Reflection on Professional Employment

This article discusses the importance of being employment ready and the recruitment process. It also provides insights on conducting an informational interview and critique of MBTI type. The article emphasizes the need for graduates to possess not only academic qualifications but also the necessary skills to secure a job. The recruitment process involves identifying the need to fill the position, planning, searching for candidates, screening, and hiring. The article also discusses the importance of conducting an informational interview to gain knowledge about the prospective industry and company. Lastly, the article provides a critique of the MBTI type.

Running Head: REFLECTION ON PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT 1
Reflection on Professional Employment
Name
Institution Affiliation
Course
Date

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Graduate employment skills and Informational Interview
Introduction
An informational interview is an informal type of conversation that engages a job seeker
(potential employee) with an experienced individual working with the area of interest and has
been used to seek information, guidance, and clarification on the job, culture and the
expectations from the job. The reason for conducting this informational interview is to ensure
that I get to know about the prospective industry and company that am planning to work with in
future. The event will ensure that I get the desired knowledge that will make me equipped for the
career. The courage to participate in an actual employment will also be increased due to the
conversation between the experienced person and me in that field (Kumari, 2012). The
informational interview will also form a basis for getting advice on my career, the industry, the
corporate culture of the company and the leadership of the company.
Important details
The meeting for the informational interview was to be conducted in Sydney town in
Shangri-La Hotel. The time for the meeting on the informational interview was set at 5:30 pm
since most of the people at that hour are off from their jobs, therefore, making it appropriate. The
organization of interest that am planning to get a job in the near future is KPMG Australia. The
person interviewed during the informational interview is Marwick Godden. The individual is an
assistant officer in the department of human resource in the company (Young, & Muller, 2014).
The reason for choosing this person is that he has a strong connection with the company and
understands its operations better. The individual also knows the hiring procedures of the

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company since he deals with the department of human resources that deals with hiring and firing.
Therefore, getting information from him will mean that the information will be sufficient and
reliable. The forum will also open room for future consideration for a job since I will sell my
capability to the individual.
The reason for choosing this individual was because he was attached to the department of
the human resource with the company. He was selected on merit since he had the specific
qualification and had worked for the organization for quite a long period. I had to secure his
contacts from a friend and then organized for the meeting. The informational interview took less
than an hour since it was brief and direct to the points of interest (Swider, Zimmerman, &
Barrick, 2015). Therefore, during that short period, I ensured that I grasped every critical detail
about the organization and also ensured that I made the person understand my education level
and the potential I possess for the organization.
Important questions
There are important questions that I ensured that I ask during the informational interview
since I had to get information regarding the same. The crucial issues were ten during the session,
and they are as listed below.
a. What previous professional experience has assisted you most in your current roles?
“I had worked for similar companies that provided me with the knowledge that is required in this
field.” Asking such a question gives the interviewer an opportunity to understand how a person
arrived at the current state and helped them to prepare for the same.

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b. What information do you wish you had been informed before you landed for this job and
how could it be of use? The vital information you should not miss is the challenges in
that field since it prepares the individual psychologically.
c. How do you see this job changing in the next ten years? Jobs and organizations are
established in a changing world. Therefore, the organization, the employees and
prospective employees should accept that the organization will have to change in the
future and be prepared for the same.
d. What do you like least about the career and the organization as a whole? Asking this
question will give you an insight into the area of weakness on the job and where the
organization has failed.
e. What are the major components of your job on a daily basis?
f. Could you probably suggest some ways in which a student can get some of the
experience required as an entry requirement for this job?
g. How has the company embraced technology and how does it make use of the new
technology that is emerging on a day after the other for internal communication and
marketing the company? The world and the business operations are made to change
because of the technology innovations and for every organization to a competitive
advantage it should embrace the use of technology.
h. Is there an underlying philosophy of the company, and if so, what is the philosophy? (is it
a service, a product or people oriented organization?)

