Career Development Plan Assignment Sample
A personal statement
At 22, in my freshman year of college, I held my first college textbook. This isn’t the typical age for a freshman, but I wasn’t a typical college student. When I was 18, I faced a life-threatening disease and was living with my parents, instead of in a college dormitory. Neither my parents nor my siblings had been to a college. Not that we did not consider education important in my family, but we were struggling to meet ends meet. Faced with Leukemia, years of medical treatment and no college degree, I believed that it would have been impossible for me to get out of the debt trap we had created for ourselves. I had seen generations of families with insufficient education in our crumbling neighbourhood and in my own family, and I knew that I might be the only hope for myself. So, when I recovered from my disease and started to feel better, I was motivated to go back and complete college. My father sold his car to help me pay for community college. I studied Bachelor of Applied Business and emerged as a gold medallist in my college exams. I also received a full scholarship to complete my postgraduate studies, where I graduated with honours in marketing. I had a placement offer at one of the top MNCs. However, i felt it was time for me to give back to my community. I believed information and knowledge when combined with the right kind of education can bring about massive change. I worked for a non-profit organisation working within the community ensuring that children from vulnerable communities received the education they deserved. Post that, I moved to Melbourne in 2020, a joined a marketing firm, whose values and work ethics aligned with mine.
Individual overview of your attributes
- CURIOSITY AND INNOVATIVE THINKING: It is important to remain open to new ideas and show a willingness to learn a concept that may seem difficult to grasp initially. In the same way that an engineer may be inspired to study the building techniques of a new bridge and then be compelled to become familiar with how it functions, I am often inspired to conduct research on a market aspect that is outside my experience limits. Curious managers may change their perspectives in the future, resulting in pioneering developments. Marketing campaigns will not work simply because they have worked in the past. Hence, I am willing to learn and innovate.
- CREATIVITY: Marketers have always benefited from the creativity that comes from coming up with campaign slogans and campaigns that make the masses laugh, cry, think, and, most importantly, make them buy. Just as a lyricist is able to write words, that the public can relate to, as a marketing expert, i am able to creatively identify and tap into new marketing potentials. Despite the fact that many of the tasks I handle will require others to work with me, I need to be able to work creatively as a team and use my creativity to the fullest extent.
- GOOD PEOPLE SKILLS: The customer is always right. As a marketing personnel, there is constant pressure to strive to keep the consumers satisfied. I am a patient listener and a sound communicator. I am capable of understanding and addressing the needs and demands of the clients. Apart from being able to deal with clients, I can also effectively work with my colleagues and staff and if required stir them in the right direction.
- ADAPTABILITY: As important as it is to plan for future, it is equally important to be able to adapt to circumstances when things do not work according to the plan. One of my most important skills, I believe is the power to adapt to change, instant understand issues and get to resolving them.
- BEING SALES-MINDED: Being sales-minded can be an important attribute for a marketing professional. Marketing and Sales go hand in hand. The true test of a marketing campaign is the number of sales, it is capable of generating. Thus, the fact that I keep sales in mind from the very beginning and understand what sells is a major plus point.
Individual Action Plan (using SMART)
- S- SPECIFIC: Save enough for another degree in Human Resources, encourage communication between colleagues, Learn the skill of coaching as I move up the ladder and occupy bigger positions.
- M- MEASUREABLE: Run at least 5 successful marketing campaigns in the year, learn 1 new skill which can help in my career development or otherwise
- ATTAINABLE: Priorities’ time to review my work on a weekly basis and to-do lists on a daily basis. Take up a coaching course and schedule 1 team building exercise every month for my team.
- R- RELEVANT: Communicate better and build healthy relationships with people at work and outside work. Focus on networking and getting in touch with people working the field of marketing and sales.
- T- TIME-BASED: Completing the coaching course within a year.
