Personal and Professional Development Log Report: Career Planning

This report is a personal and professional development log, detailing the author's journey to enhance skills and achieve career goals. It begins with an introduction to personal development and its significance, followed by a personal SWOT analysis that identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report then outlines a personal and professional development plan, including learning styles, communication styles, and their application in various situations. A career action plan provides short-term and long-term objectives, timelines, required resources, and evaluation methods. The author reflects on past experiences as an online tutor and consultant, and how these experiences have shaped their understanding of business management. The report concludes with a summary of the importance of skill development and the value of a structured development plan, referencing relevant literature to support the analysis. It emphasizes the development of skills like leadership and IT skills, to help achieve long term goals such as starting a new business and launching new ventures successfully.

Personal and
professional
development log
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Personal SWOT analysis........................................................................................................4
Personal and professional development plan.........................................................................4
Constructive theory................................................................................................................8
Career action plan.................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
Reference.......................................................................................................................................13
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Introduction
Personal development covers consists of all the activities that assist in improving the
identity, developing talents and potential, facilitate employability and improve quality of life.
Along with this, it contributecontributes to the realisation of dreams and aspiration. Further,
personal and professional development plan is known as a formal means through which an
individual set out its their goals, and strategies and outcome of learning and raining. While
developing a personal and professional development plan, it is important to clearly define time
frames, activities and outcomes for meeting the defined goal (Cruess, Cruess. and Steinert,
2015)
My career path leads to involved working that is closely related with people and taking
interest in both clients and colleagues. To develop my management skill, I need to haveam
continuously pursupersuasioning of different ways to improve its effectivnesseffectiveness.
After completing my qualification, I started working as an online tutor and content possess
experience for of 3 years working with a customer service department where I was responsible
assistto assist the Titanium customers of Airtel. (O'Connor, McGunnigle and Davie., 2015).
On considering my keen interest in the field of business management, I was willing to
conduct a research on the realistic measures of a business organisation. For this purpose, I chose
a well-known organisation called Merck which is a famous pharmaceutical firm (Robertson,
2016). Followed by which, I referred to carry out an investigation of the entire pharmaceutical
industry by together acknowledging the contenders of the chosen entity. This research has
greatly contributed to bothme for my personal and professional development where I am already
an experienced person and have the experience tos worked in theis field of management for
several years. After which, I felt the requirement of refining my knowledge with a major
consideration of upgrading my professional skills. Although, both of these skills are largely
interrelatedhighly interrelated to one another where the development of one’s personal skills
leads to the growth of their professional abilities. I, tTherefore, I determined myself to make an
effective use of my previous work experience for a successful completion of this undertaken
project. Previously, I worked as an online tutor as well as conconsultanttent for continuous 3
years. This largely assisted me in an accurate development of this research content that I
intended to create and helped me leadgoes into a to specific direction, as per the plan. By
Through considering this, I learned about various analytical models that can be used to measure
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the existent performance of the company by together making predictions for its successful future.
Also, I referred investigating the products offered by this company to its users and the way, in
the way which they are being produced. Apart from this, while carrying out this project I
developed my understanding related to strategies, tools, and techniques used by Lonza
companyCompany in order to survive in a competitive market. I learned that how the company is
using its strength for selling their products and services. I analyzedanalysed that company is
effective enough as because it conducteds in depth research before making innovative of
products and services for its customers. The firm also hads the opportunity to expand its business
in emerging market and abroad. It is essential for the firm to focus on innovating new products
and services (Thomas, 2015). Further, I understoodand the way through which political and
technological factor that can affect the business operations.
Personal SWOT analysis
Strength
My personal strength is that I am innovative, creative and also keep an open mind. These
All theseall three parts help me in making mebecoming more efficient and effective in my ways
as compared to whom with I work with in my general environment. Further, I am capable
enough to deal with challenges and work hard. Apart from this, I am enough good in conducting
depth research.
Weakness
Weakness is unavoidable at the time of dealing in a competitive environment. My weakness is
my social skills and my over-commitment. However, over commitment is not considered as an
obvious weakness but it can create hinder if I make any kind of mistake
Opportunity
I have an the opportunity to work with the new media in my college. Along with this, work with
the reputed organisation in the future. Apart from this, I can also continue my education.
