Personal Development Plan: Analyzing Skills for Career Growth

This report presents a personal development plan, focusing on self-improvement and career development. It begins with an introduction to personal development planning, emphasizing the importance of identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The report then delves into a skills assessment, highlighting the author's strengths in areas like creativity and adaptability, and weaknesses in time management and social skills. SMART objectives are set to improve planning and time management skills. The report further explores essential skills such as note-taking, listening, and reading, crucial for career growth. It then outlines primary and secondary research methods and the importance of developing a comprehensive research plan. The report concludes with strategies for skill enhancement through communication and learning activities, including a personal development plan table to track progress toward specific goals. The report emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and utilizing personal development plans for professional advancement.

Academic and
Research Skills

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................3
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Personal development planning is known as the procedure of develop a plan for self
improvement which is based on values, awareness, goal setting, reflection and planning. This
highlight strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats for an individual (Allison and et. al.,
2016). Personal qualities and skills are essential to interact with others and to manage yourself.
Mainly this help an individuals to manage activities of daily life. Personal skills are known as
soft skills that are intangible traits. Present report reveal strengths and weakness of an individual
and also highlight the skills which should be there in an individual in order to manage activities
of daily life. Further, personal development plan for improve weakness is also include in this.
TASK 1
Various skills are there which should be there in an individual for career development
and growth. For identify those skills and an individual can go through personal assessment as
this help in identify major strengths and weakness of an individual. In this context an individual
can take help of personal development plan as this help in identify the areas of improvement and
add a speed in career growth (McConville, 2017). With help of this plan individuals can attain
their career goals easily. For formulate a effective development plan, it is very essential for an
individual to carry out a detailed research as this support in get the desired outcome. Further,
examine the collected information is also very essential as this support in reveal the major
findings and with this an individual can improve the skills which are require to get career
objective. I can also utilise personal development plan as with this I can identify the major areas
of improvement but before that I require to analyse my strengths and weakness which is given
below under the following table:
Strengths: One of the major of strength of me is that I am very quick in developing new ideas
and concepts. I do various efforts and also do my best to present my work. I love to explore new
things and I always pick tough questions rather than answering the simple ones. I cherish to
discover creative ideas for myself. I have ability to be creative and innovative during whole
research. This help me in being more effective and efficient as compare to those individuals
involve in research. Being open to new ideas support me to be adaptive to new environment. In
a constant changing world adaption is one of the essential ability. Creativity and innovation are
the two major tools that help me in my career growth. My innovation support me to respond to
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the changes take place in business environment. One of the major resource that I have is my
experience and education. One of the main benefit of having effective resources is that it
provide a competitive edge. Further, I have the skill to apply my education in the field in which
I work and this leads me to my personal success.
Weakness: This is known as the drawback that hinder an individual to achieve career growth
and success. One of my major weakness is that my over commitment and my social skills.
Further, time management is my another weakness. I have lack of understanding to my tasks
due to this it become difficult and costly for me to achieve my set goal and objective. I can
improve my weakness by prioritise my tasks. Many times I do thing without planning I require
to manage my tasks so I could complete all my tasks in given time. Sometimes I become really
impatient and due to this I loose my focus on main topics.
SMART objectives: I set a objective to improve my time management, planning skills and to be
more social in coming six months. As this will help me in achieve my career objective.
TASK 2
Note taking is a process record and analyse the data captured from any other source. One
of the main feature of this is that it help in recall important aspects related with a specific topic
(O'Sullivan and Dallas, 2017). It is very important for an individual to have basic information
about what require to be collected and analysed in order to get relevant information related with
a specific topic. As this also help in take better decision.
I required to have effective listening skills as this help in identify views and opinions of
others and increase effectiveness of communication process. This also support in take right
decision and at the same time provide useful information to interact with others. For improve
listening skills I require to be attentive during whole process and I can ask questions to ensure
that my understanding is right. Further I require to take part in communication process and by
take part in seminars and presentation I can improve my listening skills.
Reading is one of the another skill which play a big role in career growth and
development. For this I can start read journals, newspapers and other books. One of the main
benefit of reading skills is that it help in develop better ideas through which I can improve my
planning skills. With help of reading I can identify the important element require to formulate a
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effective plan, in this way I can complete all tasks in given time period and at the same time can
achieve set goal or objective. With this I can enhance my vocabulary and can increase
effectiveness of my presentation.
It is very important for an individual to have skilled of paraphrased the information as
this make the process of note taking more easy (Scott, 2015). For improve my this skill I can
take part in various activities of paraphrase. I can paraphrase information related with the topic
of my study or can take some inspirational data. With this I can keep all the relevant data and can
improve my skills of concept development. Through this I can interact with my friend and can
present my ideas before other in effective manner.
TASK 3
A research plan is known as that written document which contain all the activities carry
out by researcher in order to complete the research. This reveal the major tools, techniques and
