Professional Development in Business

This assignment delves into the crucial role of professional development in both individual and organizational success. It emphasizes the benefits of continuous learning, outlining effective strategies such as action research, peer observation, and leveraging personal learning networks (PLNs). The document also explores the impact of development theories on employee performance and highlights the importance of addressing weaknesses while capitalizing on strengths.

Personal Skill Audit and
Professional Development Plan

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
1: Explantation on current professional development roles in an association........................1
2: Benefits to employees and employers of on going professional development in the
company.................................................................................................................................2
3: What are the expectation of employer in professional skills and also standards...............2
4: Examine the value of on-going professional development and associate professional skills
requirements with it................................................................................................................3
5: Critically rating of own skills and competencies to meet the employer prospect of
professional skills...................................................................................................................3
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................4
6: Discuss own skills, abilities and competences using appropriate methods and techniques4
Abilities:.................................................................................................................................4
7: Discussion upon the learning theories and all relevant approaches that are applied to state
personal and professional improvement.................................................................................5
8: Understanding about the own skills and competencies for the proper development.........5
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................5
9: Design PDP plan to select better ability and competences ..............................................5
10: Explain detailed development plan that uses learning and development theory.............7
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................8
11: Study Job interview in a disciplined environment...........................................................8
12: Highlighting the main strength and weakness during job interview process.................10
13: Studying job interview process emphasising on the deterrent and the challenges.........10
14: High light coherent critical reflection of interview process and power during the operation
..............................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11

REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Personal skill and professional development plan plays a very important role to perform
the duties by the individual in the business organisation. In today's modern world, if a person
wants to sustain for a effective time span in the organisation, it needed to carry out continuous
professional development programmes in effective manner. It will lead in providing welfare to
leader and worker as well. In current scenario, it has became very important for the person to
alter for dealing with the interviews in appropriate manner to analyse the own strengths and
weaknesses effectively. The present report is based on Virgin Holidays which operates their
business functions in the tour and travel industry. This organisation was founded in 1985, and
providing best holiday package to the targeted customers all around the world. The report will
consist, expectations of the employer in relation to the skills and standards, the role of on going
professional development, PDP plan, even their will be inclusion job interview which indirectly
leads to new level in effective manner.
LO 1
1
In the present business concern world, to sustain in the organisation for the long period of
time in successful manner a person is required to achieve their targets and to gain required
knowledge on regular basis. It is said that ongoing professional development plays the vital role
for enhancing the professional skills (Avalos, 2011). The professional development plan consists
of various roles that helps an individual to gain proper knowledge for improving their working
efficiency. It will help the employee of virgin holiday to increase their capabilities and to
perform is the desired manner. Roles of on-going professional development are described as
follows:
 Main role is to assist an individual in rendering pace to abilities among the current
standards related with the duties one is performing in the virgin holidays.
 It also make sure that an worker of the Virgin Holidays should maintain proper
knowledge of the market and the customers to carry the assigned duty in effective
manner.
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 Another role of this approach is that helps in advancing the skills and knowledge of the
individual with the help of the advanced techniques (Bauer, 2010).
2:
The benefits of effectively developing the professional skills and approach for the
employees and employer of the virgin holiday are mentioned as follows:
 In the Virgin Holidays, enhancing the professional skills and development approach will
assist individuals within the organisation in giving proper contribution in the
organisation in effective manner and will help the employers in managing employees
accordingly. The good performance by the employees will lead a positive impact on the
performance level of the organisation and help in gaining competitive advantage in the
market.
 This approach also helps increasing a continuous development within the organisation
and also leads in encouraging the employees to perform their duties in effective manner
with great involvement. It will help the employers in formulating suitable strategies to
motivate them by compensation facilities and high performance rewards. Experience in
this will be well-advised as enhancing and developing professional skills of the employee
would assist in developing and assigning new expectation for all the workers, new
information and abilities (Black and Plowright, 2010).
 When there is enhancement in the professional skills of the employees it will assist them
towards understanding their job related responsibilities in a proper manner and lead to
enhancement in the organisational productivity and profitability. It will allow the
employee to understand the expectations and demands of the customer in a proper
manner and thus leads to providing effective services to the customer .
 Advantage of enhancing the professional skill is also associated with employers as it
makes the employers to provide clear direction to the employees regarding their job
related responsibilities and thereby it minimises employee conflicts and leads to
enhanced brand image in the market.
3:
All leader keep expectations towards their staff members in order to accomplish assigned
work in successful manner. The members of Virgin Holidays has demanded some anticipation
which are concern to the people professional ability & goals which are defined as follows:
2

