Employability Skills and Professional Development

This assignment discusses employability skills and professional development, focusing on the components of a portfolio, aims and objectives, CPD, and reflection. It explores the concept of personal development plan and continuous professional development. The subject is Professional Development, and there is no specific course code, course name, or college/university mentioned.

Employability Skills and
Professional Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
COMPONENTS OF PORTFOLIO.................................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Aims and Objectives...............................................................................................................3
CPD..................................................................................................................................................4
REFLECTION.................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Employability skill is defined as transferrable skill that individual desires to acquire to
achieve its future professional career goals. Professional development defined as an activity of
improving own skills and abilities to achieve desired job in reputed organisation (Asonitou,
2015). Every individual knows their own capabilities and weaknesses thus giving continuous
efforts for further improvements helps in getting satisfactory employment opportunities. The
present assignment report is based on Aldi which is a supermarket chain having headquartered in
Germany. It was established in the year 1946 by Karl and Theo Albrecht. The report discusses
the concept of personal development plan along with the aims and objectives that an individual
have for its future career goals. Along with this, continuous professional development is also
defined under this report with the reflection of undertaking PDP plan.
COMPONENTS OF PORTFOLIO
Introduction
The Personal Development Plan (PDP) prepared in assessment 1 provide information
regarding abilities and skills which are lacking in individual and ways for improving them
(Fletcher, Sharif and Haw, 2017). PDP is defined as process that helps in establishing objectives
as well as aims of person where they want to achieve and see themselves in their career life
(Chretien and et. al., 2015.This helps them to identify their skills, knowledge and competence for
their personal and professional growth and development. With the help of PDP plan, Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) plan is prepared for improving lack skills and abilities in given
time period for achievement of goal and objectives.
Aims and Objectives
To become HR manager in Aldi, here are aims and objectives that I need to achieve
within specific time period:
Aim
To enhance my strengthen skills and eliminate weaknesses by participating in various
development programs so that desired job can be achieved successfully.
Objectives
 To improve my problem solving skills to increase productivity of employees at
workplace.

 To improve my time management skill so as to get work done from employees in timely
manner.
 To enhance decision-making skills so that I can take proper decisions which will be
easily acceptable by all employees.
 To increase emotional intelligence skills so that I can able to identify what employees
actually expect from an organisation.
CPD
CPD
Continuing Professional Development, it is identified as a procedure in which documenting
or tracking the skills, knowledge and experience that is earned in formal or informal manner.
CPD is a record in which mention what has been apply, learn, and experience by personnel.
The professional are participate in activities to develop or enhance their skills or abilities in
efficient manner. CPD make learning more active. It is combined of various procedure, in
these procedures the e-learning, events, programs, workshops, conferences,idea sharing.
These are focus on improving the person in positive manner or enhance the individual or
professional development. CPD is also called an ongoing process. CPD is an ongoing
process in which maintaining, documenting and developing professional skills of personnel.
The individuals can improve or enhance their skills by participating in training programs or
courses in effective manner. After the professional development plan it provide
opportunities to improved their skills. It is requires professional qualification for job at
organisation or company. CPD ensure the academic or practical qualification. It is essential
for organisation, individual, or whole organisation to helping in order to keep the knowledge
and skills up to date. CPD is professional development towards the enhancement of skills
and knowledge of individual in efficient or effective manner. The CPD providing the leads
to organisation for gaining knowledge to their stakeholder. They provide workshops,
training programs for utilising their time in learning requirements. The CPD helps to
individual to focus on becoming as effective professional. It is provide learning and training
personnel. That helps in enhancement of their confidence or career growth and success.
With the help of CPD assistance the individual can easily adapt change of environment in
positive order. That is indulge themselves as per requirement of workplace. CPD shows
commitment with professionalism as well as individual developments. That creates

