Professional Development Strategies for Learners

The assignment discusses various strategies for learners to achieve their professional goals, including cooperative learning, multiple approaches to understanding, working on professional development, service-learning, and implementing a state-level professional development plan. It also touches on the importance of personal histories in shaping professional development and designing personalized online teaching development through self-assessment.

Professional Identity
and Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART A...........................................................................................................................................1
1. Explains the brief introduction of the organization.................................................................1
2. Skills Competences expected by the employer for specific roles in Thomas Cook...............1
3. Explaining the benefits and importance of on-going professional and personal development.
.....................................................................................................................................................3
4. Explaining the different range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and
professional development...........................................................................................................5
5. Critically evaluate the own abilities, skills and competences.................................................6
6. Discussing the best development approaches to enhance the own professional and personal
development................................................................................................................................7
PART B............................................................................................................................................8
PART C..........................................................................................................................................11
1. Explaining the detailed coherent reflection of the interview process and own abilities during
the process.................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Professional identification is the role or responsibility that individual person handle
within the organization. Besides, professional development is also very much required to
maintained that professional identity. In other words, it is the concept which describes how an
individual perceive themselves within the occupational context. Present report has been based on
Professional identity and practice that will be based on the case study of Thomas Cook which is
British leading Travel and tourism organization. Further, study explains about the expectations of
employer with the employee for the particular position. It will also define the different learning
theories and approaches used for employee personal and professional development. Study will be
presenting professional development plan in order to get the opportunities to gain competitive
edge within the organization.
In the last segment of the study, briefly explained about the own interview experience on
the basis of own abilities during the process. The purpose of the study is to explore the many
more opportunities for an individual to learn professional skills in order to gain company
competitive edge.
PART A
1. Explains the brief introduction of the organization
Thomas Cook is the British Travel & Tourism company which was formed on June 19,
2007 by the merger of Thomas Cook AG (Çolak, 2015). Thomas Cook deals with both
hospitality and tourism sector by providing unique and satisfactory services to the customers.
Thomas Cook are having two different operations; one deals as a Tour Operator and second one
asis Thomas Cook Group Airline. Travel and Tourism provides the exciting and most adventures
jobs. In term of the company Thomas Cook is the worlds best leading travel company who
provides best deals and exciting holiday packages to the customers. Thomas Cook first
commercial venture was started in summer of 1845, their first trip was planned to Liverpool. It
was the biggest project they ever had before. Overall, Company has been achieved more success
and growth since they started their career.
2. Skills Competences expected by the employer for specific roles in Thomas Cook.
Profile 1: Holiday/Travel Representative
Holiday Representative is the individual who looks after their clients to give the best deal
packages of holidays (Gardner, 2018). Thomas Cook is the most famous and popular company
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whose representative are more qualified and competitive. In other words, The main purpose of
Holiday and Travel agent is to make sure that clients enjoy their tour and everything runs
perfectly or not. To hire that kind of person, Thomas Cook is looking for an individual who is
well capable to deal with clients at any situation.
Skills & Competency expected by the employer for Holiday/Travel Representative
 The requirement of holiday/travel is very demanding and challenging. Clients often have
very high expectations from the holiday representative to deal with their all issues when
they are not being met. Representative have to deal with clients with different culture of
people and provide opportunity to learn different languages.
 Responsible person should continuously spend time with clients and resolve their queries
in the best possible manner (Gerken, Beausaert and Segers, 2016). Employer of Thomas
Cook also expected from person to meet their sales target.
 Holiday representative also required to have knowledge of all code of conduct in the
organization such as wearing proper uniform all the time on on-duty. In other words,
people appearance should always be attractive and professional.
 Person must having strength and skills towards this work is very much expected by the
company.
 Holiday representative also have skills in resolving the conflict with clients and gain the
best competitive edge.
 Holiday representative required also have good communication skills both oral and
written.
 Holiday assistant have ability to plan or organize the best deal for the clients.
 Thomas Cook also wants from employees that Holiday Representative must also required
to manage the customer conflict issues with the company they have faced due to which
they are not satisfied and happy.
 Holiday representative should have lots of knowledge regarding history or about the
location.
