Benefits of Ongoing Professional Development and Employer Expectations

This report examines the benefits of ongoing professional development for different stakeholders within an organization and investigates employer expectations of skills and competences. It also assesses the author's own skills and competences and discusses different learning and development approaches. A development plan is constructed to enhance chosen skills and competencies within a specific work context.

Professional Identity
and Practice

Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1. Examine the key benefits of ongoing professional development of different stakeholders within
a specific organisation.......................................................................................................................3
P2. Investigate professional employer expectation of skills and competences within a specific
organisational context........................................................................................................................4
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................5
P3. Assess own skills, competences and the different learning and development approaches...........5
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................................7
P5. Construct a development plan to enhance chosen skills and competencies within a specific work
context...............................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
There are various types of skills that is necessary for a person to enhance their career
as well as gain professional growth. It is important that each and very individual who wants
to grow in their professional career develop set of skills (Wald and et.al., 2015). These skills
will be very helpful in conducting business operations and task in effective and efficient
manner. Company chosen for this report is Flight centre. This company is considered as one
of the largest company which is dealing in travel agency. Flight centre company was
established in 1982 and its headquarter is located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its is
providing its services to different parts of the world and it is able to develop positive image in
market area. this report consist of key benefits of professional development as well as
different expectations of employer regarding skills and competencies within organisations. In
this report reflection on the bases of own skills and competences are also mentions and it
includes different learning theories as well as various approaches that will be helpful in
personal as well as professional development process. A proper plan is develop in order to
enhance skills as well as competencies.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
P1. Examine the key benefits of ongoing professional development of different
stakeholders within a specific organisation.
Development refers to a process which helps enhancing skills and capabilities. It is very
important for an individual who is working to develop and grow their skill and abilities in
order to perform task in effective manner. Personal development refers to improvement in
talent, potential which lead to live as healthy and better life. It is a life long process and it is
very significant of develop qualities as per the surrounding and skills. This will help
individual to live a better as well as positive life and aim in accomplishing desired goals.
Professional development can be describe as process of learning as well as building new
skills and capabilities which will be helpful in career growth (Marañón and Pera., 2015). Its s
essential that individual who have certain aims and objective towards their professional
career develop these skills. So that they can achieve set aims in effective manner.
There are many benefit for on going professional development for various
stakeholder. This will be helpful for company as well as its employees as they will be able to
conduct business activities in more effective and efficient manner. Development is
considered as an essential part of organisation as this will aid in accomplished set targets. It is
very important that Flight Centre company is providing time to time training to their
employees so that they can develop skill and capabilities as well as meet with the

expectations. This will be helpful for company as well as employees and different benefits of
on going development is mention below.
Shape knowledge: Professional development is important to shape knowledge as well as
improve qualities of an individual. It is very essential that a person focus on shaping their
knowledge and capabilities as it will help in conducting business operations in new and
innovative manner. By shaping knowledge an individual will be able to increase their current
information and match with the current surroundings.
Opportunity to learn new: Development of personal and professional skills will be a great
opportunity for an individual to learn something completely new. There are various types of
skills that is important for overall growth and development of an individual (Clarke and et.al.,
2015). Each and every person or employees is not good at everything. So this will provide an
opportunity to learn something new and use it in correct manner.
Increase business reputation: This will help in developing reputation of organisation as by
developing skills and competencies of employees. Company will be able to create positive as
well as strong image in customers mind. Flight Centre organisation will be benefited with
professional development of its employees as it will aid in conducting business function in
better and effective manner. This will have direct impact on enhancing reputation of
respective company.
Meet customers expectations: By developing skills and capabilities company will be able to
conduct business activities in effective manner as well as offer high quality services to
customers (Kearney-Nunnery, 2015). professional development of employees is very helpful
in meeting with the expectations of customers and developing positive relationship with them
P2. Investigate professional employer expectation of skills and competences within a
specific organisational context.
It is significant that individual who wants to work with a company understand as well
as investigate the expectations of customers. this will be very helpful in achieving vacant job
position as well as increase chances of grabbing job opportunity. . Flight Centre is a well
known and one of the leading company in respective industry. Its is essential for this
organisation to hire and select those employees who can meet with the needs of company.
Employees who are working in this organisation are capable enough to accomplish desired
goals as well as gain competitive advantage over other rival companies. this company is
hiring for different job roles such as business development manager, commercial air manager
and travel consultant. It is essential for individual to investigate expectation of Flight Centre
company employer. Expectations of employer from each and very job role is mention below
in detail.
Travel consultant –
Travel consultant is one of the important job roles for Flight Centre company as this
role will be generating more leads for this organisation. employer of respective company
have various needs from the applicant and those candidate that meet with need and