opportunities for identify the weakness and resolve in better way. It enhances the brand
perceptions or recognition of organisation. CPD is promotes and motivate healthy learning
culture in an organisation with fulfilling the needs or requirements of their team. In the order
of requirement and need of staff the organisation conduct the training and development
programs for enhance or improve the skills or knowledge of individuals. These sessions are
helps in the order of positive outcome and achieve the goals. The CPD procedures is
designed for identifying the individual development needs. It starts from identifying
individual development needs which is improve by learning activities, reflecting and
applying those learning and sharing at workplace. CPD is very important for individual
development or improve their learning, skills or knowledge. CPD is prepared for improve or
develop the individual skills, knowledge or learning in order to professional growth or
success. CPD has found that I lack in many skills like communication, decision making time
management, negotiation etc. CPD plan is mentioned below:
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Plan
Identifying
learning
needs
Define
expected
learning
outcomes
Identify
learning
activity
Resources Timescale Communication Evaluation
Problem
Solving
Skills
The
expected
outcome of
Problem
Solving
Skills after
the
enhancement
of Problem
Solving
Skills it
helps in
For
improving
my
Problem
Solving
Skills I am
participatin
g in formal
activities,
taking
conference
s or
These
skills is
improved
with the
help of
several
people like
mentor
manager
leader.
Because of
their
20 Sept –
20 Nov ,
2020
For Problem
Solving Skills, I
have learn oral as
well as written
communication
strategies after
this I can write
and
communicate
easily. learn this
skills and
enhance myself
It is
prepared in
order to
improve
individual
in possible
manner.
This is on
regular
basis for
oneself to
know

developing
goodwill of
organisation
and it is
satisfy the
customer
with service.
And enhance
the value of
brand.
seminars,
so that I
improve to
myself.
guidance I
improved
my self.
in positive
manner.
where they
lack and
resolve
problems in
effective or
efficient
manner.
Negotiation
Skills
Expected
Outcome of
negotiation
skills after
the
enhancement
of
negotiation
skills it helps
in increasing
or
developing
goodwill of
organisation
in effective
manner. This
is
maintaining
and
developing
strong
For
improve
the
negotiation
skills are
attending
seminars,
reading
novels.
Negotiatio
n skill is
important
to choose
appropriate
method of
improveme
nt so that if
same issues
faces in
business
then the
The
resources
needed for
developing
my
negotiation
skills are
manager,
mentor or
trainer who
will guide
me and
give
guidance
to enhance
such skills
in
appropriate
manner.
By
attending
25th Sept,
2020- 15th
Nov, 2020
For the positive
outcome I am
use the best
communication
strategy at work
place. I am
following the
oral
communication
strategy as
negotiation.
Negotiation is
done through
speaking in
fluent or clear
way. This is
helps in
communication
with suppliers,
clients. so that I
can improve my
For
improveme
nt in
negotiation
skills, I
have
created
CPD. It
helps to me
in
continuous
improveme
nt of
negotiation
skills which
is needed to
run
business
operations
or task in
appropriate

relationship
with
individual.
The
negotiation
skills reflect
convincing
power of me
in dealing
with
business
clients,
supplier and
other people.
issues can
be resolved
without
any
problems
or hurdles.
the class or
seminars to
develop
myself in
positive
manner.
negotiation
skills.
manner.
Decision
Making
Skills
Expected
Outcome
occurs after
working on
decision
making
skills. That
is, I can
easily take
decision for
individual or
company to
achieve goal
and
objectives.
The decision
making
for
improving
decision
making
skill the
peer and
professiona
l
interaction
is required.
I have to
interact
with every
person or
staff
member for
make
for
decision
making
skills
required
resources
are people,
and time.
Its training
is provided
by
experience
d person or
trainer. I
can learn
in
appropriate
25th Aug,
2020- 30th
Oct, 2020
For make
decision at
workplace, I can
use both oral or
written strategies
for positive
outcome.
It helps me
to properly
make
decision at
organisatio
n without
facing any
hurdle and
helps in
accomplish
ing
business
goal or
objectives.

helps to me
in taking
opportunities
for
accomplish
the
objectives or
task.
decision in
appropriate
manner.
manner
with the
help of
trainer or
books.
Time
Manageme
nt Skills
The
expected
outcomes is
occurs after
working on
time
management
. It saves
time and
cost by
participate
major
activities.
manage
time and
related task
in proper
manner it
is difficult
to manage
activities as
per their
necessity.
For
manage
works and
task there
is essential
to plan for
the day
according
to the
important
activities.
that
required to
There is
required
resources
are money,
time, work
schedule
charts.
31st Aug,
2019- 30th
Sept, 2020
In this consist of
the strategies for
achieve the goal
or objective. For
managing time
or other task it is
need to start the
day with focus.
Focus on
competitive areas
is essential for
develop the skill.
This skill
has been
evaluated
after
working in
respective
area the
individual
is able to
manage
task in a
proper time
frame. It is
not only
saves time.
It also
helps in
saving the
cost.

