Career Action Plan and Self-Reflection

This report discusses the significance of career action plan and self-reflection in academic and professional life. It includes personal analysis, SWOT analysis, skill gap analysis, and SMART objectives. The report also provides a career action plan for developing leadership, problem-solving, and team-working skills. Additionally, it includes a sample CV and LinkedIn profile for a digital marketing manager.

Career Action Plan and
Self-Reflection

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Personal Analysis...................................................................................................................3
Career Action Plan.................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................10
CV.........................................................................................................................................10
LinkedIn Profile....................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Career Action Plan is a major perspective of a person for accomplish and meeting a set of
objectives and goals in a specific period of time which are concerned with career. In context to
academic life, a career action plan is very significant in the process of developing a large number
of opportunities that are important for the career growth and development. In the academic as
well as professional life, it is very essential for a person to take into account career action plan in
a precise and effective way for achieving success in career-related life (Jiang and et.al., 2019).
Within this report, there will be preparation of professional CV and LinkedIn profile in order to
assist in career of an individual. This report includes a critical personal analysis of strengths and
weaknesses of own and the job opportunity that is identified from CW1 project is digital
marketing. Such job opportunity requires creativity skills, technical skills, advertising skills,
critical and analytical thinking skills and many more.
MAIN BODY
Personal Analysis
In context to academic life, it becomes essential for me to perform personal analysis in order
to achieve objectives as well as goals. I am personally interested in the job opportunity of digital
marketing for developing business on large scale. According to my knowledge, it is greater
responsibility of a person to develop as well improve multiple skills and base of the knowledge
which are related to digital marketing for the process of development and growth. I get motivated
from digital marketing manager of Tesco as personnel is easily able to manage its business
operations throughout the world with the process of digitalisation. As per my understanding,
digital marketing manager of Tesco faced a lot of challenges and opportunities and because of
this, it becomes critical for a digital marketing manager to control and manage all activities and
tasks through digitalisation.
Presently, I have creativity skills, time management skills, effective communication
skills, decision-making skills as well as critical and analytical thinking skills and many more. I
also have some sort of knowledge about digital marketing in context to business (Kenny and
et.al., 2019). I understand that digital marketing facilitates a business in getting interacted with a
wide number of people at the time when they come online and it is also effective in all such
industries. I evolved communication skills through interacting and communicating with strangers

and taking participation within academic activities such as debate, etc. I am also creative at work
and such skill will provide assistance to me in case if I select Marketing sector. These skills are
all my strength that facilitate me and will also assist further in chasing competitive edge over my
competitors. I also have some weaknesses within me and because of which I am lacking in
having leadership skills, managerial skills, team-working skills, problem-solving skills, etc. The
lack of these skills may be a threat for me in the future period of time. Such skills are my
weaknesses and create a barrier for me to gain short-term as well as long-term goals (Liguori,
Bendickson and McDowell, 2018). These weaknesses are those areas on which I am required to
focus on in order to develop my personality. My SWOT Analysis is given as follows:
Strengths Weaknesses
 I am able to take my own decisions
and this would also provide assistance
to me in taking quick decisions in
workplace where I would work as a
digital marketing manager.
 I also have effective communication
skills that would assist me in
conducting communication with
strangers in business.
 I have less managerial skills in the
digital sector and therefore I am
required to develop and improve my
such skill for performing tasks that are
concerned with this skill.
 I am also weak at leadership skills and
to improve this skill, I have to do
exercise on more projects and
assignments along with developing
situational awareness within me.
Opportunities Threats
 It is an opportunity for me to increase
my knowledge base in digital sector so
that it would help me in functioning
the job role of digital marketing
manager in an effective manner.
 It is also an another opportunity for
me to develop technical skills in me
because it would provide assistance to
me in performing the job role of
digital marketing manager
 Fast changes in IT sector can be a
major threat for me because with
passage of time, it is sure that there
will be enhancement in technological
sector in near future but my
ineffective technical skills can be a
threat for me at that time (Ping,
Schellings and Beijaard, 2018).
 It can be another threat for me in case
if competition in digital technological

sector would extend in future period
because I would be having less
experience and knowledge in such
sector at time of dealing with business
operations.
Skill Gap Analysis
Such kind of analysis is used to ascertain the difference or gap between expected as well
as present state of an individual in its workplace (Richardson and Watt, 2018). Skill gap analysis
will also provide assistance to me in determining those skills and knowledge in which require
more attention to become effective. Personal Skill Gap Analysis is given as below:
Skills Personal Audit Questionnaire 1 2 3 4 5
Leadership skills My leadership skills are good as I
can guide, motivate and instruct
other people towards work which
will help in enhancing business
effectiveness.
*
Communication skills I have effective communication
skills as I can persuade and inspire
people towards my target which will
also help me in capturing a large
number of market share.
*
Creativity skills I have good creativity in designing
attractive and effective posters,
brouchers, pop-ups. Such creativity
would facilitate me in chasing
competitive edge over competitors.
*
Critical and analytical
thinking skills
Not so effective at such type of skill
and to become effective I will
analyse situations that will help me
in taking strategic decisions within
*