Positive Attitude: The main expectation of virgin holidays employers fro the employees
is to keep positive attitude within the organisation at the time of tough situations. As, it will help
in improving the performance of the employees in effective manner (Stenfors-Hayes and et. al.,
2010).
Willingness to learn: The employers expect their employees to learn the, changing
approaches and market conditions to carry out their job in suitable manner. Here, specific
hospitality companies is facing rapid change in the business environment here, demand and
preferences of customers shifts. Hence, Virgin Holidays generally would enhance its adaptability
those changes their terms and conditions.
Team Spirit among employees- Proper coordination among the members will lead
Virgin Holidays to execute their business operations successfully in this global market It is
studied that if staff members of the company work effectively then positive results can be
achieved by the employer of Virgin Holidays. On another side managing whole task provided
by employees of Virgin Holidays helps the company to go throw all advanced levels (Cooke,
2012).
4:
On-going professional development involves large importance to which it assist the person in
keeping pace with the current standards, enhancing the knowledge along with the skills which is
required by the employee to provide services to the customers. Employees of the company can
uplift the current skills with new skills by adopting on- going development programmes.
Whereas, on-going programme for enhancing the professional skills helps them towards their
positive contribution in team and therefore leads to increasing the productivity of Virgin
holidays (Shortland, 2010).
Continuous learning process will aid the individual in giving good competition to their
rivals in the market and will encourage them to work in more efficient manner. To which it is
concluded that improving professional skills of the employee will help the individual to evolve
optimistic mental attitude within the organisation.
5:
According to my skills and capabilities I have contributed towards working as a tour
operator within the respective tourism company mandatory for me to consist some skills that
will help in fulfilling the expectation of Virgin Holidays. Some of these are mentioned below:
3

 Positive Attitude: In this context, I will rate myself 8 out of 10 as, I keep good focus on
my work and follow all the required instructions that helps me in keeping positive
attitude within the organisation (Nofziger and et. al., 2010).
 Ability and Capability to learn : In this criteria I can rate myself 7 out of 10 as I have
the capability and eagerness top learn new things. This will help me towards efficient
working in the company.
 Team Spirit : I am ineffective competent of practical in a team as I think on my own
operative style. I will rate myself 5 out of 10. This will lead to create problem for me
while working in the team within specific holiday company. (Hadar and Brody, 2013).
LO 2
6:
I have adopted the individual skill audit as a method to carry out individualized analysis.
According to my private skills audit it help me to analyse my own strengths and weakness .and
help me in contributing towards my weakness . Moreover help in effective working as tour
opeartor. These are defined as follows:
Personal Skill Audit
Learning Skills Target Proficiency Present Proficiency
Skills:
Positive Attitude
Ability and Capability to
learn
Team Spirit
Mutual cooperation
10 8
10 7
10 5
10 5
Abilities:
Handling team work
Responding to changing
environment
Target Proficiency Existing Proficiency
10 6
10 9
Competencies: Target Proficiency Existing Proficiency
4

Handling customers or
providing customer service
Leadership skills
Providing solutions to
problems
10 8
10 7
10 9
From the discussed strengths and weakness in skills audit, , I can evaluate that high skills
will help me in carrying the assigned duties in effective manner. It will also help me in
improving in the sections like working in team, cooperation. And to increase the efficiency of
my strengths which will assist in working effectively within the respective company. This skills
audit provided me with the analysis of my own strengths and weakness such as I good positive
attitude and proper leadership and has learning skills which will help me to conduct the job role
of tour operator within the respective company in a proper manner as well as I need to improve
more on team spirit and mutual cooperation among the team members and improvement is
required in proper customer service so as to handle customer issues and queries in a proper
manner and leads in effective functioning of the job role.
7:
In the travel and tourism industry the changes are taking place on a rapid pace. So, it is
required by the individuals to develop personal and professional skill in effective manner to fulfil
the requirement of the Virgin Holidays.
Following are the learning theories which could be adopted within the specific
organisation, discussed as beneath-
Behaviourism: It is advised as one of the impressive theory of acquisition which
primarily look on changes that effects the activity trends . In this, employees can learn by
focusing on the new policies which has been constructed to deal with the changes (Hamza,
2010).
Cognitivism: This is traditional learning theory which essentially focus on modification
among the action, considering a organized improvement of an individual quality. This
appearance of thinking process of an employee working in the Virgin holidays.
5

