Personal Development Report: Skills for Higher Education Module

This report, crafted by a student for a Skills for Higher Education module, explores personal development within professional settings. The report begins by defining personal development and its importance, then delves into the student's career aspirations, identifying financial management as the preferred career path. It analyzes the student's current reality through a personal SWOT analysis and feedback from various contacts, highlighting strengths like time management and weaknesses in skill development and communication. The report then outlines options for progression, including a detailed plan to bridge skill gaps through targeted improvements in areas like communication, analysis, and critical thinking. Finally, the report concludes with a 'Way Forward' section, detailing specific steps the student will take to enhance their financial analysis, time management, and interpretation skills to achieve their career goals. The report is well-structured, using headings and subheadings to organize the content effectively. The report also includes references to support the arguments presented.

Personal Development
in Professional Settings

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Career Choices.............................................................................................................................1
Current Reality.............................................................................................................................2
Options for Progression...............................................................................................................4
Way Forward...............................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Personal Development in Professional Settings refers to ensuring that the development of
Personal skills and competencies can be done professionally without problems and issues
(Battistella, Berto and Bazzo, 2017). This is therefore very helpful as it helps a person in the
determination of the goals and objectives and ensuring that they can be attained in the future.
Therefore it is quite important for a person that this plan is prepared in the right manner so that
the goals and objectives can be attained in the future. In this report, detailed focus will be put on
Career Goal, Current Reality, Options for Progression. Additionally, Way Forward will be
discussed as a part of this project.
MAIN BODY
Scenario- I am a student who is studying in the university. I have to decide and
determine the career choice for the future so that I am able to progress towards the attainment of
the goals and objectives in the future.
Career Choices
As a student I have different types of career choices in the future (Bisbe and Sivabalan,
2017). The career choices which are available for me which can be used in the future are as
follows-
 Data Analyst- In the field of Data Analyst, the use of different types of techniques and
methods for the purpose of ensuring that the available data can be used in the right
manner without problems and issues (Kotera, Sheffield and Van Gordon, 2019). Thus in
this way a person is able to ensure that the proper analysis of data can be done effectively
and efficiently. This can be a good career choice in the future as the organizations have a
need and requirement of ensuring that the analysis and interpretation of data can be
carried out properly.
 Financial Manager- Financial Manager is an important position in the organizations.
The position is important because a Financial Manager has to make sure that the proper
use of funds can be made in the organizations thereby ensuring that the attainment of the
goals and objectives. Thus in this way I can make sure that I get a deep knowledge of
finance effectively and efficiently without problems and issues.
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 Market Analyst- The position of Market Analyst is quite important within the
organizations because in this position the overall analysis related to the market has to be
done so that the deep knowledge about the market can be gained (Laletas, 2019)
(McMillan, McConnell and O’Sullivan, 2016). In this field, there is a lot of scope
because the companies require a frequent detailed report about their market so that the
analysis and interpretation of the different types of findings can be done without
problems and issues.
Preferred option- Financial Manager is my preferred option for career in the future as by
making the use of this option I will be able to ensure that I can handle the financial operations of
the organization smoothly without facing problems and issues. Thus in this way through this
option, I will be able to gain relevant experience which can be highly useful for me in the future.
Current Reality
I will examine my current situation by making the use of Personal SWOT analysis and
Feedback from different contacts which can be helpful in the ensuring a a reality check in the
future (Sabatino and et.al., 2016).
Personal SWOT analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
 Time management- I am able to
manage my time effectively by
allocating time to different types of
tasks.
 Identification of goals and objectives-
Goals and Objectives can be identified
by me in the right manner which can
ensure that I am able to apply
techniques and methods to ensure their
achievement.
 Lack of skill development- I am not
able to ensure skill development for
myself which creates different types of
problems and issues for me.
 Lack of communication skills- I am
not able to communicate in a proper
manner with different people which can
create problems and issues for me.
Opportunities Threats
 Enhancement of skills-There is a
requirement for me to ensure that the
 Higher-level of competition-
Nowadays, there is an intense
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enhancement of the skills can be
carried out properly which will be thus
helpful in the attainment of the goals
and objectives.
 Development of communication
skills- I have to ensure that I can
develop my communication skills so
that I can communicate in the right
manner with my teammates (Shermont
and et.al., 2019).
competition among the various students
in the market which therefore can
impact me in the future and the skill
development which I want to develop
in the future.
 Frequently changing requirements-
There are frequently changing
requirements of the people in the
market and therefore these
requirements can act as a threat if
personal skill development does not
meets them.
Feedback from contacts-
Person 1-
Me- Do you think that I have the right skills for becoming a Financial manager in the