Threats
I face many obstacles on the path to success in my future career. To deal with diverse group
people within the firm is one of the challenges for me.
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Personal and professional development plan
Learning Current
Proficiency
Target
Proficiency
Development
opportunities
Criteria
judging
success
Time
scale
Evidence
1 Communication
skill
While
communicating
I lose my
confidence and
do not make
proper eye
contact
I need to
learn a way
so that I
communicate
confidently
with others
by making
proper eye
contact
I can improve
my
communication
skills through
writing
assignment and
reports as part
of the studies.
Or working as
a customer
services (Face
to face or on
phone)
I take
feedback
from my
co-workers
and friends
Within
2
months
Conducting
conference
2 Self-
Management
skills
Self-
management is
about doing a
work without a
someone
having to
check upon it
after every
hour. At
present I am
unable to meet
deadlines or
delegate the
task to people
I need to
become
capable so
that I can
delegate
work to
others
effectively
and meet the
deadline.
Self-
management
skill can be
improved with
the help of
working
experience
placement. Or
through asking
for a new
responsibility
at the
workplace.
I will start
making
record of
my daily
work
Within
2
months
Making
daily
schedule
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in an effective
manner.
3 Time
management
skills
I am unable to
manage the
work load
I want to
ensure that I
can easily
manage
complex task
and peak
load.
I can make to
do list of m
work so that it
can be
completed on
time. I can set
priority work
first then focus
on other which
will help in
managing the
work.
Through
observing
that each
task is
completing
on the
given time
or not.
Within
1
month
Making
daily
schedule
4 IT skills I cannot work
on new
software and
have less
knowledge of
Ms word
I want to
become
enough
capable so
that I can
work on any
software
without
facing issues,
Technological
skills can be
improved
through doing
a short course
or online
course.
Or asking for
extra training
at the work
I can
improve it
through
Within
3
months
Training
program
5 Problem
solving skills
At present I
can easily
solve simple
problem and
face difficulty
when problem
become quite
I want to
become
enough
capable so
that I can
easily solved
any type of
To improve
problem
solving skills I
can use to do
research
assignment as
a part of my
I can
notice the
result after
solving the
problem
Within
1
months
-
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tough. problem
without
facing
difficulty.
studies. Or
dealing with
complaints at
the workplace.
6 Decision
making skills
I cannot make
any type of
decision
To learn
basic steps of
making
decision
I can start
making
decision at the
workplace and
my day to day
life. Along
with this I can
started making
decision after
understanding
its negative
and positive
aspects.
I can see
the
positive
and
negative
effect after
making
decision
Within
2
months
7 Leadership skill I cannot guide
and lead large
of group
members
I need to
become
enough
capable so
that I can
handle any
type of team
I will ask each
employee
about their
knowledge and
skill and
delegate them
work
according to it
It can be
analysed
through
noticing
that all
team
members
are
working
effectively
or not.
Within
1
months
Conducting
training
session.
8 Team work
skills
I cannot
manage work
while working
I should
learn the way
of working
Doing a group
assignment
will help in
I can
notice that
while
Within
1
months
Conducting
training
session.
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in a team due
to this reason
conflict take
place
in a team improving
team skills.
and I can think
about the way I
can work better
with other
people at the
workplace.
working in
a team
work is
getting
completed
on time or
not.
From the above SWOT analysis, and personal and professional plan, it is analysed that I
need to work on my different skills in order to work in a reputed organisation. With the critical
reflection of my own learning, it has been determined that with the PPD plan my different skills
are improved. In this context, I was unable to accomplish my task on time and through
prioritizing the task I can easily manage my time for study along with the job. Apart from this, I
did many of the projects with my classmates and in the various group that helped mes in
improvinge my team working skills. However, in the group working, sometimes work get
hampered as because of conflict (Olsen, 2015).
I understoodand that technical skill skills are requiredis needed to work on any post
within the firm. ThroughBy improving this I can easily enhance the opportunity of working in
any field. Solve the problem is known as the a kind of skills that can be developed through self-
study and with the personal skill an individual can solve a different range of problems and this
can be applied in any type of firm, educational institutes or in personal life.
