Managing Professional Development - Essay Example

Managing Your Professional Development Task Curriculum Vitae FIRST MI. Career Objective: To obtain a position in a company that makes the best possible use of my skills and provides advancement opportunities. Education: Teacher of English Azerbaijan State University of Foreign Languages Baku, Azerbaijan 1992 - 1997 Professional Experience: Chevron Azerbaijan Limited : American Oil Company Accountant. Feb 2006 to present Personal Assistant to General Manager October, 1999 to February, 2006 Prepares and files documents for the General Manager; makes appointments; organises business/social events; maintains and distributes weekly visitors’ information and management “whereabouts” listings; orders and maintains stationery stock, including responsibility for the stockroom; organises and maintains the office key storage box; makes hotel reservations for visitors and arranges for their visas; makes travel arrangements for the staff and visitors. Receptionist/Office Assistant Apr. 20, 1998 to Sept. 30, 1999 Makes and receives calls; greets and establishes the business of each visitor; maintains office filing system; handles petty cash; prepares finance reports on monthly basis; registers all outgoing letters; maintains schedule sheets for drivers; and co-ordinates travel requirements for staff and visitors with Senior Driver. Care-International in Azerbaijan : American Humanitarian Organisation Admin.Assisstant October, 1996 to April, 1998 Prepares local contracts/extension letters for employees; makes monthly leave reports; prepares FF&E reports on a monthly basis; maintains Personal Confidential Files, etc; prepares office drivers payments (fuel expenses, maintenance allowance, overtime and salary payments); supervises 5 staff directly. Receptionist/Translator January, 1995 to October , 1996 Makes and receives calls; translates documents; reports from English into Azeri, Russian and vice versa; attends meetings with Government Officials; maintains stock control register. Languages Spoken Azeri Mother tongue Russian Fluent English Fluent Turkish Notional Personal Information Date of birth : 13 January, 1976 Place of birth: Baku, Azerbaijan Nationality: Azeri Marital status: Married References available upon request Skills Audit Developing management skills throughout my job experiences has been an integral part of the overall process. My time management skills have become one of the first skills that I have practiced and maintained due to the fact that priorities are to be made on a daily basis. Because I have to deal with everyday situations with which I am required to divide my time between different commitments, from planning events and meetings to distributing information, my skills for time management have been honed. I have learned to work under constant pressure and yet still consistently meet stringent deadlines. This was also made more meaningful by the fact that I interacted with expatriates of various cultural backgrounds, honing my organisational savvy in the process. Coordinating with staff members has also allowed me to develop both planning and delegation skills because for my working experiences, there has always been the need to consistently set objectives, distribute tasks, and frequently consult with each other. Because of these needs, skills for target setting have further been practiced and retained in order for my teams to completely learn and understand what our priorities and objectives should be. From here, skills for decision making have also been developed to ensure that appropriate solutions are made and correct actions are taken. Because I needed to adapt to certain types of personalities and maintain harmony in the group, it helped boost my interpersonal skills. Because of this, I have been able to maintain a good equilibrium between task and people orientations. This is rooted on my belief that a good leader does not only accomplish a task in an exemplary manner, but is also capable of maintaining and improving the interpersonal relations within his group. On communication and presentation skills, I feel comfortable speaking in languages aside from my mother tongue, which gives me confidence when delivering presentations in these languages. Regards leadership tasks, I have supervised up to five employees at one time. My leadership skills have been further honed because I have been responsible for planning, leading, organising, and controlling all the activities of the staff who have been entrusted under my supervision. More important than the authority that comes with the leadership role, it was critical to exert influence on one’s staff for favorable performance outcomes. This challenge drove me to develop my motivational skills and effectively demonstrate myself as a leader. I became conscious of motivating my staff and making them see their contribution to the goals of the team. Having performance gaps also encouraged me to take on training and counseling for staff members for the development of my coaching skills. Finally, through the frequent use of the Internet and the computer as a form of communication, my IT skills were improved including the use of Microsoft Word and Excel as well as internet and e-mail functions. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong Intrapersonal Communication Skills and Organisational Skills Adept in Office Applications Long stay in current company Educational Background Lack of background in marketing, organisational behaviour and research projects Lack of experience in a supervisory position Opportunities Threats Higher National Certificate or Diploma Trainings and Seminars for Professional Development Certificate in Accounting System Proficiency Younger personnel with a more specific educational background Personnel with a higher educational attainment and more specified work experience. Figure 1 : Personal SWOT Analysis Development Plan Goals / Time Frame 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 4 Months 5 Months 6 Months 1 year 1.5 years 2 years 2.5 years 3 years Learn more MS Office Programmes (PowerPoint, Visio, others) x                     Undertake research projects for the HNC /D   x x                 Attend 2 Training(s) or Seminar(s)     x x               Undertake research projects at work         x x x         Finish HNC / D             x         Attend 5 Training(s) or Seminar(s)   x  x  x  x  x x       Attend 10 Training(s) or Seminar(s)   x  x  x  x  x  x x  x  x  Get Certification for Competency in Accounting               x x     Promotion                   x x Figure 2 : Gantt Chart of Development Plan Goals / Skills to be Developed Target Date Resources Comments Learn more MS Office Programmes (PowerPoint, Visio, others) In one Month Online Tutorials, Modules, Training from Company HR or IT Personnel Undertake research projects for the HNC /D In two to three Months Research requirement from professor, library materials, online research materials Attend 2 Training(s) or Seminar(s) In two to three Months Training or Seminars for Professional Development Undertake research projects at work In 5 months to 1 year Permission from company, research team composed of co-worker, research topic Finish HNC / D In 1 year Course requirements of the programme Attend 5 Training(s) or Seminar(s) In 2 months to 1.5 years Training or Seminars for Professional Development Attend 10 Training(s) or Seminar(s) In 2 months to 3 years Training or Seminars for Professional Development Get Certification for Competency in Accounting In 1 year to 1.5 years Accounting courses and competency test centers Promotion In 2.5 to 3 years Additional skills, work experience and HRC / D Figure 3 : Personal Development Plan Table Task 2 Kolb’s Learning Style Test I chose a simple questionnaire from the faculty page of the University of Colorado for my Kolb Learning Style Test (Duncan, n.d.). I scored highest under Concrete Experience (CE) and Reflective Observation (RO). According to the test interpretation, those who fall under CE tend to be “people-oriented” and treat each task on a case to case basis. Moreover, CE people learn through relatable examples which they involve themselves in. On the other hand, those who scored high under the RO criteria are said to be unbiased observers who take time to study the theories and actions of others before coming up with a conclusion of their own. By scoring high in these two categories, the test puts me at the Diverger quadrant. The test result interpretation tells me that divergers find people interesting. They are also said to be emotional but imaginative, always to be the ones with the most ideas during a “brainstorming” activity. Honey and Mumford’s Learning Style Test I was fortunate to find a copy of Honey and Mumford’s 80-question learning style inventory on the faculty page of Loughborough University (Beaman, n.d.). After taking the test, results showed that I scored highest under the Pragmatist and Reflector quadrants. Pragmatists are characterized as people who see problems as challenges and opportunities for learning or improvement. Decision making for pragmatists is a practical process, an opportunity to think of a “better way” of doing things. Reflectors, on the other hand, like to stand back and observe, collecting data and observations before coming up with a decision. Examples of Experience The objective of the learning tests is to determine a learner’s weak and strong points in order to fins a learning environment best suited to that person (Duncan). The results of both tests are similar, describing me as a keen observer who chooses to make practical decisions after careful consideration of all the information at hand. I agree with the results of the test and I think that it describes me thoroughly. I say this because I finished a degree in education but most of my work experience involves administrative and finance functions. I saw my job as an opportunity to learn new things, instead of a task that I know nothing about. In addition, I see the traits described under RO and Reflector to closely resemble my own traits. As a translator, I had to keenly observe the people around me, especially those whom I rendered translation for. Now that I work as an Accountant, I have to be able to gather substantive information from various departments to make reports that are made the solid bases for strategic decisions. These clearly demonstrate the distinctive skills of a Reflector. Evidence of Skills My strengths lie in my organisational and communication skills. In a Business Decision Making assignment, I was a awarded a distinction for my exceptional work; further, I was told that I had a strong understanding of the population and intranet assignments and made logical discussions of the results (see Appendix A). Accounting principles and financial reporting are not exactly my strong points, as these were not included in my