Career Planning assignment - Essay Example

CAREER PLANNING By Introduction Career planning is simply a [personal] roadmap that one comes up with to act as their guide to enable them to rise towards their career goals. In it, one has to first decide where they aim at reaching before anything else, that is, their career aspirations. After this, one has to research on the market demands, that is, what requirements they need to meet so as to rise to their aspired career goals. The other important aspect in career planning is to evaluate oneself and see where one stands with regards to the skills they currently possess.

These are then compared to what is required by the market. From here, one gets to the final stage of career planning which is designing their professional development plan. At this stage, an individual states the improvements they need to make in order to qualify for the requirements which are supposed to take them up towards their career goal (Fuller 2011, p. 410). The following text is my elaborated career plan as I aim at owning a top-of-the-range lingerie selling store in the U.K.Personal career aspirations I have always aspired to go into self-employment as opposed to being employed by anyone else.

Specifically, I have always promised myself that I would start and run an executive lingerie selling store in the United Kingdom. This career appeals to me because I have a good taste of fashion, and I am sure what I will have to offer will be irresistible. Additionally, I am good at convincing people, and this is a good sign that I will always attract clients.Market demandsAs provided by Reed (2015, n.p.), a lingerie store manager in the U.K. should possess the following characteristics:Commercial skills to enable them to plan promotions, pricing, and product presentation, to achieve budget forecasts and targets, to devise the best store layout, and to advise retail managers on matters such as competition and marketing initiatives.

People management skills such as training, managing, and recruiting staff as well as promoting a professional environment that challenges growth.Financial management skills to enable achievement of profit budgets, manage budgets, manage stock loss and shrinkage, and finally secure the organisation’s assets.Lingerie business also requires high standards so that compliance with procedures and policies is observed, excellence in customer service is instilled, and finally safety, repairs, and housekeeping is maintained.

The final skill requires is communication. This will not only enable communication between clients, but also within the organisation.Existing skill levels Presently, the skills I possess are aligned towards my career, but they are inadequate. First, I have people management and financial management skills that I have acquired from my major. These are however not sufficient in the event that I had to apply for such a lingerie store management job. The skills I have in commercial management are only on product pricing, presentation and promotion.

However, the career demands that I should be able to achieve budget forecasts and targets. Additionally, my communication skills which I am quite satisfied with still need to be sharpened so that I can be more formal.Professional development planFrom the above stage, it is clear that I need to sharpen my skills in budget forecasts and targets as well as formalize my communication skills. Over the next few years, I will seek to sharpen my skills in finance budgets by taking up a part-time course in the same.

Since I am sure about it, it will not be a waste of time or resources. After the course is over, I will exercise my budget forecast and target skills in small organisations to assess whether I have achieved the required skill. On communication, which is part of the course I am undertaking, I only need to practice in real-time work settings so as to get the language and conduct that is required. This is I can achieve during my internship (Meaney 2011, p.232).Conclusion Career planning allows one to identify the goals they aim to achieve and assess their current skills as per the qualities highlighted in the market demand stage.

From here, it is possible to know whether one is on the right path. If not, then there is the chance to align their skills and come up with a timeframe as to when they should have improved on, or acquired the skills required by the career goal. With careful planning, the chances of achieving one’s goals increase significantly.BibliographyFuller, C 2011, Sociology, Gender and Educational Aspirations: Girls and their Ambitions. A&C Black.Meaney, M 2011, Guide to Professional Development in Compliance.

Jones & Bartlett Learning.Reed Co. UK 2015, “Concession Store Manager- Ladieswear, Lingerie & Accessories”. Reed Co.UK, Available at http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/concession-store-manager-ladieswear-lingerie-accessories/26411665 [March 12, 2015].Appendix Fig. 1 Concession Store Manager Vacancy Advertisement, U.K.http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/concession-store-manager-ladieswear-lingerie-accessories/26411665