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i. What can you inform me on the employment outlook in your occupational field, how is
the demand for workers and how rapid is the occupation growing?
j. Who else can you refer me to seek more information regarding the occupation and the
company as well?
Summary
1. Were you surprised by any of the occupational information?
I was surprised to understand that the organization been established as a single entity
under private ownership but now it has grown to a global scale changing to a public company
and having operations in different countries of the world. The company also is involved in
various issues of consultancy. The company gives consultancy services to almost all the fields
since its employees are diversified and specialize in the different fields (Mourshed, Farrell, &
Barton, 2013). I was shocked to understand that the company undertakes some interviews
ranging from ten to fifteen and you must qualify in all the meetings for you to be absorbed by the
company.
2. Has the information increased your interest in this field?
The whole informational interview made me gain more interest in working with this
company. According to the interviewee, it was evident that the company offers the job to a
diversified range of careers due to its diversity in consultation services. It provides consultation
services to many of the fields, business, institutions and governments across the globe, therefore,
enabling it to cut across an extended range of careers and professionals (Almarzook, 2016).
Thus, the interest of working with the organization after knowing that with any qualification you
can fit in the system of the company as long as you meet the set criteria for recruitment.

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3. What skills or experience do you have already that suits this occupation?
Being a student, I lack specific skills necessary for this job. Therefore, there is a need to
advance further in my studies. However, am confident that by the time I will be through with my
studies I will have attained the necessary skills and knowledge essential for this occupation. I can
work for one or two other different organization to gain the necessary experience required by the
company. However, this does not eliminate me for the job since I have acquired skills in class
that is related to the occupation up to this far that proves to be helpful.
Integrating career planning reflections
After the informational interview, I came to understand that there is a need for career
development. I did a self-reflection and identified various things that I need to do to advance my
career. There was a need to enroll in short courses that related to the degree course that will give
me a first hand during many recruitment processes. I was forced to have a self-reflection due to
the unforeseen changes that might occur in the organization and in that career path (Boahin, &
Hofman, 2014). Therefore, due to that, I had to seek for career path clarification and options,
evaluation of the current status and economic changes.
Conclusion
The necessary steps guided the whole informational interview, and we had them followed
up to the end of the session. The process ensured that I got valuable information regarding the
KPMG Company and that I was optimistic I would get hired later in the future upon completion
of my degree studies. The interview offered an opportunity to expand my linkages since I
established new networks with various workers of the company. Therefore, it is important for
potential employees to conduct an informational interview with multiple stakeholders of a

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company who can help them in understanding and gaining information regarding the company
(Almarzook, 2016). It also promotes an individual to learn their areas of weakness and work
upon them before even seeking an employment opportunity with the prospective companies.

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Reflection on professional employment
Introduction
Undertaking any professional employment from a company or organization requires
readiness and preparedness from the individual. Employment readiness is to ensure that you
possess all the requirements that are demanded by a particular employer and that will grant an
opportunity for the job seeker to secure the job. Employment readiness ensures that the
individual has prepared in various ways (Jackson, 2016). One of the ways is to have the skills
and experience required to perform specific duties related to the job descriptions. It is evident
that most of the graduate lacks the rigor and validity to secure work readiness.
Organizations strive to get graduates who are work ready and employable. Being ready
and employable means that the graduate does have not only academic qualifications but also the
necessary skills. Being prepared ensures that the graduate has adequate knowledge regarding the
rights of the workplace. The graduate needs to research on what is expected from them in the
workplace and ensure that they practice on the same to gain the competence. The placement
period in different courses gives the graduates an opportunity to have a learning ground where
they can understand better the working place (Kivinen, & Nurmi, (2014). Therefore, it is
necessary that every student undergoes a placement process before settling to secure a job for
themselves.
The employment aspect in every organization is experiencing a changing environment
due to the changes occurring in the business world. The world is under rapid change thus causing
dynamism in the business environment. It is the responsibility of the graduates to ensure that
they possess all the requirementsand that they get ready to give the best to their prospective
organizations. The tutors should also equip the graduates for the task.

