Developing Employability Skills And Career Aspirations

1. Develop employability skills and increase self-awareness within a range of contexts to demonstrate a commitment to lifelong career development learning

2. Apply and critically appraise a range of theories of career development

3. Analyse and evaluate sources of local, regional and global opportunities relevant to career ideas, interests and ambitions

4. Produce a professional CV, online profile, action plan and develop digital literacy skills for work

Know yourself

Gallup strength theory helps an individual to identify the areas of strengths based on which the person can get an in-depth knowledge about necessary capability for being a successful employees. By evaluating Gallup strengths, I have identified my strong aspects, which would help me immensely for the betterment of my career. My strengths that I have identified within me include Futuristic, Competition, Input, Learner and Intellection.

The responsibility of Futuristic is to identify the future uncertainties, which can create a major barrier on the overall success of business. My responsibility as a Futuristic is to predict the risk factors and implement alternative solutions in order to overcome the issue faced by my organization at their workplaces. Competition is one of my most significant strengths based on which I can always focus to give my best services towards work (Frich et al. 2015). I always prefer to provide services on a competitive mode so that the quality of work becomes very much high. People with the strength of Input place high value on all elements of data and information because they know that information is a way to build understanding and focus. Even if I am not aware of entire management skills and capabilities followed by the business experts, I am a quick learner with the help of which I can acquire any kind of unknown activities very quickly. In addition, intellection is my additional strength with the help of which business authority would be able to distinguish my work amidst large number of employees at the workplace (Leask and Terrell 2014). I can make the ordinary services in an extraordinary way by using my intellectual skills and capabilities.   

How can you apply elements of these theories to achieve career aspiration? 

In order to achieve future career aspiration my five identified skills and competencies will be highly effective and significant on the overall progress of my career (Leask and Terrell 2014). The five elements of Gallup strengths such as Futuristic, Competition, Input, Learner and Intellection are very much effective in order to resolve any kind of sudden issue at my workplace (Cottrell 2015). By maintaining a competitive environment, I can always focus to give my best services towards work. I am a quick learner with the help of which I can acquire any kind of unknown activities very quickly. With the help of my intellection, I can make the ordinary services in an extraordinary way by using my intellectual skills and capabilities. In addition, my Futuristic approach is very much effective in predicting the future risk factors and plans an alternative strategies and policies for reaching the business success in a smooth and systematic way.

On the other hand, by applying Johari Window theory an individual can understand the business traits and capabilities. This particular theory helped me immensely in understanding my both strengths and weaknesses (Cheruvelil et al. 2014). Based on my strengths I have gained the attention of other stakeholders. After identifying the weaknesses, I have gathered immense knowledge and understanding about the ways of my improvements. Based on those areas I can work in future so that I do not have to face challenges in achieving the business goal. Therefore, these two theories are highly essential for evaluating my strengths and weakness as a professional.   

How can you apply elements of these theories to achieve career aspiration?

Analysis two companies in your sector and their history, values and ethics

Jack Morton and Rapier Group is one of the most recognizable event management companies occupying prestigious places in the realm of UK. As per the business values and ethical structure of Jack Morton, the managers are not very biased towards the stakeholders of specific group of culture (Cottrell 2015). The service providers tend to show their equal respect and dignity towards the customers. In addition, the employees are very much instructed to maintain corporate etiquettes based on which customers tend to show their interest in using services. Employees while providing services are very much cooperative and co-coordinative towards each other. With the help of this feature, the business experts do not have to face challenges in maintaining organizational behaviour and discipline.

In case of Rapier Group, the organizational experts are very much professional and cooperative towards the employees. The business experts tend to give equal priority and response to the all the employees associated at the workplace (Bolden 2016). The organization while organizing an event strictly follows data protection act, anti-discrimination acts and so on. With the implementation of data protection act the organization can easily maintain confidentiality of data about service users. The business experts do not leak out data conviviality without taking permission of the third party. The service providers tend to show their equal respect and dignity towards the customers (Noe et al. 2014). The service providers are very much effective and systematic towards providing services to the customers. In addition, Rapier Group follows immense diversity management at the workplace. The business experts are not at all biased towards the services. With the help of an effective service process, people from different cultural backgrounds and attitudes can get equal respect and dignity in performing well towards reaching the business goal (Cheruvelil et al. 2014). As a result, human resource managers are only concerned in evaluating the performances of the employees rather than focusing on cultural backgrounds of the employees.

