Professional Identity in Music Therapy

This assignment delves into the concept of professional identity within the field of music therapy. It examines various aspects influencing its development, including formal training, diverse therapeutic approaches, and the unique challenges faced by music therapists. The task requires an in-depth analysis of scholarly sources to understand how professional identity shapes practice and contributes to the effectiveness of music therapy interventions.

Professional Identity and Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PART 1............................................................................................................................................3
(i) Individual poster................................................................................................................3
(ii) Individual reflective report...............................................................................................5
PART 2 ...........................................................................................................................................8
Preparation of professional development plan......................................................................8
PART 3 .........................................................................................................................................10
Application and interview for the Assistant Manager role.................................................10
STEP 1..................................................................................................................................10
STEP 2..................................................................................................................................13
STEP 3..................................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Professional identity and practice are necessary to make any person enriched with long
live career in its future. Professional practice is one of the formal works, through which a single
entity would get enrichment in his/her career or life (Johnson, 2012). Such practice involves
development of skills, ability, exposure as well as enhance the individual learning with motive to
enrich any specific person. This report is based on self-reflective of own to understand how self-
assessment would lead to development of any individual person to gain professional & personal
effectiveness into the life with learning theories and development to enables scope for
development for any person. Also, this report will put positive impact of structuring of
professional development plan to get inform about actual weakness of any skills to take measures
to overcome for professional issues. Along with all such, report will also be informed about
application & interview process to be conduct by senior managers on opportunity of assistant
manager offered to one by T&D manager.
PART 1
(i) Individual poster
Personal & professional development and its importance
Personal & professional development are defined as various activities that improves
awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitates
employability's, enhance the quality of life and also contributes to the realization of dreams and
aspiration. It is important for person's career and long-term life goals or targets.
An evaluation of the importance of on-going development
On-going development is process through which enhancement of skills, abilities or
potential is required to be carry on with scope for developing career path of the person along
with ability of a person to enrich themselves for self-growth and progress. In other words, on-
going development is brief process which consists of identification, appraisal, financing,
implementation, evaluation, programming. Importance of on-going development reveals that, it
has led the person to get accurate opportunity in his/her life tenure. Also, it has given wide career
scope for every individual in such a way that their skills, talent must be focused towards building
the career. Its evaluation is required to enhance development of an individual for future period so
that every individual would get suitable results in their life regarding their own career

development. Evaluation of importance will be done through complete analysis of person
drawback says like where he/she is lacking behind and in what area of personal development.
For employee: On-going development is helpful for employees to enhance their actual
performance & skills in order to get effectiveness over the work. Also, for employees process of
on-going development will helpful them to accomplish their desired goals or targets.
For Thomas Cook: Through, ongoing process company will get suitable results from their
employee personal as well as professional development. Also, ability of Thomas Cook to
accomplish their goals and targets will also rise.
An investigation of the skills and competences expected by Thomas Cook for different roles
Business roles Nature Level of skills/competencies
Sales consultant The nature of the role belongs to
practical type, in which guidance’s,
advises, views, opinions has to be
given to different peoples. This
requires various bundles of skills,
abilities or competency.
Communication skills is required at
the bigger level to convince the
potential customers. Also, power of
negotiation is required to handle sales
calls or lead to generate higher
profits. Sales consultant should have
convincing power to keep their
customer connected with Thomas
Cook.
Assistant manager The nature of assistant manager
role is to coaching, developing and
mentoring the team of sales
consultants. Also, role consists of
inspiring the team given team own
customer over selling them
holiday, ensuring sales and
revenue & targets sales. The role
will consists of huge level of
managerial responsibilities with
clear support and guidance of the
Time management is mainly required
here, so that person can manage time
in respect with is assigned to them.
As, HR assistant manager skills such
as training/education is required to
plan the training induction period in
the profitable manner. Also, skills to
mentor, develop & coach will be
judge to get right person for the job.

