Self Reflection Essay: Personal Growth in Management and Business

This essay is a self-reflection by a student of management and business communication, focusing on personal and professional development. The student explores self-awareness, identifying strengths such as dedication and listening skills, and weaknesses like being overly trusting and outspoken. The essay emphasizes the importance of professional networking, highlighting the role of a mentor in career guidance. The student outlines a personal development plan, including learning Mandarin to enhance international business opportunities. The essay concludes with a commitment to continuous growth and success in the business world, emphasizing the value of effective networking and skill acquisition. The student aims to become a successful professional and contribute positively to the field.

Running Head: SELF REFLECTION ESSAY
Self Reflection Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SELF REFLECTION ESSAY
As a student of management and business communication, I am very focused on
personal development and would like to enhance my skills and develop my abilities in a way
that I achieve success in both my professional and private life. Personal development is key if
one has to accomplish goals and objectives at both the work place and at home. It is
impossible to grow as a person and understand the true value and meaning of life and life’s
lessons if personal development is not pursued. In this essay I will reflect on myself
awareness abilities, the ability that I have to develop as a person by building and maintaining
effective professional networks and I will also discuss in detail my ideas and views regarding
drawing up and implementing a professional development program.
I believe that motivation is quite important for personal and professional
growth and development. Motivation is something that I derive from people’s good behavior,
by listening to motivational speeches and talks, by following the examples of others, and last
but not least, by listening to the success stories of other people. This especially happens to me
when I hear rags to riches stories. I get very inspired by how people are able to overcome the
challenge and the indignity of poverty in order to make a mark for themselves in life,
establishing themselves quite prominently in the professional sphere.
I have a fairly good understanding of my strengths and weaknesses and also have a
thorough understanding of how people perceive me. I come across to others as a dedicated
and sincere individual who is committed to everything that I do something that is wholly true.
I am extremely conscientious and dedicated by nature and will not be at peace until and
unless I have completed all my tasks, duties and assignments with perfection. My
commitment is one of my biggest strengths and it is something that I believe will see me
through in times of crisis. Another strength of mine which I can feel free to express here is
my ability to be sensitive to others and to listen with patience what they have to say. In other
words, I am a good listener. I listen as attentively as possible, taking in everything that is said

2SELF REFLECTION ESSAY
to me, instead of becoming distracted in the process. My concentration skills are excellent
and I can remember everything that is said to me, even years and months after the
conversation or dialogue has taken place, a skill that will certainly hold me in good stead
when presiding over important business matters at work someday.
When it comes to weaknesses, one of the biggest weaknesses that I have is to trust
people very easily. I tend to be very forthright as far as my communication is concerned, and
do not ever mince my words when talking to people, be it people in my professional life or in
my personal life. I also easily divulge whatever is on my mind instead of keeping it to myself.
I express myself very clearly, and I am honest about expressing my true thoughts and
opinions regarding matters. This is quite a huge disadvantage, given that people tend to be
quite sensitive to the truth and do not like being around a person who is as outspoken as I am.
While I definitely need to learn to be more discreet in my communication with others, I don’t
believe I will be able to completely let go of my ability to only engage in honest, carefree and
open communication.
Building and maintaining professional networks is exceedingly important in today’s
day and age if one has to come across the right opportunities in life. The larger one’s
professional network, the more likely will the person be, to come across platforms and
opportunities that will give him or her the career break that he or she needs. I do have a
mentor in university who is very experienced in the area of business management and who
has already put me in touch with a number of influential people who can give me good career
guidance. Having a mentor is important as at the outset, it is often hard to know how to make
the right career choices. The mentor is a person who is as aware of my strengths and
weaknesses as I am, and who can guide me to career positions or jobs that are accurate for the
skills and the abilities that I possess. I fully trust the mentor that I have at university and hope

3SELF REFLECTION ESSAY
to be working for a long time under the mentor’s supervision in order to meet the right people
and to showcase my skills and talents to the right audience in the best possible way.
Professional development is essential if we are to further in our careers as individuals.
One of the most well known, important and effective ways by which I believe I can develop
myself as a professional is to learn a foreign language, more specifically, the Chinese
language. China is a hugely successful economy and businesses around the world are
networking with China on a variety of matters, in the hope that they will profit a lot upon
doing so. Learning Chinese, or Mandarin, will enable me to participate in many different
international collaborative ventures, and since business management is a career that I intend
on pursuing, I feel that learning Chinese will push me along the right path.
Thus, there are a number of ways that I can develop myself both on the personal and
professional level. I have a sound understanding of what motivates me and what my strengths
and weaknesses are. I also know what it takes to be a success in the business world someday,
that is, through effective professional networking and by acquiring new skills and abilities
such as the ability to speak in a foreign language like Mandarin. I will push myself to go as
far as I need to in order to become one of the best career professionals and human beings
there can be today.