Report on Self-Development and Career Growth for Professionals

This report delves into the critical importance of self-development and career development for professional executive secretaries. It emphasizes that investing in oneself is essential for effectively managing organizational activities and achieving both individual and company objectives. The report highlights the significance of self-awareness, improved focus, motivation, and continuous skill enhancement. Furthermore, it explores career development, emphasizing the need for continuous learning, strategic planning, and the identification of strengths and weaknesses to attain better positions within a firm. The report outlines key steps for successful self and career development, including job satisfaction, productivity, and decreasing employee attrition, along with a practical action plan for short-term and long-term career goals. The conclusion stresses the importance of understanding the individual's abilities as an effective team member in the corporate world.

The Professional Executive
Secretary

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
IMPORTANCE OF SELF DEVELOPMENT................................................................................1
IMPORTANCE OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT..........................................................................2
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFUL SELF DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER
DEVELOPMENT WITHIN FIRM..................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Self development can be stated that it is essential for individual to involve different
activities that improve awareness, develop talents and potential and thus enhances quality of life
in order to contribute towards realization of dreams and aspirations. With the help of self
development people can encourage themselves to enhance their career development so that
organizational goals can be attained effectively (Sharf, 2014). Here, being a professional
secretary it is essential for me to possess a mastery in varied skills such as office management,
showing the ability to direct supervision and makes decision within the scope of assigned
authority. Thus, it can be assessed that self development and career development involves in
achieving success within firm.
IMPORTANCE OF SELF DEVELOPMENT
Self development or personal development can be stated as investing within yourself in
order to manage the activities of organization effectively. It is a way through which person can
become proactive and thus carry out good things to happen in order to achieve individual as well
as organizational objectives. Personal development assists individual to gain a richer experience
and thus provide more rewarding life whenever individual commit to pursue their own
objectives. It also helps them to develop their first step on the path of personal fulfillment
(Schore, 2015). Being a professional secretary it is essential for me to improve my self
development ion regard to enhance the skills and proficiency so that organizational goals can be
attained. Importance of personal development is as follows-
 Self awareness- Personal development starts with self awareness. It involves individual
to believe that who they really are, their values, beliefs and purpose to accomplish the
wish. However, it is essential for individual to develop self awareness among themselves
so that goals and objectives can be attained (Dickmann and et. al., 2016).
 Improving focus and effectiveness- It is another important step that is essential for
individual to accomplish within them. Being a professional secretary it is essential for
individual to improve their sense of direction and thus be able to accomplish multiple
tasks to accomplish desired tasks (Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, 2013). Furthermore, as
the personal development will improve it will help in achieving the best result with the
resources available so that success can be achieved.
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 More motivation- Being a professional secretary it is essential for me to encourage
others so that desired tasks can be accomplished. For instance, to attain organizational
objective, individual becomes more motivated to take necessary action.
IMPORTANCE OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Career development can be stated as simply attending one or two training courses and
thus learning different skills in order to enhance the job opportunities. The result of which
individual is regularly practicing that they have learned and thus use the knowledge in order to
apply the same within job helps in achieving desired results (Andrews and et. al., 2014). Career
development is carried out with self development and thus it helps in driving and desiring for
both personal as well as professional development. For instance, if looking at an employee's
career as a whole it can be assessed that different sets of formal training development activities
are required and thus it helps in developing the career and attains competencies so that employee
development programs helps in achieving desired success. Being a professional secretary within
firm it is essential for me to develop my skills and competencies continuously so that desired
goals can be attained (McDow and Zabrucky, 2015).
Furthermore, developing career objectives is essential for individual that helps them to
gain better position within firm in future time period. It also assists them to enhance their skills
and capabilities so that career development plan requires a high level of strategic thinking and
planning. Career development is crucial for individual to recognize that training and
development experiences are essential for employees to grow in their position and thus support
firm's vision to achieve desired success (Walton, 2013). Developing career objective helps
professional secretary to identify their strengths and weaknesses and thus it helps them to attain
future goals. Also, improving organizations ability helps in attracting people and retains high
performance employees so that competitive edge can be gained. Thus, improving career
development assists professional secretary to attain higher position within business and
accomplish desired objectives.
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFUL SELF DEVELOPMENT AND
CAREER DEVELOPMENT WITHIN FIRM
Career development can be stated as a crucial part of employee engagement process that
helps in consistently showing individual development in order to attain success within
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organization. For instance, it is essential for business to provide opportunities to employees so
that they can enhance their skills and abilities and thus increase recognition within firm. Also,
through improving individual skills and abilities it helps organization to advance individual
career objectives and thus obtain desired success (Sharf, 2014). Career development is important
for organization to attain success it involves different factors which are as follows-
 Job satisfaction- It can be assessed that employees participating in training sessions and
work based development activity it helps firm to attain organizational commitment. For
instance, working as a professional secretary within firm it helps individual to build their
career objectives and thus attain desired success (Schore, 2015).
 Productivity and financial returns- It is also essential for firm to assess that
productivity and financial returns because investing in their employees through providing
them best career development helps in attaining success. Moreover, evidence suggests
that providing effective training sessions helps individual to improve the financial
performance and productivity of organization in order to attain huge success (Dickmann
and et. al., 2016).
 Decreasing employee attrition rate- Through proper career development and self
development programs it helps firm to satisfy the needs of company and thus minimize
the employee attrition rate through satisfying individual's need and attaining
organization's success (Andrews and et. al., 2014).
ACTION PLAN
Short Term
Planning
Providing different knowledge skills and
competencies so that opportunities can be attained..
Long Term Planning
Identifying the financial returns so that productivity
of firm can be improved.
Effective research regarding career opportunities.
Formulating an appropriate action career plan with
different contingencies.
Up to 5 years
ahead
Checking of carer plans in terms of realism. Also,
identifying the reasons why employee attrition rate is
increasing and try to minimize it.
From 5-10 years ahead
CONCLUSION
It can be examined from the study that self development and career development are
crucial for management experts and secretaries as it helps them to enter into corporate world.
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Therefore, it is essential for them to understand the importance of their ability in order to work as
an effective team member of firm. Hence, it can be assessed that individual is required to
perceive their career as well as self development so that organizational success can be attained.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Andrews, L. M. and et.al., 2014. Can Perfectionism Affect Career Development? Exploring
Career Thoughts and Self‐Efficacy. Journal of Counseling & Development. 92(3).
pp.270-279.
Dickmann, M. and et. al., 2016. The career competencies of self-initiated and assigned
expatriates: assessing the development of career capital over time. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management. pp.1-25.
McDow, L.W. and Zabrucky, K.M., 2015. Effectiveness of a Career Development Course on
Students' Job Search Skills and Self-Efficacy.Journal of College Student Development.
56(6). pp.632-636.
Pedler, M., Burgoyne, J. and Boydell, T., 2013. A Manager's Guide to Self-development.
McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Schore, A.N., 2015. Affect regulation and the origin of the self: The neurobiology of emotional
development. Routledge.
Sharf, R.S., 2014. Applying career development theory to counseling. Brooks/Cole.
Online
Walton, B., 2013. Importance of Career Development In Organizational Success. [ONLINE].
Available through:
<https://www.forsmarshgroup.com/career%20development/blog/2013/11/13/Importance-
of-Career-Development-On-Organizational-Success/>. [Accessed on 30th May 2016].
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