A Career Development Portfolio - Essay Example

? A Career Development Portfolio Personal Development Plan The personal development plan will include future carrier aspirations, reflection on development of skills and an action plan for carrier development. Section 1: Career Aspirations Carrier aspirations will include chosen occupation and job role as well as skills and competence. Chosen occupation and desired job role My chosen occupation will be hotel management. Hotel management is an area of hospitality industry which falls in the service sector. Hotel management basically includes management of a hotel, its services, staffs as well as overall functioning (Wang 2013, 996). A person in charge of this position bears responsibility of the overall satisfaction of the customers and guests. The primary reason for choosing this as a desired occupation is my experience as a hotel manager. I will be dividing my aspirations into short-term, medium term and long term. Since I already have a degree in aviation along with two years experience as a hotel manager, my short term objective will be to enter the hotel industry as a senior manager, with greater job responsibilities. My immediate learning objective will be to learn skills such as, managing subordinates and important occasions in a hotel like, weddings, birthdays and engagement and business seminars. I will also learn time management as well as team handling skills. My medium term plans will stretch to a period of 3-4 years from now. During this time, my objective will be to accumulate capital for my future investment. Another objective will be to establish contacts with potential investors, customers as well as promoters for my future entrepreneurship plan. During this time, I will also learn how to manage a hotel business by interacting with various hotel owners. My long term plans will be for 4 to 5 years from now. On a long term basis, I would like to open a hotel-cum-restaurant of my own. I also plan to include another investor in my business. Skills and competence For establishing a career in hotel management as well as choosing it as a future business, various skills and competencies are required. A person who looks after a hotel is responsible for the daily management of its property as well as its staff. The person will take care of financial management and budgeting, organizing and planning, directing all hotel staffs towards specific daily activities and management of beverages and food operations (Watson 2008, 156). Managing a team is one of the necessities of the current working environment. Management skills will include negotiating with different parties, sharing and listening abilities, creativity and innovation and ability to share responsibilities, tasks and motivation skills (Baum 1990, 5). Sharing skills as well as listening to new ideas. Capability for problem solving. Sharing tasks and responsibilities. Apart from the above, a hotel manager also requires various skills and competencies. Customer service is one of the important skills which hotel managers as well as hotel entrepreneurs should possess. Since they have to deal with guests and customers on a daily basis, it is imperative that a friendly demeanour and good service will retain customer loyalty. Interpersonal skills are another essential requirement in this carrier. It means remaining calm and directing comfortably in various stressful situations. It also means being able to communicate with different types of individuals. Problem solving skills are essential as they require thinking quickly as well as making decisions as and when needed. Hotel managers need good language skills as they are constantly interacting with employees and customers. Language skills are also needed for reading and interpreting documents as well as writing correspondence, business letters and other routine reports. IT skills are also required, so that they are able to use and implement various software programs as per requirement. Strengths and Weaknesses However, my biggest strengths among the above will be problem solving skills. One of my colleagues had informed me that I am very good at solving problems. While highlighting this, he had referred to a situation where I had a major role in sorting out the issues and solving them. I have also been praised by my boss for quickly solving the issues which required immediate attention. Despite my superior management skills, I intend to develop my entrepreneurship skills. Although, I have average knowledge about entrepreneurship skills, but at times, I fail to solve critical issues by my own. Hence, I would like to enhance my entrepreneurship skills. For this, I will be taking entrepreneurship classes from a reputed institute. Section 2: Reflection on Your Skills Development In this section, three recent and significant experiences have been selected in order to explain valuable lesson learned. Entrepreneurship skills I was always highly interested in service industry, since my graduation days. The qualities of an entrepreneur that I had learnt then were exactly the same as discovered in these entrepreneurs. Together with the learning from the course and practical knowledge that I got from meeting the entrepreneurs, I was also contemplating to start my own venture. Consequently, as soon as I finished my interns, I started my own small-scale venture. I was playing a major role in this entire situation. Other protagonists were the suppliers and customers. Although, initially it was small scale, the business had the opportunity to take larger strides. Considering my high interest in hotels, I started the business of selling fast food. Since I was short of resources and funds, I opted to work as a third part vendor. In this context, I used to buy directly from the manufacturing company and sell it to the end customers. The business went on smoothly for the first three months, but due to lack of resources and inadequate marketing activities, I was compelled to discontinue the venture. The main reason behind the discontinuation was that I had failed to promote the venture to its right customers. From the above experience, I had learnt that marketing and promotional activities is an important factor for successful entrepreneurship. Since it was a new venture, not many people knew about the business and with a lack of promotional activities, I was not able to attract more customers. While establishing my new venture, I will give high priority to marketing and promotional activities. I will also make sure that contacts have been established with major advertising and marketing agencies, which will help in branding and promoting my