Career Action Plan for Fashion Merchandiser Job in ASOS Company

This report provides a personal analysis, career action plan, CV and LinkedIn-profile for applying the job of a fashion merchandiser in ASOS company. It includes strategies for developing required skills, resources, and timeline for developing skills.

CAREER ACTION PLAN
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Table of Contents.
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Personal analysis:.........................................................................................................................3
Developing career action plan:....................................................................................................5
Curriculum Vitae (CV) and LinkedIn-profile:............................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
A career action plan refers to the planning document which is created, owned and
managed by people in order to reflect their enhanced career development learnings. This plan
helps the people in setting their goals and setting actions or strategies required for achieving
those goals (Walker‐Donnelly, Scott and Cawthon, 2019). Career development plans are
dynamic documents which are update constantly so that educational and career goal plans can be
based upon their updated experiences. The job opportunity identified is a fashion merchandiser
for which creative skills, research and data handling skilled, experience, knowledge of current
trends and developments, collaboration skills, management skills, numerical and analytical skills,
effective decision-making skills, peer pressure handling skills and effective communication skills
are needed. The job opportunity has ben identified in ASOS company in fashion industry.
This self-reflection report will provide a personal analysis, career action plan, CV and
LinkedIn-profile for applying the job of a fashion merchandiser.
Personal analysis:
Description
I have a huge interest in fashion industry and my future career plan is to become a
fashion merchandiser. I want to pursue my career in ASOS company where I can enhance my
work experience. Fashion industry is not an easy industry to pursue a career (Walker‐Donnelly,
Scott and Cawthon, 2019). I need to update my knowledge on constantly changing trends and
environments of fashion industry. However, I realize that I need to identify various skills which
will be required to work in the fashion industry such as ASOS. I also need to analyse my
weaknesses and the resources through which I can eliminate those weaknesses.
Feelings
I have always had a huge interest in the fashion industry. I always knew what I wanted to
be. I have pursued my education in fashion so that I can fulfil my dreams. Working in ASOS is
my dream job where I can enhance my knowledge and skills. I have realized that there are many
skills which are required to become a fashion merchandiser. I have realized that I will need
creative skills, research and data handling skills, numerical and analytical skills, experience of
industry, effective communication skills, collaboration skills, management skills, effective
decision-making skills, skills to handle peer pressure and knowledge of current trends and
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developments in fashion industry. I have a very positive feeling that I can pursue my career, but I
need to learn few things first.
Evaluation
Through the seminars, volunteering and my experience I have reviewed the information.
Through feedback, I have reflected upon my strengths and weaknesses in order to understand my
own knowledge and skills about fashion industry. I have realized that I have experience of
industry, creative skills, collaboration skills, numerical and analytical skills, effective
communication skills, management skills, effective decision-making skills and research and data
handling skills as well. These skills can be my strengths for pursuing my career in my dream job
(Adeani, Febriani and Syafryadin, 2020). However, I have realized that I do not have skills to
handle the peer pressure, I get pressurized very easily. I also have realized that I need to polish
my skills consistently so that I am prepared for diverse environments.
Analysis
I reflected upon my skills and realized that I lack the peer pressure handling skill. After
the analysis, I realized that I have less experience in my work and working upon something
which is to submitted immediately. So I have never felt pressure before. I have sensed that I need
to improve these skills if I want to attain my goals and objectives. The article of Monica (2017),
can help me understand how can handle peer pressure. It can help me in further analysis and
enhancing my knowledge through which I can handle peer pressure. I have also learnt that I can
use strengths to overcome my weaknesses.
Conclusion:
After the analysis of whole situation, I have come to realize that pressure handling skills
are not only important in literature but also in life as general. I need various skills to develop my
carer plan. I have learnt that I lack in peer pressure handling skill. If I have this skill then I can
work easily in ASOS, because it is a big company and peer pressure is normal in their work
environment (Chung, 2019). I can enlarge my work experience more and learn how to handle
pressure from it. I can also gain knowledge from various literatures for acquiring skill of peer
pressure. I have leant that these skills can also help in my personal development as well as my
career development.
Action plan
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As I want to pursue my career in fashion industry, I need to acquire all the skills so that I
can work in ASOS (Moran, Gibbs and Mernin, 2017). For this I will work continuously to
develop my peer pressure handling skills. The next time I will try to take the projects where
deadlines will be allotted and work is challenging. This will make me develop pressurize and I
will develop pressure handling skill from there. I will develop strategies through which I will use
my strengths as an opportunity to overcome my challenges. I will practice over and over so that
this skill is developed. I think to acquire this skill I first need to feel that pressure so that I can
learn how can handle that pressure.
Developing career action plan:
Skills/
knowledge/
experiences
required
Strategies for developing
skills
Resources required for
developing skills
Timeline for
developing
skills
Personal
development skills
Communication
skills
I will be involved more in
interactions.
I will learn effective
listening.
I will practice consistently.
I will read more books and
watch more interviews to
learn the art of
communication.
 Reading newspapers,
articles and magazines.
 Exercise.
I will learn
this skill in 3
months.
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Time-management
skill
I will practice time
management.
I will start the projects
early.
I will prepare schedules to
management time.
I will reflect upon my
patterns of productivity.
I will use non-distracting
technology to keep me
accountable.
I will organize and
prioritize tasks on the basis
of deadlines.
 Technology
 Schedules
 Productivity reports
(Wain, 2017)
I will learn
this skill in 1
month
Decision -making For decision -making I will
follow the following
process:
I will identify the decision.
I will collect relevant
information for that
decision.
Then I will look for
alternatives that can be
adopted.
I will analyze the evidence
and chose the action
among all the available
options.
Then I will take action.
I will review my decision
and its consequences.
 Self assessment
 Plans
 Professional help
I will learn
this skill in 4
months.
Listening skills I will practice active
listening.
I will focus more on non-
verbal communication and
body language of the
person.
I will always ask for
feedback after
communication.
I will try to be attentive.
 Websites
 Situational
Conversations
 Games (Monica, 2017)
 Multimedia resources
such as videos
I will learn
this skill in 2
months.
Career specific
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skills
Peer pressure
handling skills
I will plan ahead.
I will practice new
strategies to gain
confidence.
I will try to complete tasks
before deadlines.
 Plan
 Deadlines
I will learn
this skill in 6
months.
Numerical and
analytical skills
I will try to be more alert
and read more.
I will try to build my
mathematical skills.
I will be open to learn new
things.
 Observation
 Practising
 Books and literature
I will learn
this skill in 6
months.
Collaborative
skills
I will set my objectives
clear and well-defined.
I will try to be open-
minded.
I will accept my mistakes
and overcome blaming
others.
I will try to listen and learn
from others.
 Mentor
 Communication tools
 Team building
activities (Kushe,
2019).
I will learn
this skill in 1
month.
Knowledge of
current trends
I will keep reading
newspapers and
magazines.
I will consistently look for
changes through the
internet
 Newspapers
 Magazines
 Online resources
 Professional events
 Online networking
 Professional courses.
I will learn
this skill
consistently as
the market and
environment
changes.
SMART Actions:
In the last I will measure my plan through the SMART action model as following:
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Specific: My actions to learn various skills are specific and have specific information on how can
I achieve them.
Measurable: I will measure all my actions through assessment.
Achievable: The goals are achievable as I have carefully provided strategies through which I can
achieve the goals.
Relevant: My goals are very relevant as they all required so that I can pursue my career as a
fashion merchandiser.
Time-bound: All of my actions to learn a certain skill have a specific time limit in which I will
learn them.
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Curriculum Vitae (CV) and LinkedIn-profile:
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CONCLUSION
After reading all the information above I have come to a conclusion that a career plan is
an essential document through which people display their skills, knowledges and profiles to get
hired. After completing the whole project, I feel that I have gathered enough knowledge on my
own strengths and weaknesses as well my desired skills. I have also analysed my career plan
which I will use to ensure my personal as well as my career development. My career goals are in
accordance with SMART methodology.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals:
Adeani, I.S., Febriani, R.B. and Syafryadin, S., 2020. USING GIBBS’REFLECTIVE CYCLE
IN MAKING REFLECTIONS OF LITERARY ANALYSIS. Indonesian EFL Journal.
6(2). pp.139-148.
Chung, M., 2019. A Gibbs sampling algorithm that estimates the Q-matrix for the DINA model.
Journal of Mathematical Psychology. 93. p.102275.
De Gulan, X.Z.M. and Aguiling, H., 2021. Developing a strategic career development model on
organizational climate, career adaptability and career intentions. International Journal of
Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478). 10(2). pp.153-156.
Kushe, S., 2019. Take control of your career development-plan ahead. Proctor. The. 39(4).
pp.12-13.
Monica, P., 2017. The pastoral perspective: Handling sensitive issues. In Wellbeing, Education
and Contemporary Schooling. (pp. 123-137). Routledge.
Moran, T.E., Gibbs, D.C. and Mernin, L., 2017. The empowerment model: Turning barriers into
possibilities. Palaestra. 31(2).
Wain, A., 2017. Learning through reflection. British Journal of Midwifery. 25(10). pp.662-666.
Walker‐Donnelly, K., Scott, D.A. and Cawthon, T.W., 2019. Introduction: overview and
application of career development theories. New Directions for Student Services. (166).
pp.9-17.
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