Personal and Professional Development

This essay explores the importance of reflective practices for personal and professional development. It discusses the experiences and lessons learned during the journey of becoming a university student and highlights strategies for self-improvement and growth. The essay also emphasizes the significance of feedback and support from mentors and peers in the learning process.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
REFLECTION.................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERECES...................................................................................................................................6
2

INTRODUCTION
Reflection is defined as the practice or approach to analyse, evaluate, critique and learn
from own experience (Tawanwongsri and Phenwan, 2019). For encouraging self-development
reflective practices are very important because they allow individual to learn from the past
actions so that they can be improved in future. Not only for students but for professionals also
reflective practices are crucial because they help to gain insight about the strengths and weakness
of self so that better decisions and development strategies can be formulated. For reflective
writing several models can be used which provides a structured way to reflect upon practices. In
this essay Gibbs reflective model will be used to reflect on my journey to develop as student. The
essay will emphasis upon evaluation of each stage of model by applying it to my learning
pathway which begins with the enrolment as university student and then to development through
module and other activities of university.
REFLECTION
Gibbs reflection model provides a cyclic model to understand reflective learning so that
individuals can learn from particular situations experienced by them. As a learned I have
experienced various scenarios which helped me to grow as learner.
Description:
As a university student I used to engage in various activities which helped me to develop
employability as well as study skills. At university I always interact with learners and mentors
from different background and opinion. Thus it gave me a chance to understand that one must be
very confident and sound in its verbal and written communication. I used to believe that working
in team is always confusing and problem creating because all individuals have different
perspective. However various assignments or group activities at university helped me to
understand that though team working is challenging but it leverages huge benefits. I also had
conflicts with other students but keeping that aside I learned to focus on goal and professional
development. Till school level the approach taken by my tutor was very different and had limited
integration of information technology. However, while studying module I came across different
learning methods and assignments in which I was asked to complete assignments or note taking
by using current technology. Thus the course has helped me to understand the significance of
technological advancements and their role in professional development. Like in one of my task I
was required to conduct a research on various career pathways related to HRM and what
3

personal aspects are required to grow in that field. When I researched on that topic and prepared
a presentation on it then I understood the importance and role of research and problem solving
skills. I also realised that I must receive regular feedback and evaluation from others as well so
that I can adopt strategies for encouraging development.
Feeling:
In the beginning I felt that module and the way of learning at university level is very
different and inconvenient because it is quite different from the school one or the one I am used
to. However, as I increased my involvement in university support services and activities
gradually I understood that everything is to make students independent and capable. The
challenges involved in solving problems or communicating with others are for preparing us for
future difficulties. When I was preparing a presentation during one of my module task I was very
nervous that how I will communicate with the audience and if I will be able to properly utilise
the ICT tools. Initially I was not confident but when I started I began to feel confident enough. I
also realised that at present I am very happy that I have successfully overcome all obstacles and
fear of mine. Currently I am able to make good decisions on the basis of my developed problem
solving and self-management skills. I think the other students also feel that same because
everyone has own journey which is characterised by their personal barriers and perspective
towards learning. There were instances when I felt very tired and exhausted because of plenty of
assignments and tasks to do. However, when I tried to management my time and other problem
solving abilities then I felt satisfied and happy because my work was becoming managed.
Evaluation:
The overall experience of completing module can be considered as mixed. The
accomplishment of tasks, exposure to new technology and my fear of public speaking gave me
positive experience. Before university I hardly got any chance to face public because my
communication skills were not good. However, with presentation tasks and other discussions in
groups went well in grooming me as good learner. I also think that in the initial period things
were not good and were very complicated because I was not aware with the methods or need of
time management. I used to consider university and school similar and thus I never emphasised
on management tasks. However, with increasing work stress I learned that for successful
professional development I must manage myself and my time. Support from my mentors and
friends was key to handle situations because they always guided me to seek best possible
4