Constructivism: This approach helps the employees of the organisation in arrival on to
new level where there is the chances to learn about new formulation that immediately impacts on
the abilities in activity the task in effective manner.
8:
By the activity of the personal skill audit mentioned above I have analysed skills for the
specific job role in the tourism sector it is required to gain full credentials in the skills. By
achieving the higher level of skills like optimistic knowledge, ability to learn group work, group
action, managing and handling team , as well as responds to proper changing environment and
leads to provide effective services to the customers , ability to handle customer complaints
leadership and competence to solve problems , I have become flourishing within the specific
tourism company that will lead in continuing at the workplace for long period of time (Jasper,
2011).
I have evaluated that Constructivism learning approach will be the high-grade
suitable approach which will lead me in carrying out assigned operations in effective manner.
LO 3
9:
According to my skills and capabilities, in need to improve on my weaker areas towards
working as a tour operator within the Virgin Holiday company which is described as follows-
Target Activity to achieve Information of
completion
Target date
Developing strong
relationships with the
costumers and the
other employees with
the help of positive
attitude.
 Allowing
adequate time
to interact with
the customers
and the
colleagues to
improve the
relations.
 Perform the
skills learnt in
Devour wise me by the
name and the co
workers giving good
reviews about my
working styles.
It will require around
90 days to accomplish
this target.
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effective
manner.
Increasing the ability
of willingness to learn
new approaches so as
to target new
customers.
 Practising the
existing skills
and conducting
research to
gain the new
updates taken
place in the
market.
Having proper existing
knowledge
accompanying to the
new updates taken
place in the market
and new policies
implemented by the
organisation.
It will take around 95
days to accomplish it.
To Become more
motivated towards the
assigned work
 Should force
my abilities to
concentrate on
the work and
to accomplish
all the tasks
assigned which
is being given
by the seniors
to complete in
a given period
of time by
assigning the
tasks to the
subordinates
properly.
 Should focus
on the work of
tour operator
that is attract
Completion of
assigned tasks right on
time.
Within 6 months
period of time.
7

larger number
of customers
and thereby
leads to
efficiency of
work.
10:
Serial
no.
Learning
objective
Present-
day
proficien
cy
Targe
ted
profic
iency
Improvement opportunities Time scale
1 Positive
Attitude
8 10 I posses this skill but it needed for
me to acquire this skill so that I
may execute well within the
organisation. It can be achieved by,
completing the goals in decided
time framework and with the help
of impressive two way
communication skills with others
on the right time period. Improving
skill will help in providing specific
information to the customers and
leads to effectiveness in working as
tour operator.
1 to 2 months
2 Willingness to
learn
7 10 I am quite great at acquisition new
things but to enhance my ability, I
am required to create my mentality
to execute well within the working
area by erudition about modern
1.3 to 2
months
8

uplift that are being made by the
organization. Ability to learn will
help in understanding customer
needs and requirements and
therefore leads to effectiveness in
providing services to them.
3 Team up Work 5 10 I am not good as per the
requirement of the job of a tour
function. I need to develop through
communicating with association
and fitness efficacious social
relation with them.
4 to 6 months
4 Cooperation 5 10 I lack cooperation skill. Due to
incorrect reading which I develop
for my association. It is necessary
for me to evolve diligent level and
this could be finished by re-flexion.
Cooperation skills is very
necessary so as to have proper
communication with the customer.
4 months
LO 4
11:
In the existing terms, a job interview procedure lie in with a amount of condition which
are required to be formulated decently for carrying out of the job related activity in a effective
manner and these are represented as follows:
Job Portfolio
Organisation: Virgin Holidays
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Division: Customer Service Division
Job Title: Tour operators
Job Location: Crawley, West Sussex, UK
Work timings: 8 Hours
Job Summary
Virgin holidays is a tour operator organisation and is hiring a tour operator for their company
and they require a individual who can handle customer complaints and function different task
in a proper manner.
Role
 Giving information about the various places to visit to consumers.
 Creating a attractive holiday package for the consumers.
 Ensures that customers experiences great satisfaction from the services provided to
them.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Company : Virgin holidays
Job Title : Tour operators
Qualification – MBA from a well credible university
Essential Criteria:
 Have the psychological feature about the different spot of the country.
 Groovy connection skills
 Solve customer question accompanying to the holiday packet.
Desirable criteria:
 Many than one year of occurrence in the tour operator
 Ability to make decision within proper time.
CURICULAM VITAE
Curriculum Vitae
10

