Project

Assignment Cover Sheet
Qualification Module Number and Title
Higher National Diploma in Business BHNC 4107 - Self and Career Development
Management
Student Name & No. Assessor
M. B. Deeresha Chandrasekera Mr. Anuruddha Yapa
(CL/HNDBSM/86/08)
Hand out date Submission Date
16/02/2020 16/03/2020
Assessment type Duration/Length of Weighting of Assessment
Assessment Type
Course work- Course work 100%
Portfolio 01 Month
6000 words
Learner declaration
I, M. B. Deeresha Chandrasekera (CL/HNDBSM/86/08), certify that the work submitted for this
assignment is my own and research sources are fully acknowledged.
Marks Awarded
First assessor
IV marks
Agreed grade
Signature of the assessor Date
Self and Career Development | 1

FEEDBACK FORM
INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Module: BHNC 4107 Self and Career Development

Student:
Assessor:
Assignment:
Strong features of your work:
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Marks Awarded:
Acknowledgement

“I would maintain that thanks are from the highest form of thought, and that gratitude
is happiness doubled by wonder.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
There have been many people who have walked alongside me during the past couple of
months, they have guided me, placed opportunities in front of me and showed me the doors
that might be useful to open. The writer takes this opportunity to thank them for their
encouragement and dedicate this report with heartfelt gratitude.
This report is dedicated to Mr. Anurudda, the lecture of the module ‘Self and Career
Development’, whose passion for teaching set a new standard for anyone involved in
education, training and development, or any other endeavor which one human being seeks to
support the growth and development of another.

Executive Summary
The mission of this report is to advance, transmit and sustain knowledge and understanding
through the content included, as an answer for the “Self and Career Development” module.
This report has an outline of; two main tasks. First to select a job opportunity published in a
newspaper or a website and secondly to solve a work based problem regarding a staff training
program.
Task 1 is divided into six sub tasks in which the writer has set his own topics to each task as:
1. Job opportunity, where the image of the published is shown along with the personal
and professional skills requested.
2. PDP and Personal SWOT, here the writer has explained in detail what a professional
development plan is, steps to adhere when making a PDP, format of a PDP with areas
of development of the writer, how to develop weak areas and finally a personal
SWOT of the writer along with how to address weaknesses and how to avoid threats.
3. Behaviuoral SMART objectives, where objectives are set by the writer in order to
achieve the job opportunity mentioned above
4. How to achieve the objectives, here the writer has discussed the ways in which he/she
is going to achieve the objectives sticking to a time bound.
5. What skills are enhanced by achieving objectives, where the skills developed by
achieving objectives are shown.
6. Learning styles, the two leaning styles VAK and Honey and Mumford are explained
in detail under this sub task and concluded by finding the learning style of the writer
using a questionnaire provided by ICBT.
Task two is divided into two sub tasks as solutions to the work based problem and
communication styles. Here the solutions that can be taken are justified and followed by the
communication styles and what communication style is used to deliver the persuasion
methods for the employees are given in account.
The writer has started with a brief introduction of the module “Self and Career Development”
then gradually moved on in account to the tasks and subtasks followed by the conclusion and
the list of references used to complete the assignment.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement......................................................................................................................3
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................4
List of Figures............................................................................................................................6
Introduction................................................................................................................................7
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................9
T 1.1 – Job Opportunity.........................................................................................................9
T 1.2 – Professional Development Plan (PDP) & Personal SWOT Analysis......................11
T 1.3 – Behavioural SMART Objectives.............................................................................21
T 1.4 – How to achieve objectives.......................................................................................22
T 1.5 – What skills are enhanced by attending lectures.......................................................23
T 1.6 – Learning Styles........................................................................................................25
Task 2.......................................................................................................................................33
T 2.1 – Solutions for work-based problem...........................................................................33
T 2.2 – Communication Styles.............................................................................................35
Conclusion................................................................................................................................38
References................................................................................................................................39

List of Figures
Figure 1 : Stage 2 of Career Development.................................................................................8

