Career Development and Self-Efficacy - Essay Example

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN Portfolio Item Poster relating to self-efficacy beliefs Portfolio item 2 Self-Efficacy Development Plan Action Plan - Summary Title Detailed Action When Completed 1. Plans for improving on academics Concentrating more on studies Taking part in school activities such as debates and presentations Allocating time for daily studies. Improving reading and writing skills. Comparing the grades with the previous ones. 2. Developing strategies for building self-confidence Socialise more Group projects to help build confidence Positivity. Take criticisms positively and learn from them. Hear the opinion of other people regarding my levels of confidence after some specified period of time 3. Adopting employability skills Improving communication skills Working in groups Accepting challenges and facing difficulties with courage .having better management skills by having and following deadlines Use technology for my benefit. Have a list of what I should do and checking on them from time to time. Discussion Self-efficacy is the ability of an individual to know that they can go through a certain task to its completion. It is the belief that they have a strong will, capability, strength, and time to complete a task or to reach a certain goal. It is important for a person to have goals so that they can fulfill something in their lives. Students are supposed to have goals about their future careers and life. It is important that they have a clear path on how they will conduct themselves so that they can achieve the goals that they have for themselves and their careers. People gain self-efficacy in several ways (Bandura 2008, p. 280). For instance, they can gain self-efficacy through words of people who are around them. If a student is among people who constantly encourage them, then they are likely to have high levels if self-efficacy as opposed to those who are around people who discourage them. Experience is also a good measure of self-efficacy. Through experience, they can learn what they can do, learn to stretch their boundaries and even know what their limits are at that particular time. The emotional state of an individual plays an important role in determining what they can do and what they cannot do. For instance, it is important that the individual be in the correct state of mind so that they can be able to finish a given task. A sick student may not be able to complete an exam successfully because of the emotional state that they are in (Bono 2003, p. 10). In the same way, a depressed worker may not be able to carry out his duties as efficiently as he should. Therefore, it is important that an individual have the correct state of mind in order to finish the goal at hand. Several issues have to be considered when a person is planning for their own development. Usually, they have goals that need to be achieved by a particular time. In my opinion, it is important for a person to have goals with a realistic period. This is to avoid any disappointments if the goals are not realized within the set time frame. A realistic period helps an individual to plan really well and to give enough space for any inconveniences that he may come across. Time is of essence when planning for development. A realistic period is ideal for development as a person does not feel rushed and end up carrying out their activities in a mediocre way. Confidence is key when planning for development. Confidence is the ability of an individual to believe in their abilities and to know what they want. Confidence enables a person to plan effectively. A person who is confident in themselves is likely to come up with plans to push themselves even further than what they have previously achieved (Chen 2001, p. 272). Confidence helps an individual to set goals that they can do. However, it is important for a person not to be too over-confident in himself or herself because they will end up setting goals that are unachievable and thus making them fail in their plans and discouraged. The key elements that an individual needs to have when planning for their goals include confidence, a stable state of mind, a good support system, measure of their experience, and respect for time frames. Creating a CV PORTFOLIO ITEM 3: Personal CV Student Name： Address: 48 Friers Road Tel Mobile: 07456378765 Email: 503538411@qq.com Objective To get a job in a good and reputable organization and work with professionals who offer and give challenging work that would enable me grow in my career and at the same time meet the needs of the organization. Academic Education Coventry University- BBA – Bachelors in Business Administration In Progress Warwickshire College- A Levels (Business Studies, Mathematics, Statistics). 2010-2012 Fenggang High School in China- GCSE (English, Physics, Chemistry, Chinese) 2008-2010 Work Experience R.A.D. Private Limited October 2007- November 2008 Research Trainee Assisting in research based activities Preparing research reports Assisting in the procedure of publishing research papers Haiwei English School January 2009- September 2009 Teaching Assistance Arranging quiz exams and handling other assessments such as team projects and presentations. Conducting lectures in absence of the lecturer. Participating in students evaluation and organizing records of students’ performance Reports and Projects Prepared a research report on Impact of Strategic Human Resource Management on Corporate Social Responsibility of Nestle. Preparing a Feasibility Report and Business Proposal on “Taste Buds” (Imaginary Restaurant) in the course Financial Management. Prepared