Professional Development
Introduction
This report is based on me and has supported me to evaluate myself from various perspectives. In this study, information related to self-introduction and mega trends challenges is included. Furthermore, professional goals are highlighted which has supported me to analyse the final position where I want to be. After that ethics and professional values are discussed while focusing on competency assessment. Additionally, this study also discusses the strengths and weaknesses while focusing on the skills and the mega environment.
Section 1: Self-Introduction
My educational background is in mechanical engineering (M.E). My goal is to achieve a sound position in a multinational firm and to work enthusiastically as a leader to motivate the employees to achieve organizational goals. In the upcoming 5 years, I will be in a multinational automobile firm as a Senior Mechanical Engineer. I prefer to see myself in a senior position where I will be a part of the great success of the organization while managing a team under me. I want to give my best in the next 5 years which will enable me to get a respectable position in the firm. However, I do not have any prior experience in this field but I am a quick learner and I have a capability of utilising my knowledge and skills in an effective manner which will remain supportive for me to work in the near future. My skills make me suitable for the Senior Mechanical Engineer role as I have decision making, self-confidence, teamwork, planning and analytical skills. I am confident personality and I have trust on myself that in the upcoming five years from now I will become able to uplift my firm and myself. I am focused on enhancing my knowledge and applying my skills to increase the productivity of the firm in today as well as future perspective.
Section 2: Mega Trends and Challenges
The automobile industry involves designing, developing, and manufacturing, marketing, and selling automobiles (Bhattacharya, Guner, & Ventura, 2013). It is seen that in the last decade, this industry has shown fast pace growth and has shown huge participation towards the world economic growth. Due to this reason, job opportunities have also increased in this sector. The major drivers of the mechanical engineer position are that at present there is increasing demand of latest features in the automobile (Mujtaba, 2013). Moreover, this position requires motivation and creativity which supports eliminating the chances of monotonous work. Designing new products or modifying the existing ones supports create competitive advantage and enables to increase the level of customer satisfaction. Due to this, the demand for mechanical engineers is increasing in the automobile industry.
| MACRO – ELEMENT | DESCRIPTION | Reference |
| Political | Tax rate, minimum wages, maximum working hours, exchange rate, increasing pollution, | Hoffman, et al. (2014) |
| Economic | Economy crisis, the purchasing power of the target consumers | Varela, Burke, & Michel (2013) |
| Social | Changing consumer needs, change in market trend | Mujtaba (2013) |
| Technology | Innovation, demand of latest technology | Capriglione, & Casalino (2014) |
| Demographic | Culture, income, age group | Varela, Burke, & Michel (2013) |
| Natural | Eco-friendly practices, green production | Mujtaba (2013) |
Government policies change from time to time in the context of the tax rate, minimum wages, maximum working hours, exchange rate, etc. Moreover, there is government rules and regulations to control the pollution level by approving fuel-efficient automobiles (Beenen, & Pichler, 2016). Additionally, currently, the automobile industry is facing the challenge of economic crisis. It has decreased the purchasing power of the target consumers and has adversely impacted the sale of luxury cars. In like manner, due to the increasing trend of globalization, the social issue is increasing due to differences in consumer needs and market trends. This challenge has taken place because there is huge difference between the value, culture, beliefs, trends, perception, etc. of one country to other. Additionally, consumers demand is increasing in the context of quality, innovation and technology which is also increasing the situation of challenge (Bunăiașu, Vlăduțescu, & Strungă, 2014).
In the context of the demographic segment, the firm is facing the issue of different cultures, gender, income, age group and many other challenges. Moreover, Beenen, & Pichler (2016) stated that due to the increase in the concern of government as well as consumers towards environment perspective, the demand for eco-friendly practices have increased and consumers are focusing on green production.
Varela, Burke, & Michel (2013) identified that in the recent years, the major challenge faced by automobile industry is increasing is technology issue as complexity and risk in the industry is increasing due to high demand of innovation and latest technology. To achieve the market need, the firm needs to focus on advanced technology and innovation which increases the company cost and creates the situation of risk. It has increased the level of competition which has created a situation of a challenge for the firm.
So, in this context, I would like to enter in the innovation field as it will support the firm to offer latest technology in the market while focusing towards contemporary market need. For this perspective, I will give concern towards proper market research and after that as a mechanical engineer I will focus to employ creativity and innovation in the latest design. This mega trend will offer me the opportunities to develop my career in an effective manner while focusing on various challenges. However, I will increase concern towards technological advancement as it will remain assistive for me to design an effective model to satisfy the contemporary market need.
Section 3: Goals
My professional goals are based on the SMART approach and I have designed them while focusing on short, middle and long term parameters. My professional goals are as follow:
- To improve my decision making, problem-solving and inter-personal skills while working in a team (Short term goal)
- To increase my productive and innovative skills which will remain supportive to create competitive advantage (Short term goal)
- To get global exposure as well as cross-functional experiences to increase the proficiency in the job responsibilities (Middle term goals)
- To create a unique and reputable image in the firm, so that I become able to use my skills and experience for helping my team to perform better while increasing the growth opportunity for the firm (Long term goals)
- To work as a researcher for the development of different
technologies that will remain supportive to the firm and the employees to get exposure to different aspects from the knowledge and experience I have from the real-life experience (Long term goals – final position)
Section 4: Ethics and Professional Values
Ethics can be defined as moral principles which assist to govern the behaviour of an individual on the basis of a code of conduct (Hernández, Campos, & González, 2015). In this context, Adeyemo, Longe, & Alakoso (2014) identified that engineering is a field which is experimentation based and works for the welfare of mankind. However, there are various consequences that can be seen as it is analysed that ethical dilemmas create difficulty to take engineering decisions. In this concern, Varela, Burke, & Michel (2013) determined that giving concern towards risk and safety parameters is the prime responsibility of engineer. Moreover, at present technological advancement is highly at demand but it is necessary for the engineer that the technology advancement should not harm the society under ethical concern _. In this perspective, my belief is that there is a need for increased concern towards moral values and responsibility while taking engineering-related decisions. Moreover, there is a need of focusing on right and wrong, good and evil, obligations & rights and social & political parameters.
I have formed my ethics and professional values from the bookish study, teachers and society. My ethical parameters are that I will show responsiveness to confront the moral issues which will rise by technological activity. I will recognize and resolve the moral dilemma to achieve moral autonomy. I will give concern towards my team also and focus that them follow the ethical parameters.
Section 5: Competency Assessment
Tabular Representation:
| SKILLS | RANK | |||||||
| 1 | Analytical skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | Creative thinking skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 3 | Critical thinking skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Decision-making skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | Interpersonal skills(talking, listening, networking etc) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 6 | Organising skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 7 | Planning skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | Problem-Solving skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 9 | Self-confidence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 10 | Teamwork | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 11 | Technology (IT – computers) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 12 | Time Management skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 13 | Verbal communication skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 14 | Written communication skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Above are the table of the skills evaluation and in this, there are different skills that are discussed and in this, my performance and the ranking is also evaluated. On the basis of these ranking in skills, my strength and weakness are also presented.
Bar Graph Representation:
In the context of required skills in the advertisement, it is analysed that I am lacking in some skills. In the context of technology, teamwork and problem solving, I score7, which reflects I am good in this parameter. However, in the context of decision making skills, interpersonal skills and organising skills, I score 3 which reflect that there is major need to work on these parameters.
Top 5 skills, which are needed to get recruited as a successful mechanical engineer according to the advertisement of Toyota and Nissan Motors which are attached in the (appendices).
| Sr. No. | SKILLS | Definition | Reference |
|
1 |
Communication Skills | Communication skills can be defined as the ability to convey information to others in an effective and efficient manner. Mechanical engineers should have good verbal and written communication skills so that they can share information with the team members in an effective manner. | Kor, & Mesko (2013) |
|
2 |
Organising Skills | Organising skills include general organizing, planning, scheduling, time management, meeting deadlines, coordinating resources, etc. So, it is essential parameters that should be in the mechanical engineer. | Claussen, et al. (2014) |
|
3 |
Decision-Making Skills | Decision making supports taking effective decisions from various perspectives at the workplace. It is a major skill that is necessary to be an effective leader. It supports take good decisions with available information and resources. | Alphonse (2016) |
|
4 |
Interpersonal Skills | Interpersonal skills enable the individual to interact with each other in an effective manner. This skill can be defined as an employee’s ability to get along with others. Due to this reason, good interpersonal skills are a prerequisite for a mechanical engineering position within the organization. | Arasti, Fakhrisadat, & Narges (2014) |
|
5 |
Technical Skills | Technical skills can be defined as the abilities and knowledge which are needed to perform specific tasks. It is based on practical, mechanical, IT, mathematical and scientific tasks. So, it is essential to have mechanical technical skills in the mechanical engineer. | Helfat, & Peteraf (2015) |
Bar Graph Representation
In the context of required skills in the advertisement, it is analysed that I am lacking in some skills. In the context of technology, I score7, which reflects I am good in this parameter and have lots of knowledge in the technology and all things related to the technology that makes me good in this skill. However, in the context of communication skills, I scored 6. It represents that I am doing well in this but I have lots of chances or the possibilities to increase these skills such as communication and interpersonal skills for better performance. At the same time, in the perspective of decision making, interpersonal and organizing skills I scored 3 which means there is a lacking in this skill and I have to work hard on these skills to make it much better and to increase this parameter. So, as a result of this, it can be determined that there is a major need for me to work on these parameters for making me suitable for the job position. The reason for this is that in order to get success in the business and to have a great and bright future, there is a need of focusing on multiple skills. In like manner, communication skills also need to be polished because it will support to increase good relationships within the organization as well as support to communicate the information adequately. Working on improving this skill will improve my proficiency and support me to handle the situation adequately.
5.1 Improvements
| Skills | Deficiencies Why | Solution |
| Decision making | I have majorly theoretical knowledge so while dealing in the professional environment.
