Student ID:

Personal Development in Professional Setting

i
Student ID:

Table of Contents
Part 1: Career Goal..........................................................................................................................3

Part 2: Current Reality.....................................................................................................................4

Part 3: Progression Options.............................................................................................................6

Part 4: Way Forward........................................................................................................................8

References........................................................................................................................................9

Appendices....................................................................................................................................10

Appendix 1 – SWOT Analysis..................................................................................................10

Appendix 2 – “Ask 5 People” Questionnaire............................................................................11

Appendix 3 – Personal and Professional Development Plan.....................................................12

Appendix 4 – Action Planning..................................................................................................13

ii
Student ID:

Part 1: Career Goal

The first career option for me that I have been able to identify is developing my career in the
administrative management sector as an Administrative Manager in any high-end organisation.
Developing a career in the administrative sector of the organisation would be a great opportunity
for me as I would get the significant role to engage in direct planning and operation of the
organisation (Rook, 2019). Also, a career in the administrative sector would allow me to learn
the organisational factors easily through my professional practice.

The second career choice that I prefer is developing a career in the marketing and advertising
sector of the organisations as a Marketing Manager. Learning the marketing activities through
my professional practice and directly working with the brands would give me a great idea of the
industry. Being the Marketing Manager, I would be able to work both with people inside the
organisation and also outside the organisation with the market. My significant role in decisions
and planning regarding the marketing function would have a crucial impact on the growth and
development of the organisation (Teague and Donaghey, 2018). The third career choice that I
could identify is developing my career in the human resource sector of the organisations as the
Human Resource Manager of the company. Being the HR Manager in an organisation would
allow me to work with the people inside the organisation and perform the crucial role of
developing the people.

Of the three choices, I would prefer to be a Marketing Manager in my future career that would
allow me to contribute directly to the growth of the organisation. Along with the lucrative
average yearly remuneration of a Marketing Manager in the UK £34000, I would also get to
understand the market and industry (Worrall et al., 2017). Working in the brand sector from the
early stages of my career would help me to understand the industry context and working for my
career growth effectively.

1
Student ID:

Part 2: Current Reality

Based on the personal SWOT analysis and the task of “Ask 5 People”, I had been able to identify
my key strengths and weaknesses of my personality, and professional skills and competencies.
This part of the report is developed based on the discussion on my key strengths and weaknesses.

I have been able to identify my several strengths that include in my personality traits and
professional competencies which I would be able to practice in my professional sector regarding
career development. I have always been good with my regular activities and managing my
academic and non-academic activities effectively regardless of different unexpected situations. I
always focus on my adaptability and self-management in any kind of situation which had been
one of my key strengths. I always focus on prioritising my roles activities in any kind of critical
situation for effective time-management which had been another of key strengths. My initiative
to figure out the situational context and decide my role through critical analysis and problem
solving that helps me to make the right decision at different times (Cottrell, 2015). My problem
solving and critical analysis skill helps me to come up with effective decision making in a
different situational context. Also, my self-management and adaptability skills help to manage
myself in critical situations rather than being nervous and anxious. I have always been focusing
on developing and maintaining my professional network that would have significant help in my
future career pathways which is another strength for career development.

I have not been up to the mark with my communication skill regarding which I had to face
different problems that I could simply avoid or solve easily by using my communication skill.
Communication effectively needs special skill and knowledge set that I lack and have not to try
to figure out the professional practice of communication skill. Another weakness that I was able
to identify is my planning and organising skill and I have few negative past experiences
regarding this as well. There is a certain strategic approach to planning something as well as
systematic ways to organise and control the entire planning thing that I lack sufficient knowledge
of. I have not been also quite strong with my digital and information technology sense and
knowledge which I need to have good skill over to be a Marketing Manager in future. And the
final weaknesses that I was able to identify is my leadership skill regarding which I do not have
much knowledge and sense of leadership as well the certain leadership traits and competencies.
Though I am good with myself and managing myself by my own, to be a manager in future I

2
Student ID:

would need to manager others as well and lead them effectively regarding which I would need to
develop leadership competency.

3
Student ID:

Part 3: Progression Options

In the previous part of the report, I have discussed my weaknesses regarding personality traits
and professional competencies. To become successful with my career choice, I would need to
develop the competencies that I am not adequate with and get a good hand over the required
skills and competencies to be a successful Marketing Manager. This part of the report contains a
discussion on identifying the options of progressing and developing the skills and competencies
that I am not adequate with currently.

Communication skill is one of the essential professional competencies to develop a successful

career which has a wider range of use in the professional sector. My intention to be a Marketing
Manager would significantly demand the skill of professional communication regarding which I
would need to learn the communication hacks and tactics effectively. To learn the
communication skill, I would need to join the professional courses offered by international
standard organisations (Johnson, 2016). Joining the professional courses on communication skill
would allow me to learn the tactical factors of professional communication along with proper
testing and certification that would help me to understand my progression. Along with joining
the professional courses, I would also have the opportunity to join different workshops or
seminars arranged on professional communication skill to learn the skill effectively.

For learning the planning and organising skill I would first need to learn the strategic and
systematic approaches of planning and organising and how plans are executed. I would have the
opportunity to gain knowledge of planning and organising through from the reading material
initially (Cottrell, 2015). After learning from the reading materials, I would need to join the
workshops and seminars to learn how practically planning and organising activities are
performed professionally, I would get the opportunity to know about the practice sense and
implementation of the planning and organise as well learn from the experiences of others
(Trought,2017). After joining the workshops and seminars regarding the planning and organising
I would need to practice the learning through voluntary activities. I would have the opportunity
to participate in different social voluntary activities where I would be able to practice my
planning and organising skill.

Digital and information technology knowledge is very essential for the upcoming industry and
professional sector as almost all the organisational activities are now performed through the help
4
Student ID:

of information technology. Such as analysing the market trends have also changed in a big
manner regarding which managers now analyse the data based on the marker and customer data
rather than old or traditional methods. To learn the information technology devices and practice
use of information technology I would need to join for the technical training and workshops,
professional courses offered by the IT-based organisations, seminars on information technology
etc.

Learning the leadership skill would be a significant change in developing my skill and
competencies regarding which I would be able to learn about being an effective leader. The
managers need to be an effective leader for being a successful manager as well. To develop my
leadership competencies, I would need to join the leadership-based workshops and seminars and
also joining short-term leadership training sessions. I would need to practice the leadership traits
and develop them gradually by self-practising after I would have sufficient knowledge from
joining the workshops and seminars (O’Brien and Jones, 2014). Also, I would be able to learn
about the leadership from the reading material sources regarding which I would need to practice
my leadership to be an effective leader.

5
Student ID:

Part 4: Way Forward

The SMART objectives for moving forward that I would initiate are –

i. Joining an internship or part-time job in the market sector of any organisation within
the next six months to learn about the marketing sector jobs and organisational
activities.
ii. I will join two professional courses on communication skill and information
technology competency within the next two months for improving both my
communication and information technology skill.
iii. I will develop a personal and professional development plan addressing the
competencies that I am not adequate with along with the learning opportunities and
start working on it by the next three months.

6
Student ID:

References
Cottrell, S., (2015), skills for success,3rd edition, London. Red Globe press.

Johnson, J.A. (2016). Evidence-Based Professional Development Practice. Journal for Nurses in
Professional Development, 32(4), pp.219–220.

O’Brien, J. and Jones, K. (2014). Professional learning or professional development? Or

continuing professional learning and development? Changing terminology, policy and
practice. Professional Development in Education, 40(5), pp.683–687.

Rook, S., (2019), The graduate career guidebook .2nd edition. London. Red Globe Press.