methods for accomplishing my tasks. The lack of clarity and self-management skill were key
factors which caused the difficulties in learning (Markkanen and et.al., 2020). The positive thing
which I learned from the situation is that even in changing and hectic situations one must balance
its calm and focus. Different challenges can be resolved easily if managed with suitable
techniques and guidance or communication from mentors (Hussein, 2018). For becoming
successful it is required that one must identify their strengths and weaknesses so that necessary
steps can be taken to improve the skill development. By regular assessments of skills and
performance I also learned that along with the self-evaluation feedback from others colleagues
and professionals is also important. Feedbacks are vital for identifying the weak areas which
need immediate action to improve upon. My tutors at university helped to have fair assessment
of my work and performance because of which I was able to learn and recognise my mistakes
and to make modifications for them.
Conclusion:
The experience of university is unforgettable and has given me a lifelong learning. The
overall experienced taught me that I should never afraid of expressing myself in front of others.
The communication skills developed during module will help me in my entire professional path
way. However, I could have been emphasised on developing skills more than worrying about
completing assignments then my growth would have been improved to a next level. I also
learned that one cannot accomplish growth solely without anyone’s support. Instead we must
always open up about out difficulties. It will improve our professional relationship and can
provide us good knowledge and support to manage different situations (Yaacob and Asraf,
2021). I will also continue to identify my personal aspects which needs improvements and
inclusion of better approach for development.
Action:
University environment is quite similar to real world professional situations which are
unpredictable and demand for different response every time. For self-growth and development, I
also need to improve certain skills. Like at various instances it is required to adopt problem
solving approach which suits the situational demand. Thus for developing problem solving skill I
will improve my listening abilities so that I can incorporate different solutions in my practice. I
will also adopt approaches such as clearly defining problem and applying intensive research
skills to search for alternative solution of my problem. It is also crucial that I must include
5

diversity in my approaches so that continuous improvements can be observed. In future when I
will get chance to work in teams then I will consider about my strengths so that I can explore my
abilities. I have also understood that communication is key to solve plenty of problems. Thus
irrespective of team or individual working I will always share my opinions with others so that
productivity can be improved with innovative ideas. For improving my communication skill, I
will also participate in public speaking programs and professional communication courses. It will
also require different resources such as professional mentors, internet and guidance from my
peers (Sweet and et.al., 2019).
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above discussion that individuals must support continuous self-
development by means of reflective writing. Though feedback mechanisms are important to
identify the direction for improvement but with reflection an individual can assess its own
performance and improvement criteria. It has been also analysed from the essay that university
education gives vast opportunities to learners to develop and grow as professional. Thus it is vital
for learners to identify such opportunities and to reflect on them so that their performance gaps
can be identified and development plans can be executed. It is also suggested that reflective
learning must be continued at professional level as well so that individuals can develop
themselves personally as well as professionally. With reflection of weak areas as well as
strengthening aspects individuals can explore the most appropriate growth opportunities
available for them and thus ensuring better career pathways for future.
6

REFERECES
Books and Journals
Hussein, H., 2018. Examining the Effects of Reflective Journals on Students' Growth Mindset: A
Case Study of Tertiary Level EFL Students in the United Arab Emirates. IAFOR
Journal of Education. 6(2). pp.33-50.
Markkanen, P. and et.al., 2020. A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a
school setting. Educational Research. 62(1). pp.46-62.
Sweet, L. and et.al., 2019. Developing reflective capacities in midwifery students: Enhancing
learning through reflective writing. Women and Birth. 32(2). pp.119-126.
Tawanwongsri, W. and Phenwan, T., 2019. Reflective and feedback performances on Thai
medical students’ patient history-taking skills. BMC medical education. 19(1). pp.1-8.
Yaacob, A. and Asraf, M., 2021. Empowering Learners' Reflective Thinking through
Collaborative Reflective Learning. International Journal of Instruction. 14(1).
pp.709-726.
7