Personal and Professional Development: Goals and Strategies

This report discusses the concept of personal and professional development, including short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. It emphasizes the importance of a personal development plan and provides strategies for enhancing communication skills, acquiring technical knowledge, and improving time management.

Academic skills and
PDP

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Concept of Personal and professional development...............................................................3
Short term goals......................................................................................................................3
Medium term goals.................................................................................................................4
Long term goals......................................................................................................................5
Personal development plan.....................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

Introduction
Personal development planning refers to a process in which an action plan is created which
is based on awareness, reflection, values, goal setting as well as planning for personal
development for career in professionalism, education or even for self-improvement. There are
different aims and objectivists which can be classified according to the goals which are to be met
in short-term, medium or long-term (Grison, 2019). It helps to assess all the current realities and
also identified different needs for skills to stand in competitive environment. The following
report consist of a description of personal and professional development. There are discussion
made on three different short-term goals, medium-term goals and long-term goals. The value of
personal development plan for an individual to develop personally as well as professionally is
also discussed in the following report.
Main Body
Concept of Personal and professional development
Personal and professional development is a process in which individuals as well as
organisation get themselves engaged in the process of learning and also meeting all the
challenges in order to reach at your desired goal. This basically refers to development of needs
and meeting all these needs of groups as well as individuals. It is necessary to analyse current
skills deeply and prepare a personal development plan in order to support this process of
learning. There are a number of different skills such as counselling, coaching, communication,
time management and so on which are required to be acquired by an individual in order to meet
all their goals according to their personal and professional development plan. Personal and
professional development can be a very effective tool which will help individuals to reflect as
well as record their learning and achievement in a correct manner. It is also an effective way to
plan for their further goals and understand what are the requirements to reach their goals.
Analysing habits and hobbies of individual are also included in this.
Short term goals
Short-term goals are important goals for an individual’s personal and professional life as
these are the goals which are set for a short period of time like one or two months in which the
requirements can be fulfilled. These are the basic skill or qualities which an individual might
require and which will help them to attain big goals in their lives. There are a number of such

goals which are required by an individual to be achieved such as acquiring specific skills. Some
of short-term goals which will improve academic skills and professional career can be
communication skills (Blankvoort and et. al., 2019). It is necessary to improve written as well as
oral communication which will include formal as well as informal types. It is necessary that body
language, gestures and all the other mediums of communication are included in this and learnt
properly to achieve the short-term goal. Another short-term goal can be acquiring specific
written skills. It is necessary in academic career to have proper written skills. It is necessary to
communicate in written form when informal environment. It is a short-term goal which will
require specific training for some time and then individual can easily achieve their goals related
to this. Short-term goals can also form a basis for medium-term goals which will help individual
in future. There are a number of short-term goals which can be achieved by individual in a short
time and once after achievement of these goals they can set other goals for coming time. It is a
continuous development process through which individual can develop a number of skills and
qualities which will help them in long run. Need for development of presentation skill can be
another short-term goal. Presentation skill is an important skill which enables individual to
present themselves or their ideas in front of others. There are a number of factors related to it
when presentation skills are needed to be developed. One can take training from professionals in
order to work on their presentations skills. Presentation skills also require good communication
and confidence level. Other than this knowledge of using various graphical format can also
improve one’s presentation skills. These are some of the short-term goals which individuals can
acquire in order to help them in their personal life as well as professional career.
Medium term goals
Medium-term goals are those goals which are said to be achieved in a period of 6 to 8
months. It is necessary that individuals are putting in constant effort and planning all their
activities in order to achieve medium-term goals. Short-term goals are effective and may help an
individual to achieve their medium-term goals successfully (Ponce and et. al., 2019). However
after the medium-term goals are achieved they help to design a path for achievement of long-
term goals for individuals. There are a number of medium term goals which can be personally
and professionally beneficial for an individual. In order to work professionally there are a
number of medium-term goals derived. Generation of technical knowledge for required field is
one of the major skills which is required by individuals in their respective fields. A lot of