Your up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV) including contact information
Copies of your awards and certificates
Any additional activities experience relevant to your employability skillset
- Certificate Course in Data Analytics: Big data and analytics have taken the world of business by a storm. Correctly understanding business and customer demand trends, predicting consumer behaviour, helps business to a large extent in deciding the course of their business. As a marketing professional, I was immediately interested in marketing data analysis, and there enrolled for the certificate course in data analytics.The 6-month long certificate course on data analytics helped me learn the basics of data cleaning, problem solving, data analysis and visualisation. It also acquainted me to different platforms and tools such as SQL, Tableau, Presentations and Spreadsheets to help present the data. The first module of the course was an introductory session on data transformation using tools like Microsoft Excel and Python. The second module was extremely interesting for me as it helped me gain insight into data wrangling with the help SQL. We were also briefly introduced to data science with R programming and RStudio. The modules that I found relevant to my marketing career were based on optimisation techniques, predictive modelling, time-based forecasting and the use of Power BI for visualisation.
- Certificate Course on content marketing: Social media marketing is the most common form of marketing in today’s day and age. It uses social media, social media networks and social media tools to help a company engage the consumers with its products and services. It allows companies to promote their products and services to a large population and engage with them. I, therefore, enrolled for an online certificate course on content marketing. The course introduced me to the content marketing ecosystem and what content works and how to make it effective. It also made me realise that the content that a company puts out for the world becomes its representative to the audience which might or might not be aware of the company personally. Thus, one must be careful with its content as it can make and break the professional brand image of a company. We also looked into strategic content formation, different kinds of content and how one must manage one’s content. It is not sufficient to create content but also ensure that the content is effective, efficient and ethical.
A summary of your LinkedIn Profile
Details of any membership of professional bodies or associations.
- Evidence of at least two self-assessments or self-audits to that you have undertaken for the portfolio submission.
(15% of module grade)
A Personal SWOT
Strengths:
- I am highly detail oriented.
- Sound communication and interpersonal skills
- Time management skill
- 3 years of experience in the field of marketing
- Attentive and Cooperative
- Heavy mutlti-taskers
- Easy going and customer friendly approach
- Analytical, critical thinker
- Research oriented and innovative
Weakness:
- Not being satisfied with mediocrity
- Easily distracted
- Find it difficult to find work-life balance.
Opportunities:
- A promotion and visa sponsorship from the company I am currently working at.
- Meeting new people working in the arena of marketing and sales
- Multiculturalism can shift boundaries.
- To continue to pursue education, specific to the field of marketing.
Threats:
- Numerous competitors
- Rapidly changing industry
- New variants of covid might affect the market
- Current location is expensive
Aptitude Tests (e.g. via CareerEDGE, Belbin & others)
The General Intelligence Assessment is 30–50-minute test which includes 5 mini tests on “reasoning, perceptual speed, numeracy, word meaning and spatial visualisation”. I scored a 98 percentile in the GIA, which is considered a high score.
I also undertook the Belbin Assessment which indicated that I am a “shaper”. According to my test results I provide the required drive to ensure that the team continues to move in the right direction and does not lose focus. The test characterised me as challenging and dynamic. It also stated that a personality like mine thrives on pressure which is highly accurate. As per the Belbin test, a shaper has the drive, motivation and commitment to overcome obstacles that may come their way. However, it also mentions that I can be prone to provocation and can hurt people by being too straight forward.
- A mock application example detailing a real (or researched) application that should consist of (as a minimum):
(30% of module grade)
Covering Letter (specific to the application)
Dear Hiring Manager,
I highly appreciate the opportunity to apply for the role of a marketing manager at HSBC. I have been passionate about marketing and sales ever since I was an adolescent. It fascinated me how the right kind of marketing would make or break a product or service. I went to a community college at xyz, securing the first rank in Bachelors of Applied business. On a fully funded scholarship, I completed my post-graduate programme with a specialisation in marketing.
Having worked previously as a marketing manager, I understand that marketing is a full-time job and is crucial to the expansion of a company. A sound marketing strategy can impact a company’s long-term success. I believe my experience and skill set is particularly ideal for this position that HSBC is offering.
I have previously worked as a Marketing manager with the British American Tobacco company and have led many successful marketing campaigns. Having completed a certificate course in data analytics as well as a certificate course in marketing, I understand how marketing works today and how social media and search engine optimisation methods have overtaken the traditional platforms for advertising. My primary goal has always been to boost the exposure of the company and reach new clients from all possible domains. Given my sound communication and inter-personal skills, I believe that I can generate greater interest and interaction from potential as well as existing customers for HSBC. I am a team player and am extremely comfortable working with the diverse team that HSBC offers.