Figure 5 : Published Job Vacancy............................................................................................10
Figure 6 : Requested Professional and Personal Skills in the Job Vacancy.............................11
Figure 7 : Framework of the PDP............................................................................................14
Figure 8 : Interpersonal Skills..................................................................................................15
Figure 9 : Guidelines on Being a Good Listener......................................................................16
Figure 10 : Time Management.................................................................................................17
Figure 11 : Time Management Tips.........................................................................................18
Figure 12 : Personal SWOT.....................................................................................................19
Figure 13 : SMART Objectives...............................................................................................22
Figure 14 : Ways to Achieve Objectives..................................................................................23
Figure 15 : Skills Enhanced by Achieving Objectives.............................................................24
Figure 16 : VAK Learning Style..............................................................................................26
Figure 17 : Honey and Mumford Learning Style.....................................................................27
Figure 18 : Author's Learning Style.........................................................................................29

Introduction
Career development is one of the rare steps that addresses the needs of both employers and
employees. Every organization wants its employees to grow in their professional life, so they
can mold themselves to face the future.
This is the main reason why organizations implement training sessions and introduce many
learning curves to integrate their vision with the employee’s personal goals. This process
does offer a lot of challenges during the implementation.
In this assignment, elements which are involved in the career development and the planning
process are discussed. In general, career building involved two acts namely,
1. Building one’s own career through available career opportunities
2. Realizing the career goals that the organization expects that the employee will
perform and vindicate the trust that the recruits showed during the selection
Career planning can also be defined as the process in which an employee can use the
available opportunities within the organization to further their own personal benefits. The
stages of career development plan are:
1. Assessing self and identifying strengths and weaknesses
2. Finding career opportunities that suit the strengths
Figure 1 : Stage 2 of Career Development

3. Setting goals in personal and professional life
4. Planning actions
5. Periodic evaluation of performance


Personal development refers to a set of activities that one can engage in for the
purpose of enhancing self-knowledge and identity. It involves talent and potential
development, building of human capital as well as employability, improving the quality of
life and playing the role towards the realization of aspirations and dreams. The idea of
personal development is not only limited to self-development, but also entails formal and
informal activities meant to develop others as well.

Task 1
T 1.1 – Job Opportunity
Figure 5 : Published Job Vacancy

Figure 6 : Requested Professional and Personal Skills in the Job Vacancy
Professional Skills Personal Skills

 6 passes at GCE O/L examination  Fluent in English
(in one sitting) and a minimum
Credit for English  Accepted BMI level
 Minimum band 6 score from IELTS  Good communication skills
 Successfully completed IATA Cabin  Outgoing personalities

Crew Diploma conducted by Sri
 Ability to work in a team
Lankan Aviation College (Sri
environment
Lankan Airlines)
 Ability to do night shifts
 Ability to work according to work

on roster basis

T 1.2 – Professional Development Plan (PDP) & Personal SWOT Analysis
Professional Development Plan

- A Professional Development Plan (PDP), also known as Employee Development
Plan, is used to document career goals and set out a strategy on how to meet them.
Developing both short-term and long-term goals can help to guide decision
throughout the career, whether to complete a complex project or earn a certain type of
job. A professional development plan can guide in reaching the goals by
implementing structured steps. In other words, professional development plan is a list
of actionable steps for achieving and individuals career goals. It helps to gain specific
insight on how to reach the career aspirations, such as earning a new certification.
Drafting a professional development plan is especially helpful during a job search.
- To create a PDP the following steps should be adhered:
o Self-assessment
 Self-assessment is an evaluation of an individuals’ professional

interests, knowledge and skills. Creating a self-assessment allows to
examine the current position as it relates to the future career goals.
When an individual determines the skills and interests he/she currently
possess, the areas that can be improves to achieve the goals can be
identified.
 It can also be helpful to identify the transferable skills which

employers seek in candidates. Transferable skills are also called
marketable personal assets and examples are good communication,
teamwork, leadership and technological skills too.
o Goals
 The goals set in the PDP should be SMART (Specific, Measurable,

Achievable, Relevant and Timely). Using SMART goals makes it
easier to update the PDP. Structuring goals has to be done in a way that
makes it easier to achieve them by completing small steps, it will be
way more helpful if the goals are in order of priority with highest first
and categorizing goals as short-term, mid-term and long-term can be
done for the easiness of completing each goal.
 A SMART goal is a carefully planned and clear objective. It stands for
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based.
 S = Specific, be as clear and specific as possible with what you
want to achieve

 M = Measurable, what evidence will prove that an individual is
making progress towards the goal
 A = Achievable, has the individual set an achievable goal
 R = Relevant, consider whether the goals are relevant or not
before setting
 T= Time-based, put an end date in order to achieve the goal
which might provide motivation and help you prioritize
 Setting SMART goals can help move forward in any career and
achieve the success that is needed. Goals can be challenging but using
the SMART goal framework can organize the process and provide
structure before begin.
 Using the SMART goal framework sets boundaries and defines the
steps needed take, resources necessary to get there and milestones that
indicate progress along the way. The goal is more likely to be achieved
efficiently and effectively with SMART goals.
 E.g.- Obtaining a job as a cabin crew member within 1 year after
getting a band 6 score at IELTS examination and graduating with the
IATA Cabin Crew Diploma
 Specific – The goal of becoming a cabin crew member is well
defined
 Measurable – Success can be measure by the number of
applications, successfully faced interviews and job offers
 Achievable – The goal setter has the appropriate degree for the
job
 Relevant – The goal setter is planning to get the job in the
airline industry after getting an IATA Cabin Crew Diploma
 Time-based – The goal setter has set a deadline to achieve the
goal within 1 year following graduation
o Strategies
 The strategies in the PDP define how an individual will achieve the
goals. Listing a variety of approaches including experimental learning,
exposure, education and reflection should be done.
 If majority of the strategies mentioned are experimental, it would give

valuable hands-on experience when developing new skills. The
considerable things when developing the strategy are:
 If the goal involves in a career change, think about what

education/ certifications needed and how long it would take to
obtain.
 If advice is needed, consider reaching a professional would

help.

o Resources
 Resources are places where professional growth can be found. It can be

schools, higher education centers, education institutions, professional
associations or either webinars. They might provide workshops,
networking opportunities, diploma programs, degree programs,
conferences, seminars or presentations which has the potential to
enhance the career path.
 When developing the resource section of the PDP an individual has to

be specific as it might have tuition, fees or time requirement. Also it is
very important to have a complete idea of what is available in an
individual and to the individual.
o Timeline
 The PDP should always be a work in progress. It should grow and

change over time and reflect the current position of an individual’s
professional life.
Figure 7 : Framework of the PDP
Long term Specific career goal Skills needed to achieve Skills that I need
goal the goal to work on
Being a  6 passes at GCE - -
cabin crew O/L examination
member (in one sitting)
and a minimum
Credit for English
 Minimum band 6  Listening skills *Listening skills

score from IELTS
 Speaking skills *Speaking skills
 Reading skills *Time

management
 Writing skills
*Assertiveness
 Time management
 Assertiveness
 Successfully  Presentation skills *Presentation

completed IATA skills
Cabin Crew  Communication
skills *Decision making
Diploma
skills
conducted by Sri

Lankan Aviation  Management skills *Stress
College (Sri management
Lankan Airlines)  Decision making
skills
 Stress Management
 Team working
 Medical - -
examination
Figure 8 : Interpersonal Skills
Developing listening skills

- “Since in order to listen, one must first listen, learn to speak by listening” – Mevlana
Rumi. Listening to a content will be straight forward receiving activity. Listening is
required to understand as much as possible of what is said, interpret and to give
feedback.
- In today’s high-tech and high-stress world, communication is more important than

ever, but yet people seem to devote less time in listening to one another. Genuine
listening helps build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding resolve
conflicts and improve accuracy. In this case, at work, effective listening means fewer
errors and less waste of time.
- Critical listening
o Be alert
o Assess the speakers vocabulary
o Look for balance in the argument
o Be vigilant of the tone and body language
o Supporting evidence given
- Empathetic listening
o Why is the speaker saying this?
o How does the speaker feel about this?
o How might this idea apply to the listener?
o What feedback can the listener give?
o How would the listener feel in the same situation?
- Attentive listening
o Be ready
o Be interested
o Be patient
o Keep your mind open
o Keep your mind going
o Keep your mind on the job
o Give feedback
o Use non-verbal signs
o Avoid interruptions
o Allow silence
What to do? How to do it?

