Personal Development Plan: Career Goals and SWOT Analysis

This project details a student's personal development plan, focusing on a career as a Hotel Manager. The assignment begins with outlining career goals and preferred options, followed by a SWOT analysis to assess current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It then identifies skill gaps and explores options for progression, including training and experience. The project also researches salary expectations, locations, and benefits associated with the role. Finally, it outlines a way forward with three next steps, SMART objectives, and relevant references to support the plan. The student aims to leverage strengths, address weaknesses, and capitalize on opportunities to achieve their career aspirations in the hospitality industry. The project demonstrates self-awareness, career planning, and an understanding of the skills and experience needed to succeed as a Hotel Manager.

Personal Development in
Professional Settings
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Table of Contents
Part 1 : Career Goal..........................................................................................................................3
Possible career choices and preferred option.........................................................................3
Part 2: Current Reality.....................................................................................................................3
Personal SWOT Analysis.......................................................................................................3
Part 3: Options for Progression........................................................................................................4
Gaps in my skills, knowledge or experience that need to be addressed.................................4
Opportunities for future development....................................................................................6
Requirements to meet to fit preferred role.............................................................................6
Research around salary, location, and benefits......................................................................6
Part 4: Way Forward........................................................................................................................6
Three “next steps”..................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
Appendix..........................................................................................................................................9
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Part 1 : Career Goal
Possible career choices and preferred option
There are many career options available today that offer a lot of growth opportunities
(Ashcraft and et. al., 2019). To build a successful career, I would choose between a Marketing
Manager, a Hotel Manager or a Supply Chain Specialist. But my preferred option is that of
working as a Hotel Manager. The reason behind this is that the opportunities for growth available
in this job are numerous. I would choose this career option because a hotel manager has an
option of choosing their work environment. Also, the hospitality industry is a lot different from
any other industry and the skills as well as knowledge acquired by an individual while working
in the same allows them to be able to work anywhere across the world. Apart from this, the
benefits associated with the job are exceptional. This is because most hospitality organisations
that employ hotel managers are multinational and leading brand, for example, Marriott
International, Hilton Hotels etc.
Another reason for me choosing to develop a career as a Hotel Manager is that the job
offers a lot of benefits as well as attractive salary. Not only this, there are a lot of opportunities
available for career growth and that too with larger hotels. There are quick promotions that are
performance based. And on top of that, bonus programs are offered by leading hotel chains
(Daniëls, Hondeghem and Dochy, 2019). The bonuses are based on meeting the annual goals in
addition to personal goals. I love travelling and this is another reason why I would choose
working as a Hotel Manager. This is because I get bored while working at one place for long.
And one of the biggest advantages of working as a hotel manager is that I would get to travel to
different places. Lastly, job opportunities at entry level in the hospitality industry are not difficult
to get.
Part 2: Current Reality
Personal SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis can be used to identify the different strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities as well as potential threats that can influence the overall performance of an
individual. A personal SWOT is explained below which is based on the feedback provided by 5
contacts.
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Strengths – My strengths are that I am well educated and have a master's degree in hotel
management. Also, I am proficient in English language, both verbal as well as written. I am a
patient yet confident person who likes interacting with new people. I am a quick learner and can
adapt to a changing work environment. Apart from this, I also possess strong teamwork skills
and seek different opportunities of working as part of a team. Another strength is that I have an
experience of working as a hotel executive at a local hotel.
Weaknesses – One of my major weaknesses is that I get distracted easily and also
procrastinate some of my work at times. I also lack creativity which can be seen sometimes in
my work. All of the five people who filled in my questionnaire, felt that I lack effective
leadership skills. Not only this, they also felt that I usually miss out on asking feedback regarding
my performance on completion of a task. I also don't have a lot of experience due to which they
feel that I might find it difficult to build an initial start as a hotel manager.
Opportunities – My master's degree in hotel management will help me in developing an
understanding of how the industry operates. In order to enhance my creativity levels, I can
collaborate with other people. This will help me in enhancing my overall creativity. Apart from
this, in order to maintain focus, I can watch various talks and motivational speeches online.
There are different online portals which I can use in order to gather feedback from other people
and work on the same in order to enhance productivity level as well as performance on the
whole. Lastly, I can also enrol for different clubs in order to overcome my weaknesses.
Threats – People who are focussed and possess better creativity skills can pose a threat
to me and affect my overall productivity (Fletcher, 2019). Also, not having effective leadership
skills can lower down my chances of building a career in the hospitality industry. Since I used to
work for a small hotel that did not offer professional training, I might find it difficult and take
time to get used to the training provided in a comparatively larger hotel. Introduction of new
technology within the hospitality industry will also act as a threat for my effective growth within
the industry.