Moreover, till now, I have not got many opportunities to take decisions. So, I think I will face the issue of decision making as professional decision making is quite different from casual decision making.
|
For this purpose, there is a need of increasing the concern towards online sites while increasing the use of social websites (Arasti, Fakhrisadat, & Narges, 2014). Moreover, narrowing the options will also remain assistive to focus in a particular arena. It supports to increase the concern to make effective decisions. |
| Organizing skills | I have seen that I am not so good at organizing. In my college life also I faced the issue of organising things in an effective manner.
I have fewer scheduling skills. |
Utilizing the strategy of team management will remain supportive to increase the organizing skills as it will enable to set goals and targets towards the achievement of those goals (Thaler, & Levin-Keitel, 2016). Moreover, it will enable to make effective scheduling towards the achievement of the goals. |
| Interpersonal Skills | I am less concerned about soft skills which plays a major role in interpersonal skills.
|
To improve my interpersonal skills, I need to join the training classes as it will support me to improve my interpersonal skills and will support me to interact with my superiors, colleagues as well as juniors in an effective manner ( Alphonse, 2016). Moreover, I can also take the assistance of my professional relatives and friends by increasing communication with them. |
Section 6: Strength and Weakness Analysis
| Strength | According to the analysis, it can be stated that my major strengths are technology skills, teamwork and problem-solving skills. These strengths will remain supportive for me to handle the situation in an adequate manner and will enable me to perform the given task efficiently.
|
| Weakness | Decision making, organizing and interpersonal skills are my major weakness on which I need to work. Working on these parameters will enable me to improve my proficiency and make me more eligible to get hired by a multinational automobile firm. |
Conclusion
The above study remained highly assistive to analyse the skills required as a mechanical engineer and the skills I have. It has supported me to evaluate the skills and allowed me to analyse the areas where I need to work. This self-evaluation will remain highly assistive for me to identify my goals and has supported me to get an understanding regarding the areas where I need to work to develop my career as a mechanical engineer.
References
Adeyemo, A. A., Longe, M. P., & Alakoso, A. A. (2014). Value Addition to Human Managerial Skills in the Livestock Sector in Nigeria. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 4(11), 510.
Alphonse, N. (2016). Managerial Skills and Head Teachers Job Success in Selected Nine Years Basic Education Schools of Huye District-Rwanda. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 6(1), 491-511.
Arasti, Z., Fakhrisadat, N., & Narges, I. (2014). Explaining the role of managerial skills of entrepreneurship in business success. International Journal of Management Sciences, 4(1), 42-52.
Beenen, G., & Pichler, S. (2016). A discussion forum on managerial interpersonal skills. Journal of Management Development, 35(5), 706-716.
Bhattacharya, D., Guner, N., & Ventura, G. (2013). Distortions, endogenous managerial skills and productivity differences. Review of Economic Dynamics, 16(1), 11-25.
Bunăiașu, C. M., Vlăduțescu, Ș., & Strungă, A. C. (2014). Managerial competences in the field of university curriculum for virtual learning communities. Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 6(2), 17-27.
Capriglione, F., & Casalino, N. (2014). Improving corporate governance and managerial skills in banking organizations.
Claussen, J., Grohsjean, T., Luger, J., & Probst, G. (2014). Talent management and career development: What it takes to get promoted. Journal of World Business, 49(2), 236-244.
Flin, R., Martin, L., Goeters, K. M., Hörmann, H. J., Amalberti, R., Valot, C., & Nijhuis, H. (2017). Development of the NOTECHS (non-technical skills) system for assessing pilots’ CRM skills. Submitted to Human Factors and Aerospace Safety.
Helfat, C. E., & Peteraf, M. A. (2015). Managerial cognitive capabilities and the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 36(6), 831-850.
Hernández, J. G. V., Campos, P. C., & González, S. (2015). Jesús Rafael García (2015); Design of a proposal for improving the organizational culture based on managerial skills. The case of the Institute of Technology Lazaro Cardenas. Journal of Social Sciences (COES&RJ-JSS), 4(3), 886-885.
Hoffman, R. C., Shipper, F. M., Davy, J. A., & Rotondo, D. M. (2014). A cross-cultural study of managerial skills and effectiveness: New insights or back to basics?. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 22(3), 372-398.
Kor, Y. Y., & Mesko, A. (2013). Dynamic managerial capabilities: Configuration and orchestration of top executives’ capabilities and the firm’s dominant logic. Strategic Management Journal, 34(2), 233-244.
Mujtaba, B. G. (2013). Managerial skills and practices for global leadership. ILEAD Academy.
Thaler, T., & Levin-Keitel, M. (2016). Multi-level stakeholder engagement in flood risk management—A question of roles and power: Lessons from England. Environmental Science & Policy, 55, 292-301.
Varela, O., Burke, M., & Michel, N. (2013). The development of managerial skills in MBA programs: A reconsideration of learning goals and assessment procedures. Journal of Management Development, 32(4), 435-452.
Appendices
Appendix 1:
Appendix 2:
