Professional Development Plan

Professional Development Plan

Professional Development Plan

Part 1

I am interested and currently pursuing a major in sales and marketing. I hope to use the knowledge and skills acquired to promote and sell products and services, including advertising and marketing research. I also plan to specialize in this marketing degree to a career pathway that excites me more: market research analysis. A career in marketing requires technical, interpersonal, and decision-making skills to pursue (Wellman, 2010). The technical skills I possess which allow me to pursue my profession include my creativity and ability to provide a good user experience through user experience designing. In addition, I possess good funnel management skills, email automation, marketing, and split testing skills, ensuring effective sales and marketing. I also prefer hands-on work and moving around and working towards the physical aspect, which is key in this profession.

I possess key interpersonal skills. First, I am a good and very strong communicator who can pass messages or information to people. I can equally create effective communication for customers or clients. Communication in marketing helps move ideas, services, and products between the manufacturers and their clients and maintains or builds relationships between an organization’s stakeholders. Other interpersonal skills I possess that are necessary for pursuing my career in marketing include analytical, time-management, decision-making, negotiation, writing, and stress management skills. I am confident, interact well with people, and can easily convince others. These skills provide a foundation for building important stakeholder relationships and achieving effective and efficient goals within the specified duration (Powers, Jennings, and Thomas, 2014).

However, the external factors limiting me in this profession are related to geographical factors. I have grown up and mostly been around small towns, making me want to work in a neighborhood rather than a city or town environment. I feel like the city or town life is too fast-paced, and although, as a young professional, it would keep me moving with the flow, I am afraid of starting over. However, I want to work for a big organization such as Google or Microsoft, which are majorly in the big towns or cities. Working in such big companies may force me to move to the city for a long time. Internal factors that may limit me are mostly related to my personality. Although I can easily communicate, I may not communicate most appropriately in times of tension or conflict. I am easily angered and may overreact in some situations, especially if a situation is not my fault. This does not mean that I am violent; rather, I may forget to listen to the other party, be defensive, and be quick to psychoanalyze. My conflict resolution skills are also poor. I am avoidant when conflict arises because I may be unable to control my behavior and emotions. Hence, I prefer not to address conflict or work alone rather than in teams. I know that this is a limiting factor, especially because my job description requires me to work with people so often.

The feeling of acceptability from the firm where I work and everyone getting along and working together would be most important to me at work. When people don’t get along, it creates a problem and sends negative energy into the workplace, which is never good. Another crucial component of employment is the leader’s function in the workplace; I want to have a bond with my boss or, if I am the boss, have a bond with the employees. When I have a tight relationship with management or the person in charge, I can work more comfortably and ask questions where necessary.

There will always be unique things at work that need my attention or those which I consider guiding principles. For instance, I want to work where I am respected and well-appreciated. This includes me working within my job description, for hours I am supposed to work, or if I work extra hours, I would want to be paid for that. I also expect my pay level to be determined by the value I add to the organization where I work, meaning I do not expect to be underpaid. In addition, I would like to have the opportunity to be promoted and receive pay raises. I would not expect to work for an organization in the same position for up to 10 years; I want the opportunity to advance and make more money while learning more and being recognized for my efforts. It makes me feel good about myself and valued by others to know that they are looking at my results. For me, having a job that provides health insurance would be beneficial.

Part 2

Short-Term Goals

My first short-term goal is to receive my internship. As I look forward to graduating, I am planning for my internship as I explore my different options. I want to receive an internship with a company where I will be able to apply my marketing knowledge but at the same time acquire new knowledge and skills. I have been talking to one of my mentors, who is helping me prepare for the coming internship. My advisor and I are looking at different options available from which I will choose a temporary internship for the upcoming Summer to help me learn more and prepare in the area I am seeking a career. This internship will allow me to understand what my career is and what it involves. Taking this short and early internship is a good idea as it will help me understand my struggles and how to improve the weak areas in my career.

My other short-term goal is to review and research the market for market research analyst jobs. The internship would be a move in the correct direction for my career. This will allow me to see various companies that might be relevant to my internship. I intend to study several firms and their departments to see if I can find any information, evaluations, and reviews. This process will go on for a while before I find a good career, but knowing about these companies and getting ideas from them will be extremely beneficial after I graduate. I intend to keep looking until I graduate from college.

Lastly, I am also working and hoping to maintain a 3.56 GPA until I graduate. I’ve always been great at prioritizing my homework and tasks. Maintaining this work ethic will assist me in achieving my GPA goal and possibly even exceeding it. My GPA is currently higher than my target, but I am aware that the next courses will be more difficult as they progress, and I become more focused on the job path of my choice. I will only keep this GPA by constantly completing all of my class work and studying diligently for all quizzes and tests provided. This can be accomplished by avoiding procrastination and avoiding distractions when it comes to school work.

Long-Term Goals

After graduation, one of my long-term ambitions is to work successfully in my selected sector of interest; market research. It’s impossible to determine where I will be working, but reducing my career options to market analysis for any firm will help me figure out the best fit for me. My strategy is to know I will be working in a field I enjoy, but I want to advance in the company within one or two years. Also, I have wanted to buy a house in my hometown since the beginning of my career. Therefore, I am thinking of getting started as soon as I finish school to pay off the house over time. It would be wonderful to return to my childhood hometown and live happily in my own home, eventually. Lastly, having a boyfriend who makes me continuously ponder my future and how things might turn out is also in my plans. By 2026, if all goes according to plan and job struggles are not as difficult as I imagine, I intend to get married. I equally plan to start saving for my retirement as soon as I start earning a good amount of money.

References

Powers, T. L., Jennings, J. A. C., & DeCarlo, T. E. (2014). An assessment of needed sales management skills. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 34(3), 206-222.

Wellman, N. (2010). The employability attributes required of new marketing graduates. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.