Thank you for taking interest in my profile. I look forward to meeting you in person and learning more about the opportunity at HSBC. Working with HSBC is a tremendous opportunity, and I believe my skill set, experience and qualifications is a great fit for the same.
Sincerely,
A B C
Contact Information (adapted for the application)
Curriculum Vitae (CV) (adapted for the application)
Standard Application Form (SAF) (adapted for the application)
| Standard Application Form | Candidate ref: |
| (SAF) | Employer applied to: |
| Preferred functions: 1
2 |
| Personal Details (please print this section) | ||||
| Title | Surname | First Name(s) (indicate (*) the one you are known by | ||
|
Home Address |
Term Address |
|||
|
|
||||
| Postcode | Postcode | |||
| Telephone: | Telephone: | |||
| E-mail: | E-mail: | |||
| Dates at above: | Dates at above: | |||
| Nationality | Date of Birth: | |||
| Do you need a work permit for permanent employment in the UK? YES ¨ NO ¨
Do you have one? YES ¨ NO ¨
|
||||
| Do you hold a full UK driving licence? YES ¨ NO ¨
|
||||
Education – Professional, Postgraduate, First Degree/Diploma
|
Please list all degrees/diplomas/professional qualifications etc held at or currently studied for, whether at first degree or postgraduate level. List most recent first and give all results known whatever the outcome.
|
||||
| From – To
Month/year |
Higher Education Institution | Award and Title of Award (HND/Degree/Dipl/Msc/
PhD etc) List main subjects below title |
Results (expected/awarded) | |
Education – Prior to Higher Education
|
Please list date (year)/qualification/subjects (grade) of all of the highest level examinations that qualified you for your Higher Education course(s) (A/AS Levels/Scottish Higher/Irish Leaving/Access/GNVQ/Baccalaureate etc). Include all examinations taken at this level whatever the outcome.
|
||||
| Number of GCSE/Standard Grade passes (Grade C & above) | Date(s) gained | Grade for Maths | Grade for English Language | Number of A/A* grades |
Employment and Work Experience
|
Please describe briefly any work (whether paid or unpaid) which you have undertaken. Highlight(*) the two most relevant and note what you achieved..
|
||||
| From – To
Month/year |
Employer | Job Title/Responsibilities | Achievements | |
Geographical Location
|
Do you have a strong preference for a particular location? If so, give details.
|
|
|
Personal Interests/Achievements
|
Use the space below to describe with dates (year) any part-time activities. Include organising, leading or group activities. Those requiring initiative, creativity or giving intellectual development are also of interest.
|
|
|
Specific Evidence
| The following questions are designed to encourage you to provide specific abilities. Your examples can be taken from your education, work experience, placements or spare-time or other voluntary activities but do not write solely about course-work.
|
| Planning, implementation and achieving results:
Describe a challenging project, activity or event which you have planned and taken through to a conclusion. Include your objective, what you did, any changes you made to your plan and state how you measured your success. |
|
|
| Influencing, communication and teamwork:
Describe how you achieved a goal through influencing the actions or opinions of others (perhaps in a team context). What were the circumstances? What did you do to make a difference? How do you know the result was satisfactory? |
|
|
| Analysis, problem solving and creative thinking:
Describe a difficult problem that you have solved. State how you decided which were the critical issues, say what you did and what your solution was. What other approaches could you have taken? |
|
|
Additional Information
|
Please write here any additional information, not covered elsewhere which will strengthen your application.
Where did you hear of us/see an advertisement?
|
|
|
Specific Skills
| 1. List any languages that you know indicating level of proficiency (basic/working knowledge/fluent/mother tongue).
