PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Table of contents
1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................................01
2. The way self managed learning can enhance lifelong development (Task 01).....................02
2.1 Self management learning and approaches I can add to develop them.............................02
2.2 The skills I want to encourage and the ways I apply it in to lifelong learning that affects
my personal and professional development.......................................................................04
2.3 The benefits I can get and I can give to the organization based on the self management
skills I have identified........................................................................................................06
3. Be able to take responsibility for own Personal and Professional Development (task 02)......08
3.1 SWOT analysis...................................................................................................................09
3.2 Professional development plan...........................................................................................10
4. Task 03.....................................................................................................................................12
4.1 Methods I need to implement to create a proper PDP (using SMARTER
objectives).......................................................................................................................... 12
4.2 Daily records/ Log book.....................................................................................................13
4.3 Different learning styles (Honey & Munford 1992)...........................................................15
5. Conclusion................................................................................................................................16
6. References................................................................................................................................17

1. Introduction

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In todays business world, professional development is a fundamental and invaluable fragment of
an individuals career. Many successful people follow a plan for their career. The most useful
plans are based on thorough self- awareness and knowledge of career options.
I am the only person that who can take responsibility for my own personal and professional
development. Personal and professional development is all about goal- setting. If someone set
SMARTER goals and objectives for them then that person will be able to accomplish all his/ her
dreams.
This is a life- long learning. So the benefits will be getting throughout the lifetime. This personal
and professional development will help both employees and employers to survive in this
competitive market.

2. The way self managed learning can enhance lifelong development (Task
01)
2.1 Self management learning and approaches I can add to develop them
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PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Action plan
Skill that I need Objectives

Strategy/ tasks

Resources

Time period

Results (results

to be developed (what is to be

(how will it be

(who will

(when will it be expected and

accomplished)
Start to do

assist me)
accomplished)
Modu On the 3rd

Time

done)
To finish all the

management

assignments

assignment

le

before the due

s on the

lectur session day of

early before the

date and submit

same day

deadline and

on the due date

Im

each module.
ers
Intern

before 2 p.m.

receiving it.
Divide the

et
Book

of the

time

s and

duration in

hand

to number

outs
A

of LOs and

ds

and make a

(class

plan.
Work

mates

be done on
time.

hostel

to that plan

friend

and finish
assignment.
Print it and

assignments to

and

according

Submit the rest

r plan
Frien

each day

the

assignments

prope

assign tasks
towards

(last) review

how measured)
Finish doing the

s)
Paren
ts

bind it on
the due
date and
submit it to
the
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PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

programme
Presentation

To improve

skills

English

office.
Listen to

Intern After 6 months

Conduct

et
Telev

presentations

ision
Frien

hesitation.
I can measure it

ds
Famil

by the

English

knowledge within

songs,

another 6 month

conversatio

of a period.

ns, read
English

books/nove

ls.
Use the

mem

dictionary

sh

or 10 new

books

words

every day.
Talk in

story
/

every

novel

possible

listeners.

books

English

Communication To get

comments from

bers
Engli

and learn 5

time.
Talk to a

without any

Famil Within 3

information

known

regarding the

person who

mem submit the

companys

currently

managing process

works for

bers
HR

for MHR

HR

assignment from

department

Mana session day of

ger of MHR module.

a HR manager of

in a

the

any company.

company.
Through

select

that person

comp

months. Have to information

from the HR

report on the 3rd department of a

(last) review

selected
company.

ed

I can

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Get expected

any
Intern
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PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

contact his/

et

her

(Com

manager

pany

(HR

profil

Manager)

e)
Com

to get

information

pany

I need.

annua
l

report
Telep

hones
Modu
le
lectur

Motivation

Find a job after

finishing this

job

HND and get

some working

Search for

vacancies.
Apply for

er
Intern As soon as I
completed the
et
Famil HND.
y and

experience while

job

friend

doing the degree.

vacancies

s
News

which suits

Come up with a
good job finally.

pares

for me.
Go for
exams and
interweaves
if they call

Team building

To present a role

me.
Get

Modu Within another

play in front of

together all

le

the class as 4

4 members

lectur

than any other

members of

in the

group.

group on 18th July

group and

er
Other

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2 months.