venture. Customer service skills In this event, I was playing the role of a problem solver and my customer was the other protagonist. While working in the hotel industry, I had to deal with customers from different cultures, regions and backgrounds. Thus, I had to regularly deal with a host of diverse customers. Also, different customers had different reactions to a situation. For example, some customers do not give relevance to customer service but for few others, it is a critical element showing respect. One of those days, a customer got angry as he did not get his ordered room service. He had been yelling at the senior manager. After arriving at the scene, I had first asked the customer to sit down and offered him a glass of water. The customer’s anger was instantly reduced and he was relaxed. Following that, I had asked him calmly about his problems. I apologized for the inconvenience, called the executive-in-charge of the customer’s rooms and asked him to immediately make the required adjustments. Since he was not ready for any adjustments, I negotiated and convinced him to shift to another room with the services that he demanded for. The customer was satisfied. He thanked me and went back to his room. From the event, I had learnt about effective customer service skills. I realized that in order to create customer satisfaction and loyalty, assertiveness and patience are important qualities (Kate 1993, 23). My abilities to read and understand the customer’s sentiment as well as his situation, has helped me to deal with the situation in an effective manner. I also learned to accept own faults and be willing to correct them efficiently in order to handle a disgruntled customer. In future, these qualities and competencies will be very helpful while dealing with customer complaints. For example, in future, I will have to deal with customers demanding exact specifications of hotel rooms or restaurants as desired by them. In case of unavailability of those specific demands, I will be able to negotiate them with other facilities. The negotiations and persuasion skills will also be helpful while making deals with investors in my future venture. Leadership skills I have worked in a hotel as an assistant manager where I had learnt critical leadership skills. The major protagonists in the act were employees, management and me, acting as a bridge. During my tenure, a technological change occurred related to establishment of new automation software. The employees feared that there will be layoff and had resisted the change. As a result, there was a serious misunderstanding and tiff between management and the employees. However, as a part of the company, I had decided to play the role of a liaison between the management and the employees. After a thorough conversation with the managers, I found out that the company was not planning to layoff instead they were apprehensive about the training. Substantiating the information, I attempted to convince the representatives by notifying them about the benefits of implementation in the organization. This discussion had turned out to be vigorous and majority accepted the requirement of this alteration. After the successful achievement of the implementation procedure, the management highly praised me for displaying leadership skills. This not only did strengthen my confidence but also, had permitted me to consider that I can be a good leader, which boosted my desire to become an entrepreneur in this industry. In future, I will use these skills for managing my staffs and subordinates as well as creating a strong communication build-up between the management and the employees. I will also use my leadership skills while motivating the management as well as staff and during crisis situations such as, low customer footfalls or implementation of new programs and strategies. Section 3: Career Management Action Planning The three short term SMART objectives related to my career development over the next twelve months are: 1. To secure employment in a top-notch hotel with a rewarding and challenging role where I can utilize as well as extend my leadership abilities and management skills. Specific- The above objective will help enhancing my current leadership skills and competencies as a manager as well as business entrepreneur. For this, I will aim at being employed at one of the Five-star hotels in my city. Measurable- Objective will be measured on the basis of my half yearly and annual performance review conducted by my employer. The performance assessment will help in measuring the skills which I have mastered as well as those which still needs enhancement (Chartered Management Institute 2011). Achievable- The two years experience in hotel management as well as a degree course in a subject related to service industry will make the objective attainable within the 12 months time frame. Realistic- The objective is realistic since my experience with the hotel industry will help me to get employment. Time-bound- The half-yearly as well as annual performance review will ensure that I achieve the results and review within the specified time frame of 12 months. 2. To analyze my potential customers, target market area as well as competitors in order to make appropriate strategies in future for the growth and development of my business. Specific- The objective is specific as it will give a clear idea about the present customers, the market where I intend to start the business as well as potential competitors in that area. By analyzing the present and past data, it will also be easier to predict the future customer demands such as, hotel environment, food and lodging preferences. It will also help in understanding the future business potential of the chosen target market. Measurable- Targeting top five competitors and evaluating their current as well as future strategies. In terms of measuring customers, top 200 customers including corporate accounts will be studied. To measure the market area, 10 surveys will be undertaken of the target market within specific intervals during the 12 months time frame. Attainable- In order to make the objective attainable, small segment of customer data as well as only top five competitor analysis were chosen. Since the chosen customers and competitors belong to the same city, both primary as well as secondary analysis is attainable. A similar project on competitor and customer analysis was conducted by me during my tenure in college. My work revolved around perception of local customers regarding luxury hotels and I had surveyed 100 customers as well as 4 hotel owners. I was able to finish my survey in 6 months. Thus, my objective is attainable. Realistic- For the successful completion of the objective, access will be needed in terms of secondary market data as well as primary data. Secondary data will be gathered through literature review as well as access to various government data sites. Primary data will be easily gathered, as during my two years tenure as hotel manager, I had made good contacts with various top corporations as well as hotel owners. Thus, my objective is realistic. Time bound- In order to make this objective time-bound, one week will be dedicated from each month for the timely completion, which will include secondary research during weekdays and primary research during weekends. 