How do elements of these company’s values and ethics align with yours?

I personally believe that employees should be unbiased while running their business in the global market. In order to deal with the customers from different cultural and psychological backgrounds and attitudes I need to show my equal response and priority to all the members associated within my team. In addition, I like to follow organizational behaviour and discipline strictly. With the help of a proper organizational behaviour, I would not have to face immense challenges in maintaining good rapport with the colleagues. In addition, effective communication with the people of different cultural backgrounds and attitudes can help me in exchanging my views and thoughts.

I as an employee while providing services am very much cooperative and co-coordinative towards each other. With the implementation of data protection act the organization can easily maintain confidentiality of data about service users. I feel safe and secured in working within such organization, which constantly follows data protection act at the workplace. The service providers tend to show their equal respect and dignity towards the customers (Frich et al. 2015). The service providers are very much effective and systematic towards providing services to the customers. However, I personally believe that corporate etiquettes and floor etiquettes should be strictly followed at the workplace in order to maintain business sustainability.   

Know your sector

How can networking help you becoming more commercially aware of the sector?

In commercial business sector, the role of a business manager is to spread wide area of network for building effective communication with both internal as well as external employees (Dixon et al. 2014). The role of a project manager is to deliver the project within stipulated time. In addition, the project manager while delivering the services to the client within proper deadline has to maintain effective network with those persons who are inclined with the project (Leask and Terrell 2014). After being associated with event management industry, I had to take the responsibility of a project manager for organizing two major music events. In those two events, I had to build effective relationship with my team members who have left immense contribution for making the entire project successful. In addition, the project manger should have proper public management skill, decision-making skill and time management skills (Frich et al. 2015). With the help of those competencies I can easily build a good network with the stakeholders based on which my performance level can reach up to the mark. In addition, the customers do not have to face challenges in receiving the services due to transparent communication method.  

Reflect on the networking events you have attended and share experiences 

In my entire academic career, I have attended two major events, which have enhanced y personal and professional skills and competency. In a music event conducted on my college campus, I used to play the role of project coordinator (Leask and Terrell 2014). In this very specific project, I had to face immense challenges in organizing the entire event successfully and systematically. I had to face major language barrier in communicating with some of my team members. They had to face challenges in sharing their views and thoughts properly with me due to language barrier. However, the overall journey was very much memorable and pleasant. The next attempt was the role of event manager while organizing an educational event. In this very specific event, my responsibility was crucial. The scholars of different eminent academic backgrounds turned up to enlighten their view and thoughts regarding the importance of achieving higher education. However, as a event manager (Cottrell 2015). I had to face immense challenges in convincing the concerned stakeholders for attention the event. At the end, the overall experience was a learning process with the help of which I have gathered good experiences. It helped me in developing my personal skill and professional competency. 

References

Bolden, R., 2016. Leadership, management and organisational development. In Gower handbook of leadership and management development (pp. 143-158). Routledge.

Cheruvelil, K.S., Soranno, P.A., Weathers, K.C., Hanson, P.C., Goring, S.J., Filstrup, C.T. and Read, E.K., 2014. Creating and maintaining high?performing collaborative research teams: the importance of diversity and interpersonal skills. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 12(1), pp.31-38.

Cottrell, S., 2015. Skills for success: Personal development and employability. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Dixon, F.A., Yssel, N., McConnell, J.M. and Hardin, T., 2014. Differentiated instruction, professional development, and teacher efficacy. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 37(2), pp.111-127.

Frich, J.C., Brewster, A.L., Cherlin, E.J. and Bradley, E.H., 2015. Leadership development programs for physicians: a systematic review. Journal of general internal medicine, 30(5), pp.656-674.

Leask, M. and Terrell, I., 2014. Development planning and school improvement for middle managers. Routledge.

Noe, R.A., Wilk, S.L., Mullen, E.J. and Wanek, J.E., 2014. Employee Development: Issues in Construct Definition and Investigation ofAntecedents. Improving Training Effectiveness in WorkOrganizations, ed. JK Ford, SWJ Kozlowski, K. Kraiger, E. Salas, and MS Teachout (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997), pp.153-189.