Human Resources Manager - Career Path to Be Pursued - Admission/Application Essay Example

Career Plan Introduction of career path A career path is a direction about the professional life thata person wishes to pursue in the life so that there is adequate balance between the work and personal lives (Vinkenburg and Torsten, 593). A good work life balance is necessary for all individuals as it gives them peace of mind and also allows them to be constructive both at home and work. For every person, it is imperative that the career choice is made in accordance to the individual’s personal characteristics so that the progression in the profession becomes an interesting and fruitful task. The career path must also be designed keeping in view the abilities of the individual as well as the areas of interest of the individual. This would allow the individual to become successful in the opted career. In order to provide guidance to every individual about the way of making a flourishing career, the experts of the industry recommend developing a career plan. This plan ensures that the person is well-aware of the competencies possessed and the abilities that have to be learnt for achieving the desired career goal. While making a career plan, the individual has to undergo a well thought out process of planning and analyzing what are the exact goals and objectives required for becoming successful. Career path to be pursued As there is a wide range of options available for the prospective graduates in the work environment, I want to make my career in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). After studying the introductory course on human resource management, I have developed keen interest in this subject and an inclined towards making a good career in the field of HRM. Since there needs to be alignment between the career path and the personality, I have done careful assessment of my own set of skills, interests, passions, perceptions, competencies, strengths and weaknesses so that I can make the right choice. In order to ensure that an effective decision is prepared, all the available options were exploited and evaluated from all vital aspects. This exercise ensured that the career goal and path for me is effectively designed. I have concluded from my assessment that I want to reach the position of HR Director of a Multinational Corporation (MNC) so that I can avail the benefits of acquiring good ranking in a well-known firm. Presently, I am targeting to obtain appropriate positions at either Procter and Gamble or Unilever as I want to enter in the consumer goods industry. It will allow me to gain first-hand experience and ensure that all relevant capabilities are nurtured and embedded within my personality. By working in a multinational organization, I would get to know the operations and procedures and most importantly the behavior required at workplace. Strengths and weaknesses As mentioned that I want to successfully attain the job of HR Director in a well-known MNC in about ten years time period, I evaluated my strengths and weaknesses that are present within my personality. The main aim of this exercise was to help me understand my potential of making a career in this field. After a detailed self-assessment, the following strengths were revealed as my personal characteristics: 1. The HR experts need to have excellent communication skills as they have to deal with a wide number of people on a daily basis. The employees of the HR department have to learn the art of listening, talking, counseling, mentoring and guiding the other people of the organization. I believe that I have strong communication skills because I am a good listener and also have the ability of giving beneficial counseling session to friends and family members. 2. Being well-informed about the business environment and its changes are the mandatory requirements of a HR professional. I excel in this aspect as I am always curious about the events that are taking place in the professional world such as the new labor rules and regulations, ways of leading employees, getting the work done in an appropriate manner and many more. This strength will allow me to remain aware about the HR policies that are prevalent in the leading organizations and implementing them effectively within my firm. 3. As an HR professional has to motivate the employees and ensure that they remain contended with the work environment, I believe that I have good command on inspiring people. Since I have good listening skills as well, I am sure that I will be able to help the employees of my organization to maintain adequate work-life balance and ensure that they are satisfied with their job. Some of the weaknesses that need to be overcome are as follows: 1. Although I have excellent organization skills like keeping everything in proper settings but I have difficulty in managing my time effectively. As a result, I end up making mistakes in my final projects and assignment. Time management is an essential requirement for HR professionals as they need to complete the tasks within the time limits. 2. Secondly, trust is the key feature of an HR employee as the individual needs to give empowerment to the other members of the organization to make vital decision. I have problem in easily trusting people and want to get all the work done by myself; I will have to work on it as building trust among employees as this is the duty of HR person. 3. Lastly, self-confidence is the main characteristic of a HR professional. The personnel has to make important choices all the time and it is vital to have confidence in one’s ability and competencies. I have an average level of self-confidence as I take too much time in making the final decision. I will have to get rid of this habit so that I can ensure that the judgment is effortlessly done with full confidence. Goals and objectives In order to achieve the desired HR Director position, following are the goals and objectives that are set by me for making a prospering and thriving career in the HR field: 1. To ensure that all weak areas are overcome by attending various courses and seminars by the end of December 2013. 