expectations of employees will be selected for travel consultant job positions. A person
should have experience in sales field and that person should have proven its skills and
abilities in sales (Cyrino., 2016). Individual should be travel enthusiasm and should have
travelled at least two continents outside of Europe. It is expected that selected person have
good IT skills so that they can easily understand the working as well as system.
Communication skills as well as empathy towards other is very essential as travel constant
have to communicate with various clients and customers as well as attract them towards
respective business.
Business Development manager –
Employer of Flight Centre company is expecting that selected person for the job role
of business development manage should be able to find more and more leads for company.
This person should have at least six months of proven sales experience as well as have ability
to meet an exceeds with the sales targets (Cruess and et.al., 2015). Expected salary that will
be provided to the candidate who is selected for this position will be around £ 25, 000.
Selected person should have positive attitude towards travel and should have travelling
passion. This person is expected to introduce new clients of respective business to travel
management services. selected individual should have to work closely with the experienced
business travel consultants.
Commercial Air manager -
Commercial air product team is considered as a heart of business and it is very
important that person who is selected for this position should work in effective and efficient
manner. So that company can archive its goals. There is very high expectation of employer of
respective company so that they can full fill its requirement and conduct business functions is
correct way. This person should have negotiation skills as well as able to perform task in
effective manner which lead to maximization of air income (Pihl-Thingvad, 2015.). This
person should be able to develop better relationships with team members and other
employees.
TASK 2
P3. Assess own skills, competences and the different learning and development
approaches.
There are various skills that is required by an individual to develop as well as enhance
their career. In order to conduct job role of Travel consultant. I needs to develop as well as
enhance my own skills so that is can work in effective and efficient manner. This is a very
important job role of Flight centre company as it will directly increase it profits as well as
performance. I have to assess my own skills and competencies which will help me in
performing better functions as well as conducting business operations in more effective and
effected manner. I have analysed that I have good communication as well as organisational
skill (Carrillo, Baguley and Vilar, 2015). Both of these skills has helped me in conducting
sales function as well as attracting more and more customers towards business.

Communication skill: This skills is very helpful in communicating my thoughts idea as
well as view point in effective manner. I have understand that as a sales person I need to
continuously improve my communications skills so that I can explain my ideas in more
correct manner. I have investigate that employer of Flight Centre company required a person
who have strong communication skills and have empathy towards customers. I have this skill
which will help me in performing task of travel consultant.
Organisation skills: I have strong organisational skills which has helped me in managing my
time as well as efforts at right time. this skills is very important for a travel consultant as they
have to perform various task and activities. I have analysed that due to strong organisational
skill I am able to manage my all task as well as complete its within set time duration. This
skill is required in travel consultant so that I can set my priorities and complete important task
first.
There are different learning approaches which has been very helpful for me to
enhance my personal and professional skills (Jourdan and et.al., 2016). Mentoring and job
enrichment are the key approaches which is used by me to increase my skills as well as
competencies.
Mentor and coaching: In this approach my mentor has guide me to perform task in
better manner. They has provided correct and accurate feedback so that I can improve my
overall performance as well as complete task in effective and efficient manner.
Job enrichment: this approach of learning has helped me in increasing my
knowledge as well as capabilities to complete task of travel consultant. Through job
enrichment approach i was able to learn new task and enhance my skills.
P4. Review a range of learning theories and approaches used of personal and professional
development processes.
Behavioural learning theory
I have had this change in my life which I believe has been an outcome of the workplace. I
feel this change has come from the environment that I am working in. Earlier, for me, it was
never so good in terms of personality traits like communication and organising.
Ever since I stepped into this Travel Consultant profile the things have clicked right for me.
The work atmosphere here feels so organised that has enabled me to keep my tasks organised
and myself as well. I was unmanaged and unorganised, but the change has been positive.
Besides being organised I have felt a very good improvement in my ability to communicate
effectively. Being a Travel Consultant has its perks, personality wise. I have communicated
with a lot many customers, my counter-parts, which has only helped me to open up and be
confident in my approaches.