cluster manager.
Cabin crew This role has been considered as
most tough task, because in-flight
it challenging to manage or fulfil
demands of each and every
employee at the single point of
time.
Decision making skills is required
along with critical situation handling
in case of any urgency. Also,
Resource handling is one of the major
skills, which is required in case of
managing the existing situation during
the flight.
(ii) Individual reflective report
 Carrying out of the critical evaluation of own skills, abilities and competences for the
Assistant Manager role
In Thomas Cook, previously I was doing various learning-based projects on recruitment
& selection, then HR department shifted me to training & development section, where I need to
develop my extensive knowledge over every aspect connects with HR functioning (Izadinia,
2013). As an Intern, Experience was good and centric towards complete learning & developing
knowledge of mine for career enrichment. In recruitment & selection, I gained command over
communication and also enables my exposure to work further in any organisation. As, T&D
manager was impressed by my tenure of entire internship and also suggested me to start my
career in Thomas Cook with beginning role of assistant manager. In response to this, I am very
interested for this opportunity along with looking for pre-planning in overview of actual skills,
competencies or abilities I have or I gained during that internship. For my future career intention
or aims, self-reflection of my own skills, competences & abilities will be suitable decision. My
suggestion is to go with self-evaluation questionnaire, where I can rte my skills, competences or
actual ability where I needs to work upon:
Self-reflection questionnaire of my skills/competencies
Rating scale (1 to 4)

S. no Skills/competencies Rating #1 Rating #2 Rating #3 Rating #4
1 Interpersonal skills
a. Listening skills X
b. Negotiation X
c. Problem-solving X
d. Decision making X
e. Verbal communication X
2 Intervention skills
a. Counselling X
b. Education/training X
c. Group facilitation X
d. Conflict management X
e. Empathic relationship X
Rating #4: High level of competence - Extensive experience in the skill area
Rating #3: Moderate level of competence - Good experience in that area of skills
Rating #2: Average level of competence - Fair experience in the given area of skills
Rating #1: Low level of competence - Little experience in given skill area
As, the given has shown, there are two types of skills: Interpersonal & intervention skills.
Also, these skills are categorized into different elements such as listening, negotiation, decision
making, conflict management as well as counselling skills (Wenger-Trayner, 2014). For job role
of assistant manager, I actually need to link my actual skills with desired competencies/skills
mentioned for assistant manager role in Thomas Cook. Clear communication & influencing skill
is a need, commitment towards is required with dedication ability of person, leadership along
with supervision power is mandatory.

What is appropriate: In comparison to my actual skills, communication ability of mine is
appropriate with less barrier in interaction process, also, I am enriched with commitment ability
to my work and decision making for result focus to derive team performance is also fulfilled.
What is identified: Problem solving needs to be develop more solution-based skill for
role of assistant manager in Thomas Cook. Along with this, conflict management is low to
handle team or to act as leadership and grooming is required in education/training for giving
T&D to another employee, once hired in Thomas Cook.
As assistant manager role consists of effective communication skills with higher
influencing power. My analytical power is also strong along with empathic relationship to have
long term relationship with customer's or clients. Because of my strong command over listening
skills, commitment to delivery of consistent customer service will definitely take place. Also,
linkage of my existing skills with desires of an assistant manager role will help to me improve
my existing skills to gain the future.
Learning theories/approaches:
After complete identification of required skills for assistant manager role, various models
or theories of learning is required for development of required one. In my context, personal and
professional development is required to enrich my career for longer life. Actually for
development, learning is necessary and pro-active to fill those gaps of skills, in which I am
lacking behind. There are several learnings approach through personal & professional could be
enriched. One popular is Cognitive approach to learning, which is mainly concerned with role of
active mind in processing learning opportunities and development (Bridges, 2012). These
learning theories is associated with two major domain namely cognitive domain, which is
connected with memory and understanding and another one is affective domain how feeling or
emotion can be change or control as result of post-learning. As, I also realized that performance
of every person in connected with its emotion or how person reacts over this. Bloom suggests
that parallel learning between both cognitive and affective learning domain take place in a
cumulative way depending on degree of difficulty.

Source: Cognitive theory of learning, 2017
Bloom also says that process of learning should be more than doing a task or activities.
The purpose behind learning needs to be defined or realized starting of learning with reflection.
There must be thought, which needs to be generated for effective undergo of learnings. A
purpose of thought is state of equilibrium, which enables an individual to solve critical problems
or issues.
Behaviourist approach: This approach is based on learning around the major belief that
an appropriate behaviour can be taught through constant repetition of an task combined with
feedback from the facilitator. On one hand, where positive feedback encourages and reinforces
success, while on other hand, negative feedback and immediate correction discourages repetition
of an mistake or undesirable behaviour. One of the main way to use behavioural approach to
learning in training and teaching is to specify clear behavioural objectives at the start and then
supply learning opportunities that ensure that objectives are met. Here, social learning style will
be used to engage other's while going through learning process.
Learning style: For better learning, logical learning style must be use, so that clear use
of logic, reasoning and system should generate along with result-based outcomes from it. Also,
social based style can be other option through which ability to work in group can be raised for
mine (Trede, 2016). I need to focus on complete learning with defined purpose behind it.
Personal development approach:
To develop my personal and professional skills, time management along with proper
management & leadership training is required to enhance my skills at the higher level to gain
personal & professional en-richness into my personality (Wald, 2015).
Illustration 1: Learning theory

