your dreams

There will be times in your career when you will consider moving jobs. The first step in this process is
to design your CV. A CV is your selling tool to sell YOU.

When employers have a vacancy they need to fill they will put together a person specification; a list of
the skills and experience they want the ideal candidate to possess. From this list, the job advert is
created, which is where they will ask you to send them your CV or to upload your CV to a job board.

How closely your CV matches the person specification is the key factor in determining whether they
see you as a suitable person to join their company.

Unlike an application form, a CV allows you to decide which information is most relevant to each role
you apply for.

It needs to be:

 Concise.
  Accurate.

 Engaging.

 Thorough.
The key word here is concise. It's not a place to list all your achievements and experiences as this
would make it long, unwieldy and, in a busy recruitment office, a ‘turn off’.

Key considerations in creating an effective CV

 The name should be in a large font to stand out.

 The address is in a neat, space saving format.

 Make sure you include your email address as its often the most convenient was for recruiters
to contact you. Also, include a mobile number.

 A personal statement needs to be strong and punchy, not bland, focusing on your skills &
achievements. Tells an employer who you are and what you can do for them. Steer away
from vague skills such as communication. Focus more on the specific competencies such as
persuading and negotiating, lateral thinking, time management, planning, decision-making,
business awareness and the other skills on our skills pages.

 A CV should be in reverse chronological order where the most recent (and usually the most
important) comes first.

 When writing about your work experience, use action words such as developed, planned and
organised. Even work in a shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in a team, providing
a quality service to customers, and dealing tactfully with complaints. Don't mention the
routine, non-people tasks. Try to relate the skills to the job. A finance job will
involve numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these whereas for a
marketing role you would place a bit more emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.

 Your education should also be reverse chronological order. The results when you were
younger can be summarised.

 Spelling and grammar must be checked. This gives a good impression as it gives confidence
to the business that they can trust you with corresponds. It shows you can pay attention to
details and quality.

 Interests should be short and to the point. As you continue in your professional careers, they
will diminish in impart on your CV.

Other top tips

Here are our other top tips for building the best CV:

Keep it real

Usually, a CV should be no more than two pages – and that's two pages of A4 paper. Employers
spend, on average, just 8 seconds looking at any one CV, and a way of landing yourself on the no pile
is to send them your entire life story.

Keep it punchy, to the point, and save those details to expand upon at the interview if the opportunity
arises.
Tailor it

Take the time to change your CV for each role that you apply for. Research the company and use the
job advert to work out EXACTLY what skills you should point out to them. They will appreciate the
obvious effort.

Don't leave gaps

Leaving gaps will only lead your future employer to ask about this and they may not give you the
benefit of the doubt.

Keep it current

You should keep your CV up-to-date whether you’re looking for a job or not. Every time something
significant occurs in your career, record it so you don't later forget something that could be important.

The error of your ways

Employers DO look for mistakes on CVs and if they find them this can encourage them to probe
further at a potential interview which could put you under unnecessary pressure. If you're unsure, then
use a spellchecker and ask someone else to double-check what you've written.

Tell the truth

Don’t embellish your CV. Be honest! You will get questioned at the interview, and you want to be a
professional ethical individual in the workplace.

Your personal advertising campaign

Like any advert, you should use your CV as an opportunity to sell. You want to sell your skills, your
qualifications, your experience and your ability to do the job.

Advertising is all about attracting attention and appealing to the needs of the buyer so highlight your
strengths and achievements to interest of the recruiter.

The skill is in honing your CV is demonstrating how any experience you have gained can be useful to
the company you are applying to. Every time you complete a training course, volunteer or gain new
responsibilities you should update your CV.

Tips to prepare for an interview

Once you have sent in your CV and the organisation have decided they would like to meet you, you
will need to prepare for your interview. Interviews can take many forms – Skype, Telephone, Face to
Face, Assessment Centres.

There are numerous types of questions that can be asked – competency, strengths-based,
hypothetical. No matter the type, the key to achieving success at interview is in the preparation.

Future employers want to meet you to see if you match the requirements of the job. These will
naturally vary with different jobs but are likely to include:

 Your personal qualities

 How well you express yourself

  Your motivation and enthusiasm

The recruiters will already have an indication of these from your CV but now the interview will assess
you in person. It is also your chance to meet somebody from the organisation and assess them: are
they offering what you want?

There aren't any right or wrong answers to interview questions: how you come across is as
important as what you say. Be yourself – if you have to put on a completely false act to get through
the interview, is this really the right job for you?

