Report on Professional Identity and Practice for Career Growth

This report comprehensively examines professional identity and practice, focusing on skills, competencies, and career development within the context of the travel and tourism industry, specifically using Thomas Cook as a case study. The report begins with an introduction to the importance of professional identity, followed by an analysis of ongoing professional development benefits for various stakeholders. It investigates employer expectations, assesses the author's own skills and competencies, and explores various learning theories and approaches. The report then constructs a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to enhance chosen skills and competencies, simulates a job interview, and reviews the process. The report emphasizes self-assessment, critical evaluation, and the application of learning theories to enhance career prospects and achieve professional goals.

Professional Identity and Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Learning Objective 1........................................................................................................................3
P1 Examine key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders
within an organisation............................................................................................................3
P2 Investigate professional employer expectations of skills and competencies in an
organisation............................................................................................................................4
Learning Objective 2........................................................................................................................5
P3 Assess own abilities, skills, and competences for a specific job role...............................5
P4 Range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional development
processes.................................................................................................................................7
Learning Objective 3........................................................................................................................8
P5 Construct PDP to enhance chosen skills and competencies within a specific work context. 8
Learning Objective 4......................................................................................................................10
P6 Undertake a job interview for a suitable service industry role........................................10
P7 Review key strengths and weaknesses of an applied interview process.........................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Professional identity and practice has become necessary for an individual in personality
with purpose to enhance long term career & growth. These practice involves identifying various
skills, potential & competencies to identify steps that can be taken to overcome any kind of
shortage or issues. In current trends, professional practice is necessary to undertaken to make
personal exposure more higher and cumulative towards defined goals & objectives (Hoeve and
Roodbol, 2014). This report will be cover on Thomas Cook, which is a leading UK based travels
& tourism operator with higher customer loyalty and maximum business. This report will cover
understanding over the concepts of on-going professional development, critical evaluation of
own skills & competencies in response to defined job role. Apart from this, light will be put of
factual understanding of PDP and process of job interview with focus on overcoming own skills,
competencies & traits. Critical evaluation will also be undertaken to focus on various learning
approaches.
Learning Objective 1
P1 Examine key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders
within an organisation
On-going development is a wider process, by which development of various skills, traits
abilities or required potential needs to be continue for developing career path of an individual
and enrich them with enhanced abilities or potential for their performance. In simple words, on-
going development is a process of finding needs of relevant skills and potentials to develop it for
an individual along with ensuring its long term and fully-fledged career path. On-going and self
learning is two similar concepts, which is basically aims towards encouraging information,
knowledge and skills of a candidate (Hercelinskyj, 2014). On one hand, where on-going
development is keep going process, through person can learn more skills or competencies, either
on job time or as a course. Self-directed learning is a oriented process, in which a candidate
generally motivated for learning new things by own efforts with decided time period. In travel &
tourism, on going development has become necessary to manage customer or solving critical
problems or issues (Hoeve, 2015). Role of ongoing development is empowering and focused
towards enhancing candidate's ability for longer period of time. In concern with self-directed

learning, on going development has been contributed toward continuation of self directed
learning for fixed time and increasing person ability to work with potential power or efforts.
Along with roles, benefits are needs to be identify in context of both employer and employee are
as follows:
Employees: On going is helpful to identify an individual from learning in order to grow
in career and assess an ability to led development based activities for matter of self importance.
One of the major benefits is discovering of aligned vision & mission for contributing to business
and career development (Goldie, 2012). This initiative will be helpful in organisational
perspectives.
Employers: On going development of an individual is necessary to satisfy business
needs and employer's matter of interest for profit to give growth to entity. Employer is one who
desires about an employee's who must have key skills, abilities or traits to align it towards goal
attain or development of business. On going development is big contribution to employee's
vision or mission towards business enrolment.
Stakeholder has some major affection of on going development of an individuals. If any
employee is continuously focused towards the own development, that is simply advantageous for
stakeholder interest to retain with an organisation for longer period.
P2 Investigate professional employer expectations of skills and competencies in an organisation
Employer expectation has been raised about employee's skills & abilities to perform their
job at the fullest efforts. In organisational context, employer expectations from employee's has
been increased, because of higher business functioning and operational aspects. Employers not
expects higher from employee's, but they wants some basic skills which is necessary such as
communication, analytical & negotiation to perform their job at the fullest mode (Edwards,
2015). In Thomas Cook, person job role is of training & development executive who in reality
needs to perform work relating to training preparation, employee's assessment to undertaken the
relevant training and assisting manager in that process. Before going interview or selection
process, it is necessary to do evaluation of self skills and competencies in order to satisfy
employer expectation for the job role (Hercelinskyj, 2014). Critical evaluation is required to
develop skills into professional zone and fulfils an employer expectation over a larger period of
time. To go for evaluation of own skills and competencies, it is required to investigate nature of