Part 3: Options for Progression
Gaps in my skills, knowledge or experience that need to be addressed
To build a career as a hotel manager, I would need to gain experience of the role. This
can be done by attending a training programme and gaining little experience by working as the
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hotel manager of a small hotel. I would also need to develop an understanding of the different
responsibilities of the role. One of the gaps is that I have very less experience to work as the
manager of a large hotel.
In order to overcome from the gaps which, I am facing during working as manager, there
are a range of options that can be applied in an effective manner. One of the key alternative
which I have is that I have option to talk with experienced managers who are working
somewhere else. By doing so, I will be able to know the way which can be used in order to
overcome from the issues which are raising due to lack of experience. In addition to this, an
experienced person become experienced by facing all the difficulties and taking crucial
decisions. Thus, this will be helpful for me if I will communicate with an experienced hotel
manager.
Along with, I can attend different types of seminar regards to becoming a successful
manager. This will be beneficial for me because in a seminar different types of activities are
conducted such as improving communication, activities related to solving critical situations and
many more. Hence, joining the seminar can be useful for me in order to overcome from the issue
or gap which I am facing working as hotel manager. In this alternative, it is essential to note that
selection of seminar should be appropriate and relevant to my issue. It is so because any error in
this aspect may lead to major difficulties (Kumar and Rajasekhar, 2020).
Another alternative which is available for me to achieve my career goal is to focus on
those opportunities that have been created during completing my degree of hotel management.
This also can be valuable for me in eliminating issue of lack of experience. It is so because
during completing my course of hotel management I have learnt a lot of concept and theories
about managerial aspect. By focusing on key theories of improving management skills can be
beneficial for me to overcome issue of lack of experience because I will be able to know about
the mistakes which I am doing currently in order to completing my tasks.
Way to overcome threats mentioned in SWOT analysis
In the above discussed SWOT analysis, there are a range of threats which can affect to
my career negatively (Laletas, 2019). Though, there are a range of options which can be useful
for me in order to overcome from threats. As above discussed that lack of leadership skills can
affect me. This threat can be eliminating by enhancing my own leadership skills and it can be
done by proper learning about key theories and their practical implication.
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The another threat for me is higher creative skills of other which can ruin my own career.
This can be overcome if I will put myself in the situation that are complex and can enhance my
learning. By doing so, I will have to think new and innovative ideas to find out solution and this
can improve my creative skills. Apart from it, launching of new technology can also be a threat
for me which can be overcome by keeping up to date about new innovation and gadgets which
are launched regularly.
So these are the ways in order to overcome from the threats that are mentioned above in SWOT
analysis.
Opportunities for future development
There are many future opportunities for a hotel manager like they can work for a catering
company or different hotel and tourism associations (Newstead and Isles-Buck, 2019). There are
many multinational companies that also offer hospitality services. A hotel manager can consider
any of these opportunities for their future development.
Requirements to meet to fit preferred role
In order fit my preferred role of a hotel manager, I would be required to have excellent
communication skills, both written as well as verbal. Apart from this, good interpersonal skills as
well as a bachelor's degree in hotel management are also important requirements to fit in the role
effectively (Olsen, 2019).
Research around salary, location, and benefits
The salary of an experienced hotel manager in the United Kingdom is usually somewhere
between £ 33,329 per year to £63k. They are provided options regarding the locations where they
would like to work (Hotel Manager Salaries in London, UK Area, 2020). Apart from this, there
are certain other benefits of working as a hotel manager is that there are a lot of options for
growth and they also get an opportunity to travel to different places. Apart from this, there are
salary hikes if the individual has relevant experience, knowledge and skills. I have a prior
experience of working as a hotel executive at a small sized hotel.
Part 4: Way Forward
Three “next steps”
The three next steps that I would need to take are explained below -
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 I will try finding out opportunities or online courses and enrol for the same for their next
session of classes. Also, I would prepare certain questions to ask from the tutor in order
to build an in-depth understanding about the role of a Hotel Manager.
 I will also apply to different small sized and medium hotels for vacant positions of Hotel
Manager. This will help me in gaining some experience about the role.
 I will revise my CV and eliminate any information that is not relevant for the role of a
hotel manager. Also, I will develop new skills with the main aim of not only enhancing
my knowledge, but also developing a CV that stands out from other candidates who will
also apply for the same job role (Perlman and et. al., 2019).
SMART Objectives
 To improve overall communication skills by 15% within 3 months in order to gain a job
as a hotel manager at a reputed hospitality organisation.