Be ready Get your attitude right at the beginning and
decide to listen
Be interested Don’t try to soak up the message, ask
questions instead
Be patient Try to hold up any interruptions if any, even
when disagreements occur. Wait until the
speaker is properly done with speaking
finally wait for a suitable moment to start
Keep your mind on the job Concentrate, don’t get distracted by any
irrelevant material in the message
Give feedback Try an interested and attentive look, for
example a nod, and if there is opportunity
use some verbal means to show the message
was understood
- Guidelines on being a good listener
Figure 9 : Guidelines on Being a Good Listener
Developing speaking skills

- The most general and basic way of sending a message to another person. It
has more immediate interaction. Facial expressions, tone and gesture involves
in oral communication.
- To develop fluency and communication skills, speaking on selected topics like: what
fear have you overcome, discuss a way you have helped a colleague, who has been
your role model or what was the best vacation you ever took foe 3 to 5 minutes would
work.
- Moreover to further develop English speaking skills the following tasks would be
advantageous:
o Expanding vocabulary
o Improving pronunciation
o Learning the natural flow of English
o Speech shadowing
o Self-talk
o Think in English
o Retell a story in English
o Participate in public speaking events
- Guidelines on being a good speaker

o Be considerate to the recipient
o Project the voice
o Be expressive
o Avoid pace and pause
Developing presentation skills

- Giving a very effective presentation doesn’t mean that a person should have to have
perfect spoken English. There is a lot more to presenting than knowing the language
well. Among the key aspects of a perfect oral presentation are; having a firm idea of
what audience already knows, careful presentation and rehearsal, making clear the
structure of the talk and dealing effectively with questions asked. Planning, rehearsal
and presenting are the three main stages when doing a presentation.
- Guidelines on doing a better presentation
o Preparing the presentation

 Think about the context of the presentation (audience, time frame,
visual aids)
 Decide the topic – think carefully about main and sub points
 Structure the content

 Think of ways to catch the listeners (examples, anecdotes, quotations)
 Think about whether visual aids/overhead projectors or handouts are
needed, if so get them printed and make copies
 Check overall length – not too short or either too long
 Preparation of visual aids in case of last minute technical issue
 Plan words for opening and conclusion
 Rehearse the presentation
 Think about the questions that the audience might ask and plan how to
answer them
 Breathe slowly and deeply and try to relax muscles as much as possible
o Communication during the presentation

 Stand straight but not stiff
 Balance the weight evenly on both feet
 No need of too much movement
 Avoid meaningless gestures
 Match facial expressions with words spoken
Developing decision making skills

- Decision making involves the act of making a choice between different alternatives.
While decisions at home can be inconsequential, decisions at work add up to make or
break a career. Decision making is all you do, when climbing high up the career
ladder.
- Guidelines to develop decision making skills

o Start with the desired outcome
o Rely on data to spot patterns
o Use SWOT analysis
o Simulate outcomes
o Trust your instincts
o Identify your cognitive biases
Developing time management
Figure 10 : Time Management

- Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide
time between specific activities. Good time management enables to work
smarter not harder that more is done in less time, even when time is high and
pressures are high. Failing to manage time damages effectiveness and causes stress.
- Below shown are principles of effective time management:

o Set goals – SMART goals
o Prioritize wisely – deciding which task in important
o Set a time limit – specific time limit should be set for each task to be
completed
o Take breaks between tasks
o Organize – organize the work in batches
o Focus – one thing at a time
o Urgency – do it now
o Action plans – how to achieve the goals
Figure 11 : Time Management Tips
Developing stress management

- Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment/response. The
body reacts to these changes physically, mentally and emotionally. Even though stress
is common to all human, it is different from person to person.
- There can be many sources of stress:
o Environmental stress – living in a noisy, busy street
o Physical stress – body reactions for fearfulness, nervousness
o Psychological stress – emotions and feelings
o Organizational stress – work/job stress

o Significant events stress – wedding, graduation, deadline for assignment
submission
o Social stress – tension relationships
- To develop stress management focusing on what makes you feel calm and in control
would do better. Also doing experiments with different techniques and strategies
would work, but always being aware of one’s own stress management method is
important because no single method works for everyone or in every situation.
- First step in managing stress is to understand where those feelings are coming from.
Then keep a ‘Stress Diary’ to identify the causes of short-term or long-term stress in
your life. Think about why the situation is so stressful.
- Guidelines to manage stress

o Do exercises
o Listen to some music and dance around
o Engage socially
o Accept things that cannot be changed
o Alter the situation
o Make time for fun
o Relax
o Adopt to a healthy diet
o Avoid drugs
o Get enough sleep
Personal SWOT analysis

Figure 12 : Personal SWOT
- Personal SWOT analysis is a great tool to access one’s self in order to plan your
career. Personal SWOT analysis is very essential to know internal strengths and
weaknesses and also external opportunities and threats. By a personal SWOT analysis
a person can be able to know about him/herself that help to set up his/her career in
that position he/she wants.

My Strengths
- Education and certifications
- Good time management
- Creative
- Good listener
- Team work
- Positive thinking
- Quick learner
- Good knowledge in computer skills
My Weaknesses
- Lack of desired work experience
- Feel shy
- Nervousness
Opportunities for me
- Globalization in the desired field
- Advantage in enhancing skills
- Location is at my advantage
- Strong network
- Some special training with regard to this job opportunity
- Participation in different workshops
Threats for me
- Other skilled person
- Tough competitors from young
- Competitors with superior skills, experience and knowledge
- Political corruption
Addressing Weaknesses
- To get more work experience in that particular field, attending to workshops
conducted by the company regarding the specific job opportunity and referring to the
job role through websites will be a great help.
- To avoid shyness and nervousness making speeches and doing presentations more
frequently will be a helping hand.
- While delivering speeches and presentations maintaining eye contact with the
audience is much more important and also it helps to get rid of stage fear.
Avoiding Threats
- There may be many skilled people out there in any organization, but that will not be a
problem for a new entrant who has no experience. In order to be skilled, an individual
must attend to workshops held by the organization and keep mingling with skilled
employees to share their ideas, thoughts, methods of working, tactics and others
related to the career which will help the inexperienced new entrant.

- In majority of organizations today, there have been an involvement of politics
to a certain extent, but employees should be vigilant enough to not to get
involved in such activities but to do their own work and mind their personal work to
be in the safe side.
T 1.3 – Behavioural SMART Objectives
Figure 13 : SMART Objectives
Area for SMART

development objectives
- To complete IELTS examination within 6 months
- To complete IATA Cabin Crew Diploma within 1

year
Education
Time - To submit an assignment within 1 month
management
- To engage in team work when possible
Communication
- To complete presentations, assignments and other
Stress tasks then and there without delaying
management
- To engage in team work when possible
Decision making

T 1.4 – How to achieve objectives
Figure 14 : Ways to Achieve Objectives
Area for
development SMART objectives How to achieve the objectives
- Attending classes
- To complete IELTS - Doing past papers

examination within 6 - Submitting assignments
months
- Doing presentations
- To complete IATA Cabin
Crew Diploma within 1 year - Writing exams
Education
- Prioritizing work
- Sticking to deadlines
- Gathering information
- To submit an assignment - Starting to write the report without

Time within 1 month waiting till the last moment
management
Communication - To engage in team work - Making, studying and delivering

speeches in front of an audience
- Socializing more with people
- Getting together while working by

when possible sharing ideas
- Performing the task on regular basis

- To complete presentations,
- Managing the work load
assignments and other tasks
Stress before the deadline - Having a scheduled work time
management
- Socializing
- To engage in team work
Decision when possible - Exploring and analyzing options
making
T 1.5 – What skills are enhanced by attending lectures
Figure 15 : Skills Enhanced by Achieving Objectives
What skills did you

Area for SMART How to achieve enhance from
development objectives the objectives attending lectures
- To complete - Attending classes
IELTS - UGC recognized
examination - Doing past papers IELTS Certificate
within 6 months Submitting
- - IATA Cabin Crew
- To complete assignments Diploma holder
IATA Cabin Doing presentations
- - Presentation skills
Crew Diploma
within 1 year - Writing exams - Speaking skills
Education
Time - To submit an - Prioritizing work - Time management
management assignment skills
within 1 month - Sticking to deadlines
- Gathering
information

- Starting to write the
report without
waiting till the last
moment
- Making, studying - Listening skills

and delivering
speeches in front of - Speaking skills
an audience
- Reading skills
- Writing skills
- Socializing more
- Maintenance of eye
with people
contact
- To engage in - Getting together
- Negotiation skills
team work when while working by
possible sharing ideas
Communication
- Performing the task
- To complete on regular basis
presentations,
- Managing the work
assignments and load
other tasks
before the - Having a scheduled - Stress management
Stress deadline work time skills
management
- Decision making
- Socializing skills
- To engage in
team work when - Exploring and - Conflict resolution
Decision possible analyzing options skills
making

