Academic Skills & PDP: Personal & Professional Development Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of personal and professional development, emphasizing the importance of academic skills and a well-structured Personal Development Plan (PDP). It defines personal and professional development as a continuous process of skill enhancement to achieve career goals. The report discusses the value of short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals, providing personal examples for each category, highlighting how they contribute to overall growth and success. It also elaborates on the significance of a PDP in identifying areas for improvement, setting objectives, and fostering motivation. The report concludes that academic skills and personal development are crucial for career advancement, and a PDP is essential for turning weaknesses into strengths. It is supplemented by a reference list and a PDP appendix.

Business Management with Foundation
BMP3001
Academic Skills and PDP
Assessment 2
Report on Personal Development
Submitted by:
Name:
ID:
0

Contents
1. Introduction p
2. Definition of the concept of personal and professional
development p
3. Description and discussion of the value of short term goals
identifying at least 3 personal examples p
4. Description and discussion of the value of medium term goals
identifying at least 3 personal examples p
5. Description and discussion of the value of long term goals
identifying at least 3 personal examples p
6. Description and discussion of the value of a Personal
Development Plan p
7. Conclusion p
Reference List p
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1. Introduction
Academic skills are the composition of different skills such as study habits,
learning strategy, time management approaches and tools which are helpful for
student to learn and absorb knowledge from their sessions. Academic skills can also
be defined as talents and habits which benefit academic pursuits such as learning,
research, report writing and presentation (Academic skills, 2020). Personal
development plays an essential activity for beings in order to make progress in their
career and life. Professional development focuses on learning that will improve a
person's professional qualities and capacity to perform well at work. The process of
personal professional development is an ongoing process where individuals can
determine their short-, medium- and long-term objectives, learn new skills and
competencies and develop qualities which will be helpful in performing the assigned
activities effectively and efficiently. This report will discuss the concepts of personal
and professional development. The report will also study and discuss the values of
short-, medium- and long-term objectives with few examples. The research will
depict the value of personal and professional development plan. Lastly, the report
will outline a personal and professional development plan (PDP).
2. Definition of the concept of personal and professional
development
Personal and professional development is a continuous or ongoing process which
defines the skills that needs to be improved and supports in enhancing the skills
through which performance can be enhanced and better career perceptive can be
attained. The purpose of personal and professional development is the approach of
continuous learning through which knowledge can be acquired and it can support in
meeting career goals. The concepts and approaches of personal and professional
development is connected with professional growth (Personal and professional
development guide, 2021). The process of personal and professional development is
helpful in tracking the professional abilities as well as assists in boosting morale and
confidence of individuals through which they can shape their personality and excel in
their career.
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A personal and professional development plan is a technique for increasing
an individual's knowledge and key competencies. These types of improvement
initiatives assist in the implementation of specific duties and responsibilities and lead
to increased career progress and opportunities. A professional and personal
development plan is a blueprint that facilitates in the planning of improvements
necessary to accomplish a set of desired goals and objectives. Personal
development in terms of career, education, skills and knowledge is also benefited by
such strategies. Personal and professional development enables in the recognition
of pros and cons as well as the planning of corrective measures that will contribute in
the completion of short, medium, and long-term objectives.
Personal development is a long-time process that improves a person's talents
and traits while keeping in mind various short, medium, and long-term goals and can
help a person reach their full potential (Cottrell, 2015). In other words, personal and
professional development encompasses activities that help people grow their human
capital, improve their quality of life and find better jobs throughout their lives.
3. Description and discussion of the value of short term
goals identifying at least 3 personal examples
Short-term goals are ones that must be completed in the near future. Such
objectives must be met in a short period of time and are useful in laying the
foundations for a person to plan a path to success. These objectives are short-term
in nature but they can result in significant and life-long accomplishments that
improve skills, knowledge and attract new possibilities. Short-term goals can assist a
person in obtaining better success and improving their abilities and competences in
examining greater chances in the future (Dickinson and Griffiths, 2015). A short-term
goal's main role is to assist in taking more focused actions that will help in the
attainment of the long-term objectives.
Short-term goals are beneficial to an individual; the value of short-term goals
are outlined below:
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• These goals aid in the definition of journey milestones and the creation of a path for
reaching long-term objectives.
• Long-term goals are broken into short-term goals in order to achieve them.
• Short-term goals assist in bringing clarity to work toward long-term objectives.
• These objectives provide a clear roadmap for achieving long-term objectives.
• These objectives helped to reduce procrastination and maintain focus.
Some of the examples of short-term objectives are listed below:
 Improving interpersonal skills
 Enhance academic performance and pass by merit in mid terms
 Complete homework in timely manner
4. Description and discussion of the value of medium
term goals identifying at least 3 personal examples
Between short and long-term goals, medium-term goals are set. Setting
SMART goals allows a person to develop in their progress and strive towards
achieving their objectives. Smart goals can also be used as indicators to track
progress. Because of the large gap between the medium-term and long-term goals,
medium-term goals cannot be specified (Helyer, 2015). Short-term goals lay the
foundation for medium-term goals and both goals work together to attain long-term
goals.
Medium-term goals are linked to long-term goals because they aid in the
creation and implementation of an action plan to attain long-term objectives (Hobbs
and Holley, 2015). The importance of medium-term goals is stated in the following
manner:
• Medium-term goals are useful in establishing a positive link between goal
formulation and achievement.
• Medium-term goals aid in the alignment of long-term plans, ensuring success.
• Medium-term goals are beneficial because they help to divide larger goals into
smaller and more achievable chunks.
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• A new medium-term aim can be established due to a shift in values or priorities.
Some of the examples of medium-term objectives are listed below:
 Regularly apply for job opportunities
 Work on leadership skills
 Create blueprint of future business plan
5. Description and discussion of the value of long term
goals identifying at least 3 personal examples
Long-term goals are those that must be accomplished in the future. The
attainment of such objectives necessitates time and careful planning in order to
make consistent progress toward achieving them (Lejeune, Beausaert and
Raemdonck, 2021). Long-term goals on the other hand are more difficult to reach
and must be subdivided into smaller, shorter, and medium-term goals that can
support in their accomplishment. Long-term goals are aided by short- and medium-
term goals, which help to maintain a stable growth rate in order to attain the desired
results.
The importance of long-term objectives is mentioned below:
 Long-term goals are useful because they provide a reason to put out
consistent effort.
 These goals support in determining the direction of life and responsibility that
must be focused on (Mulherin, Walter and Cox, 2018).
Some of the examples of long-term objectives are listed below:
 Complete my MBA degree from well-known reputed college/university
 To purchase a house and luxury car
 Start a business
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6. Description and discussion of the value of a Personal
Development Plan
Personal and professional development is a continuous process that
contributes in the establishment of goals, the assessment and development of
qualities and the enhancement of people's capabilities and potential. Continuous
professional development opportunities serve as motivators providing a sense of
purpose and belonging inside a business (Pitan and Muller, 2020). A personal and
professional development plan allows to advance the current performance and skills
that need to be improved as well as establish strategies to develop those skills.
The value of personal and professional development is explained in the following
paragraphs:
 This encourages dedication, enthusiasm and the ability to master new talents
or improve existing ones in order to bring about better change.
 An excellent personal and professional development plan can assist
individuals avoid making poor decisions by allowing them to evaluate
situations and choose the best option.
 With the help of PDP, this aids in the reduction of stress and the
enhancement of motivation allowing for the achievement of goals.
 With the use of a PDP plan, an organisation can devise effective ways to aid
in the enhancement of skills and competences, hence attracting additional
career progression chances (Sallati, de Andrade Bertazzi and Schützer,
2019).
 A personal and professional development plan aids in career transformation
by addressing flaws.
 A PDP is necessary because it provides a sense of direction, allowing the
correct tactics and actions to be implemented and progress to be
accomplished.
 An individual can prioritise their objectives using a PDP plan based on their
thoughts and preferences.
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PDP PLAN
PDP attached in appendix
7.0 Conclusion
From the detailed study of above report, it can be understood that academic
skills encourage and supports student to enhance the learning in becoming more
efficient learner and plays a vital role in shaping a successful career. Personal and
professional development is a constant process of improving one's abilities,
competencies, and knowledge in order to increase the number of career options
available to them. The study outlines about the various types of goals based on their
term and duration and their value in order to enhance skills and knowledge of an
individual. Personal and professional development is beneficial in assisting people in
achieving their goals and acquire success so that they can attain a valuable position
in the field of interest. It can be observed that having a personal and professional
development plan can assist people to elevate their skill set which in turn can help
them turn their weaknesses into strengths.
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Reference List:
Books and journals
Cottrell, S., 2015. Skills for success: Personal development and employability.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
Dickinson, J. and Griffiths, T. L., 2015. Embedding employability and encouraging
engagement with PDP/careers. Student Engagement and Experience
Journal. 4(1).
Helyer, R., 2015. Adapting to higher education: Academic skills. The Work-Based
Learning Student Handbook. p.13.
Hobbs, M. and Holley, D., 2015, September. Using augmented reality to engage
STEM students with an authentic curriculum. In Second International
Conference on E-Learning, E-Education, and Online Training (pp. 110-117).
Springer, Cham.
Lejeune, C., Beausaert, S. and Raemdonck, I., 2021. The impact on employees’ job
performance of exercising self-directed learning within personal development
plan practice. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management. 32(5). pp.1086-1112.
Mulherin, K., Walter, S. and Cox, C. D., 2018. National preceptor development
program (PDP): influential evidence and theory. The first of a 3-part
series. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 10(3). pp.255-266.
Pitan, O. S. and Muller, C., 2020. Student perspectives on employability
development in higher education in South Africa. Education+ Training.
Sallati, C., de Andrade Bertazzi, J. and Schützer, K., 2019. Professional skills in the
Product Development Process: the contribution of learning environments to
professional skills in the Industry 4.0 scenario. Procedia Cirp. 84. pp.203-208.
Sasson, I. and Miedijensky, S., 2020. Transfer skills in teacher training programs: the
question of assessment. Professional Development in Education. pp.1-38.
Smale, B. and Fowlie, J., 2015. How to Succeed at University: An Essential Guide to
Academic Skills, Personal Development & Employability. Sage.
Watkins, H. and Smith, R., 2018. Thinking globally, working locally: Employability
and internationalization at home. Journal of Studies in International
Education. 22(3). pp.210-224.
Online
Academic skills, 2020 [Online]. Available through
<https://simplicable.com/en/academic-skills>
Personal and professional development guide, 2021 [Online]. Available through
<https://wethrive.net/guides/personal-professional-development-guide/>
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Appendix 1:
Personal Development Plan
SKILLS GOALS STRATEGY FOR
IMPROVEMENT
ANALYSIS TIME
DURATION
Improve
interpersonal skills
Short To improve my interpersonal
skills, I planned to interact and
communicate with a larger
number of individuals which will
allow me to socialize, learn, and
get more knowledge (Sasson and
Miedijensky, 2020). This method
will also assist me in establishing
a strong communication network
that will aid in improved learning
and sharing of ideas and
thoughts.
It is beneficial in improving
communication skills and
developing a strong interpersonal
competence by interacting and
sharing useful knowledge with
others. Such a stage will allow me
to better comprehend other
people's views and opinions as
well as obtain more knowledge
from them which was beneficial to
my personal and professional
development.
3 months
Work on leadership
skills
Medium To improve leadership abilities
such as taking initiative, critical
thinking and listening to others
are some of the strategies which
will be helpful in becoming a good
The methodology facilitated the
development of leadership
qualities including the ability to
achieve targeted performance
standards, lead others and
7 months
0

and effective leader (Smale and
Fowlie, 2015). By believing that
ongoing learning and resolving
conflicts were beneficial to
improving leadership abilities and
knowledge.
strategically organize all actions.
To get a degree
from reputed
college/University
Long In order to acquire admission to a
reputable college, the primary
focus will be on learning and
accumulating information that will
aid in scoring higher on entrance
examinations and earning a
business administration degree
from a renowned institution
(Watkins and Smith, 2018).
Such techniques aids in getting
into a reputable and famous
college which may help in forming
a solid and strong profession and
leading to good career growth for
future probable chances, by
focusing on exam preparation and
gaining more knowledge with the
help of learning and taking classes.
2 years
1