Come up with a
good role play

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

2013.

make a

mem

script.
Divide all

bers

the

group
Intern

et
Mobi

characters

of the

among
group

members.
Practise the

le

role play

e
Other

well and

phon

present it

movi

on the due

es in

date.

the
mark
et

2.2 The skills I want to encourage and the ways I apply it in to lifelong learning that affects
my personal and professional development
Time management- this is a very common skill that everyone needs to have with every task in
our lives. Without having a proper time management we cannot achieve anything in our life.
This skill cannot be limited only for this HND. It goes far beyond than that and I will get so
many benefits because of having the time management skill. Even though currently
benefitting good grades for HND, because of having this skill someday when Im working for
an organisation I will be benefiting lots of things. Those are as follows;
1. I wont miss important life deadlines.
Life deadlines and projects are those things that keep the life on track.
Ex:
I wont forget my mothers birthday and I will arrange a gift for her before the

birthday.
I wont forget any important meeting in the office and will be able to go to the

meeting room before the meeting started.

I will be able to go for work every day without getting late.
I will be able to create a positive idea towards me in the work place as well as
in the society.

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2. This allows me to make use of the available time in the most efficient way and to
accomplish gaols, tasks and projects within a predetermined period of time.
3. Time management can improve my productivity, which allows me to get more work
done within shorter amounts of time.
Presentation skills- this skill will allow me to build the self confidence within me when Im
interact with the society.
Ex:

To plan, structure and deliver an effective presentation in front of an audience.

I will know how to put myself across positively, so others will have a positive idea on me.
I will be able to build up and maintain good relationships with others.
I will know to dress professionally according to the required manner.

Communication skills- through developing my communication skill I would be able to develop my

personal and professional career as follows.

I will convey information effectively

I will be able to express my ideas and thoughts clearly, confidently and consciously.
Ill be able to perform well at interviews.

Motivation- a motivated person works hard towards goals and objectives of his/ her life. So if I am
a motivated person, the whole society will be benefiting through my commitment and delegation
towards fulfilling my goals.
Ex:

I will work hard to achieve my goals and targets, so I will be doing all the duties and responsibilities in
the work place. I will contribute my best for the company. (The workplace will be benefitting). The
upper management will get a positive image on me because of my commitment towards work and
through that I can easily get promotions.

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2.3 The benefits I can get and I can give to the organization based on the self management
skills I have identified
Natures Beauty Creations Pvt Ltd is the leading natural cosmetics producer in Sri Lanka. Im
working for marketing department in that company. And there are some benefits I can get from
the company as well as the company can get from me through the self management skills that I
have developed. Those benefits are identified as follows;

Skill

that

developed
Time management

Presentation skills

have

Benefits I can get from

Natures Secrets
Can cover my duties and

Benefits the company can

get from me
Work relates to me will be

responsibilities within the

over within the given time

given time period and

period with the required

therefore, there wont be a

quality without any delay. So

work load for at the end of a

the other marketing operations

specific time period.

of Natures Secrets can be run

As a marketing person Im

smoothly.
The company will be able to

increase its profit.

The company can increase

always engaging in marketing

Natures Secrets products. If I
have good presentation skills

number of customers

it will be easy for me to grab

new customers from the
market and increase my
productivity by increasing
number of new customers
entering to Natures Secrets.
So according to the number of
customers that Im bringing to
the company, Ill be getting
more incentives and other
benefits from the company.
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Communication skills

The company deals with

This skill will help me to build

overseas companies/

and maintain a good

customers too. So sometimes

relationship between clients

the clients are calling from

and the company. The way we

foreign countries too. So if I

communicate will highly

have good communication

influence the client on the

skills with a good English

business deal.

knowledge it will be easy for

me to deal with foreign
customers as well as local
Motivation

customers.
I have a vision to become the

The company will get an

employee with qualifications.

The errors wont be occurring

marketing manager of the

company. For that I will work
hard and do my best. After

by me, since Im trying to do

doing the degree I will start

my work with high

doing masters. Personally Im

gathering more qualification

can be recruited internally with

for my career.
Team building

I will be able to work with

commitment and attention.

The future marketing manager

good working experience.

The company will not have

other employees in the

complaints from our

company without conflicts

department because of my

and Ill be able to get done

team behaviour.

what I want from others

employees.