business.
SMART Objectives
SMART objectives are those objectives which helps an individual through providing
direction and guidance regarding setting goals. For ensuring the objectives of a person are clear
and reachable, they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bounded. My
SMART objectives would provide assistance to me in evolving and improving different kinds of
skills as well as knowledge (Tornikoski and Maalaoui, 2019). To develop and improve my weak
skills and capabilities, I have set my SMART objectives and these are given as under:
 Specific: I have a specific objective of evolving a large number of skills and abilities like
managerial skills, leadership skills, problem-solving skills and many others. Through
developing these skills, I can improve my capabilities and abilities for performing a
particular work.
 Measurable: I would measure my success and specific objectives through comparing
past experiences, assessments given to me by my higher authorities. Based on
assessment, I can measure my performance of skill development that whether I am going
in a right direction or not. I would improve the skills within 5 weeks in which I am
lacking behind and to do this, I would accomplish my assessments given to me and attend
semesters, workshops, etc.
 Achievable: I will make a lot of efforts through attending semesters, joining workshops
and campaigns, etc. I would also watch online videos to improve my team-working skills
(van der Horst and Klehe, 2019). After developing and improving such skills within 5
weeks, I would join at least 3 campaigns which will provide assistance to me in evolving
leadership skills, team-working skills and problem-solving skills.
 Realistic: As per this factor, I would be able to improve leadership skills, problem-
solving skills, ream-working skills, etc. which would really help me in achieving success
in my career.
 Time bound: It is last factor of SMART objectives and here I define time frame in which
I would develop and improve all my weak skills. For this, I have set a time period of 5
weeks which would be sufficient for me in evolving such skills in a precise and effective
way.

Career Action Plan
Skills Action plan Resources Time Frame
Leadership skills The action which will
be taken by me for
developing such skill
is taking more
responsibilities and
initials within project,
inspiring other
people, tackling
complex and large
projects.
Online training
sessions, games,
coaches, advisors,
mentors and many
other.
Within 4 weeks
Problem-solving
skills
In order to develop
this skill, first of all I
will identify problem,
define elements and
analyse possible
solution for specific
problem in an
effective and precise
way.
Investigation,
managers, team
members, employees,
active listening,
group discussions
(Xiao and Yang,
2019).
Within 3 weeks
Team-working skills I will develop this
skill through taking
participation in group
discussions, joining
campaigns, taking
sessions, etc. These
are some of the
actions which I
would take to
develop this skill.
Campaigns, Friends,
family and relatives,
colleagues, group
discussions and many
more.
Within 3 weeks.

CONCLUSION
From above explanation of the report, it has been concluded that career action plan plays a
great role in overall development of a person. It facilitates the individual in developing and
improving a lot of skills and related knowledge that would help it in its career. This report has
been included a critical personal analysis in which strengths and weaknesses have also been
identified through SWOT analysis. Skill Gap Analysis have been conducted to know gap or
difference in desired and existing skills. Moreover, a career action plan has been taken into
consideration that has included which skill is required attention for improvement along with
resources and time needed to improve it through taking appropriate and effective action.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Jiang and et.al., 2019. Career exploration: A review and future research agenda. Journal of
Vocational Behavior. 110. pp.338-356.
Kenny and et.al., 2019. Applying the psychology of working theory for transformative career
education. Journal of Career Development. 46(6). pp.623-636.
Liguori, E. W., Bendickson, J. S. and McDowell, W. C., 2018. Revisiting entrepreneurial
intentions: a social cognitive career theory approach. International Entrepreneurship and
Management Journal. 14(1). pp.67-78.
Ping, C., Schellings, G. and Beijaard, D., 2018. Teacher educators' professional learning: A
literature review. Teaching and teacher education. 75. pp.93-104.
Richardson, P. W. and Watt, H. M., 2018. Teacher professional identity and career motivation: A
lifespan perspective. In Research on teacher identity (pp. 37-48). Springer, Cham.
Tornikoski, E. and Maalaoui, A., 2019. Critical reflections–The Theory of Planned Behaviour:
An interview with Icek Ajzen with implications for entrepreneurship
research. International Small Business Journal. 37(5). pp.536-550.
van der Horst, A. C. and Klehe, U. C., 2019. Enhancing career adaptive responses among
experienced employees: A mid-career intervention. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 111.
pp.91-106.
Xiao, Y. and Yang, M., 2019. Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: How formative
assessment supports students' self-regulation in English language learning. System. 81.
pp.39-49.

APPENDIX
CV
Digital Marketing Manager
Contact Details:
London, UK 1238
(789)540-379252
[e-mail]
Career Objectives
My key career goal is to become a professional digital marketing manager who has the
abilities of leading a wide number of people. Another key objective is to learn and develop the
knowledge of professional tools and techniques for performing digital marketing activities. I
also want to achieve success and growth through working in a workplace and attaining its
targets in a specific period of time.
Working Experience
 Attended various seminars as well as webinars concerned with digital marketing for
developing technical knowledge of digital marketing.
 Performed digital marketing role in a consultancy organisation nearby my house.
 Gone through professional internship in a reputed digital marketing business.
Qualifications:
 Bachelor’s degree in marketing management
 Master’s degree in marketing management
 PHD in marketing management
Skills:
Creativity skills, communication skills, time management skills, problem-solving skills,
leadership and motivational skills and many more.

LinkedIn Profile