Name: PQR
Address : 12th Street, Crawley, United Kingdom
Contact No. - 22222222
Profile summary: MBA in hotel management with 1 year of marketing experience in tour
operator. I am a willing to work with the company where my skills and knowledge can be
enhanced related to career development and I can show my working capabilities and lead
organisation towards achieving goals and objectives.
Specialisation:
 Conveying the information related to the holiday package to the targeted customers.
 Providing higher satisfaction level to the customers that will lead in creating luxurious
experience during the tour and will increase the goodwill of the company in the market.
Educational qualification: -
 Bachelor in Business Administration.
 MBA in Hotel Management.
Declaration:
I hereby state that the preceding knowledge and inside information provided is real to my
knowledge and certificates are real that are provided by university .
Date : December 27th, 2018
Place : UK
These are the three path of job interview activity that are carried out by the Virgin
Holidays' by which the proper selection of the right candidates is taken place. Here, it is also
required for the organisation to ask relevant questions that are strictly related to the job and
qualifications of the applicant.
12:
Focusing on Strengths of job interview process
The capability of job interview operation is that it helps in selecting a effective individual
fore the job role and helps in rectifying the minor mistakes made by the candidates in the initial
stage of the process. In Virgin holidays interview processes do save additional time as it choose
top-grade nominee in the minimal time period. Manager have the option top ask number of
questions to the candidate which assist them in enhancing the knowledge of employees as well
as employers and create a healthy relationship between them. This procedure will give the
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appropriate tour operator to the organisation who can increase earnings during this cognitive
operation (McNiff, 2010). Moreover with the help of proper job interview process it will lead
the manager to analyse the skills and requirement of the candidate in a proper manner and thus
leads to selection of the prospective candidate. Moreover it also helps the manager to provide
proper information to the selected candidate according to the job related responsibilities.
Focusing Weaknesses of job interview process
In this process in the Virgin Holidays, is that manager of Virgin Holidays takes much
time and makes the whole process lengthy and complicated as well. This is time consuming
process and it needs a heavy investment as well as a organised structure which will definitely
impacts upon profit margins of the company. As the major issues is that manager requires lot of
time so as to acknowledge the skills and attitudes of the candidate and make effective decision so
as to select the best candidate . Some time interview process doesn't help in acknowledge of the
knowledge of the candidates.
13: Studying job interview process emphasising on the deterrent and the challenges
Job interview process of Virgin Holidays will help them in selecting right candidate for
the job but it will involve a lengthy process and it will also require huge investment on training
Sessions as well. Have also endowed heavily on their both recruiting and training programs. This
directly impacts upon profit margins. Thus, it is considered as one of the great obstacles for the
organisation. On the other hand, for an interviewee, obstacle will be time taking procedure of
whole job interview process of Virgin Holidays (Mwalongo, 2011).
14:
During this complete process of job interview, I understood that manager of Virgin
Holidays' is holds outstanding knowledge affiliated to tour operations and all different ability as
well. In addition, it is also understood that integral operation of job interview requires to be
formulated abbreviated. Also, the questions that questioner asks requires to be more particular
affiliated to my qualifications. It can aid to enhance my communication skills.
CONCLUSION
From the given study, it can be understood that individual skill audit and professional
process plan and non-stop acquisition process will assist an one-on-one in gathering the involve
of the business organisation in positive way. It has also been analysed that it is important for an
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individual to overcome the challenges and to centering on the key strengths and weaknesses to
improve their working efficiency. It is being determined that using the development theories and
learning the new changes will help the employers and employees as well in effective manner and
will allow to perform the assigned duties in the required manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Avalos, B., 2011. Teacher professional development in Teaching and Teacher Education over
ten years.Teaching and teacher education,27(1), pp.10-20.
Bauer, W.I., 2010. Your personal learning network: Professional development on demand. Music
Educators Journal, 97(2), pp.37-42.
Black, P.E. and Plowright, D., 2010. A multi‐dimensional model of reflective learning for
professional development.Reflective Practice,11(2), pp.245-258.
Cooke, N.A., 2012. Professional development 2.0 for librarians: Developing an online personal
learning network (PLN).Library Hi Tech News,29(3), pp.1-9.
Hadar, L.L. and Brody, D.L., 2013. The interaction between group processes and personal
professional trajectories in a professional development community for teacher
educators.Journal of Teacher Education, 64(2), pp.145-161.
Hamza, A., 2010. International experience an opportunity for professional development in higher
education.Journal of Studies in International Education,14(1), pp.50-69.
Jasper, M., 2011. Professional Development, Reflection and Decision-making for Nurses(Vol.
17). John Wiley & Sons.
McNiff, J., 2010.Action research for professional development: Concise advice for new action
researchers. Dorset: September books.
Mwalongo, A., 2011. Teachers' perceptions about ICT for teaching, professional development,
administration and personal use. International Journal of Education and development
using information and communication Technology,7(3), p.36.
Nofziger and et.al., 2010. Impact of peer assessment on the professional development of
medical students: a qualitative study. Academic Medicine, 85(1), pp.140-147.
Shortland, S., 2010. Feedback within peer observation: continuing professional development and
unexpected consequences.Innovations in Education and Teaching International,47(3),
pp.295-304.
Stenfors-Hayes and et. al., 2010. Being a mentor for undergraduate medical students enhances
personal and professional development. Medical teacher, 32(2), pp.148-153.
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