Approach Aim/objectives Action plan Desired outcomes
Time management Make myself competent
that my time will rule
my career and also
focus with continues
development at every
stage of my
professional stage.
Planning is required to
be effective along with
continuous work over
time classification for
activities I do or will
do in future. Control
also requires for task
doing.
If planning would lead
properly, time will be
managed effective to
have long live stage of
professional career.
Also, abilities would
raise with goal
outcomes.
Leadership training The major aim is to led
role of what is
leadership and also how
such functioning of
leadership would enrich
my-self.
Continuous practices
with leading three-four
people in daily life is
sufficient to assess
general leader terms in
personality.
I was noticed that daily
life activities have
huge contribution in
professional gains of
any person
PART 2
Preparation of professional development plan
PDP is the formal structure through which an individual normally sets out the goals,
strategies and outcomes of learning & training (Steinert, 2015). This kind of plan varies between
an individual. In my context, various skills I found such as problem solving, decision making,
management of conflict as well as problem solving are my major weakness, which I actually
need to overcome with suitable strategies and action planning to overcome or solve these
challenges. These given weaknesses would be overcome through activities, with given time
frame, availability of resources and also with allocation of desired improvements. For personal
and professional development, well-designed PDP is as follows:
Skills Activities which needs to
be undertake
Resources Time-
frame
Desired
improvements
Conflict For role of assistant The main resources 1.5 Here, desired

management manager, conflict
management skill needs to
drive performance of team
Role performing,
simulation, real life
scenario, being control over
mind and behaviour are
some of tasks or activities
through which conflict
management can be
enriched. Regular practice
is needed along with
control over anger is one of
desired activities through
conflict can be handled.
such as participation in
team work,
presentation, reading
articles, books &
journals etc.
months improvements are
the higher level of
conflicts solution
my me to make
myself adequate
for the role of
assistant manager.
Also, this skill
will increase in
order to engage
effective relation-
ship with other
co-employees.
Decision
making
Simulation, role practices,
condition-based scenario
through which decision-
making power would result
for desired response.
Learning style of logics
will be used, so that I could
practices decision making
for reasoning purpose. This
style involves logic
thinking through which
collective decision making
would raise with
development scope.
Coaching class, training
sessions and decision
based novels or books
are some of valuable
resources to get suitable
results of the practices.
1
months
Strategic decision
making will rise
to have personal
development for
my-self in future
period of time.
This facilitates me
in future career
path with major
aim to get it for
longer duration in
life.
Problem Various activities such as Practical functioning, 1 The ability to

solving case study, scenario
building along with this
solving sudoku is the best
way through which
problem-solving potential
will be raised in order to
accomplish professional
development in the future.
Social learning style is the
best way through this skill
get importance.
classroom work, case
study, aptitude test,
reasoning are some of
the resources, which are
helpful to accomplish
problem solving skills.
month solve problems
will be rise, as a
result of such
practices or fully-
fledged activities.
Also, the ability
to take critical
decision will also
rise with an
ability to get
defined goals
being achieved.
PART 3 Application and interview for the Assistant Manager role
In this part, process of application and interview will be undertaken by senior personnel
of Thomas Cook, in response to application, which I will made along with attached CV in cover
letter (Cruess, 2012). As, this process of recruitment needs to go through effective checking &
structuring of CV in respect to assistant manager. This process is divided into three different
steps which are as follows:
STEP 1
Curriculum Vitae(CV)
Olive Peter
Address: Ground park, London (31009)
Email id: [e-mail]

