Practical Professional Development Exercise with Reflective Essay

Practical Professional
Development Exercise
Supported with a
Reflective Essay
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Task 1 – Role Play...........................................................................................................................3
Task 2 - Report.................................................................................................................................5
Reflection....................................................................................................................................5
Personal Development Plan........................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
2

INTRODUCTION
Professional career development is considered to be an important component for all
industries. This is because it not only increases the overall level of motivation of the employees,
but their productivity as well. Organisations that support the career development of their
employees, are able to retain them for a longer period of time (Biasutti, Concina and Frate,
2019). Not only this, career development also significantly contributes to the overall success of
the company. This report is based on practical professional development and a reflective essay. It
provides an understanding of the skills as well as knowledge that contributes towards working in
an effective manner. The job role chosen for the interview is of a Marketing Manager.
Task 1 – Role Play
A job interview can be referred to as a conversation between a person who is applying for
a job and an employer of the company (Bond and Blevins, 2020). It is conducted in order to
assess if the candidate should be hired for the job or not. An interview is described below
between an interviewer and an interviewee for the job role of a marketing manager. The
interview is also linked to the personal goals of the candidate.
Interviewer: We are hiring candidates for the job role of Marketing Manager and
are looking for people who are confident and passionate about building a successful career.
So, tell me why do you want to get into this job role?
Interviewee : I have always been creative and a person who likes interacting with new
people. Also, I have an experience of working as a marketing executive at a small sized firm.
This would help me in performing effectively and helping the company to enhance its
productivity. I think that experience combined with relevant work experience strengthens
marketing to be my career choice. Also, I am really excited to work as part of your esteem
organisation.
Interviewer : How did you learn about this open position? What makes you
passionate about this job and what are your personal goals?
Interviewee : I came to know about this job opening through your website. I also saw an
advertisement for the same in the newspaper. I am passionate about working as a marketing
manager because firstly, your company is one of the most recognized brands in the market. Also,
I have been looking for an opportunity to work for an organisation that has an open culture. My
3

personal goals include to embrace empathy, work passionately and enhance my overall
knowledge about the marketing industry. Also, I want to strengthen my verbal communication
skills to achieve my personal goals.
Interviewer : How would you manage the launch of a new product in the market by
our company?
Interviewee : If the company decides to launch a new product in the market, I would
determine its launch date. This would help me in working backwards and establishing a timeline
as well as a schedule. Apart from this, I would also look out for resources and the people who
will be needed to ensure that the product launch is successful. Being a marketing manager, I will
also develop a team of employees who would meet regularly in order to make sure that all the
different activities associated with the launch, like marketing, advertising, promotions etc. are
carried out smoothly.
Interviewer : How would you stay updated about the latest trends and knowledge?
And what are the skills that you consider to be your strengths?
Interviewee : There are many ways which can help me in staying updated about the
knowledge as well as latest trends within the marketing industry (Bozkuş and Bayrak, 2019). I
can subscribe to different marketing blogs as well as newsletters. They would keep my
knowledge up to date about any new event that takes place or event within the marketing
industry. Besides this, reading different journals and magazines is a traditional way that I can use
to remain up to date and enhance my knowledge. There are certain skills that I consider to be my
strengths, like presentation skills, organising, time management and leadership skills. I believe
that interpersonal skills are also one of my key strengths as I confidently interact with people.
Interviewer : What sets you apart from other candidates who have applied for this
job?
Interviewee : I think that I stand out from other candidates who have applied for this job
role because of my excellent presentation skills. I have volunteered as a coordinator for a NGO,
wherein I was expected to give a lot of presentations to large groups of people. The continuous
practice helped me in strengthening my presentation skills. Also, I don't have a fear of talking in
front of a large group of people. So, you can be carefree about when I talk to a client. I believe
that this makes me a fit for the job role.
4