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3. Be able to take responsibility for own Personal and Professional

Development (task 02)

3.1 SWOT analysis

To apply for the above job opportunity currently I have some skills and qualifications they have
required and I do not have some skills and qualifications. Those are listed as follows by the
identified SWOT analysis.
Strengths
I have passed G.C.E A/L examination with good results.
Im still below 28 years old.
Im already completed 2 years in Business Management degree (having HND in BM)

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Weaknesses

Im not fluent in English spoken and written skills

I do not have working experience
I do not have accurate and descriptive report writing skills in English
I have not yet completed my degree in Business Management
I do not have a good knowledge in social media marketing

Opportunities
I can complete my degree within another 1 year.
There are employers who are willing to provide Job experiences for school leavers and
HND holders. I can do a job to get some working experience.
There are so many English teaching schools and academies in Sri Lanka. I can learn
English (writing and speaking) fluently.
I can have knowledge of social media marketing by doing a media related course
Can get good grades from both the degree and the HND.

Threats
There are so many degree holders are there with the Business Management degree and
most of them are searching for jobs.
Only few companies are willing to give working experience for job seekers, all other
employers asking experience.

I can overcome from my weaknesses and make strengths for me by using the
opportunities that Im having now.
Ex:
Currently I have a weakness of not having a degree. But I can use the opportunity of can do the
degree and stay away from that weakness and make strength out of it.
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Currently Im not influent in English. But by going for a English school or English academy I can
be influent in English.

3.2 Professional development plan

I can develop my professional skills according to the required qualifications of the above job
opportunity published by Natures Beauty Creations Pvt Ltd.

Finish HND as soon as

possible (while applying for
job vacancies). Practice to
write accurate and
descriptive reports while
doing assignments

In June the degree would be

completed. Now I can go and
get a good knowledge in
social media marketing. It
will take another one more
year to complete that diploma
while working.

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Apply again and again

and go for interviews in
different companies till I
get selected to a job

Try to develop English

writing and speaking
skills everyday while
doing other things

After that I can apply for

this post with all the
required qualifications
and skills.

Get selected for a job

In September start the

degree and complete it
within 8 months while
working for the selected
organisation.

Get the job in12

Natures
Secrets.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

It will take another 3 years
for me to complete all the
requirements for this job
opportunity.

4. Task 03
4.1 Methods I need to implement to create a proper PDP (using SMARTER objectives)
Specific- I need to be clear on what exactly I need to achieve when Im doing a personal
development plan (PDP). Objectives should be well- defined. I have to have the ability to
specifically break the whole work in to specific few steps.
Measurable- I need to have a way to measure the success of the development plan time to
time. If not there can be differences between the final results and the expected results.
There must be a way to recognise that I am in the correct and successful path.
Agreed - I need to identify clearly whose support and authority do I need to pursue my
identified objectives.
Realistic- I need to make sure that this objective is attainable through my commitment,
ability, and resources.
Time bound- Set a time scale for completion of each goal, each step. Even if I have to
review this as I progress, it will help to keep me motivated.
Evaluated- my objectives have to have a worth pursuing, investment in time and effort
that I put.
Reviewed- there must be a specific discovery of my goals and objectives that how and
when I will review my progress.
If my personal development plan consists with the above elements then it would be an achievable
successful plan. I will be benefitting the advantages from this kind of a PDP.
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4.2 Daily records/ Log book

I identified Presentation skills as my weakness and this is how I developed this
presentation skills throughout the module.
Log Book- PPD
Date

Activities

Special Comments

05/ 03/ 2013

21/ 03/ 2013

from the lecturer

Assignment discussion (I was absent)
Today I prepared an action plan for me during the class and presented it to the class. Im getting scared to

27/ 03/ 2013

present in front of an audience.

Did a SWOT analysis about myself. (Eranda sir -

01/ 04/ 2013

conducted this class)

Prepared a flyer in the class and read it to the class. Same thing happened today also. Had to read the flyer

02/ 05/ 2013

in front of everyone.
Did a debate. The topic was new technology is not Lecturer gave us a common
good for humans. My team members were Jayani, feedback to not to use
Safa, Moosa and Sofwan. There were 4 team and We pillars when talking and
were the 4th team. We had to do the debate with 2 nd time management.
team. We lose the toss and the opposite team selected
to talk under the topic of technology is good. So we
had to talk about technology effects badly. We won
by getting extra 3 marks and got selected to do the
debate with the other winning team. The topic was if
weapons will help to achieve peace. We got elected to

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07/ 05/ 2013

say no for that.

Today we were supposed to do the second round of the debate. But some of the team members from both the
teams were absent. So, didnt have the debate. Did the
3rd tutorial of the session. I was prepared and noted

09/ 05/ 2013

down some points.

Did the debate. With 4 people for each group. The There were two lecturers in
opposite team won this time. I got scared as usually the marking panel and they
and I couldnt even talk at least for 2 minutes.

gave feedback separately.

I havent used the total time
period of 4 minutes to talk and
I have used 32 pillars during
the debate within 1 minutes.
They asked me to be confident
with what Im telling in a

13/ 05/ 2013

debate.
We were asked to prepare a SWOT analysis for one of Lecturer asked me to
the class members. I got Grace to talk about her. I went not

to

do

the

today and did the presentation about her SWOT presentation so fast.
10/ 06/ 2013

analysis. I tried to use minimum pillars.

Did the role play practices in the class and got the Sir asked us to take
ideas from the lecturer.

more conflicts for

the role play.

27/ 06/ 2013

Present the role play in front of the class. It took 26 He told that we were
minutes for our team. I and nihla were sales able to present much
representatives, we had to play sales representatives bigger role in the
role.

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drama.

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PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

4.3 Different learning styles (Honey & Munford 1992)

Activists are those people who learn by doing. They are not satisfying with another thing, they
always need to involve in doing things and experiencing. These people have an open- minded
approach to learning, involving them fully and without bias in new experiences.

Theorist- These learners like to understand the theory behind the actions. They need models,
concepts and facts in order to engage in the learning process. Prefer to analyse and synthesis,
drawing new information into a systematic and logical theory.
Pragmatist- these people want to see how to put the learning into practice in the real world.
Abstract concepts and games are of limited use unless they can see a way to put the idea into
action in their lives. Experiments, trying out new ideas, theories and techniques can see if they
work.
Reflector- these people learn by observing and thinking about what happened. They may avoid
leaping in and prefer to watch from the sidelines. Prefer to stand back and view experiences from
a number of different perspectives, collecting data and talking the time to work towards as
appropriate conclusion.
I am kind of a reflector, I always use to observe the environment and think what
happened. I consider every angle before I come up with a decision. I do thorough
collection and analysis of data about experiences and events so I tend to postpone
reaching definitive conclusions for as long as possible. I always use to listen and observe
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PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

others carefully. I i prefer to take back seat in meetings and discussions and i enjoy
observing others people in action. I listen to others and get the drift of the discussion
before making my own points.

5. Conclusion
As a student of ICBT City Campus, this report showed how my personal and professional career
can be developed through a proper Personal Development Plan.
Firstly, the report showed my identified self management learning and the approaches I can add
to develop those skills. During this report it showed the skills that I want to encourage and the
way I can apply it in to lifelong learning that affect my personal and professional development.
As well as the report discussed the benefits that Natures Beauty Creations Pvt Ltd can get from
me and the benefits that I can get from Natures Beauty Creations based on the pre developed self
management skills.
Furthermore the report talked about my SWOT analysis based on the selected job advertisement.
And also I have created Professional Development Plan to identify how I can develop
professional skills that required by the selected job opportunity.
The report also showed how I developed my presentation skills throughout the module based on
the feedback I got in the class room.
Finally the report showed the methods I need to implement to create a proper PDP with the help
of SMARTER objectives. As well as the report helped the reader to identify the different learning
styles.

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6. References
1. Different learning styles , 2013, [online], Available at:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/gradschool/training/resources/teaching/theorie
s/honey-mumford (Last accessed: 11th June 2013)

2. Job vacancies, 2013, [online], Available at:

http://www.topjobs.lk/employer/advertismentpreview.jsp?
jc=0000179811&ac=DEFZZZ&ec=DEFZZZ (Last accessed: 10th June 2013)

3. personal and professional development , 2013, [online], Available at:

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/437121/Why-is-it-important-to-focus-on-myprofessional-development.html (Last accessed: 14th June 2013)

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