Professional summary: Charismatic person with wonderful personality and behaviour to attract
other. As a career aspirant, I am looking for full-fledged career in human resource field with
interest into training & development especially. I have internship experience of 3 months in the
Thomas Cook as intern under HR functions.
Skills: My strengths are my skills such as communication, in which I have gained lots of scope
for command. As, I am a constant learner with daily learning from society or culture. I also
have skills such as problem-solving, negotiation power, ability to convenience others along
with people management. I also have strong leadership skill with ability to deliver the customer
a better product & experiences. My skills are focused on driving the team performance at the
higher level. Skill of finding the solution for problems/issues is also may major strength.
Work experience:
Full-time Internship
Company: Thomas Cook
Duration:3 months
Summary: During internship, I was assigned under HR department and also, my personal mood
or interest lies under this. In initial stage, I was actually allocated to recruitment & selection and
after one month, I was shifted to training & development department to gain further exposure in
that field. There, I was assigned project related planning training module which, complete
training would become result based. Also, I planned several inductions programmes for new
joined candidates in Thomas Cook. In induction plan, various activities such as self-
introduction, eye-breaking has been conducting by our seniors. In recruitment & selection, I
was actually taught about various aspects related to selection tests, application's initial
screening etc.
Education: My higher education is Master of business administration from the recognised
institution.
Hobbies and interest: From past till now, my major hobbies are photography and I also like
travelling to explore new or existing places. Apart from this, I also like playing instruments,
cooking and acting.
Extra-curricular: I have engaged in several social charity such as clothes distribution to poor
kids, orphanage people and support to old age homes.

Cover letter
Thomas Cook
21, Harbour street,
London, England
February 25, 2018
T&D manager
Balath colonial
London (45678)
Respected Sir,
I’m writing this cover letter in response to given advertised position for a Assistant
manager. I am interested to work with Thomas Cook and also believe that my qualifications,
education & skills are adequate and proper as per profile requirements.
I am professional in expert communication who have worked on self for longer period
of time to make this skill and other perfect to have long term career in Thomas Cook. I have
several other abilities such as developing people, handle the team, potential to get instant
solutions of any problems as well as driving team performance.
I have enclosed my CV attached with letter, so that I would be convenient for you to
access my profile for suitability of assistant manager profile. Finally, your decision will be
acceptable by me.
Thank you
Kind regards,
Olive Peter
STEP 2
As, I am shortlisted for assistant manager, but interview is the last stage, which I need to
pass out with extra efforts to clear it. This stage is considered as confirmation phase, where
person only needs to impress the interviewer through knowledge & skills, he/she may have. In
my context, preparation is necessary along with further research about Thomas Cook. As, I was
intern there from last three months, so I am aware about it. Only, priority I needs to give for what

I have done or learnt through entire internship (Jansen and Roodbol, 2014). Also, grooming of
skills, abilities or potential is important to do with daily practices to enrich skills to get
anticipated results. Enthusiasm needs to be enriched through patience tasks or mental exercises.
Reaching before given time is also important, so that document verification could be
done properly and accurate time will get to get relax before starting of interview. In today's
scenario, priority has been given to group discussion in order to judge the person capability to
hold the situations.
STEP 3
Strength and weaknesses of the whole experience:
Strengths: I have gained lots of good exposure, knowledge & skills through my learning
while, I was on internship in Thomas Cook. Also, Practical learning has been undergone with
ability to planning to enhance its results for longer period of time. I gained ability to interact with
others or have clear-cut communication with others.
Weaknesses: I noticed that analytical learning was my one most weaknesses, that I
observed even after the internship. It is why, there were lots of aspects, which I needs to cover,
but unfortunately not entertained.
There are various approach undertook to prepare the application for the interview such as
past experience consideration, information generation about the experiences earned in the
Thomas Cook and application on the basis of education/knowledge accomplished. This will be
compiled in common documentation.
The interview was fantastic and though interviewer, I have got various information about
the actual skills, ability & potential to be need to perform far better. As. I am hired in Thomas
Cook and future opportunities is of learning.

CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that professional development is necessary
aspects for every individual to get success in his ‘her life. Learning process has been into
effective learning or growth for an individual for major purpose of skills, ability enrichments.
Proper development has been resulted from leadership & management training, which has
contributed towards development of person as well as individual entity or person (Goldie, 2017).
Professional development plan has been resulted into structure to recommend action planning for
development of any skills, weakness or competencies. On-going development has been resulted
into practices with actual results of career success and enrichment in the life or career.

REFERENCES
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