2. To gain first-hand experience by acquiring a competent position in a local firm in summers so that it can provide valuable contribution in developing the required skills. 3. To work as an assistant HR in the University’s HR department for at least two months i.e. May to June 2013 so that theoretical knowledge gained can be applied in the real world. 4. To get feedback from the friends and teachers at the end of every month so that any discrepancies can be worked on with ease. Ideal state after five years Ideally, I wish to see myself employed as an HR manager after five years in my dream organization which is Unilever. The main reason for selecting this ideal state is that it will allow me to assess my success in the field and ensure that I am in the right direction. After HR manager, the next higher level will be of Vice President of HR department and then finally Director. When I will successfully attain my ideal state after five years, it will allow me to appreciate my efforts and will encourage me to move ahead with determination towards my aspiring position. Projected state after five years Considering the progress made in the last two months and opportunities available in the future, it is estimated that the targeted job might be difficult to attain. The primary factors that have contributed to this projected perception is the over saturation of the job market, growth in the unemployment rate of the country and increasing demand of less skilled jobs. As the companies are reluctant to pay higher compensation rates, it has become fairly less attractive for the prospective candidates to find their targeted jobs. Other hurdles in achieving my dream job after few years is the increasing cost of the training sessions and programs. Because of economic recession and increase in inflation rate, the institutions especially educational and training ones have significantly increased their fees structure which is making these programs too expensive for people like us who cannot afford to bear the expenses. However, if I am successful in acquiring jobs during my career path of five years, then I will be able to polish my skills and make a successful and prospering career in the HR field. Action Plan In order to ensure that all the gaps are properly addressed, I have developed the following action plan for the next five years: Task to be achieved Deadline Resources utilized Complete the educational qualification and avail options for career beginning in the professional world June 2014 Make effective use of the internship, part-time or full-time opportunities so that the real world experience in gained Enhance communication skills and motivate others January 2014 Get enrolled in leading programs offered by well-known training institutions Learn from the employers so that appropriate set of skills are polished Time management skills March 2014 Will develop my work log and diary to keep record of my tasks Ensure that the priority level of each project is decided so that all priority tasks are completed first. Get job in a local firm May 2014 Seek help from teachers, friends and Executive Development Department of the university to get job in a local firm This starting point will give an advantage as an understanding about local market will be effectively developed Switch to other appealing job in MNC – getting position of HR personnel January 2016 Once appropriate period is passed in the local firm, the next step will be to seek job in a MNC i.e. Unilever Enter in the company via the Management Trainee program Make successive progression in the MNC – acquiring position of Assistant HR manager January 2017 Actively participate in the business key decision and make appropriate contribution in the company’s enhanced performance Polish the skills and obtain additional certification to get ready for the next higher level position Learning mandatory skills and acquiring advanced qualifications to reach the position of Vice President of HR manager January 2018 Nurture the top management skills in the personality so that the required competencies and abilities are developed In order to reach the level of Vice President, additional well-designed courses certification will be acquired so that I become eligible for the Vice President position Conclusion For every individual who is considering the options of a prospective career path, he/she will have to ensure that an appropriate decision is made about the career. Everyone has to ensure that the choice about career is made in accordance to the individual’s personality and competencies possessed by him/her. This activity allowed to do in-depth analysis of my own personal skills and provided me guidance on making the right choices in my career path. In order to ensure that I obtain the mandatory competencies, I will have to employ appropriate level of efforts so that I am competent when compared to other candidates available in the market. After analyzing my career plan, I was in a better position to evaluate my interests and objectives for future. I had become more optimistic about my career and had a direction which I would follow to become a successful professional in future. One key aspect of this activity is that it allows a person to review the performance effectiveness and ensure that any deviation from the targeted tasks is properly dealt and addressed in an adequate manner. I will ensure that I monitor my developmental phases effectively so that I can approach the right people for rectifying the problems and ensuring that my career path moves in the right direction. By properly implementing a well-designed career plan, I am assured that getting the job of HR Director after ten years will be an enduring achievement for me and my career. Work Cited Vinkenburg, Claartje J. and Torsten Weber “Managerial career paths: a review of the empirical evidence.” Journal of Vocational Behavior 80.3 (2012): 592-607. Print. Read More