Self-Efficacy and Personal Development Planning - Assignment Example

09/2014—Present Coventry university UK

Business management 1st stage

* Integrated Business Management (70%)

* Social Networking for Business （64%）

* Business & Management Statistics （62%）

08/2013—09/2014 Sheffield international collage UK: Foundation

Business, law and social sciences

*Academic (61%), Language (64%)

06/2011—08/2013 Xi'an International Studies University Beijing

Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language

*1st stage (84%)

*2nd stage (84%)

Work Experience

11/2011—05/2013 Student information desk (Xi’an, China) Assistant

*provide service for overseas student such as school application forms and visa application.

* Help students explore their own advantages to choose the right professional.

*Familiar with the application conditions and application process of the British visa to help students improve the application materials.

07/2011—08/2011 Qingdao Hilton Hotel (Qingdao, China) assistant to the director

* Coordinate and handle the daily management tasks of the Department.

*Material collection, file management, document drafting, document making, sending and receiving documents.

*Successful planning, management and follow-up visits and activities.

*Writing speeches for the Director.

Volunteer Work

05/2014 Donation for Stray dog

*Creating awareness and helping raise funds

06/2014 Graduation trip

* Organization helper

09/2015 Hope primary school in (Shanxi province, China)

*spent a month as an English teacher

Skills

Able to work as part of a team; people management skills, customer service skills, and developed skills in Information Technology.

A C.V. is an outline of a jobseeker’s education as well as their work experience. In writing their CV, an individual can choose to focus on either their skills or their experience in employment i.e. a chronological CV. A competent C.V., clearly shows the professional skills you have, abilities, academic and professional qualifications and experience in employment that can make an employer want to hire you (Schmidt 2012, p. 90).

I am an undergraduate student at Coventry University, Britain, currently pursuing a degree in business management. Mt two placements in the hospitality industry and at a front desk have enabled me to gather some experience in customer service and focus on specific issues. I have also developed management skills from which have taught me the importance of valuing all members of your team. During my time as a volunteer, I have developed my understanding of self-reflection and evaluation.

I am seeking work placement at the British embassy in Beijing as an assistant officer in the consumer, creative and education team. I have had previous work experience in the hospitality industry as well as in a student union information desk where I gained not only experience in customer service but also transferable skills in this sector. I have also been involved in many volunteer activities such as offering English lessons to children in china and raising awareness and funds for stray dogs in Britain. During a placement with Qingdao Hilton Hotel, I was actively involved in the daily management activities of the hotel, including follow up visits and activities and writing speeches for the director. If hired I bring to this organisation bring skills in HR management, supply chain management and excellent communication skills to develop and maintain long lasting relationships with the clients. I am looking to secure a position in the embassy where I can bring a positive and enthusiastic attitude and develop my current skill set further. Your organisation is the type of competitive and fast-paced environment where I see myself developing my skills and knowledge.

My current CV is mostly skills style due to limited experience but what I lack for in experience I compensate in work ethic and hard work.

Part 3: Preparing for an interview

The organizers, recruiters, carefully design interviews such that when they are interviewing the candidates, they are able to evaluate each individual’s knowledge, capabilities, experience and also various other qualities that are relevant to the job (Edenborough 2005, p.179). In addition, an interview presents an opportunity for both parties to come to a mutual understanding, so that each party can make an informed decision.

Provide examples of instances you have demonstrated skills an employer would be looking for in an employee

SITUATION

TASK

ACTION

RESULT

Skill 1

An extremely busy time in the hotel

Reconcile financial statements, settle and update invoices,

consulting departmental managers and seeking further data from suppliers in case of missing or inaccurate financial data

Manager acknowledged my diligence, taking responsibility of the assigned tasks, and teamwork spirit.

Skill 2

contemporary -minded

Wide-ranging first-class presentation

As the study group leader I set the groups direction to achieve its objective and allocated tasks depending on the strengths and expertise of team participants

Application of Vitoria's Secret while making our presentation brand and as a result attained a grade of 60.

Skill 3

Possess Excellent communication skills

As a volunteer

Assisted in file assortment and organisation

I perform even better within a multi-cultural environment.

Skill 4

Limited time to learn, adapt to corporate culture and make a significant contribution

Generate budget reports for management, update database…

Accurately input into company database.

Learned about the internal operations of an accounting department; expanded my understanding of GAP (general accounting principles); advanced the capacity to successfully communicate and work within a team.

Skill 5

ability and flexibility

Backpacking in Turkey

Make a trip, complete the flight tickets, hotel booking

Visited six cities in Turkey within ten days

Skill 6

Each department handled student orientation differently, information presented was not consistent, and students felt overwhelmed. 

Provide recommendation on how to improve student orientation session.

Research existing orientation programs and Create PP presentation incorporating graphs, quotes, and recommendations

New processes were implemented, consistency of distributed information and increased productivity of new students was achieved

Pigford (2001, p.16) teaches six skills that can be used to impress the panel in an interview. These skills include; extensive research, appropriate dressing, being on time for the interview, readiness to answer questions, appropriate body language and the use of materials. The panel in an interview first evaluates the candidate’s dressing, manners as well as their behaviour. They then go on to evaluate the job seekers professional knowledge, ability to effectively communicate, and social skills. The interviewer may also seek to find out about a candidate’s character and interpersonal skills. For the jobseeker, it is important that you demonstrate high energy levels so that the employer knows you are up to the task. You should however not be over confident and should calmly show the interviewer about your achievements, thing you have learnt from past experience and also the skills you have acquired. Moreover, before the interview, you should investigate to find out about the nature, scope of business of the organisation, overall performance and development prospects of your potential employer.

From the STAR grid above, I demonstrate skills in teamwork by describing how I was able to gather information from suppliers and departmental managers while relatively new at the organisation. This shows my willingness to learn from others and work as part of a team to realize a greater objective for the better of the organisation. I can also take personal initiative without the need of supervision as seen in skill 6 where I noticed a flaw in the orientation process of new students and took it upon myself to come up with a better orientation plan. From my PP presentations on a new orientation plan, I improved my presentation skills by learning how to come up with a strong introduction to catch the attention of my audience and encourage them to pay attention.

However, I recognize certain shortcomings such as an inability to multitask. In a busy and hectic environment such as an embassy, there is need to employ individuals who can multitask so the organizations productivity can be increased. Multi-tasking is a crucial way of achieving time management in an organisation where deadlines must be met on a daily basis. Time management is a personal skill that anyone with ambitions of being a manager must have.

Part 4: Psychometric Testing

Humans have varied psychological characteristics that can determine their capabilities for, such as innovativeness or creativity, in a job environment. Through psychological assessment, these characteristics can be identified, hence possibly predict their professional capabilities (Shavick 2005, p, 64). The first person to suggest mental testing was James Cattell. He was an American psychologist who came up with a set 16 personality measurement criteria by which people could assessed (Sweet, Rozensky and Tovian 2013, p.293). Since then, the technique has been widely used by scholars mainly in science, but has recently found its way into the field of human resource management. Many employees nowadays require prospective employees to first undergo psychometric tests to determine certain capabilities before they can be hired.

Results from the psychometrics test show that I could be a team leader who would take the necessary measures to regulate individual roles and responsibilities. I could be effective in coordinating everyday tasks in a job environment while the rest of the employees concentrate on upcoming tasks and objectives. The results reveal that I am uncomfortable questioning usual approaches or individuals who would opt for creativity and flexibility when tackling problems and everyday tasks. I am however open to new ideas and therefore likely to be the most innovative individual in a group of employees. From the tests, I learn that I need to be aware of the significance and value of social networking, contacts and relationships. I should therefore learn to establish contacts in an informal setting more easily if I am to make an impact in my career. I am an individual who strives to get to understand the fundamentals of a problem before taking the necessary actions to remedy it.

The second psychometric test reveals that I am an individual who should seek a helpful environment when considering places to work. This is because I am quick to offer help where I can and expect the same amount of support to be offered when I am in need of help. I perform best when I feel that my work has a real meaning to it and this drives me to perform at my intellectual peak. I would therefore fit well in an organization that offers me a feeling of safety and security.