3. Take a part-time or executive course in an entrepreneurship or business school to enhance my professional skills, working capacities, entrepreneurial efficiencies and to increase the performance of my future business with commitment and determination. Specific- The specific skills to be learned and enhanced during the course will be motivation skills, creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship skills, team building and networking skills, mechanisms for coping stress, oral and written communication skills, analytical thinking and quick learning mechanisms, strategic management, customer relationship management, advanced hotel management, investment management, intellectual property management and corporate governance (Bristol 2007). Measurable- During my tenure in college, my aggregate was 65 percent. In order to make the objective measurable, the overall target aggregate during this course will be 75 percent. Also, individual target will be 75 percent for each subject during mid-terms and 80 percent at the end of final examination. To measure the performance, a self evaluation test will be taken at every month-end covering already studied topics. Attainable- In order to make the objective attainable, all classes will be followed rigorously with full attendance and each assignment will be completed within time and with full dedication. Realistic- The course will help me in achieving the necessary entrepreneurship skills required for starting a venture. The institute will be chosen with full research on its available courses and subjects, experience of professors as well as quality of education matching my exact requirements. Time bound- Since it will be an executive or part-time course, the duration will be one year, thereby fulfilling the objective. Curriculum Vitae Anthony C. Brown 222A Baker Street, London Tel: 0044 121 638 0026 Mobile: 0870 061 0121 Email: anthonybrown@rediffmail.com Personal Statement A self-motivated person with a realistic and positive approach encompassing leadership and motivating abilities while delivering efficient and measurable business results. I have a record of target achievements in numerous areas including hospitality, reward enrolment, guest satisfaction and creative designing, among few. I have the experience of implementing and managing the highest standards in terms of hotel service as well as delivering commendable guest service. Current objective Aiming to progress and develop my career with an ambitious and award winning hotel with the objective of using my present skills and competencies to enhance the overall performance of the organization as well as develop myself as a better hotel manager. Academic Qualification University of Birmingham 2006-2009 Diploma in Aviation Career History Five Star Hotel- Birmingham Hotel manger 2009- 2011 Responsible for management of hotel on a daily basis and ensuring that guests expectations are properly met. Duties Ensuring profitability of all departments of the hotel. Promotion sales culture by active involvement in sales process. Maintaining a cooperative and positive work environment between management and hotel staff. Ensuring lobby presence all the time with staff greeting as well as meeting guests. Overseeing parties, banquets and wedding functions. Safeguarding the health and safety of each guest during their stay in the hotel. Ensuring smooth check-in as well as check-out process. Looking for opportunities for expanding the revenue stream of the hotel while developing and maintaining its core business. Undertaking various meetings with suppliers and negotiating with them. Management and repairing of all technical and mechanical equipments within the hotel. Expertise areas Hospitality Able to perform efficiently under resource and time constraints. Can handle and priorities multiple and meet established deadlines. Experience in developing value added service programs for customers. Extensive experience in direct and face-to-face customer servicing environment. Maintenance of correct level of staffing. Providing timely reports to the management. Personal Performing with high ethical standards and treating others with respect. Innovative and creative thinker. Possess a realistic and practical approach for problem solving. Professional Proficient in financial report, financial management and analysis. Knowledge of alcoholic beverages and internal cuisines. Proficient in MS word, Office, Task Manager. Proficient in JAVA. Additional Achievements Managed a five star hotel with 100 rooms at that time and 2 restaurants and 2 bars, where I have been in-charge as Food and Beverage Assistant Manager. Completed training in Canada (Montreal) at Queen Elisabeth at that time with extraordinary achievement in leadership and management. Personal details Father name: Matthew Brown Hobbies: Travelling, internet surfing, reading Driving license: Yes Married/Unmarried: Unmarried Reference List Baum, Tom. 1990. Competencies for Hotel Management: Industry Expectations of Education. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 2: 4-6. Bristol. 2007. “Setting Smart Objectives.” Accessed 3 December, 2013. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/assets/documents/hr-perf-man-smart-objectives.pdf Chartered Management Institute. 2011. “Setting Smart Objectives.” Accessed 3 December, 2013. http://www.managers.org.uk/sites/default/files/u271/Checklist%20-%20Setting%20SMART%20Objectives.pdf Kate, Purcell. 1993. Equal opportunities in the hospitality: Custom and credentials. International Journal of Hospitality Management 12: 25-45. Wang, Yao-Fen. 2013. Constructing career competency model of hospitality industry employees for career success. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 25: 994 – 1016. Watson, Sandra. 2008. Where are we now? A review of management development issues in the hospitality and tourism sector: Implications for talent management. Emerald Management Review 20: 152-176. Read More