Personal Development in Professional Settings - Career Analysis

This report delves into the realm of personal development within professional settings, providing a comprehensive analysis of career aspirations, current skill sets, and areas for enhancement. The report begins by outlining preferred career choices, including business management and administration, hospitality and tourism, and information technology, with a specific focus on business management and administration. It then proceeds to a self-assessment using a SWOT analysis, identifying strengths such as communication skills and time management, alongside weaknesses like judgment and negotiation abilities. The report further explores options for progression, highlighting skill gaps and proposing strategies such as workshops, courses, and practical experience to bridge these gaps. Finally, it presents a way forward, including actionable steps to enhance networking, analytical skills, and empathy. The conclusion underscores the importance of proactive career planning and preparation. The report incorporates references and appendices, including a personal SWOT analysis, a questionnaire, and a professional profile, to provide a well-rounded perspective on personal and professional growth.

Personal Development in
Professional Settings

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Part 1................................................................................................................................................3
Career Goal..................................................................................................................................3
Part 2................................................................................................................................................4
Current Reality.............................................................................................................................4
Part 3................................................................................................................................................5
Options for Progression...............................................................................................................5
Part 4................................................................................................................................................7
Way Forward...............................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
Appendices....................................................................................................................................10
Personal SWOT.........................................................................................................................10
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................10
Professional profile....................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Personal development in professional setting refers to development of individual in
context of their profession. This means that individual develop their potential and skills
concerned with profession they want to be part of in future. This report will discuss about
personal development in professional setting.
Part 1
Career Goal
There are several options and choices available that one can choose as their career.
However, for success of individual’s career it is important that the career is wisely chosen.
Among all other available options three preferred career choices are-
 Business Management and administration
 Hospitality and Tourism career
 Information Technology career
These are three preferred options for career, the reason behind selecting them is that all these
three career presently are offering great opportunities and this is the reason that one can easily
find a suitable job (Ahmed, Sharif and Ahmad, 2017). Business management and administration
is concerned with management of business and its administration. This is one of the job that can
be identified everywhere and offer great possibilities.
Hospitality and tourism career is related to management of hospitality and tourism institute and
activity. Increasing tourism activity is offering great options in this sector as well.
Information Technology is concerned with career in information technology. Expanding use of
technology and information technology has generated several opportunities in this as well.
Among these three one of the preferred career option is business management and
administration. Some of the reasons for this are-

This is a field and career which never get affected by time and situations. This always offers
several opportunities. Business management and administration career is applied and offered by
all kind of organisations.
Individual interest in business management and administration is another important reason for
this career choice (Malik and Al-Emran, 2018). This also involves varieties of different
knowledge and contributes in development of personality.
Business management and administration also enables individual with confidence and
knowledge that they can manage their own business organisation successfully.
Jobs and career in business management and administration includes jobs in many other
disciplines such as human resources, marketing, and finance and also offer different positions
within organisation.
Part 2
Current Reality
Strength and weaknesses are two important factors through which one can understand their
current reality. SWOT analysis is an effective tool for that (Teoli and An, 2019).
My strengths include-
 Communication Skills
 Time Management Skills
 Active listening skills
 Ability to relate with others
 Critical Thinking
 Micros & Micros Simphony
 Hilton Management Development Program Elevate 1
 Driver licence categories A, B, C, E

 Cashiering
 Knowledge of different languages
 Experience in varied jobs and organisations including in food and beverages organisation
The above mentioned strengths have been identified with the help of views that people expressed
through the questionnaire. Among three questionnaires I found that my communication skills
was considered as my strengths and on two of the questionnaire ability to effectively listen and
relate with others were mentioned. One of the questionnaire also involved time management as
my skills.
I also believe these to be my skills on the basis of my experience however I never considered the
ability to relate with others as my strength.
Other than this my weaknesses are-
 Judgement skills and ability
 Negotiation skills
 Ability to convince others
It is important that weaknesses are also given equal importance in order to work on them and
above mentioned are some of the weaknesses that I identified on the basis of personal experience
and as well as from feedback of others.
As I prefer business management and administration this is important that I have these skills all
that are my strength as well as those which are my weaknesses. The degree in this will help me
in developing the skills and knowledge through which I can work on these skills and improve
them. These skills help me in understanding and identifying that because of my skills I have
opportunities in general business administration and as well as in human resource discipline of
management (Pandya, 2017). Some of the threats I identified were increasing complexity of the
situation. Inability of convince others also possess some of the threats for me.

Part 3
Options for Progression
Gaps in Skills, Knowledge and experience
I have through my experience and feedback of others have identified that there are
several skills that I posses but yet they are not enough to ensure success in achievement of my
career goal. My career goal is in business management and administration (CAI, Wei and
WANG, 2019). In order to achieve this career goal some of the skills, knowledge and experience
that I will need to address are-
 Learning to give adequate attention to each of the situation to ensure that unnecessary
complexities can be avoided
 Enhancing prior knowledge of managerial practices to identify exact discipline of
management in career
 Enhancing networking and learning to build relationship with those who are working in
managerial roles to gain detailed understanding and experience
 Identifying opportunities in order to ensure their timely utilization
These are some of the skills and knowledge that I need to address in order to successfully
achieve my career goals.
These are some of the important skills and knowledge that I will need to address in order to
achieve the career goal that has been developed by me. In doing so learning to give adequate
attention will ensure that I am able to give correct and required attention and ensure that only
important situation and topics.
Option that might bridge the gap between current situation and career aspiration
Learning and experiencing at personal level
This is one of the skill and experience that I can develop by individual efforts and
practice. This is important to learn what is important and what requires attention. This can be
learnt by practice.

Workshop and Courses
This is another option through which I can bridge the gap in current situation and career
aspiration. There are several workshops through which managerial skills and knowledge can be
developed and this knowledge will also allow me identify and understand what discipline is
according to my suitable skills and knowledge (Bates and Morgan, 2018). Through this I will be
able to understand following skills and knowledge-
Learning networking skills and knowledge, this is important because networking skills will allow
me to establish network with those who are working in this discipline and career. Building
relationship is important as experience and knowledge from people who are already working in
this area of the work and organisation.
Identification of opportunities means identification of opportunities through which the career can
be developed. There are several opportunities available through which I can bridge the gap that
exist in my current situation and are required to achieve my career goals.
From the SWOT analysis it was identified that I have opportunities in analytical jobs and to
develop this skill and ability for this job there are several ways and workshops and programs
available through which I can develop this skills (Avidov-Ungar, 2016).
Experience in different organisation and at different job roles
This is one of the important option through which I can fill the gap in current reality and
career aspiration. This is because I have experience in different roles and organisations and this
help in enhancing my knowledge and professional profile. This is also suitable for the career
aspiration in business and human resources. There are several strengths that are suitable and
useful for enhancing knowledge and skills required for business and Human resources.
Part 4
Way Forward
 Working on networking skills and increasing networking in 3 months

However this cannot be specified in what time I will be able to do this as this is long
process however a time of 3 months will require to develop the networking skill.
 Working on analytical and judgement skills in 6 months
This is also important that these skills are developed, the reason behind this is as many I
identified through the questionnaire and feedback from that I should work on these skills. These
skills will also help me in identifying and understanding opportunities and how can they be
effectively utilised.
 Developing empathy skill in 6 months
Effective relationship can be developed and maintained through empathy and this is why
it is important to develop this skill.
 Developing and increasing knowledge and studying for Business and Human Resources
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion it can be concluded that it is important and beneficial
that individual start preparing for their career aspiration as soon as they identify and determine
career path they want to adapt. Concerned with this above report discussed about different career
options, strengths and weaknesses and practices to undertake in order to bridge the gap in current
situation and career aspiration.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ahmed, K.A., Sharif, N. and Ahmad, N., 2017. Factors influencing students’ career choices:
empirical evidence from business students. Journal of Southeast Asian Research. 2017.
pp.1-15.
Avidov-Ungar, O., 2016. A model of professional development: Teachers’ perceptions of their
professional development. Teachers and Teaching. 22(6). pp.653-669.
Bates, C.C. and Morgan, D.N., 2018. Seven elements of effective professional development. The
Reading Teacher. 71(5). pp.623-626.
CAI, W.X., Wei, L.I. and WANG, B.W., 2019. Research on Methods to Improve University
Students’ Ability in International Communication Based on SWOT Analysis. DEStech
Transactions on Social Science, Education and Human Science, (ermas).
Malik, S.I. and Al-Emran, M., 2018. Social factors influence on career choices for female
computer science students. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning
(IJET). 13(05). pp.56-70.
Pandya, S., 2017. Improving the learning and developmental potential of SWOT analysis:
introducing the LISA framework. Strategic Direction.
Teoli, D. and An, J., 2019. SWOT analysis.

Appendices
Personal SWOT
Strength
 Communication Skills
 Time Management Skills
 Active listening skills
 Ability to relate with others
 Critical Thinking
 Micros & Micros Simphony
 Hilton Management Development Program
Elevate 1
 Driver licence categories A, B, C, E
 Cashiering
 Knowledge of different languages
 Experience in varied jobs and organisations
including in food and beverages
organisation
Weaknesses
 Judgement skills and ability
 Negotiation skills
 Ability to convince others
Opportunities
 In general business management
 In HR
 In Analytical job
Threats
 Possibility to increase complexity of the
situation because of inadequate judgement
skills and critical thinking
Questionnaire
Q.1 What do you think is my biggest strength?
Q.2 What do you think is my biggest weaknesses?
Q.3 Which skills do you believe I should develop earliest?
Q.4 Do you think my personal skills and knowledge is suitable for a career in business management and

administration?
Q.5 On what basis have you answered the above questions?
Responses of the Questionnaire
Contact 1 Contact 2 Contact 3 Contact 4 Contact 5
Q.1 Communicatio
n skill, ability
to relate with
others
Time
management,
critical
thinking skills
Communication
skill
Communication
skill, active
listening skills
Critical
Thinking
Q.2 Poor judgement
skills
Ability to
convince
others
judgement
skills
Negotiation
skills
Critical
Thinking
Q.3 Time
management
skills
Empathy Analytical
skills
Negotiation
skills
Giving
attention to
situation to
extent it
requires
Q.4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Q.5 Observation Observation Observation Experience Experience
Professional profile
Skills Objectives Actions Time Required
Enhancing skills to give
adequate attention to
events and situation
To ensure important
event and situation are
provided adequate time
Practicing at individual
level
6 Months
Knowledge of
managerial practice
To ensure that I am
prepared in advance for
the career that has been
selected by me
Workshops and courses
offering knowledge of
these
3 months