Career Aspirations and Development Directions - Essay Example

Running Head: Career Aspirations and Development Directions Your name Course name Professors’ name Date Introduction The first part of this paper is an analysis of Human Resource Management as a career path. This section addresses various issues that surround HR profession. The analysis is vital in bridging gaps between what is required in the profession and individual’s abilities. The second part covers qualities that are required of a human resource employee. Thirdly, various opportunities for graduates will be discussed with an intention of comparing them with my own qualifications. Before reviewing career plan, the paper will proceed to highlight my own career aspirations and objectives. The conclusion is an outline of career development for a period of five years. Analysis of HRM Career Path Human Resource Management is a business field that focuses on corporate strategy by managing people within an organization in an effective and efficient manner (Armstrong, 2006). The HR takes into consideration interconnection between people, level of satisfaction, and productivity. Ability of an individual to manage human resources effectively leads to higher quality work force, high productivity, and readiness to face change. Over time, human resource manager in a corporate environment has been changing. Previously, personnel managers played the role of administrators, setting policies, and sustenance of organizational status quo. This role has changed such that the present human resource manager emphasizes on strategic advantage of human capital. Furthermore, the role of human resources is moving towards internal consultancy with an intention of helping line and upper-level managers to better understand and manage their people. In terms of functionality, “human resources” entails compensation, benefits, human resource information systems, planning, designs of jobs, relationship between employees, and several other spheres of human capital development (Armstrong, 2006). Opportunities for new professionals exist primarily in generalist roles and rotational programs. The graduate and experienced-hire positions emphasizes on high-level strategic functions. Professionals in Human resource management are required to develop continuously, skills and attitude that are necessary for implementing a change. In the past, management positions in human resources were held by master’s level graduates in organizational design, human resource management, and other advanced categories. Nevertheless, there has been a shift of attitude towards people in an organization such that human resource managers are required to have a strong business background in addition to clear strategic and financial expertise. Many organizations are now hiring MBA candidate to occupy HR vacancies. In the same vein, students with finance, accounting, and marketing knowledge have successfully transferred to human resource management owing to their creativity and general flexibility. As a finance student with marketing and accounting knowledge, there is high possibility that I will succeed in taking a career in human resources. Self-Assessment Human resources professionals can be distinguished from other business fields by their strong interest and expertise in counselling and mentoring people. It is vital to clarify the fact that human resources employees, possesses excellent diagnostic and listening skills (Rouda, 1995). Their responsibility is to act as internal consultants and help managers to handle staff. Apart from functional competence, human resource managers should understand internal and external business conditions and human behaviour. Additionally, they should have strong communication skills and flexibility. To develop new solutions for traditional ways of solving issues, a human resource professional should have creativity skill. This skill is further applied in the task of balancing individual and organizational needs while also attempting to minimise costs and increase productivity. Human resource professional should as well consider lifestyle. In the corporate human resource environment, there is a greater possibility of a balance between work and life. Nonetheless, this will vary according to company and position held which change as individual appreciates upward an organizational ladder. Possible Career Opportunities MBA career opportunities can be found in large companies, which recruit human resource associates, generalists, and analysts (Bhuyah, 2002). Conversely, small and mid-size companies lack the entry-level positions because they have a single person occupying that post. Most companies prefer generalist who will be rotated through variety of areas within three years. After this initial stage, a person then becomes a human resource manager of a group executing general responsibilities. Organizations usually prefer business administration graduates to take up entry-level positions. These positions stretch from analysts, assistants, and training specialist. The other entry-level avenue is human resource generalist for a small unit of a large organization, which has a decentralised structure of organization. Their role will be to analyse, interpret and develop human resources management policies that will assist local operating managers realise unit goals in addition to individual objectives. The other path is to become a specialised HR professional (Bhuyah, 2002). The position can be traced to large organizations, which has a centralised structure of organization with duties associated with single human resource management function. This area captures