2. Specify your experience with any generic computer packages/programming languages (limited/working knowledge/extensive). 3. Indicate any other specific relevant skills (laboratory techniques, graphics skills etc). |
|
|
Career Choice
| Explain why you have applied for the job function(s) that you noted on the first page. Offer evidence of your suitability (e.g. courses undertaken, work shadowing, skills, strengths and experiences). Emphasise why you consider yourself to be a strong candidate. |
|
|
Health Declaration
| Please give details of any health matters of relevance to the work applied for (see note within Guidance Notes and Monitoring Data). |
|
|
Referees
| Academic Referee | Other Referee |
|
Name: |
Name: |
|
Position: |
Position: |
|
Address:
|
Address:
|
|
Telephone: |
Telephone: |
Availability
| Please give any dates when you are not available for interview | Please give the date from which you are available for employment |
|
|
Declaration
| The statements made on this form are true. I understand any false statements may jeopardise my application and may lead to an offer being withdrawn. I have attached the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Data.
|
||
| Signed ………………………………….. | Name (please print)…………………………………….… | Date…………………… |
| Equal Opportunities Monitoring Data | ||||||||||||||||||||
| The following monitoring information is used to ensure that recruitment procedures do not lead to discrimination and that legal and other requirements are met. It is separated from your completed form, so you cannot be identified, and will play no part in the selection process.
Please put this form in a sealed envelope market ‘Equal Opportunities Data’ and attach this to your completed form. |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Date today? | D | D | M | M | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||
| Male/Female? | M | F | ||||||||||||||||||
| Single/Married/Divorced/Widowed? | S | M | D | W | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of Birth | D | D | M | M | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||
|
Ethnic Origin. |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Which of the following best describes your ethnic origin? Please tick one. The categories used are those recommended by the Commission for Racial Equality.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| ¨ | Arabic | ¨ | Indian | |||||||||||||||||
| ¨ | Black African | ¨ | Bangladeshi | |||||||||||||||||
| ¨ | Black Caribbean | ¨ | Pakistani | |||||||||||||||||
| ¨ | Black – other (please specify) | ¨ | White | |||||||||||||||||
| ¨ | Chinese | ¨ | Irish | |||||||||||||||||
| ¨ | Other (please specify) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Disability Status | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Do you have a disability? (The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines disability as ‘ a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.’) YES ¨ NO ¨
If yes, please specify
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Company Research (specific to the application)
“HSBC Holdings plc is a worldwide universal bank and financial services holding corporation based in the United Kingdom. With total equity of US$206.777 billion and assets of US$2.958 trillion as of December 2021, it is Europe’s second largest bank after BNP Paribas. In 2021, HSBC’s assets under custody (AUC) and assets under administration (AUA) totaled $10.8 trillion and $4.9 trillion, respectively. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation created the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as a new group holding company in London in 1991, and the name HSBC is derived from the initials of that business. In 1865, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation established branches in Shanghai, and in 1866, it was fully incorporated”.
Relevant Job and Role research with clear evidence of background and sector labour data for the chosen application.
A marketing manager is primary concerned with the promotion a business or its product or services. Marketing managers are hired to ensure that the information that goes out about a company is effective and efficient and is capable of attracting the right kind of consumer base along with being able to retain existing customers.
Responsibilities of the Marketing Manager include:
- A brief 250-word summary of your reflection on the learning during the module
(15% of module grade)
The learning outcome of this module includes:
- To develop a critical awareness and comprehension of accounting’s business and social environment.
- To gain knowledge, comprehension, and awareness of the most often used technical terms and methods, as well as alternative accounting bases and principles.
- To acquire information, abilities, competences, and personal characteristics that will enable the student to succeed in a demanding business environment.
- To provide the student with a working knowledge of business, as well as an understanding of how business interacts with the economic, technological, social, and institutional components of the environment in which it functions.
- To improve non-subject-specific abilities such as numeracy, information technology, data extraction, drawing conclusions from case study data, and oral and written reporting.
- 5. Portfolio presentation and structure including referencing
(10% of module grade)
- Kennedy, J. L. 2000. Job Interviews for Dummies, 2nd ed. New York: Hungry Minds.
- Lucht, J. 2004. Rites of Passage at $100,000 to $1 Million+. New York: Viceroy Press.
- Stafford, D. and Moritza, D. 2004. Pp. 219-236 in 1000 Best Job Hunting Secrets. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Know more about UniqueSubmission’s other writing services:
