Week 2 Portfolio Tasks for Professional Practice Course

This article includes careers research questions, reflective commentary, and personal development plan for the Professional Practice Course. It covers topics such as identifying career aspirations, developing skills for the desired field, and seeking development options. The article also provides evidence of organizations that hire students/graduates in the marketing sector and activities that can help in personal development.

Professional Practice Week 2 Portfolio Tasks
Task 1. Careers Research questions
Each answer should be around approximately 50 words
1. What are you looking for in a career?
You may know exactly what type of job you are looking for in the specific sector, you
may have a vague idea, or you may not know at all yet...in which case you should
answer based on your strengths, values and what is most likely to make you happy.
I am looking for job in marketing sector as like working in groups and also I have
keen interest in knowing about various products that are sold in the market and techniques
that are applied in making the Selling process more effective. Furthermore, I don't know how
would I able to achieve that, but I am confident enough to wok under this sector as it is part
of my interest area.
2. What are the top 3 skills you think you will require to successfully get a job in your
desired field? How are you going to develop these skills to a strong standard?
The three top skills I require to get the jobs are communication skills, critical thinking
and leadership skills. Also, these skills would be developed by me through joining the online
courses that are available in the markets and through help and support of the university
supervisors.
3. Do your values and interests align to your career aspirations? Explain how they do
and give examples.
Yes my values and aspirations align to career aspirations as I am very dedicated
individuals and is ready to face challenges in life in more positive manner. Also, my short
term career aspiration is to work in any marketing industry For example: I want to look back
5 years later at my career and be proud of the work that I have tried to achieve in the past.
4. Provide evidence of 5 organisations that hire students/ graduates in the area that
you have selected? What attracts you to these types of organisation.
The five organizations are: Marketing and communication coordinator post in
Streatham and Clapham High School as it would help in gaining valuable skills and apply
my exiting skills in most efficient manner. Another one is digital communication post in
Plymouth Marine Laboratory as it is UK one of the leading marine research institute that
everyone wish to work (Cheah, and et.al., 2021). Further, e-commerce executive post in
Landscaping Supplies Direct as it will consist of variety of jobs that will help in
development. Also, in product specialist in TPP will also help in knowing the functionality of

Professional Practice Week 2 Portfolio Tasks
healthcare business. Lastly, field marketing executive post in TTI London would allow in
gaining innovation and creativity.
5. Name 3 activities that you could undertake which would either match your values
and satisfy your interests or help you develop skills and strengths.
Activities that might be undertaken to match the values in marketing areas would be
organizing events that would allow handling and manage all the task independently. Also,
another one is website maintenance that would help me in enhancing the critical thinking
skills (Ilieş, 2018). Further, selling the samples in the market is another activity that might be
undertaken by me as it will show my dedication level in convincing people to buy certain
products.
Task 2: Reflective Commentary (300-500 words)
Answer the following questions on this week’s sessions. You may choose to answer the
questions one at a time or write in paragraphs.
Based on the marketing sessions that I have attended last month I have found that
things are carried out in differently and systematic manner in business world and also
learning new concepts such as the group working and carrying out the marketing task was
quite interesting and unique approach that I have not experienced earlier as I used to gain
theoretical knowledge. Furthermore, one thing that I have learnt today is that marketing
activity carried out in various firms have one thing in common that is, understanding the
customers very well so that there is no wastage of the resources and also much time of the
firm is saved that might be utilized in other useful activities of the firm.
Also, I have learnt that in the marketing sector it is very important that handling the
team is done through identifying the individual strengths and weakness of each team member
so that duties and responsibilities might be assigned in best of manner. Thus, it creates less
conflict and better leadership style might be practices. However, i m not sure about the
concepts and models of marketing that have to be used in various situations where so that
better solutions might be found out. Furthermore, these concepts have been learnt more if I
have done further researching after my learning sessions so that more clarity might be gained
and queries might be raised in the next sessions. Also, I have learnt more if time was
managed properly as there were lot of activities that need to be carry out in day because of
which I was not able to do further researching. However, from the overall sessions there are
certain things that is had to carry now one of being enhancing my researching skills on
various marketing concepts through the practical business examples so that I would be able to
garb better job opportunities in the future for myself in marketing industry.
3. Personal Development Plan
Think about the results of the surveys you did and the feedback you received from your 2
chosen individuals. What similarities can you see in the results? Do their ideas highlight areas
that you feel you need to develop? Do you have any other ideas of areas to develop?