Profile 2: Tourist Guide
Tourist Guide is the another profile within the travel and tourism sector which is equally
important as Holiday representative as they are the ones who need to make sure that travel
arrangement are running smoothly or not (Grant, 2017). Tourist guide is the person who always
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get connected with the client throughout the tour and let them know about the place and history
etc. Tourist Guide profile is very competitive and challenging in terms of getting the advantage
and clients satisfaction at any cost. Employer looking for the candidate who is well aware about
the places or who know multiple languages to deal with different clients. Thomas Cook is having
excellent Tourist Guide who helps travelers throughout the trip. There are given some
professional employer expectations of skills and competences within Thomas Cook required for
the job role of Tourists Guide.
Skills Competency expected by the employer for Tourist Guide
 Employer at Thomas Cook looking for an individual who have a memory like a steal trap
to retain a lot of facts when walking with people. Memory of tourist guide have to be
sharp to remember things. It helps to entertained travelers throughout the trip.
 Tourist Guide should have improvisational skill that helps Tourist Guide to improvise the
way of doing things. These skills often introduce innovative changes between the trip that
helps to make the clients happy and satisfied throughout the whole trip.
3. Explaining the benefits and importance of on-going professional and personal development.
Personal and professional development is the practices or process through individual can
learn more beyond its limit. It helps to get new learning and development areas for future
opportunities. For an individual continuous learning is very essential to meet out the future
results and career objective planning. Personal and professional learning are different from each
other such as Personal development is helpful for an individual to get more higher position.
Sames on the other side, professional development is helpful to promote to the next position.
Continuous professional development is very important to upgrade the knowledge and
more competencies in the respective career (Korthagen, 2017). CPD helps to ensure individual to
keep the pace with the current standards of others in the same field. This would help individual
to enhance the career opportunity in the future. CPD matters most for the people who really want
to achieve higher position in the organization and get achieve more success in the career.
 It refines the employee skills and intellect helps to meet the knowledge gap.
 Ongoing learning also nourish the individuals academic and practical skill that helps
them to get fulfilled their professional and career goals.
 It opens the pathways to career progression or potential redirection including achieving
higher salaries and better job security.
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 Ongoing profession theory also enhance the ability of an individual in different context.
This helps to learn quick theories which deals with situational better effective learning
task. It provides the valuable examples and scenarios for showcasing professional
achievements and growth in future development growth.
 Demonstrate ambitiousness, aptitude and dedication to self improvement to current and
prospective employers and clients (Lavery and Coffey, 2016).
 Ongoing professional learning also helps to make individual more efficient and capable
to develop new competencies and skills in between to compete with current requirements.
CPD brings new ideas and skills that makes the career prospective more brighten.
 Ongoing professional learning also improve the understanding level that helps in
professionalism and along with a great appreciation of the implication and impacts of the
work.
 CPD connects employees or an individual knowledge and technique to brings many
By providing the professional learning development session within the organization helps
to make the more competitive environment and positive image for the organization. By offering
T&D programs to employees can help to enhance the customer satisfaction level.
 Ensures that standard throughout the company are consistently high.
 It also helps to increase the productivity with high skilled employees within the company.
 Ongoing professional development can also improve the company reputation among
travelers as well as to retained potential employees.
 It promotes the work culture within the organizations.
 Enable to accomplish the organization task and objectives into more proper and
structured manner. It helps to define the best and effective working culture to enhance the
best deal and long term target opportunity.
Importance of On-going professional development for Tourist Guide in Thomas Cook
To better communication : Continuous development is very essential for Tourists
guides to have or improve the communication skills with different aspect. A good tour guide is
articulate and easy to understand the voice and language of its tourists. For that, they should have
learn the new styles of communication and answered the all questions asked by its guests clients.
On- going development enable to fill the gap between client or organization in terms of better
communication.
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To have Dynamism : In recent times or with the development, somewhere tourists
guides also facing challenges in day to day life. With the help of on-going development practices
such issues has automatically removed and vanished with some new techniques and styles given
by the Thomas Cook. Or a good tour guide has always have something to explore and to satisfy
their clients.
To maintained professionalism : In order to be maintained the good and excellent
image in front of the seniors. On-going development also helpful to sustained the proper
professionalism among the employees. Such retaining professionalism and courtesy is essential
at all times which has been come from professional development in Thomas Cook.
4. Explaining the different range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and
professional development.
Learning theories is a set of organization principles that assist to acquire more knowledge
and skills to improve the personal development as well as professional development plan. This
learning theories and approaches helps to guide people to grow in the professional career. Some
theories and approaches are given below:
Behaviorism Learning theory
Behaviorism is the term which comes from the work of B.F Skinner and the concept of
operating conditioning. This learning theory defines the concept that knowledge exists between
the individual and outside of people (Marañón and Pera, 2015). They think that learner required
experience to learn more different concept and handle the different situation within the
organization. Learning comes from different behaviorism with different manner. There are
different goals and objectives that defined by the organization in the perspective of others. It
develops the better understanding and long lasting effects on the behavior of people in a more
appropriate manner.
Applications of behaviorist learning theory :
 Drill/Rote work
 Repeat the practices till person not get everything understand.
 Give learners more encouragement and motivation to perform the work.
 Establishments rules.
Cognitive Information Processing learning theory
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Cognitive theory of learning is connected with the behaviorism theory. In other words, it
based on the concept behind the behavior. How an individual implement thoughts and ideas with
their different perspectives. This is the process to think ideas, information and beliefs, according
to which how individual perform (McConnell and et.al., 2015). In order to understand cognitive
learning theory, it defines what person thinks and how they implement their thinking in reality is
called the cognitive learning theory. Learning process of Cognitive theory is done by the internal
processing of information. Cognitive theory is governed by the internal process rather than
external.
Such as organize Problem solving session, Discussion session, etc. this helps to improve
the professional learning of an employee.
Constructivism learning theory
This theory reflects in which individual given their own perspective of the world on the
basis of his/her experiences and knowledge. In other words, this learning theory based on how
individual person or an employee implement ideas on his own perspective. Different people
having their own perspective and thought according to which they perform a specific given task.
So it helps to see different unique and different outcomes.
Mainly this learning model helps in professionalism to resolve the problem and issues
(Olsen, 2015). To conduct Constructivism learning theory, employer required to conduct some
following practices such as Discuss on Case studies, Research on different topics, Conduct
problem based learning, Brain storing, Simulations etc.
5. Critically evaluate the own abilities, skills and competences
In order to reflect my own abilities, strength and weaknesses for the job role of Tourist
Guide. I am well capable to deal with the required competencies for this profile in Thomas Cook.
In order to conduct self evaluation, I need to analyze my strength, weaknesses, opportunity and
threats. I order to that, I am good at communication skills in both written and oral that helps me
to grab client attention in more effective manner. Communication skill also helps me to
understand the feelings of clients. I am very creative in terms of performing task into better
manner. In other words, it helps me to keep the things more creative and influencing to develop
the task things appropriately. This creative learning comes across from my experiences that
provoke me towards the improvise manner.
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Another strength of mine helps me to become a competitive Tourist guide which is
Professionalism which is must have required in tourist guide. Like they must wear proper
uniform and looking attractive to clients (Rhode, Richter and Miller, 2017). I have this set of
skills which comes from my previous experiences. In the contrast I have some weaknesses that
restrict my career growth and limits to gain career opportunities. Such as Conflict management,
Time management, problem solving and leadership skills and decision making skills. All these
weaknesses I need to learn in my next professional development plan that helps me to
accomplish my future objectives and goals.
6. Discussing the best development approaches to enhance the own professional and personal
development.
Professional Development Approaches
Professional development approached involves method to improvise the existing
approach. In this, it requires increasing the necessary skills to carry out the job role more
efficient and leading to develop the advantageous growth. Professional development mainly
implement in some following areas such as IT training, Health and Safety, Tourist operation s
etc.
Approaches of Professional learning Development
Workshop Presentation : This can be the method through employees can enhanced their
competency level to perform the task into more efficient manner. In Workshops, Company can
introduced new concepts and method through they better serve the services to travelers in more
unique manner (7 Strategies for personal professional learning, 2017). In this development area
it requires developing the new challenging growth into more appropriately.
Product/Programs Development : This approach of professional development. In which
mentors or scenario employees can brief about the new services which they provide to the
travelers.
Inquiry Research Approach : This approach will discuss about the process into more
appropriate manner and challenging goals and objectives. It helps to determine the objectives and
make learners know about the new changes (Salifu and Agbenyega, 2016).
Coaching and Mentoring : Coaching and Mentoring is the another most competitive
approach that helps to resolve the employees queries and problems. Mentors are the person who
guide their subordinates with full potential manner. It brings different methods or techniques
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through they solved the issues of employees and guide them in professional manner. This would
help employees to learn from their mistakes.
