“Personal Development Plan is a list of educational needs, development goals and actions and processes, compiled by learners and used in systematic management and periodic reviews of learning. It is an integral part of reflective practice and self-directed learning for professionals. ” Wojtczak, A. (2002) The primary purpose of this assignment is to develop a personal development plan, while simultaneously appraise of my career so far and as well as to clarify my future plans. My ultimate goals are to be become a qualified Business Analyst and Project Manager within two years.
I intend to self fund the courses relating to the listed professions and this would cost me in the region of two thousand pounds. Also, I intend to join two societies with the purpose of enhancing my interpersonal, networking and specialist knowledge skills. Over the last decade I have worked both in the retail and public sectors, while studying initially for my A’ levels at Kingsway College and later I studied at London South Bank University for a degree course in Business Information Technology.
When I finally graduated eight years ago I initially worked with Westminster City Council for a few months, before I secured a housing officer role with my present employer Waltham Forest Council. “Life is either a grand adventure or nothing. ” Helen Keller Goals / Objectives To enhance my networking / interpersonal Skills, in order facilitate my effectiveness in the new career. To attain Business Analysis and PM certifications, in order to pursue the new IT career. To be self employed or setup a BA/PM consultancy firm with partners in the longer term. Career History
During the last seven year I have worked in various roles within the local housing department, such as a review ; registration officer, admissions officer and overcrowding officer which I am acting in at the moment. I began my housing career as a review ; registration officer basically inputting and assessing applicant’s information to determine their level of priority in accordance with the borough allocation policy. As an admissions officer, I primarily prepare tenancy agreements for applicants moving into either permanent or emergency accommodation.
Working presently as the overcrowding officer, I am entrusted to visit and verify severity of household overcrowding. And also to encourage tenants to make use of the alternative schemes available to them. Learning Approach “Learning is ‘the central issue for the 21st Century’, asserts Honey (1998), changes are bigger and are happening faster, and learning is the way to keep ahead. Continuous learning is crucial to sustaining individuals’ career in this era of job insecurity and also it is the ultimate life skill”. Beardwell, I.
(2004) I am of the cognitive /abstract conceptualisation type according to Kolb’s theory, I usually find myself visualising real world scenarios in my thinking, wanting to ascribe meaning to problems and ultimately trying to solve them whilst gaining insight. As a “converger”, I am more incline to practical and specific learning. Beardwell, I. (2004) According to Honey & Mumford (2009) learning styles, I am a theorist learning creature. I tended to like working with facts, I am known to relatives as being too opinionated.
I regularly ask people around me about there assumptions on any topic. I always get into debates on issues which are of interest to me, thus making friends see the error in their argument. I regularly get told I am too logical, and on many occasions I have ended up in one man band situations. I generally like to gather variety information about any given subject, in order for me to have good knowledge of what I intend to talk about. I would quite often demand for clarity, quite often I come across as stubborn toward colleagues at work.
I see things as how they work in practise in the real world. As a reflector, most of my learning comes through examining facts to the point of exhaustion, in order to carryout tasks. I generally want to do thorough job, thus looking at alternatives without being a perfectionist. To some extent, I am a Pragmatist by nature, because what works matters to me a great deal. At times friends say I am too pessimistic, which to me means being a critical realist and doing little on frivolity.