process use by investigator to complete study. Research is known as the process of collect and
analyse information in order to undertake study about a topic or to find an effective solution of a
problem (Borich, 2016). One of the main benefit of research is that it make the research worker
aware about the market trends and help in develop effective policies. For collect data there are
two type of research which can be carry out by researcher known as primary research and
secondary research. These methods can be understood by the points given below: Primary research: This is one of the most effective and popular research method. Under
this researcher collect fresh and up to date data for carry out research. In this survey,
questionnaire and interviews are conduct by researcher worker for gather data related
with the main topic of research (Davis, 2017). Huge funds are require for carry out this
type of research and it is time consuming also. One of the main benefit of this is that it
help in draw more reliable conclusion.
 Secondary research: This is another type of research in which primary research is not
carry out by researcher but he collect and examine the data already available related with
the topic of research. Major resources use by researcher in this are journals, articles,
newspaper, magazines, books and many more. Data collected with this also help
researcher in carry out primary research (Uccelli and et. al., 2015). This is cost effective
and time saving method of research and this also support in draw valid conclusion.
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Method choose by researcher to complete the research is totally depend on the topic and
nature of research and also on the time and funds available for complete the research. It id very
important for researcher to develop a research plan as this support in identify the time require to
carry out research and at the same time provide direction to all individuals involved in research.
But before carry out research, various factors are there that require to be consider by researcher
given as follows:
 Determine research topic
 Develop aims and objectives
 Formulate strategy
 Identify the resources require to complete the research
 Time scale
 Conclusion
It is very important for researcher to formulate effective research plan as this provide
direction to complete the research. Steps that can be use by researcher to develop a research plan
is given under following points:
 Identify the topic
 Determination of issues related with the topic
 Formulate the plan
 Review the plan
TASK 4
An individual can improve his skills by increase his participation in communication
process, seminars, group presentation and conferences. I can also improve my personal and
academic skills by being an active member of group. Various areas are there in which I need to
improve but for that I require support of my senior manager. My strengths help me in achieve my
career objective, this also increase effectiveness of business activities and help organisation in
generate more profits. Learning is a continuous process so it is essential for an individual to take
in learning activities on continuous basis. I can take part in learning activities in order to achieve
my achieve my career growth and objective. Further I can take help of PDP (Personal
development plan) to develop the skills which I require to perform my job role at workplace.
My personal Short or long How will I
achieve my
Date of Progress
made towards
Further action Actual date
of achieving
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development
targets?
term target? targets? What
activities do I
need to
undertake to
achieve my
objectives?
What support
do I need?
review target required target
Improve my
planning
skill in 3
months
Short term
goal
I can achieve
my target by
take identify
the essential
that require
to be there to
formulate a
plan. For this
I require to
take part in
group
activities and
presentation
as from this I
will enhance
my
understandin
g about
planning. For
this I need
support of
my
colleagues
and to
1st July I improve
my skills by
by 40%.
I require to
understand
the
effectiveness
of planning
and for this I
require to
participate in
develop
plans.
1st October
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manager.
Improve my
time
management
skills
Short term
goal
I will achieve
my target by
increase my
participation
in various
activities.
Through this
I will
understand
how I can
manage
various tasks
and in this
way I can
formulate a
time
management
plan. For this
I require
support of
top
management.
5th July I improve
my
communicat
ion skills by
50%.
I require to
formulate
and analyse
time
management
plan.
5th October
To improve
my
knowledge
related with
new tools
and
technology
Long term I will achieve
my objective
by take part
in technical
related
programmes.
I can collect
7th July I improved
my skills by
30%.
I require to
use
technology
for perform
my job roles
as this will
improve my
7th October
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information
related with
major
software use
in
companies.
For improve
my this skill
I require
support of
technical
experts.
skills and
knolwledge.
Both planning and time management skills are essential in order to get success and to
attain career growth. In this way I can boost up growth of my career development.
CONCLUSION
From the given project report, it can be summarised that with help of personal
development plan an individuals can attain its career growth and objective. One of the main
benefit of this plan is that it help in identify the activities require to carry out to develop the skills
essential for perform a specific job role at workplace. Various skills are there which should be
there in an individual to interact with other and to complete the assign project in given time. By
take part in presentation and seminars an individual can improve his skills.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Allison, B. and et. al., 2016. Research skills for students. Routledge.
McConville, M. ed., 2017. Research methods for law. Edinburgh University Press.
O'Sullivan, M.K. and Dallas, K.B., 2017. A collaborative approach to implementing 21st century
skills in a high school senior research class. Education Libraries. 33(1). pp.3-9.
Scott, W.R., 2015. Financial accounting theory (Vol. 2, No. 0, p. 0). Prentice Hall.
Borich, G.D., 2016. Observation skills for effective teaching: research-based practice.
Routledge.
Davis, N., 2017. The selfish gene. Macat Library.
Uccelli, P. and et. al., 2015. Core academic language skills: An expanded operational construct
and a novel instrument to chart school-relevant language proficiency in preadolescent
and adolescent learners. Applied Psycholinguistics. 36(5). pp.1077-1109.
Kibirige, H.M. and DePalo, L., 2017. The Internet as a source of academic research information:
Findings of two pilot studies. Information Technology and Libraries. 19(1). pp.11-16.
AlHassan, L. and Wood, D., 2015. The effectiveness of focused instruction of formulaic
sequences in augmenting L2 learners' academic writing skills: A quantitative research
study. Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 17. pp.51-62.
De Mauro, A., Greco, M. and Grimaldi, M., 2015, February. What is big data? A consensual
definition and a review of key research topics. In AIP conference proceedings (Vol.
1644, No. 1, pp. 97-104). AIP.
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