In this assessment, I reflected on my own specific weaknessesns which includes being too self-
critical and not praising my own achievement enough. It can lead to affect the way of myu
working to the objective of my performance.
Constructive theory
Constructivism theory
According to the author, there are three main elements that help in becoming an effective
communicator.
 Awareness of the own dominant communication style
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It included different prevailing styles such as idea oriented, action oriented, process
oriented and people oriented. Among all of them I fit at the idea-oriented communicator
whom seemcommunicator whom seems to be sociable, innovative and thrive of idea
generation.
 The skill for comprehend and values other communication style
It is essential to value personal difference for instance mediation. As per the concept, the
individual need to develop a sociolinguistic credential. It is known as the capability of
recognising language of others and it can be in different situation in a group of people.
 The skill for controlling others personal style
In this section it can be stated that there are some similarities in the trait such as
emotional intelligent. This trait seems to control of own emotions or able to control
others emotions.
My current Communication styles
Style 1 Style 2
Style 4 Style 3
Style Content (People with this
style talk about)
Process (People with this
style tend to be)
Action Efficiency
Decision maker
Performer
Productive
Energetic
Impatient
Quick
Process Proper planning
Controlling
Organiser
Factual
Patient
Unemotional
People Motivation
Communication
Teamwork
Understanding
Empathetic
emotional
Sensitive
Idea Concept Unrealistic
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Innovation
Problems
Alternatives
New methods
Full of ideas
Creative
Application
During the year, I had experience various type of situation of my course which is needed
to me to communicate in different ways. While working in a group I have to propose a pitch for
the firm of my choice. Conflict takes place in the group work because of interest in choosing a
company. Therefore, I put myself forward in order to lead a group to overcome this situation.
Here, communication style which is implemented by me was people-oriented communication.
The reason for choosing this style is that it leads to improve my communication with colleagues
and motivate the team spirit.
Career action plan
My long-term career goal is to establish own business and I would like to accomplish this goal
within the end of year 2018. Here below is provided my short and long-term objective
Short term
milestone
Time
frame
Available resources Action required Progress
review date
and
evaluation
To improve my
communication
skill
Within
January
2018 to
June 2018
 Newspaper
 Journals
 Books
 Internet
 Reading
Internet
articles
 Attending
seminar and
conference.
 Regularly
communicatin
g with
Review after
every 2
months
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To gain
experience in
leadership skills
Within
January
2018 to
August
2018
Lead a team
Delegate work
 Through
understanding
the way
colleagues
work.
 Delegate work
according to
the skill and
knowledge.
Through
reviewing hat
target
achieved on
time or not
To acquire a
graduated
scheme within
project in an
international
business in an
information
technology
department.
July 2018 Placement experience
Tracking a record of
experience
Knowledge regarding
management and
methodologies
MSc International
business management
Conducting research
on international firm
Apply for job directly
in an organisation
Making a CV and
cover letter the for the
role of management.
Project management
course.
Progress can
be review
through
understanding
how career
hunt is
undergone. It
is essential
because I am
going to
accomplish a
graduate job
in the month
of August
2018.
To learn IT
skills
January
2018 to
March
2018
Training session Improve efficiency of
power point
presentation and
excel.
Attend training
Review the
progress
within 2
months
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program actively
Long term
milestone
Time
frame
Available resources Action required Progress
review date
and
evaluation
To start up new
business
In
November
2018
 With friend
network and
family
member
To assemble
team and
choose highly
skilled people.
To have trust
worthy team
for starting
new venture
successfully.
Successfully
launched new
business
February
2019
 Use new
business plan
created within
MSc and
undergrad
 Use connect
which is built.

 Creating a
connection
with
manufacturer
 Conducting
market
research
 Attending
networking
events
Through
finding out
the problem
faced in the
end of 2019.
Conclusion
From the above report it is concluded that to work in an organisation it is important to
develop different sets of skills and knowledge. However, through preparing personal and
professional development plan it will become easy to understand the skill which are weak and
strong. Along with this personal and professional plan can be made in order to improve my
weak skills and strengthen other skills.
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