learning and reading is required in order to achieve technical skill in specific area. In a term of 6
to 8 months individuals can go through a number of professional courses and personal practice as
well which will help them to achieve this goal. After the achievement of this goal individual can
easily work in their professional field and also achieve success in their work. It will enable them
to grow in future and achieve their long-term goals which maybe promotion or development of
their career. Another medium-term goal can be increasing listening skills in order to form a
proper communication with others and resolve their problems or conflicts between people. It is
necessary that individual is continuously practising listening rather than just communicating their
ideas. Listening skills will also help in developing various creative ideas as there are a number of
people who can suggest good thoughts which can be developed into innovative ideas. Listening
skills will also help in long term when a professional wants to act as a leader. It is necessary for a
leader to make sure that they are listening to their followers and solving all the issues and
problems they have (Schwartz and et. al., 2019). It is a good quality in a leader which is
necessary to develop in professional career. Another medium-term goal can be developing
positive attitudes towards situation arising in life personally or professionally. Being positive
will help an individual to stay calm and take proper decision. Decision making is affected by
mental state of an individual and positive thinking and positive attitude will help them to take
informative decisions. Building positive attitude requires time as individuals need to analyse
situation and make sure that they are looking towards positive aspects more rather than negative
aspects. This is a medium-term goals which will help in achieving various long-term goals and
setting an individual apart from their competitors and colleagues.
Long term goals
Long-term goals are those goals which are decided to be achieved within coming years.
Approximately 1 to 3 years are enough for an individual to achieve their long-term goals.
However it depends on an individual who can also make goals for more than three years. Long-
term goals are very important for an individual as they keep them motivated as well as
encouraged to learn more and improve their skills and knowledge in order to succeed in personal
and professional life. Leadership is one of the qualities which individuals want to achieve in long
run. It is necessary for individuals to develop leadership qualities which will help them in growth
for their professional career. There are a number of short term and medium-term goals which
will help in achieving this long-term objective. Communication skills and listening skills are a

great way to achieve leadership skill. It is often said that a good leader is a good communicator
as well as a good listener (Cappella and Godfrey, 2019). These skills will help to develop
leadership skills in long run. Another long-term skill or a long-term goal can be development of
decision making power. Decision-making is an important skill which is required in professional
life. One is required to critically analyse the situation and then take the decision regarding it.
While taking decisions it is necessary that individual is analysing all the aspects and critically
studying all the options available. A comparative study of different alternatives is required for
decision making which can be developed by individual in long-term. Developing this skill will
help to grow in professional carrier as well as personal life. Another example of long-term skill
can be development of management skills. This might include time management, management of
team as well as management of project. It is a vast subject and requires a lot of time to attain this
goal. There are various short-term and medium-term goals which will enable in successfully
achieving long-term goal of management skill. When is required to manage themselves as well
as others in this task. Management skill will enable an individual to move forward in their
personal as well as professional life and also gain maximum out of resources which is available
for them.
Personal development plan
Personal development plan refers to a plan which is created by an individual which include
various strategies and action plan which will help to enhance various skills. It will help in
enhancing the already existing skills and also developing new skills (Carpenter and et. al., 2019).
One can easily prepare their own personal development plan in order to achieve their goals and
objectives which can be short-term, medium-term and long-term. Below mentioned is a personal
development plan which enhances various ways to develop certain short-term skills, medium-
term skills and long-term skills.
Skills Strategies/ action
plan
Evaluation of skills Time frame
Communication Reading more books
and articles available
is a great way to
develop
Evaluation of
communication skill
can be done by taking
help of others and
1-2 month will be the
time which will be
required to
successfully acquire