Case study methods : This method is more beneficial where company can measure their
past performance with current and discuss with employees to get more suggestion on that. This
process helps to measure the individual performance and also helps to check new though process
for future career.
PART B
Professional Development Plan
What do I
want to
learn ?
What do I
have to do ?
What support
and resources
will I need ?
How will I
measure
success ?
Target date
for review ?
Learning
outcomes
Conflict
management
skills
As per my
current skills, I
need to learn
some practices
and
approaches to
solve the
issues of
customer.
I need support
of conflict
management
training centre
that helps me
to learn
methods to
solve the
issues between
people.
In order to
evaluate my
own
performance, I
need helps
from my
seniors to give
feedback on
my
performance,
Line manager
Appraisal
report,
1 month By the help of
applying the
conflict
management
skills it helps
me to manage
my team
members and
resolve the
customer
queries.
Time
management
Skills
I also need to
acquire
learning
approaches of
In order to
learn time
management
skills
I can measure
these skills on
the basis of
my time limits
2 months By learning
Time
management
skills. It helps
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time
management
in order to
develop my
time
management
skills.
Through I can
manage my
work into
more
effectively.
(Mazzotti and
et.al., 2018).
For that, I
need develop
my own task
as per the
priority and
divide the
work into
smaller part to
get finished in
faster manner.
As per the
author I can
also learn time
management
skills with the
help of time
management
theories.
and efficiency
level. Or I can
take feedback
from my
managers and
seniors.
me to mange
my work task
in more
efficient
manner.
Leadership
skills
I need to learn
my leadership
skills so that I
can more
effectively
manage my
tour plan and
arrange all
services in
systematic
manner for
I need support
of my seniors
who can help
me to guide
some tricks
and practices
though I can
manage my
task
accordingly.
Besides, also I
I can measure
my
performance
by self
evaluation or
take feedbacks
from my
seniors or
subordinates
or I can check
my work
2 months By adopting
Leadership
Skills helps
me to improve
my work
efficiency at
work place.
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travellers. learn to lead
the team to
make tour
more exciting
and
adventurous.
outcomes as
well to
evaluate my
own
performance.
Problem
solving
I also need to
learn some
problem
solving skills
to reduce the
chanced of
misleading the
travellers
during the
tour.
In according
to learn
problem
solving
approach that
helps me to
make my work
more effective
and exciting at
the end. As
per Tour,
(2017) I can
take help from
such
approaches
like Trial and
Error,
Algorithms,
rule of thumb
to understand
the situation
and resolve
the possible
risk chances.
I can measure
my
performance
through my
self evaluation
or I can take
suggestions
from my
seniors and
supervisors.
2 months Problem
solving
approached
helps me to
accomplish
my objectives
and helps in
maintaining
the good
relation.
10

Decision
making skills
I need to learn
decision
making skills
that Tourists
guide should
have to handle
the instant
situation.
Sometimes, in
some critical
situation
Tourist guide
need to take
decision on
the behalf of
company
where they
need to focus
on resolving
the issues.
In order to
learn decision
making skills I
can adopt
Synder's
Theory of
decision
making that
helps me to
learn in more
detailed
manner. Or I
can take help
from my
seniors as
well.
I can evaluate
my
performance
outcomes by
getting
feedback from
my seniors
and
subordinate.
Or I can also
evaluate my
own
performance.
2 months By applying
the decision
making skills,
it helps me to
take my
decisions into
more
productive
manner.
PART C
1. Explaining the detailed coherent reflection of the interview process and own abilities during
the process.
Throughout the session of mock interview, I have learned so many terminologies and
skills that I can use in my real interview session. I checked the vacant profile of Tourist guide in
Thomas Cook seems most exciting and interesting same as like my interest. Then I decided to
apply this position and get this opportunity for my career development plan. In order to get this
profile, I need to prepared my interview with my mentor who agreed to take my mock interview
in order to help me out. During the interview session he has asked me tell about my self. As I
mentioned about my family background and about my strength and weaknesses. So that, it helps
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to expressed my own thoughts. While during the mock interview, it helped to gain my
confidence and motivation level. That should very important and necessary for the real
interview. My mentor have asked me more question regarding travel and tourism sector that I
have well answered. Such as about the Company Thomas Cook, their achievements and threats
etc. I got to learn my own abilities and competencies that helps me to get my objectives.
