University Engineering Course: Professional Employability Plan Report

This professional employability plan outlines an approach for securing a desired engineering position, emphasizing skill development, industry knowledge, and networking. It analyzes Australian recruitment practices, highlighting the shift to online platforms and the importance of skilled workers. The plan details short-term, medium-term, and long-term career goals, along with a skill reflection identifying areas for improvement such as communication and practical application of theoretical knowledge. A SMART action plan is included to achieve these goals, focusing on specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely objectives. The report concludes with a discussion of how networking and strategic planning are critical for achieving career success, and it includes a bibliography of relevant sources.

RUNNING HEAD: PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN
2020
Professional Employability Plan
Student’s DEtails-

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 1
Introduction
Professional employability plan contains the approach for the professional in getting the desired
job position within the concerned industry. This requires the development of the relevant skill set
and the gaining of the required capabilities which can be helpful in the achievement of the career
goal. This also requires the knowledge of the recruitment practices and the networking for
gaining employment within the particular industry1. Here, the professional employability plan
has discussed my personal approaches for getting employment within the engineering industry.
Also, the plan has discussed the recruitment trends and also the benefits of networking for
gaining employment in the engineering industry. The plan has included my short term and long-
term goals for employment and also made comparison with my personal skills and strengths.
Finally, I have made the action plan for the achieving of desired set of goals.
Recruitment Practices in Industry
The major trends in the recruitment practices in Australia have shifted to the online sources.
There are majorly job boards which can reach to the large number of job seekers. Moreover,
specialized job boards are used by different sectors and employment types. Also, there are
increased vacancies which are advertised by the employer using the corporate websites2. Social
media is also playing a vital role in the making of recruitment which can be helpful in the filling
up of the vacancies for the professionals. Australian employers have made a distinctive
recruitment strategy for overcoming the constraints after the global financial crisis. However, in
the engineering industry requires the employment of the skilled workers for the management of
the technical knowledge3. The main goals of the recruitment strategy are to gain the qualified and
skilled applicants for the filling up of the job positions. The goal of the recruiter in the
engineering industry is to make the recruitment of the experienced professionals which can
strengthen the employer’s brand into the labor market.
A trend shows that the employment in Information and Computer Technology (ICT) is 70
percent contract based. There are online recruitment platforms such as Top Coder, Talent Bin
1 D. Jackson, 'Re-Conceptualising Graduate Employability: The Importance Of Pre-Professional Identity' (2016) 35
Higher Education Research & Development.
2 M. Wallace and others, Attracting And Retaining Staff: The Role Of Branding And Industry Image (Springer 2014).
3 engineers australia, 'Careers At Engineers Australia' (engineers australia, 2020)
<https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/About-Us/Jobs-At-Engineers-Australia> accessed 6 April 2020.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 2
and Remarkable hire are helpful in the identification of their respective contribution in the
developer community4. The employers of the engineering industry account for higher
professional skills and knowledge for the role of the business analyst, software engineers and
program developer. The recruitment practices for the hiring of the professional in the engineering
industry makes use of the technology in which internet is regarded as the main source of
recruitment for the Australian job seekers5. Apart from this, the professionals use the vacancy
websites as this has the capacity to reach number of job seekers into the engineering industry.
Also, the recruitments are also made on the basis of the outsourcing agencies who recruit the
employees on behalf of the organization. This outsourcing is treated as the project-based work
through the use of the outsourced websites which have employment for the casual employees.
Moreover, recruitment agencies specialize in the IT recruitment which includes the hiring of the
people through these sources6.
Role of Networking in Industry
There can be several benefits of networking in the access of job opportunities in the engineering
industry. Active networking is crucial for making a growth in the career. This is about building
up of long-term relationship which can be helpful in getting professional employment
opportunities in the engineering industry. It takes place when one meets new people and
knowing them which can potentially help in getting the benefits in return for the future7. This can
be helpful in the gaining of the ideas through the exchange of the information. Moreover, sharing
of the creative and the innovative ideas can be helpful in the building of the reputation which
increases the possibility of getting employment. This can be possible through attending of the
professional seminars and events which provide knowledge about certain aspects and offers the
useful information about the increased access to the job opportunities which increases the
4 Smart Workplaces, 'Australian Recruitment Practices' (Smart Workplaces, 2014)
<https://smartworkplaces.org.au/smartworkplaces/portals/0/reports/4/1_Australian%20recruitment%20practices
%20report.pdf> accessed 6 April 2020.
5 Grad Australia, 'Human Resources And Recruitment In Australia: An Overview' (Grad Australia, 2020)
<https://gradaustralia.com.au/career-planning/human-resources-and-recruitment-in-australia-an-overview>
accessed 6 April 2020.
6 N.S. Rajani and V.B Reddy, 'Recruitment Practices Of Select Organizations-A Case Study' (2016) 6 International
Journal of Management, IT and Engineering.
7 M. Raj, N.J. Fast and O. Fisher, 'Identity And Professional Networking' (2017) 43 Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 3
likelihood of the receiving introductions from the professional people8. This therefore helps in
the building of the business contacts which can be used for getting practical knowledge about the
business techniques from the peers and the close people for gaining of more knowledge through
the new and valuable information.
The building of the professional networks in the engineering industry is beneficial for giving the
career advice and support and also helps in the building up of the career journey. It helps in
giving the opportunity and facing of the challenges through getting valuable suggestions and
guidance from the professional networks. Further, meeting of the new people builds confidence
and provide an opportunity to make the step out of the comfort zone9. This can also be helpful in
the acquiring of the social skills and building up of the self-confidence which can be beneficial
for the individual to grow and take learnings from the lasting connections. Also, this helps in the
gaining of different perspectives which helps the individual to expand the pool of knowledge and
get the expertise in the area of the professional conduct. The professional networking can be
helpful in the nurturing of the professional relationships and a life to the personal connections10.
This also provides the opportunity for the further improvements into the personality and also
helps in the raising of the profile through the meetings and the connection made for the future
opportunity for the gaining of the employment.
Career Clarity
Engineering job is regarded as the tough job in Australia and demands dedication and hard work
for reaching the desired job position11. Moreover, I need to make the personal employment goals
for becoming a successful engineer in the future. The following are the short term, medium-
terms and long-term goals for the personal employment goals:
Short-term goals
8 W. KIm and K. Malek, 'Social Networking Sites Versus Professional Networking Sites: Perceptions Of Hospitality
Students' (2018) 17 Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism.
9 Michael, 'Top 11 Benefits Of Networking' (Michael page, 2018)
<https://www.michaelpage.com.au/advice/career-advice/career-progression/benefits-networking> accessed 6
April 2020.
10 M.J. Goolsby and J.M. Knestrick, 'Effective Professional Networking' (2017) 29 Journal of the American
Association of Nurse Practitioners.
11 S. Male and R. KIng, 'Best Practice Guidelines For Effective Industry Engagement In Australian Engineering
Degrees' [2014] Australian Council of Engineering Deans, Brisbane, Qld., Australia.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 4
Engineering industry is highly competitive, it requires the overall developed personality which
can be helpful in the getting job frequently12. My short-term goal is to gain the communication
and learning to manage the time. This can be obtained by the building up of the social connection
and making interactions with more people. It is crucial for me to get the basic insights of the time
management through the proper management of the deadlines of the assignments.
Medium-term goals
For the setting up of the medium-term goals for the professional employability, it is crucial to get
the profound knowledge of the core subject. My short-term goal is to complete my graduation in
the engineering as this is the basic criteria for getting the job into the engineering field. In this
way I can gain the knowledge about the engineering subject which can later be helpful in the
gaining of employability skills. This goal can be helpful in getting the learning of the course
which can practically be implied into the employment13. Moreover, acquiring of the employment
skills will be helpful in the development of sense of responsibility, higher potential and
development of team work which can provide huge advantage to CV.
Long-term goals
Long term goal for the professional employability is working as an engineer in the reputed
organization14. This is my long-term goals that I strive to achieve in the future. This can be
helpful in gaining of the practical knowledge and making use of my skills. Also, my long-term
goals is to achieve the experience through changing work environments and get an opportunity to
visit abroad for my career exposure.
Skill Reflection
As my short-term goal is to learn about the time management and also completing post-
graduation, I require to have a set of skills which I will develop to achieve the short-term career
goal. I would increase my interaction with the people for improving my communication skills.
12 M. Jollands and others, 'Developing Graduate Employability Through Partnerships With Industry And
Professional Associations' [2015] Strawberry Hills: Office for Learning and Teaching.
13 Engineers Australia, 'Institute Of Industrial Engineers' (Engineers Australia, 2020)
<https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Communities-And-Groups/Technical-Societies/Institute-Of-Industrial-
EngineersFor> accessed 6 April 2020.
14 Career One Stop, 'Set SMART Goals To Get Ahead In Your Career.' (Career One Stop, 2020)
<https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Plan/set-goals.aspx> accessed 6 April 2020.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 5
Also, for completing my post-graduation with good grades, I would make improvements into my
habits. Particularly, I would make efforts for the time management through which I will manage
my deadlines accordingly and make a proper planning of the studies. For getting the profound
knowledge of the subject, I will make the improvements into the study plan and develop my
skills for becoming a responsible employee.
As my short-term goal is to achieve the employability skills, I need to work upon the
development of my skills which I can use in the future. Currently, I am confident and I am aware
of my abilities for the sense of responsibility towards studies. I face challenges in the application
of the theoretical aspects into the practical aspects. For that, I will need to develop my skills by
working as an intern into field of engineering. This working experience can be helpful for me to
get the practical knowledge and this will surely increase my employability skills which I can use
for the future employment. I can develop my potential and exercise teamwork. Moreover, this
experience will be an advantage into CV. This can be helpful for the gaining of my short-term
goal which is to make good marks in the post-graduation.
SMART Action Plan
SMART action plan is required for the attainment of the professional goals which are previously
being set through the short-term, mid-term and the long-term goals. I can make the SMART
action plan through the being specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. For
professional employability I would make the aim specific through the making of the professional
connections which can lead to the idea of the career goals. Further, for making the goal
measurable, I would make my skills developed in the next two years as soon as I finish my post-
graduation in engineering. Also, I would gain the thorough knowledge of my subject which can
help me in the becoming a professional. Further, I will increase my confidence and abilities to
interact with professional people which make my goals attainable. For relevancy I would make
the goal which is relevant to my career goals. Lastly, I would make improvements into my skills
which I would gain in next two years which makes my goal time bounded. I would make use of
the SMART plan for the development of my strengths.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 6
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be said that professional employability plan helps in the attaining of the
desired career and making use of the strengths to achieve the career goals. The individual is
needed to develop the understanding of the recruitment practices of Australia for making
preparation of the future employment. Here, the employability plan is based on my plan for
working as an engineer. For that, I have determined the benefits of the networking which can be
beneficial for my career. Also, I have realized that I need to work upon certain set of skills for
making the realization of the short-term, middle-term and long-term goals. Also, I would make
the SMART action plan for the achieving of the set of goals and move towards my ambition of
becoming a successful engineer.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 7
Bibliography
Smart Workplaces, 'Australian Recruitment Practices' (Smart Workplaces, 2014)
<https://smartworkplaces.org.au/smartworkplaces/portals/0/reports/4/1_Australian
%20recruitment%20practices%20report.pdf> accessed 6 April 2020
engineers australia, 'Careers At Engineers Australia' (engineers australia, 2020)
<https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/About-Us/Jobs-At-Engineers-Australia> accessed 6
April 2020
Grad Australia, 'Human Resources and Recruitment In Australia: An Overview' (Grad Australia,
2020) <https://gradaustralia.com.au/career-planning/human-resources-and-recruitment-in-
australia-an-overview> accessed 6 April 2020
Male S, and KIng R, 'Best Practice Guidelines For Effective Industry Engagement In Australian
Engineering Degrees' [2014] Australian Council of Engineering Deans, Brisbane, Qld.,
Australia.
Michael, 'Top 11 Benefits Of Networking' (Michael page, 2018)
<https://www.michaelpage.com.au/advice/career-advice/career-progression/benefits-
networking> accessed 6 April 2020
Engineers Australia, 'Institute Of Industrial Engineers' (Engineers Australia, 2020)
<https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Communities-And-Groups/Technical-Societies/Institute-
Of-Industrial-EngineersFor> accessed 6 April 2020
Career One Stop, 'Set SMART Goals To Get Ahead In Your Career.' (Career One Stop, 2020)
<https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Plan/set-goals.aspx> accessed 6 April 2020.
Jackson D, 'Re-Conceptualising Graduate Employability: The Importance Of Pre-Professional
Identity' (2016) 35 Higher Education Research & Development
Jollands M and others, 'Developing Graduate Employability Through Partnerships With Industry
And Professional Associations' [2015] Strawberry Hills: Office for Learning and Teaching
Wallace M and others, Attracting And Retaining Staff: The Role Of Branding And Industry
Image (Springer 2014)

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYABILITY PLAN` 8
Rajani N, and Reddy V, 'Recruitment Practices Of Select Organizations-A Case Study' (2016) 6
International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering
Raj M, Fast N, and Fisher O, 'Identity And Professional Networking' (2017) 43 Personality and
Social Psychology Bulletin
KIm W, and Malek K, 'Social Networking Sites Versus Professional Networking Sites:
Perceptions Of Hospitality Students' (2018) 17 Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality &
Tourism
Goolsby M, and Knestrick J, 'Effective Professional Networking' (2017) 29 Journal of the
American Association of Nurse Practitioners