job role and skills/competencies which are required for training & development executive over
the period of time.
An investigation of critical evaluation of own skills and competencies for a job role:
Job role Nature Skills/ competencies
Training &
development
executive
The nature of this role consists of long
process, which is focused towards
giving training & development to new
or existing employee's. This job role is
consists of regular practices along with
having one to one communication with
different people's in an organisation
(Steinert, 2015). Also, measuring an
employee work or task performance,
just after training program, either know
any kind of future requirements of
developments.
The people who will be hired for this
designation, needs to have strong
communication skills, ability to have
one to one interaction and competencies
to handle work pressure. In response to
this, it was noticed that candidate has
skills related to knowledge, quick
response or situation handling at given
point of time. It has been critically
evaluated that candidate is bit low in
side of communication ability and also
he has inaccuracy of pressure or issues
handling which is required at time of
training process. This skills has been
identified to have in employer's
knowledge or information.
Brief summary: it has been noticed that proper planning and strategic implementation is
required in case of overcoming barrier to skills, competencies or abilities through critical
evaluation or measurement. Assessment of won skills, competencies is focal task as major task
which needs to be structure, before going to professional development plan.
Learning Objective 2
P3 Assess own abilities, skills, and competences for a specific job role
Assessing own skills and competencies is necessary to prepare self for defined job role
and functions. This involves finding skill in which weakness is high and severe which need to be

overcome through practices (Cruess, 2017). In simple words, critical evaluation is required to
assess candidate skills and competencies to know, which skill is short and what is adequate to
improve more and more. This is a kind of evaluation or says like feedbacks or opinion mainly
done by peer, family members, friends or colleagues who may act as an accurate observer to
evaluate. In Thomas Cook, I am existed for this job role of Training & development executive in
this leading tourism sector, which is an emerging sector till date. Before getting into executive
role, it is necessary for me to evaluate my own skills and competencies to known any shortage or
issues (Wenger-Trayner, 2014). For this, point based technique will be used to rate out own
skills, abilities or competencies to get know which skills needs to develop to fulfil it for future
training & development executive job role.
Tabular presentation will be prefer to evaluate actual skills and find out scope for future
development of exposure. In this, skills & competencies will be measure on rating scale of 1-4.
S. no Skills/competencies 1 2 3 4
1 Interpersonal skills
a. Listening skills X
b. Negotiation X
c. Problem-solving X
d. Decision making X
e. Verbal communication X
2 Intervention skills
a. Counselling X
b. Education/training X
c. Group facilitation X
d. Conflict management X
e. Empathic relationship X