Throughout this session will help me to understand deep understanding power of interview
session. During the interview, my mentor helped me to enhance the confidence level and guide
me about the way to deal with critical situation where you don't need to get hyper while
interviewer asked you such difficult questions. Overall, mock interview assists me about the
techniques I need to used to get over from the challenges. This overall situation worked into
more appropriate manner in order to deal with the situation and get task accomplished in
systematic manner.
In between, mentor gives me a situation where I need to give suggestion on conflict
management. I share my view in front of him. But it was not up to date as per the expectation.
That reflect me to work on my these skills that helps me to gain my objective in more
appropriate manner.
Throughout this whole session of interview helped me to understand my areas where I
need to work. It showed my strength and weaknesses. I analyzed throughout this report that I am
well capable to communicate with others and better understand views of travelers.
Communication is the most essential medium through company and clients connects. On the
other side, Tourist guide should have excellent communication skills which must be required in
the growing process. Therefore, I have also noticed my research skills that can help me in my
career to improvise in the working performance. Furthermore, it would help me to get the best
development areas in travel and tourism sector. I also got to know my presentable skills that
makes my career more improvising and competitive. Many things that I observed during the
interview. I got to know about my own competitiveness and challenging situation where I need
to develop my skills and growth. In the contrast, I also observed my some weaknesses that I need
to upgrade such as leadership skills through I can manage my work more effectively. I also
should now many things about tourist guide and such as their attitude, insight skills, should have
knowledge of local areas or about the countries. Along with that, Tourist guide also should know
how to treat people and their good or bad behavior throughout the trip. I also need to improve my
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level of confidence and motivation which comes from lots of knowledge and skills. In other
words, I analyzed my strength and weaknesses throughout this interview. This interview session
was very much fruitful for me to know more different things should need to learn. Overall, I go
through from very good experience of interview that helps me to know my actual level and helps
me to guide what I should need to increase.
Strength
 Good communication skills
 Good Knowledge of location and countries
 Positive confidence and motivation level.
Weaknesses
 Lack of time management skills.
 Lack of leadership skills.
 Lack of conflict management skills.
Job interview session was very challenging and difficult. My mentor helped me to learn
methods or techniques to tackle the interview session that was significantly affected the selection
process. Although, I learn t different tricks and ways During the mock interview, I faced
challenge in given the answered which was based on situations or conditions. But, I tried to give
all answered to the point, I also faced many challenges related to me confidence and lack of
motivation. I analyze my own development areas through I can overcome from my interview
challenges. I need to get more experienced and also required to get more detailed information of
travel and tourism sector. So that, I can give better suggestion and views in my future interview
session. Also, I also need to work upon my theories and build a strong understanding of the
practical knowledge in order to meet out the best developing results in order to manage the work
more effectively presentable and efficient. In order to come over from the challenges and threats
I should have required to understand the theoretical knowledge. In order to build up the new
understanding and leading growth manner. Moreover, all learning tools and approaches can help
me to get overcome from the challenges that I have faced in the mock interview session.
Moreover, it brings me some more opportunity in future that can help me to get my objectives in
a more achievable manner.
Throughout the whole session of mock interview I faced challenge in terms of explaining
the detailed knowledge of tourist guide and regarding knowledge.
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CONCLUSION
As per the above report on the professional identity and practices, it has been analyzed
that to be more competitive and challenging, individual should always improvise their skills and
abilities. Present study summarized about the learning theories that helps company to create new
unique ideas. This also helps to measure the effective learning task that makes good impact on
the company development areas. Also, report described the two job profile in tourism market
which is most required to manage customer focus. In order to make employee more competitive
and challenging. Research also mentioned some professional learning approaches. Overall, study
concluded about the professional or personal development and how individual can achieved their
professional and professional career goals. Although, study explained the experience of mock
interview and introduced some measure tips to crack the interview questions. Through,
individual learner can easily achieve their goals and objectives.
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REFERENCES
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Grant, J., 2017. The good CPD guide: A practical guide to managed continuing professional
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Lavery, S. D. and Coffey, A., 2016. Service-learning: Promoting the development of the
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Olsen, B., 2015. Teaching what they learn, learning what they live: How teachers' personal
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