educational background. However, due to my strong intrapersonal communication skills, proficiency in helpful computer programmes and related work experience I am able to better grasp these concepts through the activities in the HNC / D program. Attached as Appendix B and C are my assessments for my financial reporting and management accounting assignments. I was given a pass grade in my reporting assignment, owing to the fact that although my calculations were accurate, my responses and interpretations need more profound analysis. Despite this, I think this is already an accomplishment on its own, considering my lack of a finance background. On the other hand, my accounting assignment was given merit as all my calculations were correct and my skills with MS Excel and Word came in handy as I was able to incorporate the spreadsheet method in my output. Task 3 Problem 1: Educational Background My educational background has nothing to do with finance and admin functions. When I first started out, my co-workers doubted by ability to do my job as I did not have a related degree, or ample training in the same area. Be that as it may, I did not let this discourage me and I took it upon myself to prove to my co-workers that I can do the job well despite being an education degree holder. I worked hard at understanding the tasks at hand and learned most of the requisites of the job on my own. If there were things that I did not understand, I made sure to ask for help until I mastered the skill myself. Through my efforts and constant excellent performance I was able to convince my co-workers that I am very capable of doing the tasks assigned to me. When I transferred companies for a new job, I encountered the same problem. I still kept positive and chose to deal with the issue the same way. Due to my diligence and unending desire to learn, I was able to prove myself not only to my employers, but to my co-workers. This experience taught me that a positive outlook is key to facing every day challenges. Problem 2: Contingency Plans When I was still the Personal Assistant to our company’s General Manager, I booked a flight for my boss to attend a company meeting. Due to some misunderstanding, the flight was booked on the wrong day. By the time I knew of the error, I only had hours to look for a new flight and my boss was running late. I did some last minute phone calls and was able to book a flight for my boss nonetheless. He made it to the meeting on time. However, this experience taught me not only to plan ahead but to come up with contingency plans. I now know the importance of being able to anticipate the unexpected and to always be prepared with a back-up plan to avoid costly and embarrassing mishaps. Critical Appraisal of Personal Develoment The report of Camuffo, Gerli, Borgo & Somia (2009, p. 39) shows that MBA holders have enhanced core competencies that increase their chances at career advancement. This is one of the reasons why I entered the Higher National Certificate / Diploma programme. Although I have been doing well in my climb up the corporate ladder, I recognized the need for further education to attain my career advancement goals. Professional development is said to transpire within one’s stay in a company (Littlejohn & Watson, 2004). This trend has been seen in the labor market, regardless of industry. However, Webster-Wright (2009) argues that there has been a paradigm shift from the concept of professional improvement from development to learning. In support of her theory, research shows that development programmes tend to be more structured and traditional as opposed to being non-conventional and more engaging. What exactly is self-managed learning and how does it affect my involvement in the HNC/D programme? In the first of a three-part article, Giligan (1994, p. 4), defines a Self-Managed Learning (SML) approach as the long term view to individual and organisational learning which synthesizes basic concepts and where the learning process is likened to the management process. Some of the key benefits derived from SML are greater awareness to several job roles and functions, better company culture and improved management skills (p. 8). Studies show several factors that affect the effectiveness of SML. Lau & Shaffer (1999) report that personality has a positive effect on career success, and individuals may use their knowledge of their personality in order to choose the best career path for themselves. Given the results of my learning style tests, I can see how my personality as a “pragmatic” and a “diverger” I can say that the career path I have chosen for my self is indeed the right one. Being critical and practical will aid me well in my career as an accountant. In a study based on Australian students, Mitsis & Foley (2009) posit that cultural based values play a crucial role in the determination of learning styles. Also, in Hamza’s (2010) study of American educators who went to the Gulf countries, the author reports that the women encountered increased awareness and understanding of the other culture. This is an example of transformative learning where one’s understanding of an important factor changes. I believe that my cultural background and exposure to international practices has given me an edge in the HNC / D programme. Having experience in several cultures enables me to broaden my way of thinking which is essential in topics like business strategy, organisations and behaviour and human