Career Action Plan - Coursework Example

Career Action Plan Table of Contents Introduction 3 Occupational Research 4 Methodology 5 Personal Analysis and Gap Analysis 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Appendix 14 Curriculum Vitae 14 Cover Letter 18 Career Action Plan 20 22 Introduction Career Action Plan is the joint effort of the employer and the employee in order to shape the career of the individual. However, the knowledge and the skills rest with the individual applying for the job. This report is related to the career action plan for a fresh graduate who may or may not be working in any organisation. Six organisations have been referred to, which have vacancy for the marketing jobs. The six organisations are Barclays Corporate, Media Agency, Coca-Cola, Mitchells & Butlers, BT and Jaguar Land Rover. The report will progress with the trends in the employment market generally in marketing sector, the recent developments and the predicted future trends. It will also have a detailed analysis of the skills/knowledge and experience that would be expected from the particular candidate aspiring for a job. The report further progresses with the development of the CV and the covering letter preparation that would be prepared to demonstrate the skills/knowledge and experience in order to apply for a graduate level job. After that the report will exhibit the gap analysis where the current knowledge and the skills of the applicants will be matched with the requirement that has been identified in the research. At this stage, an attempt will be made to identify the areas where the candidate lacks. The preparation of the career action plan will be carried out where the candidate will show his commitment in order to plug the lacuna. At this section, personal development planning and career related activities will be undertaken. A short conclusion of the overall report will be presented to the reader in order to reflect the feeling on completion of the overall assignment and exhibit an understanding of the intention to use the career action plan. Occupational Research Based upon the interest level, it has been decided to explore the knowledge and expertise in the marketing field of any industry in the UK. Since several years the marketing job has been extremely competitive. The marketing industry is growing which is good news for those aspiring to make their careers on marketing. In order to overcome the tough times such as the recent economic slowdown, the companies seek people who can help them to get through this kind of situations. In this case, utilising money for marketing seems to be viable. However, there are certain drawbacks about these marketing jobs as well. Although the job profile seems to be attractive, the candidates have to face tough competition in this field. If the candidate seems to be incredibly hardworking and seeking challenges, then he can get involved into the marketing jobs. As the industry is growing there seems to be greater demand for such kind of challenging aspirants. The trend of the job market has changed totally. Technological innovation has continued to cause rapid and unpredictable changes in the career demand of the candidates. The job roles have undergone an incredible change in the recent years with the advancement in the technology. Methodology The research has been conducted taking secondary sources into consideration. The area of interest has been marketing, thus various organisations websites has been sought in order to know about the recruitment policies, and job vacancies for fresh marketing graduates. Various websites and literatures has been sought in order to arrive at proper solution. Various organisations who are looking for graduates in the field of marketing are Barclays Corporate, Media Agency, Coca-Cola, Mitchells & Butlers, BT, Jaguar Land Rover, Siemens PLM Software, CRM software and others. Mitchells & Butlers is one of the leading names of UK. They operate in pubs and restaurants. It offers eating, drinking and entertainment to its customers. Graduates are required to apply for the post of the senior managers in this company. The company has been looking for the candidates who are able to demonstrate drive, passion for the industry and enthusiasm along with sound commercial insights (Graduate Jobs, 2010). The candidate is required to apply online according to the company’s rules and policies. The candidate is provided with tremendous support throughout the recruitment process and with a feedback on their application progress and the suitability for the role they have been selected (Onrec, 2008). Another industry where the candidate interested in marketing can apply is media agency. A famous media agency in the UK is Straco International. If the candidate is looking for jobs in POS, advertising and marketing then this is the place where the candidate can apply. Here the candidate is required to monitor the campaigns and needs to ensure that the campaigns are being tracked and measured correctly. He is required to be a good communicator as he needs to liaise with the client on as continuous basis, answer the clients queries and assist them in case of any issues. He should be a graduate having a strong academic background and superior understanding of the search/PPC marketing. He also needs to be excellent at numerical and must know how to manage the time and meet deadlines. He needs to express his passion for creating his own website or blog (Graduate Jobs, 2010). Word of mouth is the common technique that is applied by the organisation in order to recruit the candidate. The satisfied candidates recommend Straco to their friends and colleagues (Straco International, 2009). The company such as Coca-Cola has also been recruiting people for the marketing jobs, who are passionate, enthusiastic and whose engagement with the people can make a difference. Their success depends upon the motivated and committed employees (Coca-Cola, 2010). The recruitment and selection process at Coca-Cola starts from sorting of the application that is based upon the demand of the organisation and the capability of the candidate. After that, initial interview is held followed by written