a Research Report in Marketing Management on the topic “Impact of Logo Design on perceived value/brand image of the company.” Major Courses Financial Accounting Business English Business Studies Business and Company Law Marketing Management Human Resource Management Financial Management Supply Chain Management Research Methods Statistics Business Mathematics Interests and Skills Proficient in QM for Managers, MS Office, E-views, SPSS Team player with potent communication, coordination, and leadership skills. Watching documentaries and readings books Playing Badminton, Cricket, Pool. References Available upon request Discussion Most jobs that are advertised usually require some level of experience. However, as a person fresh from college, it is impossible for an individual to have the number of years that are required as experience. Therefore, for an entry-level job, a person needs to highlight their strong points. He needs to have strong attributes that will enable them secure a job even when they do not have the required experience (Conner 2005, p. 89). In this sense, the individual requires to highlight their attributes such as being hardworking and have proof to show that they are hardworking. If a person lists that they are hardworking, then they should give an instance or two to show that they are indeed hardworking and are willing to push their boundaries so that they can be the best. This can be shown in the academic performance of the individual, and any projects that the individual may have carried out successfully. The person needs to highlight their extra-curricular activities. This part of the CV shows the other interests of the individual rather than just the academics. As much as academics are important, it is necessary for an individual to have other activities that demonstrate he can work successfully in any environment and that they are versatile. Extra-curricular activities reveal more about the personality of the individual and prove the fact that they can handle many things at the same time (Dormann 2006, p. 35). This means that a person has other interests as well and appears to be an all-rounded individual. Other things that may compensate for the lack of experience include enthusiasm for the job, a description of capabilities that reflect what is needed for the job and the hobbies of the individual. The individual must also show willingness to learn and to meet strict deadlines. Most entry-level jobs require that an individual have good grades and other extra-curricular activities that reveal the type of a person the individual is (Dijkstra 2000, p. 507). Therefore, the CV needs to be written in a way that highlights the best attributes and characteristics of the individual. Any achievements that he may have had in school, their interests in other things, their willingness to learn, their ability to listen to instructions and the ability to think fast and out of the box when they are required to do so should be included as well. Therefore, the more versatile he person appears to be by their list of hobbies, interests, extra-curricular activities, the more likely he is to be entrusted with the job. In the same way, a person who has been a leader or been a very active member in any club or organization in school is likely to come across as being responsible and dependable to carry out various duties in the work place (Graham 2011, p. 115). It is also important to have good referees who would vouch for the good behavior of an individual. One universal rule about referees is not to have any relatives or friends in the list. Therefore, the most appropriate people would be lecturers, heads of department and even a patron of a club in which the individual was active. Preparing for an Interview In a star type of interview, the individual is likely to go off key and may be confused about what to say and what not to say. A person may end up giving irrelevant information that is not useful for the interview. Therefore, the individual has the responsibility of ensuring that they answer the question as precisely as possible (Heider 2008, p. 156). Most of the questions in this type of interview start with the words,’ tell us about the time when…’ the individual has to come up with a plan on how to answer the question in a way that would favor him and enable him to get the job. First, the person has to give the details of the situation (Judge 2008, p. 20). For instance, he could talk about a time when a client called in order to complain about a product that had become faulty after using it for only a few days or weeks. In this case, there is bitter customer who most likely wants another similar product or needs to be refunded and at the very least, have the product repaired by the company (Ormrod 2006, p. 206). It is the responsibility of the company to compensate the customer for their loss especially if the product had some form of warranty, and the time has not elapsed. The next section that the interviewee has to describe is the tasks he could perform in order to deal effectively with the irate customer. In this case, various options could be taken. The task to be taken is what is required of the employee in such a circumstance it is important that the duty of the employee is to ensure that the reputation of the company is maintained and that the mistake is corrected as soon as possible (Smith 2000, p. 286). The action that the employee decides to take tells a lot about their character and their thought process as well and how they handle emergencies. The next part that the employee should describe would be how he carried out the plan to success. The activity in the above example would be to refer the customer to the department concerned or ask the supervisor on what to do. He could even give the client various suggestions possible and let them choose for themselves. The employee needs to go through the various solutions that the customer has at their disposal, and once they have an agreement, the employee should make the necessary plans to ensure that the solution is carried out. The last step is where the interviewee could describe the outcome of the situation. This is to report whether the client was happy with the result and whether they were satisfied and what action they took that show the satisfaction of the client. In this case, the interviewee can state the action was a success, and the customer was so happy and satisfied that they even give a recommendation for the company on social media (Dijkstra 2000, p. 508). It is important that the interviewee give a detailed report so that success can clearly be identified so that he can get the job at hand. Portfolio Item 4 Psychometric Testing Discussion Psychometric tests are used to verify the thinking process of an individual in regards to a particular job. The individual is usually required to answer a set of questions within a particular amount of time and the ability of the person is measured on how fast he is able to complete the test and how many of the questions answered are answered correctly. The person who answers the most questions correctly within the shortest amount of time is usually regarded as the most intelligent and all rounded person. The aim is to check also how the individuals react under pressure and if they panic and are, unable to think when faced with a stressful situation. The more questions answered correctly, the more suitable the individual is (Bono 2003, p. s12). In order for an individual to gain confidence while undertaking psychometric tests, they need to practice. There are many psychometric tests online, and a student can get insight on how to handle them efficiently by practicing regularly. The more tests done, the higher the level of confidence the individual gains. The questions are usually the day-to-day questions, but a person can easily be confused since they are usually carried out under tension. There is simple mathematics to gauge the analytical skills of the individual. There are also simple English questions here the person supposed to fill in gaps in the questions. Then the hardest section is usually the pattern section, which usually requires a person to concentrate fully and come up with the next pattern in the sequence. Most people usually fail in this part since it is not as straight forward as the other sections, and it requires a lot of time for a person to come up with the correct next pattern in the sequence (Dijkstra 2000, p. 502). Most companies carry out psychometric tests for most entry-level jobs in order to gauge the thinking capacity of the potential employee. Psychometric tests can be practiced as many times as possible since most are usually very similar or even have the same elements. In this segment, practice makes perfect, and the person should take as many tests as possible. Most candidates are usually rejected at this level because it requires quite a high thinking capacity (Miller 2001, p. 123). At this stage, the people who are all rounded, handle pressure very well, can act fast, and effectively are the ones who pass through this stage successfully. Therefore, a person needs to have high levels of self-efficacy, good judgment, and enough practice to cry out the tests successfully. Therefore as part of my career development plan, I will carry out as many psychometric tests as possible in order to increase my confidence in taking such tests and to increase my chances of getting the jobs. References Bandura, A., 2008. Organizational Application of Social Cognitive Theory. Australian Journal of Management,, 2(13), pp. 275-302. Bandura, A. B. C. C. G. V. a. P. C., 2006. Multifaceted Impact of Self-Efficacy Beliefs on Academic Functioning. Child Development, 4(67), pp. 1206-1222. Bono, J. E. &. J. T. A., 2003. Core self-evaluations: A review of the trait and its role in job satisfaction and job performance.. European Journal of Personality,, 1(17), pp. S5-S18. C.M, H. M. &. C., 2004. Internet self-efficacy and electronic service acceptance.. Decision Support Systems, 3(38), pp. 369-381. Chen, G. G. S. M. a. E. D., 2001. Validation of a new general self-efficacy scale. Organizational Research Methods, 4(1), pp. 62-83. Conner, M. &. P. N., 2005. Predicting health behaviour. 2nd ed. Buckingham, England:: Open University Press. Dijkstra, A. &. D. V. H., 2000. Self-efficacy expectations with regard to different tasks in smoking cessation. Psychology & Health, 4(5), pp. 501-511. Dormann, C. F. D. Z. D. &. F. M., 2006. A state-trait analysis of job satisfaction: On the effect of core self-evaluations.. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 1(55), pp. 27-51. Graham, S., 2011. Self-efficacy and academic listening. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10(56), pp. 113-117. Heider, F., 2008. The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. 6th ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Judge, T. A., Erez, A., Bono, J. E. & Thoresen, C. J., 2002. 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Human learning. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Ormrod, J. E., 2006. Educational psychology: Developing learners. 5th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Smith, H. M. &. B. N. E., 2000. Development and validation of a scale of perceived social self-efficacy. Journal of Career Assessment, 3(8), p. 286. Read More