communication skills.
It will improve
vocabulary. It is also
necessary to practice
communicating with
others while using
good postures and
body language.
Practice is the best
way to improve
communication skill.
taking reviews by
them regarding
development or
enhancement in skills,
communication skills.
Technical knowledge In order to do well
professionally it is
essential to acquire
professional skills.
This may include
reading certain laws
related to field of
work and taking
professional training
sessions.
It can be evaluated by
reviewing the use of
learned skill in real
life and effectiveness
that is generated with
the help of skill (Hata
and et. al., 2019)
.
The following skill
will require
approximately 8
months including all
the required courses.
Time management It is necessary to set
priorities in order to
understand which task
is to be performed
first and how the time
is to be divided
between various tasks.
This will help in
successfully
Time management
results can be
evaluated by
comparing the actual
time taken with the set
goals and objectives
at the beginning.
It will require more
time to develop time
management skill
which can take a year
or more.

completing the task in
given time.
Conclusion
With the help of the above report it can be concluded that developing a personal
development plan helps an individual to critically analyse their needs in coming future. It helps
them to understand their goals and identify various skills and activities they are required to
acquire in order to achieve these goals. There are short-term goals which require less working
whereas medium-term goals which are needed to be worked upon for a bit longer. In order to
achieve long-term goals it is necessary that individuals are continuously working on their skills
and improving them. These goals also keep individuals motivated in order to make sure that they
are working hard towards achieving their personal as well as professional goals successfully.
Working according to personal development plan can help individual to achieve all their
requirements and successfully manage the entire task in their personal career and professional
career.

References
Books and Journals
Hata, S.R and et. al., 2019. Promoting Emotional Well-Being Through an Innovative Personal
and Professional Development Curriculum for Pediatric Residents. Medical Science
Educator, 29(4), pp.899-900.
Carpenter, J.P. and et. al., 2019. Teacher identity and crossing the professional-personal divide
on Twitter. Teaching and teacher education, 81, pp.1-12.
Cappella, E. and Godfrey, E.B., 2019. New perspectives on the child‐and youth‐serving
workforce in low‐resource communities: Fostering best practices and professional
development. American journal of community psychology, 63(3-4), pp.245-252.
Schwartz, K. and et. al., 2019. Early Childhood Teachers’ Lives in Context: Implications for
Professional Development in Under‐Resourced Areas. American journal of community
psychology, 63(3-4), pp.270-285.
Ponce, A.N. and et. al., 2019. Addressing concerns in psychology training: Consultation on
trainee development. Training and Education in Professional Psychology.
Blankvoort, N. and et. al., 2019. Higher education students’ experiences of a short-term
international programme: Exploring cultural competency and professional
development. Educational Research, 61(3), pp.356-370.
Grison, S., 2019. Who Are We? How Knowing Our Personalities Can Improve Our Personal and
Professional Lives.

Appendix
Skills Strategies/ action
plan
Resources Target date
Written Skills A number of
professional courses
can be joined in order
to enhance written
skills. It will help me
in academics as well
as professional career.
Halberstadt, J., Timm,
J.M., Kraus, S. and
Gundolf, K., 2019. Skills
and knowledge
management in higher
education: how service
learning can contribute
to social entrepreneurial
competence
development. Journal of
Knowledge
Management.
Ranieri, M., Giampaolo,
M. and Bruni, I., 2019.
Exploring educators’
professional learning
ecologies in a blended
learning
environment. British
Journal of Educational
Technology, 50(4),
pp.1673-1686.
September 2020
Communication Reading more books
and articles available
is a great way to
develop
communication skills.
It will improve
vocabulary. It is also
necessary to practice
communicating with
Yu, F. and et. al., 2019.
Personal and work-
related factors
associated with nurse
resilience: a systematic
review. International
journal of nursing
studies, 93, pp.129-140.
Minton, A. and Lowe, J.,
2019. How are
October 2020