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Recruitment process
The recruitment process in my field adheres to a specific procedure that is regarded to as
the standard formula of getting employees. It starts with identifying the need to fill the position.
The organization here recognizes that there is a gap that has occurred in the organization due to
firing or job turn over and that there is a need to replace such personnel (Ajila, & Okafor, 2012).
Also, the current position holder might have notified the organization of the need to add more
labor force in that position and that might prompt the organization to settle in searching an
employee.
The second step is planning on how the organization will conduct the recruitment
process. The planning involves securing the necessary resources for the recruitment process. The
requirements for the candidates should also be set at such a stage. It also consists in making an
advertisementfor the job vacancy to inform potential candidates. The next process is searching
for the candidates (Almeida Andrade, 2013). The organization opens room for candidates to
submit their applications for consideration. Identification of the viable candidates follows
whereby shortlisting is done for the viable candidates.
The organization then undertakes recruitment of A-level candidates if they are there who
have a direct qualification. The hiring of A-Level candidates undergoes a screening process of
the candidates to get the best. If there is no recruitment of A-Level candidates, the company
organizes for an interview that is face to face to choose the best for the organization. The
offering of the job is made for the best, and they are hired to take their position. The last step
after hiring is on boarding of the selected candidates.

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Critique of your MBTI type
The Myers Briggs type indicator is a well-organized individual test to learn about one’s
personality. The testing occurs during the screening and assessment stage in the recruitment
process. After doing the online test on the MBTI test, I found that I had ESFJ character after
obtaining the scores. Such scores proof that I am an extrovert, sensing, feeling and judging.
Some of the resultsseem to be correct about my personality while others are differing with my
understanding of the character I possess (Young, & Muller, 2014). It is evident that I am an
outgoing person the score on extrovert is right. I talk much, and this makes me have the courage
to meet new people and create new networks.
I also get involved in providing care to those in need, and that has become my primary
mode of living. I have got feeling that is a surety, and that is because I deal with situations
according to my mood or the attitudes towards them. Therefore it is important to note that the
MBTI test does not recognize the extent to which the feelinghas gone and what impact they will
have to those around me (Kivinen, & Nurmi, 2014). The score on judging is that I judge
situations and make decisions regarding circumstancesand how they fit in my value system. I
interpret the judgment score in that I make decisions on the premises on how it provideswith my
morals and values. The ESFJ’s value system is defined externally according to the personality
test.
The test result is known as extremely sensitive and is hurt when there is some
indifference. Such person is described as receiving satisfaction by the happiness obtained from
others. The positive attributes of the ESFJ personality outdo the negative ones. The assessment is
the fact and matches with my life. To some extend,I love the idea that I have a helping hand that

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I can spread to others. Therefore, the assessment has provided some benefits since I have gained
an understanding of my motivation, strengths, and weaknesses.
Appraisal of the value of postgraduate study and international experience in your
discipline area.
Having a post graduate degree in human resource or a related field has some added
advantage. There will be gaining new skills during the study, and this will enhance my capability
of participating in different forums that are related to the human resource. Also, having
international experience is of more value to the original degree. A person will gain more
exposure and will expand my network within that field (Ajila, & Okafor, 2012). I will be able to
interact with many people on the global scale who knowthe field of human resource.
Analysis ofthe importance of ethics on professionals
It is essential to ensure that individual sticks to the ethical requirement of the field. The
importance of observing is that the human resource professionals will be able to provide
transparency during the recruitment process and that the best candidate is selected for the jobs.
The ethical consideration also enables a professional to stick to their line and perform their duties
that are pleasing to others and even to the professionals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the professionals should be prepared as they enter into the job market. The
graduates should understand the different aspects of the job, and this gives them an opportunity
to do a self-evaluation and understand their personality. Understanding your personality might be
helpful in their career development. In case there are positive ones they should be promoted and
the negative one can be eliminated.

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