Career Development Plan - Essay Example

?Career Development Plan External Market and the Industry of Arcadia Group Limited Arcadia Group, formerly called Burton Group, is one of the major clothing sellers in the UK. The store formats of the group mostly retail private-branded apparel. The organisation also has endeavoured into home shopping through Internet selling and catalogue advertising and into foreign markets (Web Focus 2008). The company is a private organisation owned by Taveta Investment Ltd. and is mostly involved in the selling of not only apparels but also accessories. It offers products and services to children, women, and men (Web Focus 2008). The company also trades its signature products in several European, Far Eastern, and Middle Eastern countries through a system of 420 global branches. The organisation is based in London, United Kingdom (Web Focus 2008). The human resources units of Arcadia functions directly with line managers to assist in the management, development, training, and recruitment of people; it is HR’s duty to investigate and bring in the most productive development procedures and best practice in employee relations. The HR department also has several professionals who work all over the organisation, especially in the area of Employee Relations and Reward, Management Development and Graduate Resourcing (Web Focus 2008). The group possesses a firm external concentration to guarantee Arcadia is promoting itself as an empowering and motivating employer and keeping updated of the external market developments in human resources. I am interested to pursue an HR position in Arcadia, preferably an HR Officer, since my educational background and training, as well as my experience, in the field is quite extensive. I plan to develop my career in this area of Human Resource Management. 2. Self-Assessment, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) The following are my skills and abilities which are relevant to the position I am aspiring for (these are also shown in my CV): (1) excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all levels; (2) ability to interact effectively with people of all backgrounds with tact and diplomacy; (3) dedicated to providing the highest standards of customer service; (4) enthusiastic, highly motivated, reliable and trustworthy individual; (5) ability to work well under pressure and within strict deadlines; (6) independent and resourceful, a quick learner, able to adapt quickly and easily; (7) ability to lead, motivate and inspire others, a committed team player; (8) friendly, approachable, outgoing personality with a positive outlook; and (9) good attendance and punctuality; good ability to use initiative. In terms of knowledge, I think that four major areas of my competencies are relevant to the position I am applying for in Arcadia. First is the focus to succeed. Understanding the external and internal environment of the business regularly and developing techniques for innovative outcomes. Competencies involve: drive to succeed, innovative thinking, and customer idea. Second is organising to implement. Executing with teamwork, adaptability, and speed; competencies involve: certainty, teamwork, direct talk, and group leadership. Third is upholding momentum. Acquiring long-term outcomes that continue to develop; competencies involve personal commitment, training, developing organisational capacity. And lastly is dedication to the business. However, these four areas of competencies are not sufficient. I should also be knowledgeable of different topics such as marketing, stress management, strategic planning, and workplace conflict. 3. The Appropriateness of my KSA to Human Resource Management Position As a clothing store HR manager, hired by a retail company, I should have the experience or skill to buy products directly from a wholesale company or manufacturer, as well as to predict what will attract customers and the saleability of the apparels, on the basis of cost, style, and competition. I should also possess the ability to educate and motivate personnel as they also perform customer service. I think that my current KSA complements my chosen job due to my experience in supervising and scheduling personnel; training employees as to the protocols of customer service, supervising refunds and returns, and dealing with complaints of the customers; buying the accessories or clothing that are to be retailed in the clothing shop; preparing for seasonal sales, promotional activities, and supervising the maintenance of the store. 4. Building a personal development plan Name: Nadeem Zabib Current Position: (please kindly fill this up) Date Started: (please kindly fill this up) Performance Summary: Generally, successfully completing competency trainings for current job. Performance Targets: (1) take part and lead in departmental HR activities and programmes; (2) provide assistance for execution of departmental HR scheme initiatives; and (3) provide assistance for customer service department and HR consulting services. Career Goals: My goal is to eventually take part in major project management, and in due course move into Managerial position. At the end of my career, my goal is to be known as someone who brought positive change in the organisations that I worked with and in the lives of the people I regularly interacted with. I know this will entail hard work, but I am eager to exert the needed effort. Attaining my short-term objectives will harness me for my long-term career goals. Career Path: Job 1: Human Resource Officer for a Retailer Firm (22-24) Skills and experiences: (1) Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management; (2) good problem-solving and analytical skills; (3) appropriate written and oral communication abilities; and (4) productive team-work, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Job 2: Corporate Human Resource Officer (24-27) Skills and experiences: (1) comprehensive knowledge of corporate procedures; (2) professional knowledge in several industry sectors; and (3) corporate related oral and written communication abilities. If for instance I was not able to get the position in the clothing retailer company, I have to look for another career. However, I would like to remain in the human resource management field. There are numerous organisations that employ entry-level individuals for their HR departments. This is the kind of occupation I would be eligible of. This would still give me the opportunity to progress in the corporate world even though possibly not as immediately. Cover Letter Diane Potter Senior HR Officer, Arcadia Group Limited, London, United Kingdom 0844 243 0000 Dear Mrs. Potter, I would like to present my resume to you for the Human Resource assistant position. I believe my comprehensive HR knowledge and experience and being a committed individual qualify me as an aspirant for the position. I hold the BSC degree in Human Resource Management. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I worked in Concession, Debenhams. Throughout my career I have contributed a lot to my company by recruiting employees. I also took part in the event organisation department for personnel. My attached resume gives you information of my skills and achievements. I am confident that a face-to-face interview would more truthfully divulge my qualifications and the input I can give towards the success of your organisation. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any question. Thank you! Respectfully, Nadeem Zabib Curriculum Vitae Personal Details Address: 51 Spring Lane Woodside South Norwood SE25 4SP Telephone: 0208 654 8458 Mobile: 07909967993 Email: puma102@hotmail.com Date of Birth: 05/01/1988 Skills and Attributes Excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all levels Ability to interact effectively with people of all backgrounds with tact and diplomacy Dedicated to providing the highest standards of customer service Enthusiastic, highly motivated, reliable and trustworthy individual Ability to work well under pressure and within strict deadlines Independent and resourceful, a quick learner, able to adapt quickly and easily Ability to lead, motivate and inspire others, a committed team player Friendly, approachable, outgoing personality with a positive outlook Good attendance and punctuality. Good ability to use initiative Education and Qualifications London Metropolitan University 2008 – Currently Moorgate BSC (Hons) Human Resource Management & Management Modules include: Business Psychology, International Marketing, Business Finance, Introduction to HR, Consumer Psychology and Buyer Behaviour, Operations Management, Managing Employee Performance Merton College 2006 – 2008 Morden Applied Business Studies Grades- B,C Ashburton Community School South Norwood 1999-2004 9 A-C GCSE’s including Maths, English, Science and Information Technology Career History Game November 2008 – January 2009 Concession, Debenhams Croydon Serving Customers and assisting them with purchases and queries Serving on tills and dealing with exchanges Getting stock from the stockroom for customers. Republic September 2007 – August 2008 Sales Assistant Croydon Merchandising and store display and implementing in-store promotions Handling stock, checking and replenishing products on the shelves Dealing with refunds, exchanges and customer queries Serving on shop floor, tills and fitting room Topman April 2004 – July 2006 Sales Assistant Croydon Responsible for advising customers on purchases, delivering the highest levels of service and professionalism at all times Supervising staff on Sundays, undertaking the rota, organising staff into sections. Serving customers on tills, fittings room and shop floor Replenishing items from the stock room Dealing with customers complaints and doing refunds n exchanges Interests and Activities I have a passion for the business industry and how it is run and operates. I like to keep up to date with the latest media happenings, such as new music and movies. I also enjoy surfing the Internet, reading magazines, newspapers, playing cricket and swimming. I like to get involved in social events and fundraisers and occasionally help my local temple when they hold charity events. References Mo Chadury Dominic Republic Game Concession Units 117/118 Debenhams Whitgift Shopping Centre 11 – 19 North End Croydon Croydon CR0 1UT CR9 1RQ 0208- 688 0382 0208 – 649 9541 Speculative Letter Diane Potter Senior HR Officer, Arcadia Group Limited, London, United Kingdom 0844 243 0000 Dear Mrs. Potter, I am a graduate of Human Resource Management from London Metropolitan University. I think that I am an excellent candidate for the position of Human Resource officer within your company. My undergraduate degree included the following subject areas which are quite appropriate for human resource management personnel: human resource management contemporary issues in HRM training and development reward and retention I would like to have a chance to discuss with you the employment opportunity within your organisation. I hope you will find interest reading my curriculum vitae and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Nadeem Zabib References Foskett, N. & Hemsley-Brown, J., (2001). Choosing Futures: Young People’s Decision-Making in Education, Training, and Careers Markets. London: Routledge/Falmer. Gutteridge, T.G., Leibowitz, Z. & Shore, J., (1993). ‘A New Look at Organisational Career Development’, Human Resource Planning, 16(2), 71+ Kahnweiler, W.M., (2007). ‘Sustaining Success in Human Resources: Key Career Self-Management Strategies’, Human Resource Planning, 29(4), 24+ Vaughn, R.H. & Wilson, M.C., (1994). ‘Career Management Using Job Trees: Charting a Path through the Changing Organisation’, Human Resource Planning, 17(4), 43+ Walsh, W.B. & Osipow, S.H., (1988). Career Decision Making. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Web Focus, (2008). ‘Customer Profile’, http://www.informationbuilders.com/applications/pdf/Arcadia_CS.pdf Read More