Professional Practice Week 2 Portfolio Tasks
Complete the PDP below by answering the questions fully with specific details. Remember
that it is normal for your ideas and PDP to change as the course continues and your priorities
alter.
STEP 1: Identify Your Development Needs
A. Why are you seeking development at this time?
These skills are the need to the time as in any marketing organization it is latest trend
to hire those individuals that are able to provide the best solutions to the business according
to the data collected and also provide innovative solutions for continuous growth.
B. What are you seeking to develop at this time?
Innovation skill to generate new ides for any marketing business
Data analysis skill to analysis the data that is collected form the market regarding any
marketing criteria
C. Emphasis: What do you need? What is your specific goal?
Use of computer, internet and software for data analysis and attending seminars and
events sessions of big leaders that incorporated innovation in business. Also, the specific goal
is to work in the reputed marketing organization.
STEP 2: Identify Your Development Options
D. What steps could you take to develop the new knowledge, skills and behaviours?
I would watch online videos by various marketing leaders to learn the methods of
innovation and also to enhance the data analysis I would practice on Microsoft excel to
arrange the data to calculate and analyse the results of the market of any organization
(Zakharova, Mezinov and Mironova, 2020).
E. Considerations arising from ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’
From the above two the data analysis would be enhanced in the six months of regular
practice and dedication. Also, for the innovation nine moths are required for getting the complete
knowledge for actual implementation.
F: Identify Your Development Options
For the data analysis I would discuss the weakness with my supervisors so that corrective
measure might be taken on time. Also, for the innovation I would identify the training
programs that would provide additional knowledge regarding this concept.

Professional Practice Week 2 Portfolio Tasks
STEP 3: Plan for Development Activities
G. Write down the steps you will take to accomplish your task.
What could go wrong with your plan?
What will you do if your original plan does not work well?
Think of an alternative way to achieve your goal.
For accomplishing the task of achieving the innovation skill and data analysis I would
try to seek knowledge form the online available sources as much as possible in my free time
and later discuss with other individuals and supervisors for the same (Aboimova and
Kulagina, 2019). Also, the plan might go wrong if I have made certain wrong assumptions on
the concepts that have been searched. However, if my original plan does not work better than
I would seek help from my peers group that are working to achieve something similar skill.
Moreover, the best alternative way is through group learning so that better ideas might be
developed and later verified form any supervisor.
STEP 4: Undertake Development Activities
H. List your development activities completed throughout the semester
 Job assignments
 Professional development courses
 Skill based training
STEP 5: Apply new knowledge/ skills/ behaviours in the workplace
How do you intend to use this new knowledge/ skills/ behaviour in the workplace?
I would use this knowledge to gain deep insights about the total sales and revenues
generated in the business over specified period. Further, through innovation I would suggest
the management some possible solutions to any kind of challenging situations if it occurs.
STEP 6: Review and Repeat
Reflect on how this new knowledge/ skill / behaviour helped in your professional
development
This new knowledge have helped in sharing my professional career very much better
and has allowed me to identify better job opportunities that would allow me to enhance such
skills more. Also, better relationship with my supervisors had also been developed.

Professional Practice Week 2 Portfolio Tasks
REFERENCES
Books and journals
Aboimova, I. S. and Kulagina, A. A., 2019. Expansion of Personal Development Space of a
Student in the Sphere of Design. The 21st Century from the Positions of Modern
Science: Intellectual, Digital and Innovative Aspects. 91. p.142.
Cheah, J. W., and et.al., 2021. Use of an Individualized Development Plan to Identify Career
Development Needs in Prospective Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellows. Orthopaedic
journal of sports medicine. 9(12). p.23259671211059125.
Ilieş, V. I., 2018. Strategic personal branding for students and young professionals. Cross-
Cultural Management Journal. 20(01). pp.43-51.
Zakharova, M. A., Mezinov, V. N. and Mironova, E. L., 2020, November. The University
digital educational environment potential in the future teacher professional and personal
development. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1691, No. 1, p. 012208).
IOP Publishing.