Personal and Professional Development Plan - Case Study Example

Title: Personal and Professional Review and Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS HEADING PAGE I. Executive Summary…………………………………………………………....1 II. Introduction…………………………………………………………………….1 III. Self Reflection……………………………………………………………….…1 IV. Statement of personal and professional goal, mission and value………...…….3 V. Possible Career and study Directions and Pathways……………………….......4 VI. Personal and Professional Development Plan (Strategy)……........…………….5 VI.I. Strategy……………………………………………………………………...5 VI.II. Structure Time Line (in a table)…………………………………………….6 VII. Limitations and Monitoring…………………………...………………………….6 VIII. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..7 IX. References………………………………………………………………………...8 I. Executive Summary In order to be successful one must take a very definitive and calculative step. The goal has to be set and to reach that goal some steps are required. These procedures and steps are mentioned below. II. Introduction It is a fact that every human being is blessed with some unique characteristics. These characteristics are in the form of ability, skills, background and are a culmination of each experience gathered from life, education level and the practical interactions with the environment. The real challenge that I face is to demarcate the strengths and advantages that I possess which will give a clear edge over others. It can be added that only pinpointing the strengths will not achieve the goal, the next step is to strategise my future plans based on these advantage that makes me so different from others. While planning and strategising it is important that I should balance between the capabilities and the result to be achieved i.e. I shouldn’t eat more than I can chew. So I should judiciously set my strategy and plan in respect to capacity in order to succeed. Strategising and setting goals is another alternative to commitment, setting standard and get a sense of which direction to go (Hansen 2009) III. Self Reflection Personal assessment is very important in order to know my strength. The strength which will be emphasised here is leadership skill. It is important to know that leadership is not a autocratic function of rigidity and ruthlessness or a feeling of superiority but to get along with the other members of my team, learn and analyse their abilities, skills, professional approach, knowledge and characteristics so that the right person is entrusted with right job. Further I have to be careful that ego, petty selfishness and attitude do not become an obstacle. The project requirement can be from any of the earlier project executed by me in university and are divided amongst the group members. In order to match the suitability of assigned tasks a group discussion was held so that it can be understood which member will be given the particular task. In order to keep a record of the assignment the progress of every members are closely monitored by me. The group members are well versed about their duties and performance level expected from them. (Hansen 2009) As a successful leader I have to be a good visionary so I can predict how the project plan and implementation will workout. As a leader I conceptualise and visualise the ambits of operation, detail the plan on paper and analyse its track. As a project leader I have strong research and analytical skills, along with systematic and orderly approach to reach a solution. It is required that as project leader I should be quick decision maker and have ability to multi task e.g. managing 4 to 5 members of my group at the same time. The marketing assignments undertaken earlier in the course by me helped in successfully implementing the target market analysis, also I have to formulate the exact marketing strategies and plans to be implemented in the respective project. As a leader I posses a very good presentation skill as compared to my compatriots but the skill has to match with the best in terms of professional approach, for that my lecturer Mr Dominic Toledo has suggested me to complete a course in professional presentation from Toast Master. Analytic skill is very much required for a successful leader, in order to prepare cost analysis, feasibility report, and other financial analysis and has been performed very well by me. As project leader I should be reliable and accountable and responsible so that I can set an example to follow for the others. I should lead by example and be ready to face challenges. Every human being has enormous potential, if they really are interested to use it. The more I utilise the skill, knowledge, experience and abilities the more I can improve. The scope for achievement is infinite, it depends on me what I want, I want to be in the limelight by adopting the right strategy and utilise my precious time for personal development and knowledge acquisition. IV. Statement of personal and professional goal, mission and value It is a universal fact that in order to achieve something I need the following and it is like a chain of sequence where if a chain is broken the total system will collapse. The first chain is the goal, there should be a distinct goal, to reach the goal there have to be strong determination and commitment, without commitment there will be no strategy and without a strategy there will be no outcome. A life without a goal or mission is like a ship without sail. In order to succeed in life I have to plan it thoroughly in order to navigate my career and smoothly attain the goal. In this case the goal is to become one of the Board of Directors of a listed company. In order to attain this goal there are a few stepping stone which will eventually lead to the goal. The first aim is to work in a project management company and get involved in project work where I have to acquire the related experience and get promoted as the project Manager which is the second step; eventually it will lead me to the position of Director of the company. Value is said to be the culmination point of the introspective assessment of my own self. Value depends on the following factors like the physical and cultural environment in which I grew up, personality traits and many other factors influencing my activities and decision making process. But value has a different meaning when referred to in respect of business. It is difficult for me to change a particular business value, but I have the power to establish my own values which will be admired and respected by all in the business world, this belief is my mission statement. I am honest, ethical, trustworthy and accountable and am dedicated to build a longstanding relationship with my colleagues with whom I am working. It is also true in respect to environmental, social or economical perspective and is best fit if taken in a holistic approach (Career statement and personal mission examples 2008). V. Possible Career and study Directions and Pathways Since the objective is to gather experience in project Management Company, it can be stated that the first priority for me will be to participate in the graduate programmes of the Federal Government which has the policy of offering such programme to new pass outs. It is a two year programme where I will be deputed to an organisation where I can acquire experience, skill and knowledge in new areas. This will create a chance to learn and improve reporting and communication skills along with hands on experience of analysing a practical problem and getting involved in decision making process. I will get a chance to work under close supervision of experienced professionals which will help in getting a real life perception of the situations faced by corporates while executing complex projects (Elliott, 2009). If the first plan does not succeed there is another contingency plan. In this case my aim is be to join a private firm where there is a facility to provide top class graduate programme which will help to lay a strong foundation for me and also learn the practical aspect of project implementation. In this job, involvement and commitment is a priority and which will lead to a strong career objective and goal in the long run. Along with this job I will do a course to improve public speaking and presentation skill in Toast Master (Elliott, 2009). The next stepping stone is to get the position of project manager, for this it is necessary for me to complete the graduate programme with distinction and lay a strong foundation. My career graph is a reflection of uninterrupted success and a record of commitment, hard work and unimpeachable track record admired by all. Professional life is very complicated and full of hardships and in every step I have to face challenge. It is the sheer love for challenge and ability to withstand pressure and producing result which will make me successful and prosper both in my professional as well as family life and reach the top of the corporate ladder. Reaching the top as a Director of the company is only the beginning of the challenge and it will pave way for new responsibility challenge and pressure, in order to succeed I have to withstand all the adversaries and come out as the winner and create a strong will power to accept the challenges. VI. Personal and Professional Development Plan VI.I. Strategy Personal development is a plan which I have formulated to attain some preset goals or achieve something in life. The first step towards personal development plan is to set a goal which motivates me. Then the next step is to act in a way to achieve the goal. I will be open to opportunities and act accordingly, always look for alternatives if one avenue fails. Celebrate whatever success I get even if negligible it will be inspiring. I have faith in myself as strong determination will generate once there is self reliance. Every time action is taken the goal needs to be visualised it acts as an inspirational catalyst and speeds up the process. If there is a Mentor who can give guidance then the task becomes easier. He will show light to my hard work and guide me about the exact approach to be taken [Introduction to Personal Development Plan (PDP) 2009] Professional development involves a through knowledge and skill in respect to a certain task, providing education and solving problem and integrating technology i.e. high level of expertise attained. The organisational effectiveness is measured by evaluating the efforts and ability to build relationships with accountability, as well as an admixture of my goal with the mission of the company. Maintain strong and healthy relationship with others and be a good team member and assist others. Good communication skill in personal level and in group. I am strong in action, innovative, create vision and is dedicated to each goal. I have to maintain a healthy balance in personal and professional life and remain committed towards my profession (Worksheet for Personal Professional Development Plan). VI.II. Structure Time Line (in a table) Short Term – 1-4 years Transition Period – 5-10 years Long Term 10 year plus Get to work at a firm providing graduate programs to new entrants. Get a chance to participate in project work and succeed, practice the skill, knowledge and abilities that have been acquired from personal and university education. Building professional career, Improving professional and personal skills, joining Toast Masters in order to improve my public speaking and communication skills Strengthen the professional base while completing graduate program. Attending additional courses to improve my financial, economic and managerial skills. To get promoted to the position of a project manager by hard work, dedication and commitment. To become a member of the board of directors To have enough skill, knowledge, and experience to work effectively and efficiently under high pressure. To be able to work efficiently and live up to expectations and responsibilities VII. Limitations and Monitoring The global recession has like many other nations affected Australia in a big way, because of this there is a negative impact on the economy and the growth rate has slumped in the recent times. This has created an adverse impact on the job market thereby shrinking the number of new jobs and increasing competition. This scenario may lead to some difficulty for me in getting a specific job to fit the requirement of the goals and aspiration mentioned above. Other than that the Kyoto protocol signed by Australia the strict emission norms have made the industry costly and had to curtail other expenditure to meet its cost (Roarty 2002). The employment generation has also been affected and the training and development programmes of employees are also curtailed, is a setback to my future plans. In order to improve in professional world the role of a Mentor is very important he can guide and assist me to achieve my aim and objectives, being an experienced man he can show the right course of action and rectify mistakes. Moreover the mentor’s presence in industry will help me get much needed help from the outside world. VIII. Conclusion In order to succeed it is required that there must be an objective and goal along with hard work and commitment. Self realisation and determination to reach his goal is one of the reasons behind success. The most important thing is plan and strategises the steps for reaching the goal and utilise the education I received from university in appropriate way to achieve the result and be successful. IX. References Career statement and personal mission examples (2008) viewed 6th October 2009 http://www.cvtips.com/career_statement_personal_mission_examples.html Elliott, R (2009) Goals and your Personal Mission Statement viewed 6th October 2009 http://www.uncommon-knowledge.co.uk/goal_setting/mission_statement_3.html Hansen, R.S. (2009) The Five-Step Plan for Creating Personal Mission Statements, viewed 7th October 2009 http://www.quintcareers.com/creating_personal_mission_statements.html Introduction to Personal Development Plan (PDP), (2009) University Of Sunderland Graduate Research Support Roarty, M (2002) The Kyoto Protocol—Issues and Developments through to Conference of thePartiesParliamentofAustraliaParliamentaryLibrary viewed 7th October 2009 http://www.aph.gov.au/library/INTGUIDE/SCI/kyoto.htm#response Velez, S. (2009) Define Personal Development Plan viewed 8th October 2009 http://ezinearticles.com/?Define-Personal-Development-Plan&id=790578 Worksheet for Personal Professional Development Plan viewed 7th October 2009 http://extensionlearning.tamu.edu/ The Texas A&M University System p 6-12 Read More