interviewing, recruiting, compensation development, labour relations, training, and development. It is important to note that any person with college degree and human resource management training can move up the career ladder if hard work is applied. From this analysis, it is evident that I am obliged to demonstrate not only ability to manage interpersonal relations but also exhibit management capacity. My Career Aspirations and Objectives Work Experience: From March 2003 to July 2004, I worked for Abdullatef Jameel Company (TOYOTA) as a Car Sales Specialist. This position enhanced my ability in personal relationships. During the placement, I improved my communication and interpersonal skills. I also appreciated the fact that people have different psychological orientation, which must not be neglected. From April 2006 to July 2008, I ventured into Samba Financial Group as a System processor and western union transactions auditor in Operation & Technology department. This position was vital in building capacity to interact with systems within the operations and technology department. Moreover, I was able to interrelate with different kinds of people whilst exercising flexibility From July 2008 until now, I have been studying Business Administration course at The University of Central Lancashire. Throughout the course, I have been exposed to different facets of human resources management including effective interview and meeting skills, and project management (Becker, 1996). These are fundamental to execute successfully the role of human resource manager. Career direction: I have a diploma in public administration, Banking Management, from the institute of Public Administration. Additionally, I am about to graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration from UCLAN, which then indicates that I will be certified in human resource management. After graduating with a B.BA, I will take two Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, CIPD diplomas encompassing the third and fifth levels. My ambition is to build a successful career in human resource management. Career focus: I love interacting with people on a professional level. A career in human resource management is a platform to exercise untapped potentials. If possible, I would like to specialize in training and human resources development since I have a passion to mentor and influence other people. As mentioned earlier, entry level for this position can be training or on-board specialist. Concisely, this position entails administering on the job training programs, evaluating these training programs, and keeping records of employee participations in the training programs (Becker, 1996). From my experience as a car sales specialist, I will be in a position to exercise necessary caution with respect to training employees on sales techniques and safety programs. One specific field that has gained recognition in human resource development is career planning and counselling. Five Year Plan: I am looking forward to taking up the role of managing human resources by leading a team. Through handwork and continuous self-development with a strong emphasis on professional growth, the five-year plan is achievable. My hope is to work with an organization that provides an opportunity for growth. These opportunities should not only be sourced internally but also externally. Part of my professional development would entail enrolment for ACCA examination with a view of completing the first part of the exam. Thereafter, I will pursue Certified Financial Analyst, CFA examination. This will not only expand my knowledge and skills in the world of finance but also add to my curriculum vitae such that I will become competitive in the job market. Review of my Action Plan In the first assignment, I formulated action plan that ultimately focused on meeting my goals and objectives. The action plan captured ways to capitalise on my strengths and opportunities, work on my weaknesses, and eventually convert the threats into opportunities. In this case, my focus was to gain employment in a company that would improve my experience. Job hunting skills are imperative at this stage. Fundamentally, career opportunities are often available through on-campus recruiting. The process of job hunting should also include off-campus search. As a strategy to secure a job, I prefer to conduct intensive research about different companies. Periodicals such as Personnel Administration and HR magazine are essential sources of information (Armstrong, 2006). These magazines cover most recent human resource issues and provide list of nationwide job vacancies. The other strategy, as outlined in the action plan was to look for organizations that are expanding or rather retain their employees. These organizations often seek people who have a vivid understanding of business issues and are oriented to human resource side of business. Manufacturing and telecom industries are known for strategic human resource roles. I will however concentrate on organizations whose corporate cultures match my personal values. To supplement on my job search, I will join Organizational Strategy Club. The club usually provide names of students and alumni with experience in human resource and are willing to answer questions about human resource career. The organization further provides links to useful HR resources. Attending corporate presentations is a chance to be exposed to opportunities in various companies (Armstrong, 2006). These corporate presentations discuss opportunities available to interested students. Recruiters often talk about what their companies offer and the requirements that should be fulfilled by candidates. By mid of the year 2011, I should have obtained an internship or rather volunteer job. My strategy further involves utilising UCLan career services with a view of getting connections that would eventually open new entry opportunities. UClan career advisors will shape my interpersonal communication, which is relevant in the field of human resources. At the beginning of June 2011, I should be able to communicate and influence others, launch convincing argument, and ultimately gain confidence in communication. The other part of my action plan is to enrol for the first parts of ACCA then later pursue and complete CFA qualifications by the year 2013. This is a move towards getting equipped with technical skills required in a business environment. By the year 2014, I should have completed the first part of ACCA examination. This is the period when I will be certified and registered with professional bodies. Conclusion This paper began by giving an overview of a career path in HRM. HRM is a field in business that centres on realizing corporate strategy by managing people effectively and efficiently. Human resource management is all about interconnection between people, employee satisfaction, and productivity. The ability of an individual to manage human resources leads to high quality work force, high productivity, and readiness to face change. Functionally, human resources deals with compensation, employee development, planning, job designs and other variables that drive successful management of human capital. Opportunities for human resource graduates exist generally in three areas including HR specialist, analysts, and manager. Professionals in these fields are required to develop skills and attitude that are necessary for executing human resource functions. Previously management positions were held by master’s level graduates but the recent trend has seen employers hire MBA candidates to take up human resource vacancies. In the same vein, students with finance, accounting, and marketing knowledge have successfully joined human resource management. From this analysis, I am convinced to pursue highest qualifications in the business field. My target is to complete an MBA program and professional qualifications including ACCA and CFA. Professionals in human resources are required to have strong interest and expertise in counselling and mentoring people. These professionals should therefore develop excellent diagnostic and listening skills that can lead to good relationship among company’s workforce. Strong communication, creativity, and flexibility of an individual lead to fast formulation of solutions to impending problems. Such kinds of attitude and skills are relevant in balancing needs of an organization with that of individuals such that costs are minimised whilst productivity is improved substantially. After the analysis of Human resource as a profession, the paper progressed to evaluate my career aspirations and objectives. I have gained experience in various departments including sales and marketing when I worked for Abdullatef Jameel Company as a Cars Sales Specialist. This work placement improved my communication and interpersonal skills. As a system processor and western union transactions auditor in Samba Financial Group, I managed to achieve hands-on-experience in financial services, which is a requirement for an aspiring HR professional. Additionally, I gave an elaborate discussion on my career direction and focus that specifically revolves around the field of human resources. My Five-Year Development Plan Objective Specific actions Measure Target date Develop my professional and technical skills After completing ACCA, I will enrol for CFA Research journals and publications on human resources so as to be familiar Pass CFA examination. Certified as a financial analyst Be familiar with frequent changes in the field of human resources. 2013 2014 2014 Improve my work experience Join internship program join entry-level position in an organization that has development opportunities progress up the ladder by demonstrating excellent experience Gain employment in a reputable organization as a unit manager get a glimpse of job profile Gain experience in various roles of human resource employee. ability to handle various issues in human resources Successful management of a group of people in a unit 2011 2012 2014 2017 Interpersonal and Leadership skills Participate in team projects. Sharpen listening skills by enrolling for a course in communication studies. Formulate new strategies for my company Learn to appreciate other people’s weakness Strong group player Ability to lead, communicate and influence others Lead employees by offering solutions to impending problems Confidence in communication 2012 2012 2014 2014 Career advancement Participate in on-job training Identify one area of specialization and attend training with respect to the identified specialty Improved knowledge of the organization I should be able to specialize staff training and development area of human resources 2011 2014 Reference List Armstrong, M., 2006. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10th ed. London: Kogan Page. Becker, B. and Gerhart, B., 1996. “The impact of human resource management on organisational performance,” Academy of Management Journal, 39 (4), p. 779- 801. Bhuyah, D 2002, Multiple Career Choices for Graduate and Post-graduate Courses. Pustak Mahal Publishers, e-book, accessed 22 April, 2011 from http://books.google.com/books?id=LtNbBNYQLmkC&printsec=frontcover&source =gbs. Rouda, R. and Kusy, M.., 1995. "Needs assessment - the first step,” Tappi Journa, 78 (6), p.255. Read More