 To enhance knowledge about the latest trends within the hospitality industry within 2
months to perform effectively in the interview process.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Ashcraft, L. E. and et. al., 2019. Parent empowerment in pediatric healthcare settings: A
systematic review of observational studies. The Patient-Patient-Centered Outcomes
Research. 12(2). pp.199-212.
Daniëls, E., Hondeghem, A. and Dochy, F., 2019. A review on leadership and leadership
development in educational settings Educational research review. 27. pp.110-125.
Fletcher, L., 2019. How can personal development lead to increased engagement? The roles of
meaningfulness and perceived line manager relations. The International Journal of
Human Resource Management. 30(7). pp.1203-1226.
Kumar, V. and Rajasekhar, S. S. S. N., 2020. Envisaging the burnout conundrum in health-Care
settings under the lens of organizational behavior and professional self-concept. Journal
of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. 25(1). pp.53-53.
Laletas, S., 2019. Ethical decision making for professional school counsellors: use of practice-
based models in secondary school settings. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling.
47(3). pp.283-291.
Newstead, S. and Isles-Buck, E., 2019. Essential skills for managers of child-centred settings.
Routledge.
Olsen, B., 2019. Does Cultural Capital Matter in Professional Settings? Educational Value
Profiles among the Personnel in Kindergartens. International Research in Early
Childhood Education. 9(1). pp.1-22.
Perlman, D. and et. al., 2019. Nursing students’ self‐determination: the influence on stigmatizing
attitude within clinical placement settings. International journal of mental health
nursing. 28(3). pp.706-711.
Online
Hotel Manager Salaries in London, UK Area. 2020. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/london-hotel-manager-salary-
SRCH_IL.0,6_IM1035_KO7,20.htm?countryRedirect=true>.
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Appendix
Personal SWOT
Strengths
 Well educated and have a master's
degree
 Proficient in English language
 Confident person
 A quick learner
 Adaptability
 Strong teamwork skills
 Prior experience
Weaknesses
 Distracted easily
 Procrastination
 Lack creativity
 Lack effective leadership skills
 Miss out on asking feedback
Opportunities
 Master's degree will help in developing
an understanding of the industry
 Collaborate with other people
 Watch various talks and motivational
speeches online
 Online portals
 Enrol for different clubs
Threats
 People with better creativity skills
 Absence of effective leadership skills
 Lack of professional training
 Introduction of new technology
Feedback Questionnaire
Respondent 1
Questionnaire
Q1. Am I proficient in English Language?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. What is my major weakness?
a) Lack creativity
b) Procrastination
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c) Strong teamwork skills
Q3. What are the opportunities for me to build a career as a Hotel Manager?
a) Collaborate with other people
b) Watch various talks and motivational speeches online
c) Introduction of new technology
Q4. Do you think I am a quick learner?
a) Yes
b) No
Respondent 2
Questionnaire
Q1. Am I proficient in English Language?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. What is my major weakness?
a) Lack creativity
b) Procrastination
c) Strong teamwork skills
Q3. What are the opportunities for me to build a career as a Hotel Manager?
a) Collaborate with other people
b) Watch various talks and motivational speeches online
c) Introduction of new technology
Q4. Do you think I am a quick learner?
a) Yes
b) No
Respondent 3
Questionnaire
Q1. Am I proficient in English Language?
a) Yes
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b) No
Q2. What is my major weakness?
a) Lack creativity
b) Procrastination
c) Strong teamwork skills
Q3. What are the opportunities for me to build a career as a Hotel Manager?
a) Collaborate with other people
b) Watch various talks and motivational speeches online
c) Introduction of new technology
Q4. Do you think I am a quick learner?
a) Yes
b) No
Respondent 4
Questionnaire
Q1. Am I proficient in English Language?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. What is my major weakness?
a) Lack creativity
b) Procrastination
c) Strong teamwork skills
Q3. What are the opportunities for me to build a career as a Hotel Manager?
a) Collaborate with other people
b) Watch various talks and motivational speeches online
c) Introduction of new technology
Q4. Do you think I am a quick learner?
a) Yes
b) No
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Respondent 5
Questionnaire
Q1. Am I proficient in English Language?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. What is my major weakness?
a) Lack creativity
b) Procrastination
c) Strong teamwork skills
Q3. What are the opportunities for me to build a career as a Hotel Manager?
a) Collaborate with other people
b) Watch various talks and motivational speeches online
c) Introduction of new technology
Q4. Do you think I am a quick learner?
a) Yes
b) No
Professional Profile
A confident and passionate individual with an experience in the hotel industry. Confident
and hard-working, I like to work in a challenging environment. Like to interact with new people
and enjoy working as part of a team. Also, proficient in English Language, both written as well.
as verbal.
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