What skills and competencies are identified: From given tabular presentation, it has
been revealed that I am very much strong in group facilitation, group facilitation and building
long empathic relationship with other. These skills and competencies are part of my new job role
of training & development executive (Wald, 2015).
What skills for professional development: Out of positive skills, it has been noticed
that improper counselling, lack of conflict management and inadequate verbal communication
are some weaknesses which has been found from above rating or analysis.
From given tabular analysis, it was found that lack of effective verbal communication,
slow counselling, conflict management and lack of problem solving are some of the weaknesses
which needs to be overcome, just after the development of professional development plan (Pihl-
Thingvad, 2015). I need to work over enhancing my knowledge and learning in contrast to
developing problem solving, one to one verbal communication along with enhancing an ability to
led effective counselling at a stage of training process.
P4 Range of learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional development
processes
After an identification of required skills for training & development job role, different
learning approaches are required for development of skills and competencies on the larger basis.
In my talking, personal & professional development is necessary to give growth to my career for
future duration. In reality of professional & personal development, effective learning is necessary
and pro-active step to solve gaps of skills such as counselling, empathic relationship and conflict
management, In which I am very weak. There are several learnings approach through personal &
professional could be enriched. There will be discussion over various learning approaches with
clean support of learning styles or pattern.
One major popular is Cognitive approach to effective learning, which is generally deals
with role of active mind for processing of a learning opportunities and development. This
learning theory is basically associated with two high domain named as a cognitive domain,
which is linked with memory and understanding (Johnson, 2012).
Another domain is affective, which says about how a feeling or emotion can be manage
or control as result after the post-learning. Also, I noticed that performance of each and every
person in linked to its emotion and feeling or how that person reacts over different situations or
an issues. Bloom suggests that parallel and simultaneous learning between cognitive and

affective learning domain generally took place in the substitute manner depending on degree of
difficulties.
Behaviourist approach: This learning approach is clearly based on learning which covers
some major belief that, an effective behaviour must be taught by same repetition of the task
combined as per structured feedback from the facilitator. On a one hand, in situation where
positive feedback encourages and reinforces success, while on other side, negative feedback or
any sudden correction spirit repetition of an mistake or unwanted behaviour. One of a best
manner to utilise this behavioural approach to learning in learning and development through
clear through specifying an effective behavioural objectives at point of start and afterwards
supply learning opportunities that ensure about objectives are met (Huston, 2013).
Sources: Cognitive approach to learning, 2018
Apart from learning approach, context of relevant learning style is also a need. In this,
social learning style will be majorly used to le other's be involved in process of learning with
equal contribution or roles. This learning style is generally used to brings empathic relationship.
Also, verbal and logical learning style can be used to enhance verbal communication and
enables problem solving skills into professional personality.
Illustration 1: Cognitive approach to learning

Learning Objective 3
P5 Construct PDP to enhance chosen skills and competencies within a specific work context
Professional development plan is a kind of specific documents a goals, required skills and
competency development and also a objectives a staff members that would need to accomplish in
order to support continuous improvement along with career development (Izadinia, 2013). In my
context, skills such as problem solving, lack of conflict management & inadequate verbal
communication has been identified as major weakness, which needs a rapid solution or steps
which can be taken to overcome these weaknesses at a larger context. For training &
development role, in personal context, Professional development plan is as follows:
Skills Activities which needs to
be undertake
Resources Time-
frame
Desired
improvements
Conflict
management
For Job designation of
training & development
executive, conflict
management skills is
required to drive &
measures performance of
team group through
performing activities,
practical simulation,
focusing on the real life
scenario, mind based
practices and approach to
behavioural measurement
are some tasks activities by
which conflict management
will gain. Along with this,
Regular focus is needed
along with anger control
Major resources named
as participation into the
team groups, effective
presentation, reading&
writing articles or blog,
books & journals etc.
1.8
months
Through given
practice, needful
improvement are
very huge
conflicts solution
of me to make my
personality and
exposure at
optimised level
which is adequate
for training &
development
executive job role.
Also, such
practices will
assist me to
overcome any
kind of shortage

which is most desired task
through conflict can be
handled.
into my exposure.
Verbal
communicat
ion
To overcome any shortage
related to this skill, various
activities such as audience
speaking, music
performance and dialogue
making can be best option
in order to make open
communication with others
to have one to one common
transaction or interaction
with others.
Sound system for
audience appearance
and reading material is
required, so that verbal
communication process
will be fully fledged
and also in accordance
with desired scenario.
1.5
months
The ascertain
outcomes will be
appreciable along
with increased
communication
strategy at the
higher and
utilised period
over the period of
time.
Problem
solving
Various task based
activities such as long case
study, business scenario
creation along with this
playing game of sudoku is
a best way by which
problem-solving ability
will be accomplished in
order to ascertain both
personal and professional
development for the future
duration of time. Social
based learning style is most
important way to solve
among different entity and
also led long live
Practical functioning,
classroom task, case
study solution,
undertaking aptitude
test, reasoning are some
of valuable resources,
which can be helpful to
attain problem solving
skills.
1.7
month
The potential to
solve critical
problems would
be rise, with a
result of such
practices or fully-
fledged work.
Also, an ability to
pursue critical
decision making
can also be rise
with an potential
to accomplish
defined and
targeted goals
being achieved.

relationships.
Learning Objective 4
P6 Undertake a job interview for a suitable service industry role
Job interview process is necessary step which is focused towards hiring the most suitable
candidate for given job requirements. Preparing the job interview is also one most critical
situation, which needs to be handled in order to gain suitable results and outcomes for longer
existence of the person (Huston, 2013). In Thomas Cook, candidate has been chosen for role of
training & development executive, who is shortlisted after an initial screening process. For hiring
candidate, there will be complete analysis of job interview process and along with knowledge
over its strength and weakness to improve it further. The interview for hiring person for job role
of T&D executive is as follows:
Mock interview: This is a conversation between A as a interviewer and B as a interviewee.
B: May I come in sir ?
A: Ya..Sure
A: Have a seat ?
B Thank you
A: First of all be relax and calm, then I will start your interview ?
B: ready Sir
A: OK. Telling me something about yourself ?
B: My name is Jeff carry.....................................
A: What motivates you for this job role ?
B: Sir. I like interacting with people and sharing information is my passion. This has led about an
interest in this job role.
A: How of you considered yourself for this job ?
B: Sir, my previous experience is lies under this role, in which I have prepared training module
and prepared time table for an entire training sessions. This has brought a passionate interest in
my matter of interest.
A: What is your salary expectation ?
B: As per my profile, my expectation is 15000 pounds per annum.

A: Nice to meet you Jeff. We will inform you back
B: Thank you
Strengths: The major positive about this interview is interviewee presence of confidence
and power of motivation and excitement for this job role. Also, time management was enough to
continue and complete this interview in given period of time.
Weakness: The major was lack of transparency on behalf of interviewee, as he was short
of documents, which is critical to hire him. CV was not properly aligned.
Curriculum vitae
Name: Jeff Carry
Email: [e-mail]
Age: 24 Years
Profile: Charismatic personality looking for work opportunity in training & development sector
to give development to different candidate person. Big responsibility will be overwhelming and
responsive.
Skills: Communication skills, power of analytical thinking along with problem solving.
Knowledge: Master of business administration with specialisation in HR department or field of
interest.
Experience/training: I have internship experience of 3 months in Albion tours in training
planning and induction.
Language: English and French
Traits: Polished personality, immense behaviour and cherish attitude.
P7 Review key strengths and weaknesses of an applied interview process
Well.. In my experience, interview was amazing and interviewer was knowledgable and
there was clear one to one interaction which has led communication in an effective manner. I
was experienced level of confidence in my personality along with increased motivation to be
appear for future interview process and scenario building. Also, my abilities was on the top and
as it was my first interviews, as I gained positive, as like primary experience future based
exposure to be appear in more interview in search of right opportunity or in similar sector of job
profile. Apart from strengths, I also experienced some challenges such as verbal transaction, due
to breaks while talking with interviewer and also realised that I was feeling little nervous, as it

was my first interview. I am taking it as positive learning for future facing such process to crack
it with desired outcomes.

CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that professional practice & identity
majorly required in context of personal development of a person. This involves development
through identifying own skills and competencies, in case, there is any major which is required to
be solved in given period of time. Critical evaluation of self skills and competencies has become
important to developing any kind of shortcoming related to specific skills, competencies and
abilities. Along with this, PDP has been resulted into suggestion towards overcoming any skills
and competencies based shortcoming into an individual personality or exposure. Lastly, theories
related to learning has been resulted into development of person's knowledge and information.