Deakin University MPM732 Critical Thinking Report: Career Development

This report presents a self-assessment based on the Superstrong assessment results, focusing on critical thinking for career development. The analysis is divided into four stages. Stage 2 describes the assessment results, interpreting them based on personal experiences, highlighting skills like adaptability, communication, and leadership, and identifying areas for improvement. Stage 3 draws a career vision, specifically in real estate sales, aligning skills with career interests and emphasizing the importance of communication, attention to detail, and teamwork. Stage 4 critically analyzes the assessment tools and techniques used, including the SuperStrong assessment and the Neuro-Logical level by Dilts, justifying the career vision. The report concludes that the SuperStrong assessment is useful for self-awareness and career choices, but could be improved by prioritizing career interests and identifying areas of improvement for each career path. Additionally, it highlights the importance of education and external factors like economic conditions for achieving the career vision.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Stage 2: data description and interpretation...............................................................................2
Personal Dashboard................................................................................................................2
Stage 3: critical interpretation and argument.............................................................................4
Stage 4: Reflection on tools and techniques..............................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................8
Appendix....................................................................................................................................9
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Introduction
The objective of the given report is to present my self assessment based on the result obtained
in the Superstrong assessment. The analysis of the assessment result has been carried out
namely in three stages. The objective of the first stage (i.e. Stage 2) is primarily at description
of the results and interpreting the same based on my subjective experiences in life. The
objective of the next stage (i.e Stage 3) is to draw a career vision based on the skills,
competencies & career interests that have been identified. Additionally, it also needs to be
established that how my skills would be an asset to the employer in my desired career.
Finally, the next stage (i.e. Stage 4) aims at carrying a critical analysis of the self assessment
tools and techniques that have been used besides justifying the career vision that has been
formulated based on the assessment results.
Stage 2: data description and interpretation
The personal dashboard is highlighted as follows.
Personal Dashboard
Superstrong Result The top three skills based on the skills
audit are adaptability, communication
and leadership.
Certain areas of improvement as
identified from the skills audit are
working under pressure, training others
and digital literacy.
Academic Interests – I have done well in areas
which are practical in orientation and not limited
to only theoretical concept. As a result, I tend to
be interested in subjects where case study
methodology is adopted which allow scope for
application of theoretical knowledge in resolving
Personal Interests – I like to go out quite
often as I am a nature loving person.
Spending time in a peaceful space such
as park tends to have a calming effect on
me. I also like to hangout with my
friends which is quite fulfilling for me.
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real life problems. Additionally, my interest also
ties in topics such as marketing which tend to
provide sufficient scope for out of the box
suggestions and solutions. Topics or areas which
have limited practical application do not interest
me and hence I do not perform very well in such
subjects.
Besides, I visit the church now and then
when I am disturbed which helps me
relax and restore my focus.
Occasionally, I like to cook also
especially for my friends.
Experiences
 I was on a trekking experience once with friends. I started feeling unwell and was
down with fever. However, with the help of my friends, I was able to complete the
trek successfully and also manage my health. This experience helped me understand
the significance of teamwork.
 My communication skills during childhood were not good as I was quite shy.
However, I had experiences during my schooling days when i had to suffer on
account of my poor communication skills. These really motivated me and helped me
understand the importance of superior communication skills. As a result, I took a lot
of efforts to improve my communication skills.
 During my teenage, I have seen that there is no particular philosophy or belief that
tends to hold in every circumstance. As a result, I have become very adaptable and
tend to behave, think based on the environment and the underlying situation at hand. I
believe that this is a quite useful trait.
 My father was very dedicated in work owing to which he did not give much time to
family and especially to my mother. As a result, his personal life suffered a lot. This
experience highlighted the importance of maintaining a work life balance. As a result,
I do not focus excessively on one of these aspects.
The above personal dashboard not only highlights my skills and areas of improvement but
more importantly provides understanding about my experiences and interests which can be
helpful in improving the overall self-awareness. This is critical since this can potentially be
related to the future careers and provides vital information which is relevant in making
suitable career choices going forward (Arthur and McMohan, 2019). The personal dashboard
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clearly provides a glimpse into my skills especially with regards to the emphasis on balance
in various fields and to avoid excesses in life.
Stage 3: critical interpretation and argument
There are various beliefs and values which are integral to me as captured by the SuperStrong
assessment results. Some of these key values include practicality and common sense. These
values fit in with my belief that common sense is critical in life as it tends to resolve a host of
issues that arise. Additionally, it is essential that decisions, suggestions, solutions ought to be
pragmatic so that the desired effect can be realised. Further, I do value tradition to some
extent as it helps in remaining calm & peaceful in the modern chaotic world that we are
currently living in. I also consider stability as an imperative value as without the same, the
efficiency of a person both in personal and professional sphere tends to diminish leading to
sub-standard outcomes. Also, competition is an essential value which tends to keep an
individual focused and motivated and avoid acting casual.
My key personal strengths include my work style which is quite flexible, thereby allowing
me to function smoothly in different work environments. Additionally, the learning
environment preferred by me is a judicious mix of theory and practical which tends to not
only facilitate understanding of key concepts but also highlight their appropriate usage in real
life scenarios. Besides, I prefer motivating others and directing others into achieving common
goals. This allows me to an able leader who initiates useful actions. Also, I tend to be
appreciative towards new ideas and innovative approaches which is of critical importance. I
am also a team player and prefer working in teams rather than individually. This is quite
useful considering the fact that the modern day tasks are complex and require specialised
knowledge which is facilitated only through teams. My skills include working with numbers
along with data analysis which is pivotal in all professional spheres especially as data is
assuming more importance owing to prediction of consumer behaviour and preferences. I
also pay attention to details which is imperative as at times there is useful information in the
details which is often overlooked by others.
There are essentially six potential career pathways that I am suited for as per the assessment
results. One of them is sales which involve prospect development, working with salespeople
and selling services or products. I believe this particular career pathway goes well with my
current education and interest. This is because I am current pursuing MBA with my
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specialisation being marketing. Additionally, my skill sets such as communication,
adaptability and leadership also auger well for a career in the field of marketing. My specific
focus is in real estate marketing and I aspire to become a sales manager in this particular
space. This particular career path offers a healthy mix of theoretical knowledge (in terms of
rules & regulations) along with practical application of making real estate sales. Also, this
particular career path would allow me to be in the field rather than to be limited to office
space which augers well with my interests and personality. Additionally, real estate sale is a
career which provides ample opportunity for work life balance which I aim to achieve.
There are various skills, competencies which would make me an asset for the employer in the
real estate sales profession. The first key skill is my superior communication skill which is of
utmost importance in this profession. This includes both listening as well as speaking skills. It
is imperative that as a sales person, the needs and requirements of the customer should be
clearly understood so that suitable properties can be presented to the customer (Zeller, 2016).
Further, attention to detail is pivotal in this process as it allows for better understanding of the
needs of the client thereby improving the overall service. Additionally, my leadership and
teamwork skills would also be useful in this profession as the process involves various
departments and expertise. As a result, coordination with other members of the organisation
and finding solutions to issues is highly significant (Sirgy, 2014).
Stage 4: Reflection on tools and techniques
The SuperStrong assessment has proved to be immensely useful in analysing my skills and
interests. The result produced by this assessment has enhanced my self-awareness and
enabled me to choose a prudent career pathway. Also, the assessment has been largely
successful in identifying personal styles and occupational themes. The assessment
successfully provides an organised view of the various aspects related to my skills and lists
the potential career path which I was previously not aware of. As a result, the given tool can
prove immensely helpful for an individual who needs to make career choice and has
shortlisted some potential options. It would have been more useful if the tool listed the career
pathways in a prioritised order which would further facilitate prudent decision making
especially on part of the individuals who do not have high self awareness levels (Blokdyk,
2019).
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Another critical thinking tool that could be useful for justifying my career pathway in the real
estate sales is Neuro-Logical level by Dilts. This particular approach is quite useful since it
analyses the crucial parameters such as environment, capabilities, vision, behaviour, identify
& values. This model clearly justifies my choice since currently I am pursuing marketing as
my specialisation (environment) and have the appropriate capabilities and values. My
behaviour and vision are also supported by this career choice.
The vision that I have formed can easily be justified on account of the assessment results as
one of my career interests has emerged as sales. The listing of career interest as sales in the
assessment is reflective of the fact that I have skills and competencies which hint towards
sales being a suitable career pathway for myself. The given assessment would have been
more useful if it had listed the various areas of improvement for each of the career pathways
which have been indicated by the assessment. This would have provided key inputs which
could have been used for self-development so as to ensure that the vision is accomplished.
Further, a big enabler for my vision is my education which also is aimed towards the sales &
marketing specialisation. As a result, I will be adept with the various theoretical concepts
which would prove useful for realisation of my vision. Also, real estate as an asset class is
undergoing a healthy correction in Australia which actually provides an interesting
opportunity for people wanting to enter the market (Spiro, 2019). However, any significant
slowing down of economy on account of global slowdown and US China trade war could
prove to be dampener to my vision especially in the short term (Farrer, 2018). This aspect has
been captured in the neuro-logical levels by Ditto. But I am confident that in the long run,
Australian economy is poised to go and supportive government policies towards housing are
expected to continue which would provide ample opportunity for the realisation of my vision.
Conclusion
Based on the above discussion, it is fair to conclude that the given SuperStrong assessment is
quite useful in listing down the style, competencies & skills of the concerned individual.
Further, it also highlights the various alternative career interests which are best suited for the
concerned individual. This leads to improvement in self awareness and better career choices.
However, it would have been more useful if the assessment would have listed the various
career interests in some order which would have extended more help. Additionally, the
various areas of improvement for the different career interests should also have been
identified. My career vision of become a real estate sales manager is supported by my career
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interests , skills, competencies along with my current education. However, a potent risk to my
vision is any prolonged slowdown in the real estate sector caused on account of significant
growth concerns both internationally as well as domestically.
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References
Arthur, N. and McMohan, M. (2019) Contemporary Theories of Career Development:
International Perspectives, New York: Routledge Publications
Blokdyk, G. (2019) Career Development A Complete Guide, London: 5starcooks
Farrer, M. (2018) Australia's economic growth at risk as US-China trade war escalates,
[online] Available at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/sep/19/australias-
economic-growth-at-risk-as-us-china-trade-war-escalates [Retrieved August 17, 2019]
Sirgy, M. J. (2014) Real Estate Marketing: Strategy, Personal Selling, Negotiation,
Management, New York: Routledge Publications
Spiro, N. (2019) Slowdown in Australia’s property market won’t dampen Chinese investor
interest, [online] Available at
https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3005149/slowdown-australias-
property-market-wont-dampen-chinese [Retrieved August 17, 2019]
Zeller, D. (2016) Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies, New Jersey: Wiley
Publications
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Appendix
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