resource management. King (1996) emphasizes home furniture mogul IKEA’s decentralized approach to SML. Local store managers are given the chance to learn on their own through small learning groups. In another article, focus was given to the application of SML in the realm of Human Resource Management as opposed to the usual classroom setting. The author argues that SML may be applied in the training scene in the same concept as the classroom setting (Ellinger, 2004). The importance of learning styles in the fields of education and training benefits both students and teachers (Evans & Sadler-Smith, 2006, p77). Some of the key benefits include more learning sensitive teaching strategies; a more positive teaching environment; and knowledge on how culture affects learning. I agree that knowledge of personal learning styles will help me grow not just as a student under the HNC/D programme but as an employee as well. Now that I know which techniques work best for me, I can choose which training modules will give me the most benefit. As I incorporated in my Gantt chart, I plan to take training programmes and seminars in as soon as three months and continue doing so until I get promoted. Noon (1994) relays how Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules are common place in the working environment, whether provided in house or outsourced. The drawback to the current system is that it appears to have turned into something compulsory for the employees to attend. Hence, the employees do not benefit from the employee development activities as they are not applied in the workplace. Cunningham & Iles (2002) show that the employers are happy with the information employees learned during the development programmes, but there is no direction about how such knowledge was to be applied. Also, SML is evident as most of the workers said that there were no trainings provided for unfamiliar work and people had to learn on their own. As I have related in one of my problem scenarios, I did have to learn on my own. However, now that I know my learning style as well as my strengths and weaknesses, I can work on my weaknesses while taking steps to achieve possible opportunities that I wrote down in my SWOT analysis. Pashler, Mc Daniel, Rohrer & Bjork (2009) are adamant that there should be a balance between the teaching style of the teacher and the student’s learning style in order to achieve greater success at both teaching and learning. Similarly, Bostrom and Lassen’s (2006) show that matching learning and teaching styles lead to student motivation and improved performance. Zajac (2009) focused on the e-learning experience and the effect of self-learning styles on such method. Results show that e-teachers should adopt a specific strategy to match a specific learner profile in order to be most effective. Based on these findings, instructors and trainers should determine the learning styles of their classes or trainees before they start teaching. I believe that a balance must be obtained between teacher and student or trainer and trainee in order to maximize the teaching-learning experience. I know that I can learn better by actually doing things myself. That is why I incorporated taking up research projects in my development plan so I can have a hands-on learning experience about research. Dall’Alba & Sandberg (2006) critiques the theory that professional development must be conducted in stages in order to be most effective. The pair argues that other factors such as skill progression and variations in professional practice should be considered to optimize professional development. Cunningham (1994) tackles the myths of SML in his article. He calls SML an alternative to the traditional training and education from business school. On the other hand, Peckham (1995) argues that SML is not the cure-all for businesses but admits that it is a powerful tool to improve employee learning. Based on my research, I have learned that professional development or professional learning is a continuous process. It does not stop when one gets a certificate or diploma. Moreover, it does not necessarily mean that I have to enroll in another course. There are in-house trainings, seminars and activities available in my company. Everyday tasks in the office are also SML activities. References Beaman, P.E., n.d. Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Questionnaire. [Online] Accessed May 17, 2010 from http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~sspeb/Honey_and _Mumford_Learning_questionnaire.doc Bostrom, L., & Lassen, L. M., 2006. Unraveling learning, learning styles, learning strategies and meta-cognition. Education and Training. Vol. 48 No. 2/3, pp. 178-189. [Online] Accessed May 17, 2010 from Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Camuffo, A., Gerli, F., Borgo, S., & Somia, T., 2009. The effects of management education on careers and compensation: A competency-based study of an Italian MBA programme. Journal of Management Development. Vol. 28 No. 9, pp. 839-858 Cunnigham, I., 1994. The Myths of Self-managed Learning. Management Development Review. Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 3-6. Cunnigham, P. & Iles, P., 2002. Managing Learning climates in financial services organisation. Journal of Management Development. Vol. 21., No. 6, pg 477- 492. Dall’Alba, G. & Sandberg, J., 2006. Unveiling Professional Development: A Critical Review of Stage Models. Review of Educational Research., Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 383–412 Duncan, D., n.d. Kolb Learning Style Inventory. [Online] Accessed May 17, 2010 from http://casa.colorado.edu~dduncan/teachingseminar/KolbLearningStyleInventoryInfo.pdf Ellinger, A. D., 2004. The Concept of Self-Directed Learning and Its Implications for Human Resource Development. Advances in Developing Human Resources. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp158-177. Evans, C. & Sadler-Smith, E. 2006. Learning styles in education and training: problems, politicization and potential. Education and Training. Vol 48. No 2/3, pg 77-83. Giligan, J. H., 1994. Evaluating Self-Managed Learning Part I: Philosophy, Design and Current Practice. Health Manpower Management, Vol. 20 No. 5, pp. 4-9. Hamza, A., 2010. International Experience: An Opportunity for Professional Development in Higher Education. Journal of Studies in International Education .Vol.14 No. 1 pg 50-69. King, S., 1996. European cases of self-managed learning. Management Development Review. Vol. 9, No.2, pp. 8–10. Lau, V. P., & Shaffer, M. A., 1999. Career success: the effects of Personality. Career Development International. Vol. 4, No. 4, pg. 225-230. Littlejohn, D. & Watson, S., 2004. Developing graduate managers for hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Vol. 16. No. 7, pp. 408-414. Mitsis, A., & Foley, P. W., 2009. Do Business Students’ Culturally Anchored Values Shape Student-Driven or Teacher-Driven Learning Style Preferences? Journal of Marketing Education Vol. 31, No. 3, pg. 240 -252. Noon, P., 1994. CPD: Professional Development – Continuing and Compulsory?. Librarian Career Development, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 4-8. Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R., 2009. Learning Styles : Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science In The Public Interest. Vol. 9, No. 3, pg.105 – 119. Peckham, M. 1995.Self-managed learning: theory and practice. Management Development Review. Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 23–26. Webster-Wright, A., 2009. Reframing Professional Development Through Understanding Authentic Professional Learning. Review Of Educational Research. Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 702 – 739. Zajac, M., 2009. Using learning styles to personalize online learning. Campus-Wide Information Systems.Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 256-265. APPENDICES Appendix A – Student Assessment Feedback for Business Decision Making Assignment Student Assessment Feedback Programme Details First Name : Sabina Surname : Ismayilova Assignment Title : Business Decision Making Assessment Feedback Task 1 Shows an excellent understanding of the concept of population. Task 2 All calculations are correct and an excellent discussion of the results. Task 3 Excellent understanding of the concept and benefits of the intranet. Task 4 All calculations correct and a logical discussion. Grade Awarded Distinction Date Marked Marked by Please tick the appropriate box if the student has addressed the learning outcome: P1 √ M1 √ D1 √ P2 √ M2 √ D2 √ P3 √ M3 √ D3 √ P4 √ M4 √ D4 √ Appendix B – Student Assessment Feedback for Financial Reporting Assignment Student Assessment Feedback Programme Details First Name Sabina Surname Ismayilova Assignment Title Financial Reporting Assignment due date Assessment Feedback Task 1 This was a brief but reasonable answer which meets the learning outcomes Task 2 Task a) was accurate. Task b) was a mixed response with errors within the profit and loss account in purchases and administrative expenses (accruals not actioned). Task c) was much better. Overall this meets the learning objectives at a basic level. Task 3 Part a) was a reasonable, if brief attempt and does cover the learning outcomes at a basic level. Part b) was poor and does not demonstrate an understanding of fair value and its implications. This was the weakest of the 4 answers. Task 4 This was largely accurate and well presented with just one or two minor presentational issues. Overall this meets the learning outcomes very well. Overall I believe this to be a bare pass. Grade Awarded Pass Date Marked Marked by Please tick the appropriate box if the student has addressed the learning outcome: P1 Yes ? M1 D1 P2 Yes M2 D2 P3 Yes M3 D3 P4 Yes Appendix C– Student Assessment Feedback for Management Accounting Assignment Student Assessment Feedback Programme Details First Name Sabina Surname Ismayilova Assignment Title Management Accounting: Costing and Budgeting Assessment Feedback Generally it was good to see use of the spreadsheet methodology, including the use of the embedded spreadsheet within the main submission document. Well done! Task 1 This was accurate in all respects and the comment was quite sound. Task 2 Accurate in all respects and the only suggestion I might offer would be a calculation of the likely loss projected on the basis of the initial scenario. What would be the impact on costs of extra opening hours? Task 3 Computationally this was accurate in all respects. The comment was also sound. May be some indication of the likely cash impact of reducing the time customers are permitted before paying? Overall a very good merit performance. Grade Awarded Merit Date Marked Marked by Please tick the appropriate box if the student has addressed the learning outcome: Task Learning Outcome Met? M1 M2 M3 D1 D2 D3 1 P1 Y Y Y Y Y 1 P2 Y 1 P3 Y 2 P1 Y 3 P3 Y 3 P4 Y Read More