Teague, P. and Donaghey, J. (2018). Brexit: EU social policy and the UK employment
model. Industrial Relations Journal, 49(5–6), pp.512–533.

Trought, F., (2017), Brilliant employability skills.2nd edition. Pearson Education

Worrall, L., Cooper, C. and Campbell, F. (2017). The New Reality for UK Managers: Perpetual
Change and Employment Instability. Work, Employment and Society, 14(4), pp.647–668.

7
Student ID:

Appendices
Appendix 1 – SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses

 Self-Management  Communication Skill

 Professional Network  Planning and Organising Skill
 Work Ethics  Information Technological
 Time-Management Competency
 Problem-solving and Decision  Leadership Skill
Making

Opportunities Threats

 Online Courses  Changes in Industry

 Professional Courses  Multiple Learning
 Technical Workshops  Diverging Focus
 Webinar and Seminars  Negative Progression Result
 Reading Materials Sources

8
Student ID:

Appendix 2 – “Ask 5 People” Questionnaire

1. What one word or phrase describes me best?

Participant 1 – Organised
Participant 2 – Good self-manager
Participant 3 – Problem Solver
Participant 4 – Have good networking
Participant 5 – Able to manage priorities

2. What do you think is my greatest achievement?

Participant 1 – Able to adapt in a different situation

Participant 2 – Strong professional network
Participant 3 – Able to manage multiple tasks at a time
Participant 4 – Good in managing problems
Participant 5 – Professional attitude and work ethics

3. What do you value most about me?

Participant 1 – Honesty
Participant 2 – You are persistent
Participant 3 – You keen to learn
Participant 4 – Your work attitude
Participant 5 – Your academics

4. What one thing could I change for my benefit?

Participant 1 – Improving planning

Participant 2 – Being good in leadership
Participant 3 – Communicating knowledge
Participant 4 – Leading
Participant 5 – Learning about digital technology

5. What do you believe to be my greatest strength?

Participant 1 – Your sense of urgency

Participant 2 – Dedicated and persistent
Participant 3 – Professional network
Participant 4 – Self-developing mentality
Participant 5 – You have a good professional networking

9
Student ID:

Appendix 3 – Personal and Professional Development Plan

Skills Level of Skills Current Status Need for
Improvement

Communication Lack of knowledge of professional

Skill communication tactics, unable to
1 2 3 4 5 Yes
communicate effectively

Self-Management High adaptability sense and able to No

manage in a different situation
1 2 3 4 5

Problem Solving Able to manage problems through

and Decision critical analysis and make quick
1 2 3 4 5 No
Making decisions

Information Very less knowledge of digital

Technology practices and utilisation of IT in
1 2 3 4 5 Yes
Competency industry

Planning and Unable to plan strategically and

Organising execute the plan with proper
1 2 3 4 5 Yes
organising

Team Work Able to work with a team and

cooperate with others for team
1 2 3 4 5 No
achievement

Leadership 1 2 3 4 5 Unable to lead inspire a team and Yes

lack of leadership traits knowledge

Time-Management 1 2 3 4 5 Able to manage the priorities and No

time effectively

10
Student ID:

Appendix 4 – Action Planning

Skills Current Level Development Development Time
Goals Opportunities Frame

Communication Lack of Proper Learning Joining 6 Months

Skill Knowledge communication professional
tactics and applying courses and
in a professional workshops,
manner reading material
sources
Planning and Unable to plan Able to plan Learning from 1 Year
Organising strategically and accordingly and workshops and
execute arrange for seminars,
necessary resources practising through
to execute the plan voluntary
activities
Information Very less knowledge Learning the use of Technical 2 Years
Technology of the digital sector IT materials and workshops and
Competency and IT integration in knowledge of IT training,
the industry integration in the professional
industry courses,
Leadership Skill Lack of leadership Learning the Joining 1 Year
knowledge and leadership traits and professional
unable to lead a practising them to courses,
team be able to lead a workshops and
team seminars, leading
a team to practice

11