test, psychometric test and Group Discussion. Personal interview is held in order to understand the knowledge and the communication skill of the candidate. The process further progresses to the assessment centre where the second round of interview is conducted to select the best candidate. It also undertakes physical test to examine the fitness of the candidate applying for the position. In the concluding phase, background investigation is held in order to check the references (Scribd, n.d.). At Barclays, the candidate needs to be extremely proficient in his communication skills, analytical abilities, resourcefulness, and needs to be a team player and must be tactful enough to build relation with the clients. The people who are quite confident, persuasive and outgoing are recruited (Barclay’s Corporate, n.d.). The application process at Barclays is simple for the candidates. The candidates need to apply online. At online application forms, the candidate is asked to provide details about his personal achievements, academic backgrounds and work related experiences. This is the first stage of interview. If the company is satisfied with it, then they may call the candidate for the second round to its assessment centre at its headquarters. At this stage, the candidate is required to undergo an in-depth interview and is asked to produce a case study. After that if the candidate is selected then the feedback from the assessment will form part of the first development plan (Barclays, n.d.). At Jaguar Land Rover, the candidate can apply for various marketing positions. However, he needs to have excellent communication skills. He should be enthusiastic for the brand and should have an in-depth knowledge on the product ranges. He should be able to build effective relation across all the departments. The candidate needs to have the capability to manage time effectively (Jaguar Land Rover Careers, n.d.). At the first stage the candidate is required to fill up the details in the online application form. The candidates are required to take their time with the aim that they can accurately convey all of their abilities. If the candidate is successful at this stage then the company calls him to complete the additional online numeric and verbal reasoning exercises. If he is able to perform well at this stage, he is required to attend one day assessment centre. Successful candidate who passed the assessment centre is offered the job (Jaguar Land Rover Careers, n.d.). Siemens PLM Software is a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division. It is a leading global provider of product life cycle management software and services. The candidate will be recruited as a Field Marketing Manager in order to help drive their business goals. His responsibilities will be to contribute and support go-to-market strategies, communication and enablement and tactical marketing planning and execution (Siemens Industry Software, n.d.). The candidate is required to apply online. He is required to fill the application form and submit cover letter, CV and certificates along with the application form. Personal Analysis and Gap Analysis I think I am a good communicator and a good team player. I can plan things well and also consider myself as a good self motivator. Along with planning I can implement and execute things well. I have good interpersonal skills that will help me perform well in the related field. The marketing jobs demands candidates who can interact well with the client and can identify the needs and demands of the clients. Therefore I consider having the capability to identify the needs and demands of the client well. However, I need to prepare myself in a more efficient way with the aim to fit in any kind of jobs in any kind of organisation. Even though I have the necessary skills that the companies demand from the fresh marketing graduates, I personally feel that I lack in few aspects which may hinder my career. As I am going to apply for the marketing jobs, I need to learn many languages. I also need to make my academic background stronger in this two years time span. I need to be more organised and must learn how to manage time well. I also need to groom myself in such a way that will help me to get into the corporate world. By doing so, I will be competent enough to take up any kind of employment opportunities. Conclusion In the cut throat competition of today, it is important for the candidate to equip himself in such a way that it becomes easier for him to apply for any kind of jobs that he would prefer to apply. After completing this assignment I feel that I have been able to identify what the organisations actually require. The report helped me to identify my shortcomings and systematically plan to overcome them. The career action plan helps the candidate to be more organised and helps him to plan his career accordingly. It helps the aspiring candidate to make a successful entry into the corporate world. It aids him to enhance his knowledge and skills. I intend to use this career action plan in order to be aware of the opportunities available in the field of marketing with the aim to reach my long term career goals. References Barclays Corporate (No Date) HR, Marketing & Communications. Available at: http://www.graduate-jobs.com/job/30853 [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Barclays (No Date) BRC1. Available at: http://www.personal.barclays.co.uk/BRC1/jsp/brccontrol?task=articlegraduate&value=6870&site=pfs [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Coca-Cola (2010) Employee Engagement. Available at: http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/employment-our-people.html [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Graduate Jobs (2010) Corporate Graduate Positions - Mitchells & Butlers. Available at: http://www.graduate-jobs.com/job/29790 [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Graduate Jobs (2010) Trainee PPC Executive- Media Agency. Available at: http://www.graduate-jobs.com/job/32175 [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Jaguar Land Rover Careers (No Date) Working for Us. Available at: http://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com/Working-For-Us/WhatWeExpect/Default.aspx [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Jaguar Land Rover Careers (No Date) Selection Process. Available at: http://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com/Career-Opportunities/Graduates/SelectionProcess.aspx [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Onrec (2008) Mitchells & Butlers Join Forces with Changeworknow to Enhance Recruitment Process. Available at: http://www.onrec.com/news/mitchells_and_butlers_join_forces_with_c [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Straco International (2009) Candidates. Available at: http://www.stracointernational.com/Straco/candidates.asp [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Scribd (No Date) Coca-Cola HR. Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16680491/Cocacola-HR [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Siemens Industry Software (No Date) UK Field Marketing Manager. Available at: http://jobview.monster.co.uk/getjob.aspx?JobId=95159060&WT.mc_n=trovit [Accessed: 28 December, 2010]. Appendix Curriculum Vitae Curriculum Vitae Mohammed Kadasah 14 Hermitage, Chatham Place, Rg1 7lf, Reading, UK Mob: 1111111111 Email id: abc@xyz.com Career Objective: To be recognised as an efficient and competent individual having good interpersonal and technical skills. Being a hard worker along with a positive attitude, I aspire to prove my talent in fast moving techno world. My broad level future goal is to work as an Advertising account executive in order to aid in the decision making and business planning. Area of Expertise Interpersonal Skills Team working Planning and Implementation Communication skills Self motivated Academic Qualification Year College/University Course 2011 University of Hertfordshire BA Marketing 2nd year 2010 University of Hertfordshire (HIBT) Preparation to next stage Degree 2009 University of Reading Business Foundation Degree Computer Skills Office Tools: Ms Excel & Ms PowerPoint Strengths Thorough knowledge of marketing as well as sales; identification of the clients needs; Self oriented and natural leader Weaknesses I am too sensitive person and become emotional at times. I get too disappointed when things are done in a wrong way. Interest I am interested in playing football, travelling. I am also fond of knowing about various cultures and interacting with them. Personnel Information Name: Mohammed Kadasah Gender: Male Date of Birth: 14/01/1990 Place of Birth: Jeddah Nationality: Saudi Marital Status: Single Email Id: abc@xyz.com Reference Name Designation Contact number Jack Samuelson Head of Department University of Hertfordshire 2222222222 Richard Ervin Vice Principal University of Hertfordshire 3333333333 I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Place: United Kingdom Date: 01/01/2011 (Mohammed Kadasah) Cover Letter Mohammed Kadasah 14 Hermitage, Chatham Place, Rg1 7lf, Reading, UK abc@xyz.com (1111111111) Michael Stark Coca-Cola 1Queen Caroline Street Hammersmith London W6 9HQ Dear Mr. Stark, This is to inform you that I am eager to be a part of your organisation and thus exhibit my skills and qualification that I have acquired, which I feel can make me a valuable member in your organisation’s future goals and endeavours. I am highly skilled sales and marketing candidate, with proficiency in the communication skills, thus I believe that my talents will enable me to excel as an advertising account executive with Coca-Cola. I think I have the ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing. I am very well organised and prefer to work in team. My key strength is that I can even work for long hours and I know how to handle pressure very well. I have enclosed my resume for your review. Some of my key qualification includes: A valuable mix of marketing leaderships, financial skills and resourcefulness that combine efficiency with the thoughts in order to create highly effective results I have the capability to adjust in new surroundings and produce immediate results through the usage of variety of styles and practical skills I look forward to have an opportunity to meet with you and discuss the specific ways in which I can become a contributing member in your organisation. I would wait for your positive response. Thank you for your deliberation. Sincerely, Mohammed Kadasah Enclosure Career Action Plan After the identification of my weaknesses, it is important to prepare career action plan. I am concerned about my shortcomings because this is going to hinder my further development process. It will block my entry into the corporate world. The major flaws are that I am not proficient in many languages that are the basic requirement of the corporate. Moreover, I personally feel that I am average in my academics and statistical analysis. In addition, as the companies demand the candidates who can well manage the time, I am still not capable enough to fulfil these criteria. The major fact that relate to this situation is that I didn’t get enough scope to learn and grow. Therefore, I need to improve and concentrate in all these aspects. The solution is that I need to dedicate more time towards my academics and need to join language tutor institution where I will be able to enhance my career. I also need to read more academic journals and magazines that will help me to gain insights upon the commercial world and will keep me updated about the recent happenings. As my area of interest is marketing, the job demands candidates who are smart and presentable. Therefore, I will also try to groom myself in order to meet the organisational requirements. The time frame that I would prefer to follow for my career action plan is as follows. I will join language tutor institution from 1st of February. It will require 6 months to be proficient enough in various languages in order to match the organisational requirement. Time management is an ongoing process. Therefore, I will try to apply this whenever I start any task. I study four hours a day. Therefore, I will increase this time frame to seven hours in order to improve upon my academic skills. I think this plan will help me to succeed in any interviews and will make me more systematic and skilful. Read More