gain
potentiality
or
improveme
nts.
REFLECTION
It is essential for me to conduct skills audit so as to make easy for me to identify my actual
strengths and weaknesses. It drives me to give more efforts in improving my strengths and
eliminate weaknesses that makes me more capable to achieve professional career goals in near
future. After conducting skills audit, I identified that I am good in various areas which includes
communication, problem solving, persuasion etc. I can easily communicate with people coming
from different background and religion with more confidence. Through such skill, I can motivate
others to perform well with more efficiency. Along with this, I am good in empathy skills which
allows me to deal with complex situations in an effective manner. It assists me to identify the
perception of others which makes me easy to make decisions accordingly. It helps me in
grouping employees together and gets work done from them in desirable way. I have also good
emotional intelligence skill which helps me to identify the actual needs and expectations that
employees have from an organisation. While working in a team and act as a leader I can easily
coordinate with others and understand their emotions and problems that they face by its own.
Human resource is a heavy job, which require high level of leadership, problem solving etc. and
for this I am going to analysis the weakness of mine and the corrective measures to overcome
from them:
 Problem Solving- I am approaching to human resource department and for that problem
solving is the main concern in the department. My weakness is that I am not good at
problem solving among employees and taking the right decision with the right approach.
It will help me to adjust in dynamic environment and work in every situation according to
the need and will solve the problem at different levels. This make incomparable in the
organisation by have the good problem solving approach.

 Decision Making- This is my main weakness in approaching to human resource
department. I am not good at decision making and faced many problems because of my
weakness. If a improved this problem, I will achieve the desired position and get a
suitable job in which I can make a right decision in dynamic environment. With this, I
will able to work with the team and take my call at the right time. This will increase my
leadership quality and help in better execution
 Emotional Intelligence- This is the factor which include the emotions and expectations
of the employees towards the organisation. It is my weakness to coordinate all the
employees at a time with their expectations. If I overcome this weakness, I will meet the
expectation of the employees and motivate the employees for the betterment of the job
profile.
 Time Management- It is my weakness that I am not able to manage my time in order to
fix my target for the organisations. If I solved my problem, then I will able to manage my
time and execute my time in effective way.
It is important for me to prepare PDP plan that assist me to develop my weaknesses in
timely manner by engaging in different development programs. Working on my weak skills help
me to gain profitable result in my professional career in reputed multinational organisation. CPD
is prepared to make continuous improvement on myself and make me more capable to compete
with my rivals within an organisation in more effective and efficient way. It facilitates me to deal
with complex situations that may bring barrier towards my success thus important to conduct
skills audit and PDP plan before applying for desired job in reputed organisation.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above report that every individual who worked within an
organisation desired to achieve its professional goals which can be possible only if skill audit can
be properly conducted. It helps in identifying strengths and weaknesses so that corrective actions
can be taken to eliminate weaknesses by engaging in development activities. After conducting
skills audit, it is important for an individual to produce professional development plan to
improve weak areas defining the time frames and objectives. Development of its own always
move individual ahead in professional career thus important to work on their skills and
knowledge.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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professional development of residents of the US. Foreign language annals. 50(2).
pp.248-259.
Messum, D., Wilkes, L. and Jackson, D., 2015. What employability skills are required of new
health managers?. Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management. 10(1). p.28.
Osmani, M. and et. al., 2015. Identifying the trends and impact of graduate attributes on
employability: a literature review. Tertiary Education and Management. 21(4). pp.367-
379.
Rowe, G., 2017. Personal and professional development. The Handbook for Nursing Associates
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Sarkar, M. and et. al., 2016. Graduate employability: Views of recent science graduates and
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through working in partnership with a local business to deliver an undergraduate
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pp.299-314.
Williams, B., Carpenter, J. and Timms, J., 2015. Family and systemic psychotherapists'
experiences of personal therapeutic consultations as a tool for personal and professional
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Online
CPD is the holistic commitment of professionals towards the enhancement of personal skills and
proficiency throughout their careers. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://cpduk.co.uk/explained>.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD). 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/continuing-professional-development.html>.

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