Conclusively, this workplace and work profile of Travel consultant has brought me great
good in terms of organising and the communication.
TASK 3
P5. Construct a development plan to enhance chosen skills and competencies within a
specific work context.
In order to enhance my skill as well as competencies to complete all task of travel
consultant I need to develop as plan. This plan will help me in analyse which skills needs to
be develop or which capability is lacking. A proper development plan in order to improve
skills and competencies of Travel Consultant is mention below.
Development need : This is the first step and in this skill development need is analysed. For
completing job activities of travel consultant I have strong communication as well as
organisational skills. It has been identified that IT skill is lack and it is one of the crucial skill
as it will help in understanding system faster.
Activities for development: In order to increase IT skill, I need to increase my knowledge
and understand in this subject (Olausson, 2017). Information technology skill will be
developed by reading books, watching videos regarding enhancing IT skills as well as
practicing more or taking IT courses. There are some short courses which is easy availbe on
internet as well as different websites. These courses are very helpful in enhancing skills and
knowledge about information technology.
Resource allocation: In this step various resources are allocated for develop skills which is
lacking. After analysing as well as evaluating all those activities which will help in
developing IT skill I need to collect those resources. For this major resources that is required
in computer system as well as books.
Timeframe: This is very important part of development plan as in this a proper time frame is
set. This time duration will help in analysing which task could be done within what time
frame. I have set 3 months of time duration to enhance my IT skills so that I can perform
travel consultant task in correct way.
Analysing results: This is the last stage of development plan and in this all activities and task
is measured with the set expectations. In this stage I have analysed that I was able to enhance
my IT skill within 3 months by taking short IT course.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that it is very important for an individual to
continuously grow as well as develop its skills. This will be very helpful in personal and
professional development as well as attaining set goals. It is essential that individual is
focusing on development of skills and growth so that they can perform required task in better

manner. There are different learning approaches as well as theories that will help individual
to enhance skills and competencies. Apart from this an individual should develop a proper
plan in order to increase skill and abilities for personal and professional development.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Wald, H.S. and et.al., 2015. Professional identity formation in medical education for
humanistic, resilient physicians: pedagogic strategies for bridging theory to
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Marañón, A.A. and Pera, M.P.I., 2015. Theory and practice in the construction of
professional identity in nursing students: A qualitative study. Nurse Education
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Clarke, C. and et.al., 2015. Sustaining professional identity in practice following role-
emerging placements: Opportunities and challenges for occupational
therapists. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 78(1). pp.42-50.
Cyrino, M.C.D.C.T., 2016. Mathematics teachers’ professional identity development in
communities of practice: Reifications of proportional reasoning teaching. Bolema:
boletim de educação matemática. 30(54). pp.165-187.
Cruess, R.L. and et.al., 2015. A schematic representation of the professional identity
formation and socialization of medical students and residents: a guide for medical
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Carrillo, C., Baguley, M. and Vilar, M., 2015. The influence of professional identity on
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Jourdan, D. and et.al., 2016. School health promotion and teacher professional
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Kearney-Nunnery, R., 2015. Advancing Your Career Concepts in Professional Nursing. FA
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Pihl-Thingvad, S., 2015. Professional ideals and daily practice in
journalism. Journalism. 16(3). pp.392-411.
Mackay, T. and Zufferey, C., 2015. ‘A who doing a what?’: Identity, practice and social work
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