others while using
good postures and
body language.
Practice is the best
way to improve
communication skill.
universities supporting
employers to facilitate
effective “on the job”
learning for
apprentices?. Higher
Education, Skills and
Work-Based Learning.
Presentation skills In order to improve
presentation skills I
need to work with my
peers and colleagues
who will help me to
deal with my stage
fear.
Bezanilla, M.J. and et.
al., 2019.
Methodologies for
teaching-learning critical
thinking in higher
education: The
teacher’s view. Thinking
Skills and Creativity, 33,
p.100584.
Smith, L. and et. al.,
2019. A semester-long
critical thinking course
in the first semester of
pharmacy school:
Impact on critical
thinking skills. Currents
in Pharmacy Teaching
and Learning, 11(5),
pp.499-504.
September 2020
Technical knowledge In order to do well
professionally it is
essential to acquire
professional skills.
This may include
reading certain laws
related to field of
work and taking
professional training
. Newstead, S. and
Isles-Buck, E.,
2019. Essential skills for
managers of child-
centred settings.
Routledge.
Bacha, S. and Azouzi,
M.A., 2019. How gender
and emotions bias the
credit decision-making
in banking firms. Journal
April 2021

sessions. of Behavioral and
Experimental
Finance, 22, pp.183-
191.
Listening skills In order to enhance
listening skills I
require to give time to
people. Focus on
communication and
make sure that I am
providing others with
a chance to speak and
understand them.
Tkachenko, S. ans et,.
al., 2019. Social
partnership of services
sector professionals in
the entrepreneurship
education. Journal of
Entrepreneurship
Education, 22(4), pp.1-
6.
Shank, D.B. and et. al.,
2019. Feeling our way
to machine minds:
People's emotions when
perceiving mind in
artificial
intelligence. Computers
in Human Behavior, 98,
pp.256-266.
May 2021
Positive thinking I need to make sure
that I am always
looking at the brighter
side. This will help
me in developing
positive thinking in
various circumstances
of life.
Asonitou, S. and
Hassall, T., 2019. Which
skills and competences
to develop in
accountants in a country
in crisis?. The
International Journal of
Management
Education, 17(3),
p.100308.
Weinberg, F.J., 2019.
How and when is role
modeling effective? The
influence of mentee
professional identity on
September 2021

mentoring dynamics
and personal learning
outcomes. Group &
Organization
Management, 44(2),
pp.425-477.
Time management It is necessary to set
priorities in order to
understand which task
is to be performed
first and how the time
is to be divided
between various tasks.
This will help in
successfully
completing the task in
given time.
Elder, L. and Paul, R.,
2020. Critical thinking:
Tools for taking charge
of your professional and
personal life.
Williams, E.S., Rathert,
C. and Buttigieg, S.C.,
2020. The personal and
professional
consequences of
physician burnout: a
systematic review of the
literature. Medical Care
Research and
Review, 77(5), pp.371-
386.
July 2021
Leadership skills There is a lot of time
required to attain
leadership skills. For
this I would have to
wait for the time I am
promoted and chance
to head group is
provided to me.
However I need to
improve my
knowledge about
different cultures to
know people in a
Lee, L.Y.K., 2020. The
Effect of Flipped
Classroom Pedagogy
on Continuing
Professional
Development of
Academics in Higher
Education. In Innovating
Education in
Technology-Supported
Environments (pp. 319-
332). Springer,
Singapore.
Cirocki, A. and Farrell,
T.S., 2019. Professional
December 2022

group better. development of
secondary school EFL
teachers: Voices from
Indonesia. System, 85,
p.102111.
Decision making
skills
Decision making
skills require lot of
experience. I need to
access all the aspects
carefully prepare a list
of all the pros and
cons before taking a
decision. It will allow
me to successfully
take a correct
decision.
Gates, M.C.,
McLachlan, I., Butler, S.
and Weston, J.F., 2020.
Practices, preferences,
and opinions of New
Zealand veterinarians
towards continuing
professional
development. New
Zealand Veterinary
Journal, pp.1-11.
Steinert, Y., O’Sullivan,
P.S. and Irby, D.M.,
2019. Strengthening
teachers’ professional
identities through faculty
development. Academic
Medicine, 94(7), pp.963-
968.
July 2022