Development Plan - Personal Statement Example

Personal Development Plan of Adlet Shagirov Bachelors Degree in Business Management London Metropolitan Campus 16th January, Introduction This is my personal development plan about myself and what I plan to achieve by studying for a degree in Business Management at the London Metropolitan University. This plans outlines my plans, personality and other objectives that I have for my studies. My Reasons for Studying this Course I am studying this course because I need to go back to Kazakhstan and run my familys furniture business. Our culture mandates me to become the heir to the family business. However, with the new trends in business like globalization and advanced technology, I will need to equip myself with modern tools and techniques. These techniques will be vital in the growth and survival of our furniture company. In my time at London Metropolitan University, I will like to get the basis and concepts of modern business management. I trust that the concentration of world-class academics in the university will allow me to learn new trends and techniques. Secondly, I hope to understand the British culture and Western values but observing and participating in activities in this country. Also, I realize that London is now the melting point of many cultures. There are people from all over the world who live here. I hope that I get to learn their ways of life and understand their cultures so that I can operate fully and successfully in them. Finally, I notice that the students in the university are from diverse backgrounds. Most of them have privileged lives in their home country and a lot of them have a vision of opening up big businesses in the future. This means that I have the chance to connect and network with my fellow students. And by the time I graduate, I can have a strong network of potential partners that I can do business with around the globe. My Background I am from Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic with a large number of its population being Muslim. As I was growing up, my country was undergoing significant reforms that were meant to transfer it from an old Communist dictatorship to a more democratic setting. My family happens to be part of the elite of Kazakhstan. My parents continuously exposed me to the new world order in my childhood. They believed that the world was going through a transformation and ultimately, the English language and values will dominate the world. Due to this, they prepared my mind to study in Britain. I personally looked forward to it because it was an opportunity for me to get involved in the culture of the old West. I have had to adjust myself a lot when I got to the United Kingdom. The social structures, the freedom of speech and the fairness of the legal system was very different from what I had experienced in my life. First of all, my primary language is Russian. I have had a few challenges with the English language. However, I am gradually improving the way I speak and write English. Secondly, my familiarity with the use of the computer for academic work seem to be highly limited. I have never used the computer for anything other than social networking and other forms of entertainment. However, it seems that the computer will be an important part of my studies at London Metropolitan and I will need to get used to it. Thirdly, I notice from my research on London Metropolitan that I will need to use a lot of presentation skills in my studies here. This means that I will have to stand in front of my colleagues to say a lot of things. Although I love to communicate with people, I have not developed myself so well in public speaking. I think it is something I need to work on. My Achievements on entry into the London Metropolitan University So far, the orientation and other activities that we went through has enabled me to get a strong understanding of how things work in London. This has given me a platform to launch into social interaction with other people in the country. Secondly, I have learnt a number of basic elements in the world of business. Although I knew some of them from my past as an assistant in my familys furniture shop, the lectures and lecture notes have given me an insight into the basic structures of business. I believe that these ideas and concepts can be built upon to provide a framework for efficient decision making that will make me a better manager in future. Thirdly, I have been sensitized towards some important aspects of business from my lecture notes. I have seen the overview of global business, the systems of organizations and the importance of human resource. I have also improved my typing skills and internet research techniques. Also, I have met a lot of people with whom I have practised my English and I feel more confident when I speak these days. My Immediate Needs to Attain my Objectives. I want to improve my writing and typing skills further. I can now type with just one hand. However, I hope to begin typing fast on the English keyboard with both hands soon so I can turn in assignments much quickly. I have been able to link most of the outcomes and topics studied with my past studies and I am getting a strong insight into what the whole course is about. I am however trying to figure out what some new ideas and concepts mean and link them to what I know. Also, I hope to get to the level where I will use my skills and techniques to solve real life problems in the society. Self Improvement Strategy Proposed actions 1 Continuous typing and research to enable me to get the skills I need to discover new knowledge and solve mysteries on things I do not understand. I plan to type something in English each day and do some research online at least twice a week. 2 Participation in English speaking activities like debates and the listening of the BBC to get more familiar with how to speak English and write English. I will want to take part in other activities that will ensure that I write so that I improve my skills. 3 I also want to improve my public speaking skills through reading of such books and participation in activities that will help me to improve my presentation skills. My Achievements, Skills and Attributes 1 Understanding of basic principles of Economics and Management from previous studies. 2 Practical management and assistance in the running of my familys furniture business. 3 Ability to speak Russian and English. 4 Friendliness and strong communication skills. 5 Ability to diagnose problems and find solutions to them. My Approach to Learning My approach to learning is to listen to what the lecturer says. However, I hardly grasp or understand what a teacher tells me in class on the first occasion. After the lesson, I go and do research to understand what the topic does in real life. I then try to understand the message the lecturer was trying to put across in a practical sense. Afterwards, I read through the notes to get an idea of what exactly he wants. Through this, get to match the reality of what I was taught with the academic requirements. I think I am a reflective and pragmatic learner. Feedback from First Semester Work Last semester, I completed the following modules. These were my expectations Module Title/ Code Summary of aims, learning outcomes and assessment* What I hope to learn from the module 1. Understanding Information This is to give a basic insight into information and how it affects the business context An understanding of how information can be used to help managers to run businesses. I hope to learn how and what is necessary to run the family furniture business and how to gather, analyse and interpret them. 2. People, Management: Challenges & Choices This is about organisational behaviour and how people work in the structures I hope to learn how authority is delegated and controlled in organisations. It will enable be to understand how to group people in the organisational context to attain the best results in future. 3. Global Challenges for Business, Management & Leadership About globalization and its influence on businesses and their management I hope to understand how my familys furniture company can do business with other parties around the globe. I hope to get get a good explanation of how we can structure our business and acquire raw materials overseas and also sell to customers in different parts of the world. 4. Creative and Reflective Business Practices A practical aspect to business and management practices I hope to build skills in the analysis of business situations. I want to learn how I can analyse situations to find the best options to grow it. Results from Last Semesters Examinations My grades are average since I got C in all the course I took. I suspect that I will do better off if I vary my strategy. I have been focusing more on application. I think it will be better to spend more time on learning the academic contents of the course and then find ways of passing examinations in the UK. Plan for Improvement I think I have to learn more about the UK educational system and the examination requirements of each course. I think the way UK examinations are written is significantly different from what I have been doing in the past. I will have to get a good understanding of how questions are asked. A friend told me that I will need to get a good understanding of the verbs used in questions like evaluate, assess, etc I will need to understand them and how to answer questions. Action Plan for Improving my Skills and Attributes 1 I plan to study the academic system of the UK and learn more about how to pass examinations. 2 I will have to blend the ideas and concepts I learn in school with my desire for practical knowledge on them. It seems that focusing more on real-life application is not helping much. 3 I have to develop a study plan that will enable me to pass my examinations well by incorporating my understanding of how the UK educational system works Read More