T 1.6 – Learning Styles
The way in which people learn will differ according to the type of the person. There are
learning styles which suit different individuals.
VARK Learning Styles

Figure 16 : VAK Learning Style

- The acronym VARK is used to describe the 4 modalities: visual, auditory,
reading/writing and kinesthetic.
o Visual Learners – learn through seeing
o Auditory Learners – learn through hearing
o Kinesthetic Learners – learn through moving and doing
Visual Learners
1. Use visual materials such as pictures, charts, etc.
2. Use colours to highlight texts
3. Take notes or handouts; look carefully at headings and patterns of topics
4. Brainstorm using illustrations, mind maps and models
5. Use multi-media where possible
6. Study in a quiet place away from visual disturbances
7. Visualize information as a picture
8. Skin-read to get an overview before reading in detail
Auditory Learners
1. Participate frequently in discussions and debates
2. Makes speeches and presentations
3. Use a tape recorder if possible instead of making notes
4. Read text aloud

5. Create musical jingles to aid memory
6. Discuss ideas verbally
7. Dictate to someone else
8. Speak onto an audio tape and listen to own ideas played back
Kinesthetic Learners
1. Take frequent study breaks
2. Move around to learn new
3. Stand up to work
4. Use bright colours to highlight reading material and turn those into posters and
models
5. Skin-read before reading in detail
Honey and Mumford Learning Styles

- According to Honey and Munford (1992), there are four different learning styles
which each individual fall under, namely:
o Activist – prefers doing and experiencing
o Reflector – observes and reflects
o Theorist – wants to understand underlying reasons, concepts and relationships

o Pragmatist – likes to have a go, try things and see if they work out
Figure 17 : Honey and Mumford Learning Style
Activist – “I’ll try anything once”

 Involve in new experience
 Open minded, enthusiastic
 Easily gets bored
 Act first, think second
 Brainstorming
 Gets involved with others easily
 Tend to center activities on themselves
 Flexible
 Often take unnecessary risks
Reflector – “Look before you leap”

 Careful
 Thorough and methodical
 Rarely jump to conclusions
 Stand back to observe and ponder new experience
 Consider all the angles and implications
 Analyze all the data available before reaching any conclusion
 Adopt low profile, taking back seat of the meeting
 Listen and observe others carefully
 Slow to make up the mind and reach decisions
Theorist – “If it’s logical it’s good”

 Disciplined approach
 Keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories, models and system thinking
 Like to analyze and synthesize facts applied n different theories
 Think systematically and logically
 Interested in maximizing certainty
 Low tolerance for uncertainty
 Restricted in lateral thinking
 Full of ‘shoulds’, ‘oughts’ and ‘musts’
Pragmatist – “If it works it’s good, but there is always a better way”
 Eager to try out ideas, theories and techniques
 Get on with things, act quickly and confidently
 Enjoy practical decisions, responding to problems and opportunities
 Impatient
Author’s Learning Style
Figure 18 : Author's Learning Style

Task 2
T 2.1 – Solutions for work-based problem
Well trained employees who are competent and capable are more likely to stick around and
add value to the company. Replacing new employees continuously is unaffordable. Therefore
high quality employee training programs increase employee engagement.
In order to motivate employees to attend the training program, excellent training the
employees can get excited about should be provided. Below are a few ways to get employees
motivated:
- Provide a compelling reason to participate
o Participating in a training session means going forward, individuals must use
different methods to meet job expectations.
- Every initiative is evaluated based on value perceptions

o All individuals have a unique set of motivational beliefs that often operate
unconsciously. Exposure to new ideas, goals or suggested process
improvements triggers a cost appraisal. Positive evaluations result in
engagement whereas negative assessments almost guarantee psychological
withdrawal.
- Eliminate fear of failure

o For a majority, learning new skills is an anxiety-provoking experience. The
employee may fear that acquiring new skills means additional responsibility
following training. To counteract the frear of failure, help employees
understand that narrowing skill gaps is a sign of strength that demonstrates
high degree of self-awareness and willingness to improve. Instead of
positioning training as eliminating knowledge deficits, creating a culture
where skill-building signifies initiative, humility, commitment and becoming a
role model for others.
- Ask employees what they want

o Many employers make a mistake of implementing company-wide training
without considering the people that make up the company. Asking employees
what they need to do their job better and what might make their work life
easier and more satisfying.
- Show them the money

o There are caveats to this. Cash incentives do motivate employees to better
performance during any type of competition, but performance tends to drop or
level off after. Money is a training incentive that can be used selectively to
good effort.
- Making it easy
o Make it easy for employees to complete their training programs by offering
small sessions. Don’t make employees struggled to get trained but instead let
learning come to them.

