Career Action Plan & Self-Reflection Report - MG410 Career Viewpoint

This report presents a career action plan developed through self-reflection and personal analysis. It identifies existing skills like time management, communication, and problem-solving, alongside areas needing improvement such as research skills, decision-making, leadership, data analytics, and knowledge of marketing regulations. The action plan outlines specific methods, resources, and timelines for developing these skills to enhance performance as a marketing executive. The author reflects on their experience, highlighting initial nervousness due to skill gaps, which motivated the creation of a strategic career action plan to address these deficiencies and pursue career opportunities.

CAREER ACTION PLAN
AND SELF REFLECTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Personal analysis..........................................................................................................................3
Career action plan........................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
Appendix........................................................................................................................................10
CV..............................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Self-reflection and career action plan are one of those useful elements that help a person
to grow and developed themselves in productive and effective way. Action plan encompasses
important components that clearly define aim, objectives as well as action take to achieve these.
While, self-reflection is considered as procedure of defining own learning, skills, developed and
undeveloped areas whether it related to personal or professional careers. The current report will
be based on skills' development concept. It will explain personal analysis statement in form of
reflection. Lastly the report will justify career action plan that will be developed on the basis of
outcomes obtain via personal analysis.
MAIN BODY
Personal analysis
Personal and professional skills play important role in growth, development and success
of individuals, which is a quite common thing, but development of these competencies is
tougher. Here, I want to conduct a personal analysis and in term of that I tend to describe skills
which I had and those as well that are lacking, which is not good for my career development.
The skill that I had is time management, which is mostly utilized by many people as
they have, but in effective manner. Just because of having this competence, I was able to
complete my daily work on time and develop plan to gain more benefits in the future such as
grabbing job opportunity in retail sector within M&S as marketing executive, which is one of the
most responsible designation in the company. Time management skill teach individual about
how to manage time and use in beneficial way, which is quite essential. By having this skill I
would take approach to grab this job chance, as I had start developing plan and scheduling my
work to be productive and effective all the time, when a firm need me and expect to work harder
than ever. It is fact that time management skill reduce stress less, because when I develop plan
and work accordingly, then I do not take too much tension about what outcome I would gain, as
it have to be positive in return.
Just like above, effective communication skill also provided varied benefits to me. For
example, during my academic career, I was accountable to work with few students for purpose of
completing specific project on time by working together. Just because of having this skill, I had
interacted so well, which enabled everyone to complete project before time with proper
formatting. Not only this, I had obtained more advantages and expect to get more in the future by

using same competence many times. It gives me confidence to interact with those who are
freshers and unable to make themselves comfortable within new environment. With a good
confidence level, I am able to develop better relationships with all who work with me further and
recently as team members or individuals.
Team working were also included in list of personal and professional skills that I had
and used several times and also tend to utilized in effective manner, for varied purpose and
according to situational demand. It is one of those beneficial and essential skills that I would use
further and in recent time. By having competence or capability to work in a group of individual, I
had gained advantages of be creative and allow other to do so, which is beneficial for their
excellent progress. It given me chance to show my team working skill in term of ability, through
which I had conducted many activities like idea sharing, group discussion, etc. that is important
for everyone to do and take part in that.
The skill, which advantage I am using the most is problem solving that always make
allow me to be happier and free from stress that is important for anyone to do so, as it put
positive impact on health and well-being of human. With the help of this skill I had made many
people able to avoid too much stress and away from depress. I have taken benefit of being a
problem solver by providing appropriate solution to such a common issue that affect further
activities. I was able to obtain desire outcomes, without making a major mistake and develop
challenge to others. It helps to create positive environment and spread positivity as well, which is
beneficial and important to do so for me.
Along with skills, I had utilized my knowledge regarding current and common trends
that are running in the marketing section. The better understanding about all market trends
provided me benefit to grab marketing executive job in Marks and Spencer, which is one of the
biggest retailer in the UK. This learning I would utilize in the future when I perform as
marketing executive and accountable to accomplish accountabilities and duties in a bulk, for
which appropriate focus is essential.
Career action plan
A plan that help to achieve set aims and provide desire outcomes to developer or to
whom, for which it may develop is named as career action plan. As key approach, it is utilized in
the context of skills development process that provide unexpected benefits to individuals. Here,
the current action plan is based on final outcome of above personal analysis, which define the

areas where development related to my personal and professional career is important. I want to
develop those skills that make me capable to perform in effective and productive manner by
holding designation as marketing executive in Marks & Spencer that operated in the UK retail
industry.
Development areas Methods to develop
skill or area
Resources Time-bound
Research skill I want to develop this
skill, because it helps
to make me capable in
term of identifying
current market trend
and gathering useful
information about key
rivals, which
management in the
future within
organization would
utilize to be
competitive as always.
I will take action to
join research training
session.
Internet is the main
resource that I would
use to develop all
skills.
3 months
Decision making Another skill that I
want to develop is
current one, which is
as beneficial as above
one. I would take
action in regard to that
is situational analysis,
which make me
Online learning and
development sources,
better understanding
about variety of
situations and effective
communication.
15 days

stronger to take
decision and then
implement into
practical manner,
without making any
major mistakes.
Leadership skill In order to perform
and work
appropriately as
marketing executive, I
tend to develop
leadership
competence, for which
strategic action is
needed. For example, I
would develop habit of
taking initiatives
regarding problem
solving, group
discussion based on
specific subject, etc.
As important
resources, I will use
books and novels
written on the basis of
effectiveness of varied
successful leaders.
1 month
Data analytics It is important for me
to develop this along
with above three skills.
So for this reason I
would take action to
become a member of
training session, where
expert will provide
useful suggestions and
Online sources via
Lynda, Coursera, etc.
2 months

directions about how
to develop and in what
manner a data
analytics skill.
Lack of knowledge
about regulations
and laws related to
field of marketing
I am not posing better
understanding about
legislations and laws
related to marketing
industry, which is
quite important for me
to understand before
taking approach to
work as marketing
executive. I would
take decision to read
books that are
accessible in bulk
related to regulations
stated and governed in
the context of
marketing activities of
contemporary
organizations.
Internet, books, case
studies, etc.
2 months
Lack of flexibility I tend to develop this
skill just like above,
because it also
contributes in growth
and development of
my personal as well as
professional career. In
Communication and
coordination
15 days

regard to flexibility, I
would prefer to take
action and that is
understanding that I
would develop about
environment for which
some changes I need
to accept.
Lack of knowledge
about existing
competitors in retail
industry where firm
established its
venture.
I am not posing good
and useful
comprehending about
major rivals of M&S.
In order to develop
knowledge about
them, I need to use
tool effective
techniques and
systems as digital
research technologies.
Advanced
technologies, research
methods and data
analysis approach.
2 months
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above analysis and discussion, I want to share mu personal experience in
term of feeling that I had gained while completing this project. I felt nervous and unhappy
because of lacking in many areas that are related to my chosen profession. This feeling driven
my attention toward strategic approaches and techniques. I work harder to find out specific
method and that is career action plan, through which I had developed lacking skills effectively
and grabbed the opportunity to become a marketing executive. I tend to use above action plan in
term of skills, knowledge and capabilities development in the future.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abu Mostafa, Y. and et.al., 2021. The Role of Strategic Leadership in Activating Time
Management Strategies to Enhance Administrative Creativity Skills. International
Journal of Academic Management Science Research (IJAMSR) Vol. 5. pp.36-48.
Er, Y., Demirel, M. and Cuhadar, A., 2020. Investigation of leisure management skills and
leisure boredom in university students in terms of different variables. International
Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology. 9(6). pp.49-54.
Mishra, R., Singh, R. and Jaikumar, S., 2021. Executive Functions of BoP Consumers: Research
Propositions, Conceptual Framework and Implications for Marketing Strategies for BoP
Markets. Journal of Global Marketing. pp.1-21.
Rosado-Cubero, A., Freire-Rubio, T. and Hernández, A., 2021. UNDERSTANDING triggering
skills for ENTREPRENEURS: The case of ESIC. Technological forecasting and social
change. 162. p.120380.

Appendix
CV
Skills and knowledge-
 Data analytics
 Communication and coordination
 Effective decision-making and problem solving
 ICTs
 Research skill
 Team working and leading
Education-
 MBA in marketing filed
Experience-
 3 years experience as marketing executive
Interest-
 Reading
 Music listening
 Horse and bike ridding