Employability Skills and Professional Development

This report explores employability skills and professional development, focusing on tools and techniques to enhance interpersonal and transferable skills. It includes a personal SWOT analysis and covers topics such as skill audit, personal and professional development, and more.

Employability Skills and
Professional Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Conduct skill audit to perform the personal roles and responsibility.....................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
a) Analyse tools and technique to enhance interpersonal and transferable skills...................2
b)Personal SWOT analysis.....................................................................................................5
c) Proforma for individual appraisal.......................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
Personal and professional development.................................................................................8
TASK B.........................................................................................................................................10
What did I do well in the completion of my development plan?.........................................10
What were the problems?.....................................................................................................10
What do I want to further improve?.....................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Employability skills is considered as the transferable skills required through a person to
make them employable. This involves traits, knowledge and skills of candidates which develop
then effective for performing its accountabilities in efficacious manner. Professional
development is defined as the procedures of improving as well as enhancing abilities of
employees by access to education and training opportunities into work area (Asonitou, 2015).
This assists firm to build as well as maintain morale of their workers. As per the scenario the
choose company for this report is Waitrose & Partners, which is a chain of British supermarket
that develops the food retail division. Its headquarters is in Bracknell, UK. This report covers
skills audit, identification of key interpersonal and transferable skills, analysis of tools and
techniques and personal SWOT analysis. Moreover, perform individual appraisal, preparation as
well as implementation of professional development plan is also explained. Apart from this,
reflection of my personal and professional development plan as well as activities in which my
work for completion of development plan, problems and further improvement are also
discussed in this report.
TASK 1
Conduct skill audit to perform the personal roles and responsibility
Performance objectives are mainly the targets which is a person has to achieve in certain
time period that is annually or quarterly. The key performance objective required to be SMART
so that they can efficaciously execute by minimising the possibilities of deviation (Bilsland,
Nagy and Smith, 2014). In respect of Waitrose & Partners, it offered me the placement
opportunity of sales associate, so it is my performance objective is to know about the confines
roles and accountability as well as do work for enhancing the standard customer services and
increase sales by 15% in a year.
Personal role as well as responsibilities: Being the sales associates I has to do several activities
for creating awareness about the products and services as well as retaining the trust of existence
staff and customers. Few of the personal accountabilities are discussed below:
 Maximise the consumer involvement through communicating about offerings of
organisations as well as know its interest areas or perspectives. Moreover, through
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obtaining knowledge of good product I can solve the clients queries that can minimise the
possibilities of dissonance.
 Cross selling is considered as the significant strategy on which I has to concentrate upon
for producing more revenue so that firm will functions effectively. It enhanced the
consumers relationship as they obtain the efficacious deals at good or reasonable price
that aids increasing leads.
 Involve in Visual merchandising that means I has to represent the products into store in
such a way which attracts clients as well as stimulate its interest that can provoke the
consumers to buy its products.
Skill Audit: This is defined as a crucial procedures for evaluating as well as recording
the skills of person or team (Choate and et. al., 2016). The main aim of conducting this particular
audit within Waitrose & Partners is to find the skills as well as knowledge which they needs and
that they currently have. Moreover, it sis the prominent methods which assists them to ascertain
as well as identify whole crucial skills needed to perform particular job such as sales associates
of company.
Skills Good Average Poor
Complaint handling ✓
Persuasion skill ✓
Negotiation skill ✓
Decision taking skill ✓
Empathy ✓
Time management skill ✓
Problem solving skill ✓
Communication skill ✓
Technical skill ✓
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TASK 2
a) Analyse tools and technique to enhance interpersonal and transferable skills
There are various tools and techniques which are analysed for enhancing the
interpersonal as well as transferable skills are discussed below:
Interpersonal skills involves the tactics of individuals by which they can able to interact
with another people of company in effective and efficient manner. As various person has several
roles as well as accountabilities such as few person born with this skills while other one has to
inculcate that skills (Deeley, 2014). The manager of Waitrose & Partners practices this
particular skills through giving appreciation, listening to staff suggestion as well as aids to solve
conflicts that lead towards enhancing possibilities of cooperation (Definition of interpersonal
skills. 2019).
 Empathy: This is considered as the emotional intelligence which is utilised through sales
associates of Waitrose & Partners for understanding the others feeling. It develops
synergy among relationship of employer as well as staff through developing healthy and
optimistic atmosphere into firm to function. It is the skills that is required to be
developed as well as execute through the sales associates into the store of respective
organisation as by active listening the staff can mainly know about the needs or issues
faced through consumers (Faulkner and et. al., 2013). Generally, in case the clients get
frustrated or not satisfied because of its previous experiences then this is significant to
find and understand another feelings as well as communicate with them consequently.
Therefore, this aids them to simply relate with another persons and explore the
understanding among firm's stakeholder after utilising specific tools as well as
techniques. Moreover, Developing curiosity about others through this direct feedback is
a workable techniques which assists sales associates to clearly know the situation as this
provides effective understanding such as company facilitates effective customer
experience or not. These feedback can be get through digital media or by face to face
interaction with clients. Therefore, the contractive feedbacks are forward through firm to
ascertain the issues faced by organisation as well as consequently Waitrose & Partners
can bring specific alterations in its operations for the end user convenience. The
fundamental objectives of this particular interpersonal skills as that this aids them to
produce the leads as well as stay ahead with its rivals through obtaining the benefits of
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quick mover. The another tool can be Active listener, it is the significant for the sales
associates profile to cultivate as this considered as the trait in which staff are concentrated
towards what others are specking (Jackson, 2015). It is the practices that aids in obtaining
the extra information that employer can miss out from feedback. For the effective
evaluation, sales associates can enhanced the communication through responding back to
clients for gain clear knowledge as well as get final conclusion.
 Negotiation skill: This is considered as the another kinds of interpersonal skills which is
an ability of Sales associates for discussing either with clients or staff as well as reach out
towards specific conclusion in professional way. As enterprise functions in dynamic
atmosphere so there are several there are various circumstances in which the related
manager required to know about the several perspectives as well as then provide fair
solution. An effective negotiation can only happen when the two person come forward
and engage in developing an agreement as per their mutual consent. Moreover, the
compulsory tools as well as techniques need to maximise this particular skills is organise
meeting. So, before entering into the meeting of negotiable, the negotiator is accountable
for analysing the overall scenario and thereafter develop them for final meeting.
Generally, it is the formulation part which involves ascertaining goals, finding areas for
trades and approach the alternative strategies for reaching out pre decided objectives.
 Communication skill : This is defined as the root ability which aids to accumulate whole
significant information associated to business through interacting with stakeholders such
as internal and external (Jones, 2013) The sales associate are considered to be the
representative of firm so that they has to be interactive in context of enhancing brand
awareness, customer experiences as well as deliver efficacious values for appropriate
functioning of company. Moreover, there are several tools as well as techniques such as
active listening, this is an effectual toll that required to be adapted through respective
post other wise all conversation may divert to another directions. Also, giving
presentation, this is refers as the another technique as this is helpful for overcoming
from the hesitation as well as leads towards simple information flows that act as a base
and aids members of groups to accomplish the objectives effectually and efficaciously.
 Decision making skills: This is considered as the procedures in which the company finds
the external surroundings as well as obtain the needed information for making
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appropriate solution. This includes the course of actions which is chosen among various
options for attaining the whole organisational objectives. The methods which is utilised
through Sales associates based on consumers behaviours and several task which a firm
can do in order to overcome from the gap as well as accomplish the goals efficaciously.
Brain storming, it is considered as an effectual tool which can aids team members to
share its ideas as well as develop creative ideas which is effective for dealing with
hurdles and minimise the possibilities of differences. This innovative tools broaden the
perspective for making decision as well as together engage the efforts of each members
through thinking freely or without making any judgements.
Transferable skills: This skills are utilised into work area for enhancing the existing knowledge
of person which can be transferred from one to other (Messum and et. al., 2016). Mainly, this
involves conflict handling, time management, problem solving and others that act as an
opportunity fro building up the efficacious strategies for appropriate functioning of firm. Few of
the transferable skills which is needed for the role of Sales associates are discussed below:
 Problem solving skills: This is considered as the most crucial part of respective post in
which they are accountable for reducing the possibilities of consumer frustration through
facing its issues in effective way (Mishra, 2014). It will aids Waitrose & Partners to
minimise the possibilities of pessimistic referrals as well as identify the new methods for
resolving the issues in efficacious manner. All functions of business can combat few
kinds of problems to maximise problem solving skills, Sales associates may take training
or guidance from higher authority. Thus, it can aids the staff to find the issues at their
implication at greater aspects for solving the problems in effectual way.
 Time management skills: This is the skills that is utilised for organising and planning
the the time for performing the particular organisational activities which aids to enhance
productivity through managing the time and efforts in efficacious way (Osmani and et.
al., 2015). This is crucial that sales associate of Waitrose & Partners required to prioritise
its workload efficaciously as per the various activities for which they prefer the written
down routine activity. Moreover, the list should includes time duration as well as
weight age which assists all team members to fundamentally concentrate upon the urgent
work and perform that in effectual manner without procrastination. Thus, it reduces the
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possibilities of distraction in which concentration is provided to focused upon the
essential work of Waitrose & Partners
b)Personal SWOT analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
I believe that my strength is communication
skill as when I communicate with the staff or
clients I assure that they understand my words
or message which is delivered to them.
Moreover, the upgraded knowledge about
products or services of Waitrose & Partners
have provided me an assistance to deal with
customers efficaciously. It influences
optimistic consumer behaviours towards
organisation as its issues get solve
appropriately. Efficacious communication
skills are crucial for whole kinds of retail post.
As I has to interact with clients, staff and
manager either by virtual channels or face to
face medium. It also includes active listening
ability that itself is a communication
procedures part so I has to listen consumers
and respond consequently for building
interpersonal relation. Thus, this skill can aids
them to perform various roles such as greeting
clients, describing to consumers and order
taking effectually. Also with communication,
maintaining and persuasion interpersonal skill
is my strengths which aids me to involve the
consumer interest towards firm as well as
increase clients involvement. In respect of new
I required to put more efforts upon complaint
handling as few times I can not able to handle
the difficult situation or resolve the consumers
dissonance. As I has effective knowledge upon
firm's products buy this become tough when
clients have rigid behaviour towards the brand.
Therefore, through concentrating upon this
skills I will obtain new skills which can aids
me to face the complaint sensitively otherwise
it can reduce the profitability of per head
produced through organisation. Also, I has to
work upon time management skills so that I
can give equal attention to various consumers.
Sometimes, because of several task burden
such as involving into merchandising can
drives towards mismanagement as this can
leads towards developing operational
problems.
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consumers I assure that they make final
purchase for this I aids them to identify
appropriate one as per its interest. In context of
loyal consumers I am more concentrated upon
cross selling strategy. So, my strength do not
only perform for satisfying the clients and
influence them for maintaining longer
relationship and also maintaining the firm's
goodwill.
Opportunities Threats
With the enhancement of awareness among
consumers as well as involvement into e-
device to incur online shopping which is an
opportunity for Waitrose & Partners on which
they are performing in effective manner.
However, utilisation of new technology as well
as innovation considered as an opportunity for
me within respective firm that I required to
obtain as well as stay flexible to adopt the
modification for the company's welfare.
Because of immense development of retail
industry as well as emergence of rivalry is a
threats to firm. Therefore, as an part of
Waitrose & Partners, it is a challenge for my
post as well because this leads towards job
insecurity pressure.
c) Proforma for individual appraisal
Individual appraisal is defined as the procedures in which the management facilitates the
feedbacks to person as per its previous performance. It redirect the employees activities to
increase its performance on continuous basis as standard are set on which performance are
evaluated (Poon, 2014). The main importance of these evaluation procedures is that it assists the
person to get knowledge about skills that they has to develop and which finally aids them to
enrich the whole performance. So, this is represented to increase the person potential for
obtaining the knowledge about skills that is needed to attain goals efficaciously. Thus, as a sales
associates in Waitrose & Partners my performance appraisal is discussed below:
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Quality Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Excellent
Work relations ✓
Work quality ✓
Integrity ✓
Time management skills ✓
Technical skills ✓
Decision making skill ✓
Communication skill ✓
Problem solving skill ✓
Empathy ✓
Therefore, as per my personal appraisal, it provided me a broader arena regarding skills
in which I am efficient more to handle the circumstance and vice versa. As my knowledge for
work and work relation is desirable which leads towards attaining objectives. On the other hand,
time management and development on technical knowledge is required to be developed more
for accomplishing expected outcomes.
TASK 3
Personal and professional development
Personal and professional development is defined as the procedures by which the firm as
well as person get involve into the learning process for meeting the challenges and expected
objectives. Moreover, this formally means that person set the needed objectives and results to
perform the overall analysis in effective and efficient way (Simatele, 2015). The main aim is to
concentrate upon the person weaknesses so that they obtain particular time for overcoming its
shortcoming needed for the success of business.
Development areas Clear aims &
objective
Resource and activities Time scale
Time management The objective of As Waitrose & Partners 30 to 45 days
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skills effective time
management skills
is to plan the daily
procedures , reduce
the possibilities of
distractions which
finally leads
towards
systematized
functions to develop
progress.
facilitate several training
programmes for their staff in
order to enhance its abilities.
So through attending
seminars, I and another
employees of company get
knowledge about several
ways so that we can manage
our task in firm efficaciously.
Also, I obtain several benefits
by this I can modify my
behaviour towards work
which drives me towards the
profitable and optimistic
results.
Complaint handling The main objective
of complaint
handling is to give
attention upon
customers queries as
well as make efforts
to modify its
attitude and believe
towards
organisation.
I has to adapt essential
capability which is
advantageous for influencing
the consumers mental state.
Therefore, continual oral or
written communication with
clients can aids organisation
to solve the queries of clients
as well as promote them to
become the parts of Waitrose
& Partners for longer time.
45 to 60 days
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TASK B
What did I do well in the completion of my development plan?
After the 60 days of my placement, I formulated personal and professional development
plan for focusing upon the area that I have to maximise or required to put more efforts on that for
performing my roles as well as accountabilities into Waitrose & Partners in effectual and
efficacious manner. As per the evaluation of skills audit, I get to know about my strengths and
weaknesses on which I identify the difficulties for facing the situations and feedbacks or
guidance received from another individuals such as employer and team members that helped me
for incorporating the overall PDP plan. Therefore, also I was somewhat curious for
understanding the areas or skills on which I was either good or average. The reason of
development of such feelings is that I obtained the effective perspectives about my self as well as
knowledge about how actually I required to perform my task effectively and efficaciously.
Moreover, in case I explained about the evaluation then at beginning I was in-cognizant
regarding how the overall PDP plan required to be formulated because of which I can able to
identify the difficulties as well as confusion for carrying out the plan in efficacious manner
which will leads me towards obtaining effectual outcomes. Contrary, as I was know about the
time scale so I mentioned the time period that are to be required for enhancing my knowledge,
skills as well as delegate specific time duration efficaciously as well a effectually. Thus, the
overall procedures assists me to know and understand the skills in clear manner on which I am
poor or average as well as efficaciously helped me to adapt the needed tools for enhancing the
same.
What were the problems?
The main issues that I have gone through while preparing Personal and professional
development plan was incompetent guidance which mainly leads towards difficulties as well as
caused miscommunication and mismanagement because of which I provided more that desirable
time period for accomplishing the work in effective and efficient manner. Moreover I took
assistances from my colleagues or team members but because of undefined and unclear
information as well as several opinions do not worked into my favour. Although, there are
various circumstances into company so this is not essential that if specific skills do not work at
one circumstances then that will not work on another also. Such as I feel that am average upon
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decision making skills but few times at the the time of team decision making I gave effective as
well as valuable opinions which are undertaken through the another employees into firm. Even
though many time when I has to make the final decision, I stay confounded regarding which
alternative may be considered as the best possible away for providing efficacious and effective
outcomes. Thus, there are definite skills on which I am poor such as time management,
complaint handling and many others. So, I will have to extensively put more efforts on that for
the self development. On the other hand, I has experienced that I always put effective efforts for
enhancing my abilities as well as overcome the possibilities of doing mistakes through
performing significant potential as much as I can.
From the above issues, I has been summarised that when I developed the PDP plan I
faced several kinds of concerns which hampers the goals and objectives that I wish to achieve. In
that regards It is very much potential to evaluate each and ever aspects of oneself to improve
performance by focusing upon my weakness and problems effectively and effectually.
What do I want to further improve?
As now I has obtained the experience as well as knowledge for preparing the personal
and professional development if in future when I get the chance to formulate this then I can
prepare it in effective and efficacious manners as well as manage my time accordingly. Earlier,
this is very much difficult for me as well as took my huge efforts and time but in future if I
perform the similar task then I can able to do that in more effectual and appropriate way. In
addition to this, if any kinds of issues rather than taking help form my colleagues or staff I will
take assistance from my expert which will aids me for performing my task in more optimistic as
well as efficacious manner. This plan assists me in analysing the several situations as well as
how I dealth with that for performing effectively and accomplish my work with profitable
results. This can further be utilised for representing the new standards or setting benchmarks
with the intent for boosting up whole skills as well as acquire effective post through my
performance and maximise several skills which is need for performing the roles and
responsibilities in order to attain organisational and personal objectives. Thus, the current
performance can be further assist me to develop my existent abilities as well as accomplish the
opportunities in effectual and efficacious way.
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CONCLUSION
As per the above report, it have been concluded that employability skills is very
important skills as well as holds effective relevance into firm. Therefore, employers are
accountable to improve the skills of its personnel so that they can able to deal with the
circumstances effectually. The role of skills audit to ascertain the places upon which a person
have to concentrate on for attaining business objectives. There are mainly various kinds of skills
that comes under interpersonal or transferable skills so this required to be used into several
situation efficaciously. Moreover, the aim of personal development plan is to perform upon
shortcomings for specific time duration for attaining longer term profit.
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REFERENCES
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Employability Skills: Transnational University Internships in Vietnam. Asia-Pacific
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career development and employability. International Journal of Innovation in Science
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employability skills and attributes. Active Learning in Higher Education. 15(1). pp.39-
51.
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Mishra, K., 2014. Employability skills that recruiters demand. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 8(3),
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employability: a literature review. Tertiary Education and Management, 21(4), pp.367-
379.
Poon, J., 2014. Do real estate courses sufficiently develop graduates’ employability skills?
Perspectives from multiple stakeholders. Education+ Training. 56(6). pp.562-581.
Simatele, M., 2015. Enhancing the portability of employability skills using e-portfolios. Journal
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Online
Definition of interpersonal skills. 2019. [Online]. Available
Through:<https://www.skillsyouneed.com/interpersonal-skills.html>
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