- Feed employees
o Offer employees a delicious breakfast and/or a tempting lunch to get them in
the door.
- Give employees time to train

- Emphasize the long-term career prospects
- Make the training relevant for the individual
- Identify employee strengths

T 2.2 – Communication Styles
Each individuals personal style can be completely unique, but still fall into a certain category.
This is also the case for the four main communication styles: passive, aggressive, passive-
aggressive and assertive.
It is important to note that while people usually speak with one of the above communication
styles, they don’t always stick to the same style. Depending on the speaker’s mood or desired
effect, their communication style might change from time to time, dropping jaws and raising
eyebrows.
Passive Communication
- Passive communication style is often used by those who want to come off as
indifferent about the topic at hand. They either keep their opinions to themselves or
try to make it seem as if they support every piece of input in the discussion.
- Passive communicators will display insecure nonverbal communication gestures by

not making eye contact or shrugging shoulders when some input is asked from them.
The advantage of passive communication is that, peace is maintained during a
conversation specially when dealing with a conflict. Not only advantages it can have
disadvantages like leading into problems as they don’t voice the thoughts properly.
Feeling anxious, and depressed towards the words and actions of the person they are
speaking with. Passive communication is ineffective because although words may be
spoken, the actual thoughts and ideas are not expressed, instead limited information is
shared.
- Some common phrases used by people using passive communication are as follows:
o “What I think doesn’t matter”
o “I don’t care what we do here”
o “I don’t really have an opinion on this”
Aggressive Communication
- Aggressive communicators openly express their opinions without hesitation often in a
loud voice. When speaking aggressively, people make more eye contact and tend to
point fingers. This style expresses opinions and views in an abusing way that violated
the right of others even though the voicing of the speaker makes for effective
communication.
- People often use aggressive communication when they want to be highlighted. Instead
of listening to others, they give commands and demand that others comply with what
they say even the spoken point is unimportant for the situation. Using aggressive
communication is not a good way to converse with someone. The goal of being

aggressive is to intimidate, which defeats the purpose of a conversation where
ideas are meant to be shared and listened to.
- Some common phrases used by people using aggressive communication are as

follows:
o “I am never wrong”
o “Your opinion doesn’t matter”
o “Everyone should think like me”
Passive-aggressive Communication
- This style of communication brings both passive and aggressive styles together in
action for another form of ineffective communication. This style is used when people
speak as if they don’t care about something but in a way that is indirectly angry.
- These type of communicators will sometimes mutter comments to themselves while

in a presence of a gathering as if they dint want other to hear it. They refuse to
confront others about anything that is bothering them. When people are using this
style, they might give silent treatment or talk about the issue with someone else who
isn’t a part of it to avoid the situation. People usually talk passive-aggressively
because, even though they have formed an opinion, they are worried about what
others might think of it and don’t want to openly disagree with it instead do it
discretely. This style of communication is said to be ineffective as it wastes
everybody’s time when people don’t openly express their ideas.
- Some common phrases used by people using passive-aggressive communication are

as follows:
o “ I don’t care, but someone else might”
o “We can do this your way, but I don’t think it’s going to work”
o “I think you did a good job, but they might not think so”
Assertive Communication
- This style of communication is the most effective style of communication out of all.
Assertive communicators express their thoughts in a polite manner that is considerate
of other people’s opinions. They respect all values, thoughts, ideas and speak in a
calm voice while making non-threatening eye contact.
- Assertive communication should be used because it values honesty and

understanding. Assertive communicators own their ideas and listen to others as well.
One of the key signs of assertive communicators are the ‘I’ statements. This style of
communication relies on two-way communication which is the reason to make it the
most effective style of communication. Not only it consists of politely expressing

ideas, but also asking for feedback, listening to other’s ideas, strengthening
the conversation and information flow.
- Some common phrases used by people using assertive communication are as follows:
o “I think we should go with this method”
o “Even though we don’t agree, I respect your opinion”
o “Are all of our options here?”
Communication Styles Used to Deliver the Persuasion Methods to Employees