future for a company?
Person 1- Yes I think that you can hand the financial data, facts and information of a
company pretty well.
Person 1-
Me- Do you think that I have the appropriate skills for becoming a Financial manager in
the future for a company?
Person 2- Yes I think that you are able to handle the financial disclosures and
information of a company pretty well and thus would be able to manage the funds in the right
manner.
Person 3-
Me- Do you think that I have the skills needed for becoming a financial manager in the
company?
Person 3- Yes I think that you are good in accounting skills and management skills and
thus can handle the financial information of a company pretty well.
Person 4-
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Me- Do you think that I have the ability to manage the financial data of a company by
becoming Financial Manager?
Person 4- Yes I think that you can ensure that the financial information is managed
correctly so that the company can manage its operations properly.
Person 5-
Me- Do you think that I can become the Financial Manager by managing the funds of an
organization in the right manner?
Person 5- Yes I think that you can ensure the management of a company' funds correctly
so that they can be utilized effectively and efficiently.
Options for Progression
As I want to become a Financial Manager in the future I have to ensure that I prepare a
specific plan for the future. The plan which I will prepare for the future will be as follows-
Plan
Gap in skills Gap in knowledge Options to bridge the gap
I am not able to develop
communication with my
teammates and I am not able to
communicate with them in an
effective manner.
I am weak in certain subjects
in which I need to enhance my
knowledge for becoming a
Financial Manage in the
future.
Practising frequent
communication with the
teammates, Enhancing
knowledge of the subjects to
make sure that this gap can be
covered in the right manner
without problems and issues.
I am not able to develop my
Judgement and Decision-
Making skills which are
affecting my development in
the future.
I am weak in understanding
the nature of the situation and
taking a relevant action for the
purpose of developing my
skills and abilities effectively
and efficiently.
Practising of understanding of
the nature of the situation and
ensuring that the use of
appropriate skills and
techniques can be made so that
the attainment of these skills
can be done without problems
and issues.
I am not able to use my I am weak in analysing and Practising of analysis and
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analysis and interpretation
skills correctly which is
affecting my ability to derive
conclusions and
recommendations for the
future.
interpreting the given data and
therefore this is accepting my
ability to derive the desired
conclusions and
recommendations.
interpretation skills by
identifying the data which can
be used for this purpose. This
will help a lot in the attainment
of these particular skills
without problems and issues.
I am weak in Critical thinking
skills which affect the ability
of taking different types of
decisions. This is required so
that a thorough assessment of
the situation is made and
accordingly the decision can
be taken.
I am not good in identifying
the actions which are required
to be taken in the situations
which demand urgent actions
so that the urgent needs and
requirements can be fulfilled.
Practising of critical thinking
and decision-making skills in
certain areas of management of
my studies so that I am able to
identify the way critical
thinking abilities are used and
the way different types of
decisions can be taken by the
people so that they are able to
bring a thorough improvement
in the level of performance
without facing different types
of problems and issues in the
future.
Way Forward
I have to ensure that I consider my Way Forward so that I am able to develop my relevant
skills and competencies in the future (Trynus and et.al., 2019). The steps which will I will be
taking in the future are as follows-
 Upgradation of my financial analysis skills- Financial analysis is a must for the
Financial Managers. Thus for becoming a successful Financial Manager in the future it is
needed that the upgradation in these particular skills can be made without problems and
issues which will thus be quite helpful in the attainment of the particular goals and
objectives in the future. Thus I will focus on their improvement.
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 Improvement in time management skills- A Financial manager has to ensure that the
management of time is done in a proper manner. Therefore I will be focusing on their
improvement.
 Improvement in my interpretation skills- A Financial Manager needs to make sure that
the interpretation of the different types of financial reports can be made correctly. Thus I
need to improve these skills.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that Personal Development in Professional
Settings is quite important from the point of view of people. By ensuring it the people are able to
make sure that they can assess the different types of needs and requirements and can take actions
accordingly.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Battistella, G., Berto, G. and Bazzo, S., 2017. Developing professional habits of hand hygiene in
intensive care settings: an action-research intervention. Intensive and Critical Care
Nursing. 38. pp.53-59.
Bisbe, J. and Sivabalan, P., 2017. Management control and trust in virtual settings: A case study
of a virtual new product development team. Management Accounting Research. 37.
pp.12-29.
Kotera, Y., Sheffield, D. and Van Gordon, W., 2019. The applications of neuro‐linguistic
programming in organizational settings: A systematic review of psychological
outcomes. Human Resource Development Quarterly. 30(1). pp.101-116.
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.
McMillan, D. J., McConnell, B. and O’Sullivan, H., 2016. Continuing professional
development–why bother? Perceptions and motivations of teachers in Ireland.
Professional development in education. 42(1). pp.150-167.
Sabatino, L. and et.al., 2016. Nurses’ perceptions of professional dignity in hospital settings.
Nursing ethics. 23(3). pp.277-293.
Shermont, H. and et.al., 2019. Transitional Mentor Education Program Pilot: Preparing Nurses to
Adapt to Changing Acute Care Settings. Journal for Nurses in Professional
Development. 35(1). pp.32-38.
Trynus, O. V. and et.al., 2019. Assessment of Instructors’ Technology Competency to be Used in
the Settings of Formal and Non-Formal Education. International Journal of Higher
Education. 5(8). pp.29-44.
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