Preparation for an interview

Preparation is the key for interview success. Careful planning and preparation will make sure that your
interview goes smoothly and will also help to calm your nerves!

Your CV
Re-read your CV as if you were the interviewer. Try and anticipate the questions they will ask.
Think about any awkward points that might be picked up on, and how you will handle them.

Job description
Obtain the Job Description. Look at the requirements for the job and think of examples of how you
meet those specifications.

Questions to ask
Prepare some questions to ask the interviewer.

Getting there
Plan how you will get to the interview. Leave plenty of time in case of traffic jams or delayed trains.

What to wear
Dress neatly and smartly.

Taking notes
Take a small, neat notepad and pen to write down important information the interviewer may tell you,
and after the interview, the questions you were asked, so you can work out better answers to any you
felt you could have answered better at the time.

Research the employer

Here are some things you may be able to find out from the employer’s web site or on the internet:

 What is the size of the organisation?

 How long has it been in business?
 What are its products and/or services?
 What sort of reputation or public image does it have?
 Who are its main competitors?
 Where is it based? Single or multiple locations? UK or multinational?
 What is the organisational structure like?
 What are its future plans and prospects?
 What is the organisational culture?
 What types of training, development and appraisal are offered?
Think about questions you could ask your interviewer. You will be asked at the end of the
interview of you have any questions. Always ask relevant sensible and professional questions
about the organisation and the role.
The Interview

Try to arrive ten or fifteen minutes early

Not only will this help your nerves, but will also give you an insight into the company. Time spent
waiting in the reception area can be very useful if there are publications about the employer or their
field of work to read. Be polite to everyone you meet.

Smile, good eye contact and shake hands

First impressions count. Not only will the interviewer be assessing your capabilities, but they will also
be assessing how well you will be able to work in the current team.

Use good body language

It is not just what you say, but how you say it. During the interview, do not fold your arms and lean
back or look to the floor! Sit upright and try to maintain good eye contact. Use your hands and lean
forward when making a point. Many people cannot think and control their body language at the same
time, which is why you need to prepare.

Answer the interview questions by giving examples

Give examples of when you have performed well in the past. Your examples, where possible, should
be work related and should be recent. Use the STAR approach to answering – this will allow you to
answer in a structured concise manner. STAR = Situation, Task, Action and Results.

Show Energy
Display a sense of humour and smile. This will show your enthusiasm for the job and indicate a more
relaxed and warm attitude. Ask your interviewer questions about themselves and any issues the
business is facing.

After the interview

After the interview, always ask for feedback. This is essential for your future development. You may
not be successful this time but if you can find out why. You next interview may be for the role of your
dreams.

Unit Action Plan

Following on from the information covered in this Unit and also from self-reflection, you now need to
write an ACTION PLAN. Write 5 action points you would like to do differently, how will be achieve this
and by when.

Remember to make your objectives SMART. This means each objective should be:

 Specific

 Measurable

 Achievable

 Realistic
  Timely
An effective action plan should give you a concrete timetable and set of clearly defined steps to help
you to reach your objective, rather than aimlessly wondering what to do next. It helps you to focus
your ideas and provides you with an answer to the question ‘‘What do I do to achieve my objective?’’.

Introduction

April is an Accounts Assistant at ABC Accountants LLP and has worked there since leaving University
three years ago. She has recently qualified in her ACCA exams and would like to make that next step
in her career.

Over the last three years she has concentrated on her ACCA studies and has neglected other areas
of development. Her recent performance review did not go as well as she had hoped. The feedback
she has received from her manager suggested that she needs to develop her personal skills in certain
areas; she needs to develop her organisation and time management skills especially. She also hasn’t
attended her in-house training courses designed to keep her up to date with various accounts
packages.

Promotion is unlikely over the next 6 months. Given this recent feedback, she is undecided about
what to do next. Should she stay in her current role or leave?

What should April do? As a current ACCA student, April has come to you for advice as she knows you
are undertaking a module in Personal Effectiveness. Using the information contained in this unit and
also your own judgement, you are asked to help April make the right decisions on assisting her to fulfil
her ambition of a prosperous career.

Writing the C.V.

After reflecting on all her learning April decides that she needs to develop her organisational skills and
update on new technology. She undertakes eLearning to do this whilst deciding to look for a new job.

From reviewing her development plan April has decided to write her CV. However she needs help
with some key areas.

The Interview

The Recruitment Consultant has called April to inform her that he has organised an interview with Big
Firm LLP for next week. The interview will be with Pierre French, the Director of Accounting and
Outsourcing. April realises that this is a fantastic opportunity for her future career.