 Provide a compelling reason to participate – Passive aggressive
 Every initiative is evaluated based on value perceptions – Passive aggressive
 Eliminate fear of failure – Passive aggressive
 Ask employees what they want – Assertive
 Show them the money – Assertive
 Making it easy – Assertive
 Feed employees – Assertive
 Give employees time to train – Assertive
 Emphasize the long-term career prospects – Passive aggressive
 Make the training relevant for the individual – Assertive
 Identify employee strengths – Assertive

Conclusion
“If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and career life, you must become
a worthwhile person in your own self-development” – Brian Tracy
The above assignment regarding self and career development will be a great helping hand for
either an employee or a new entrant of any industry. From how to get a job to improving
one’s own possessed skills is in detail shown above.
According to the writers view, if the Professional Development Plan is maintained by each
and every single employee, they can improve themselves step by step convert their
weaknesses into strengths, avoid threats and make them opportunities and even apply for
better positions with high salaries in the future. Listening and attending are by far the most
vital aspects of being an effective healthcare professional. If people can train themselves to
learn on how to really listen to others, then they can be of really much help to the society.
A person’s circle of self-awareness expands not only consciously but also the borders have
enlarged in such a way that self-awareness borders upon a widened area of future discovery
and development. The more doors an individual opens, the more they realize that there are to
be opened.
Self-awareness is the most important key factor needed to develop and individual from top to
bottom. All the negative factors that an individual possess can be diminished by self-
assessment. Before anything, the first thing that an individual should do in order to have a
successful career is to self-assess themselves then move on gradually from setting goals to
achieving goals within a certain period of time. Widening one’s self-awareness involves
discovering new truths about an individual. Any kind of development demands a framework
for one to be able to know whether change has in reality occurred.
For the case of personal and professional development, a person frequently operates as the
principle judge of improvement. Corroboration of objective improvement requires an
assessment which has to be carried out using a standard criterion.

References
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Online. [ONLINE] Available at: https://online.alvernia.edu/articles/4-types-
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Assignment Cover Sheet

Qualification Module Number and Title

Self and Career Development | 1

Module: BHNC 4107 Self and Career Development

Strong features of your work:

Areas for improvement:

Self and Career Development | 2

Self and Career Development | 3

Self and Career Development | 4

Self and Career Development | 5

Figure 1 : Stage 2 of Career Development.................................................................................8

Self and Career Development | 6

Self and Career Development | 7

5. Periodic evaluation of performance

Self and Career Development | 8

Self and Career Development | 9

Figure 5 : Published Job Vacancy

Self and Career Development | 10

Professional Skills Personal Skills

 Minimum band 6 score from IELTS  Good communication skills

 Successfully completed IATA Cabin  Outgoing personalities

 Ability to work according to work

Self and Career Development | 11

Professional Development Plan

- To create a PDP the following steps should be adhered:

 Self-assessment is an evaluation of an individuals’ professional

 It can also be helpful to identify the transferable skills which

 The goals set in the PDP should be SMART (Specific, Measurable,

Self and Career Development | 12

 If majority of the strategies mentioned are experimental, it would give

 If the goal involves in a career change, think about what

 If advice is needed, consider reaching a professional would

Self and Career Development | 13

 Resources are places where professional growth can be found. It can be

 When developing the resource section of the PDP an individual has to

 The PDP should always be a work in progress. It should grow and

 Minimum band 6  Listening skills *Listening skills

 Reading skills *Time

 Successfully  Presentation skills *Presentation

Self and Career Development | 14

Figure 8 : Interpersonal Skills

Developing listening skills

- In today’s high-tech and high-stress world, communication is more important than

What to do? How to do it?

Developing speaking skills

Self and Career Development | 16

- Guidelines on being a good speaker

Developing presentation skills

- Guidelines on doing a better presentation

o Preparing the presentation

Self and Career Development | 17

o Communication during the presentation

Developing decision making skills

- Guidelines to develop decision making skills

Developing time management

Figure 10 : Time Management

Self and Career Development | 18

- Below shown are principles of effective time management:

Developing stress management

- There can be many sources of stress:

o Environmental stress – living in a noisy, busy street

o Physical stress – body reactions for fearfulness, nervousness