Ongoing Improvement of Professional Identity & Practice
Introduction
Every industry expects all those that work within it to continue learning about their field. The worldwide business landscape doesn’t remain static. The marketplace, employees being led, and customers being interacted with are continually evolving – and so does professional development programmes.
At a time when employment opportunities and career progression are getting increasingly competitive, ensuring that both academic and practical qualifications do not become outdated or obsolete is critical.
This unit is designed to place students in a position of advantage to enable them to benefit from employment opportunities, or career progression, that arise within the sector. Through the process of self-assessment of skills and competencies, personal career planning, and the application of different learning and development approaches within a work environment, students are purposely able to prepare ahead of time. Students are not necessarily expected to engage in work activities; however, self- assessment and design must be applied within a specific work context to avoid it being generic.
Furthermore, students will be directed on how to prepare for job applications and interviews in a formalised manner, to improve career prospects.
Students are expected to undertake a practical interview arranged and guided by the tutor or relevant employer.
This assignment aims to measure the outcome of students’ learning in terms of knowledge acquired, understanding developed, and skills or abilities gained about achieving the learning outcomes. This assignment will measure the following learners’ outcome levels.
LO1: Explore the importance of ongoing professional development and self-directed learning to enhance professional identity and career opportunities.
LO2: Assess your skills, competencies, and the different learning and development approach.
LO3: Design a professional development plan, within a specific work context.
LO4: Demonstrate a range of service industry and transferable skills for a job application
Unit Learning Outcomes
LO1: Explore the importance of ongoing professional development and self-directed learning to enhance professional identity and career opportunities
LO2: Assess own skills, competencies, and the different learning and development approaches
Scenario and Activity:
A lasting impression was made on you at the second annual Workforce and Skills event – run by UK Hospitality, a trade body that markets itself as the “voice” of the hospitality industry. The key take-away for you is that professional development is intrinsic to career advancement and building self-efficacy. During a networking session at the event, you connect with Sandra Kelly who is a skills director at UK Hospitality. She offers to mentor you through the process of professional development and skills enhancement.
To proceed with your development, and understand the scope of what is involved, Sandra has asked you to outline the importance and benefits of undertaking ongoing development in an organisation of your choice – it can be your place of work if appropriate. This will also involve investigating what skills and competencies employers want from specific roles in the hospitality industry.
You are to complete a case study report that should include the following:
- An introduction to and overview of the organisation.
- An evaluation of the benefits and importance of undertaking ongoing professional and personal development and how it can enhance career prospects.
- An investigation into the skills and competencies expected by the employer for specific roles in your chosen organisation.
- A critical evaluation of your abilities, skills, and competencies for one of the job roles in the organisation, using at least two self-evaluation models to undertake an audit of your hard and soft skills.
- A review of the range of different learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional development.
- Consideration of the best development approaches to enhance your own professional and personal development.
- Evaluation of the importance of ongoing professional development and the associated professional skills requirements within a specific organisational context.
- Evaluation of own skills and competencies and the most appropriate developmental approach to develop personal and professional skills for a specific job role.
- Critical evaluation of own skills and competencies to meet the employer’s expectation of professional skills required for employment within a specific job role.
Unit Learning Outcome
LO3: Design a professional development plan within a specific work context
Scenario and Activity:
After the successful completion of your report, you have been asked to design a professional development plan within your chosen work context.
In your development plan, you should:
- Construct a development plan to enhance your chosen skills and competencies within a specific work context.
- Provide a detailed development plan that applies underpinning learning and development theory in a specific work context.
- Produce a comprehensive development plan that sets out clear and achievable targets, strategies, and outcomes of learning and training within a specific work context.
LO4 Demonstrate a range of service industry and transferable skills for a job application (interview and self-reflection)
This part of the assignment will be based on Individual Role Play and Reflection.
Interview transcript and self-reflection (MS Word format) should be included.
Scenario and Activity:
Finally, after the successful completion of your report and professional development plan, the Sandra now wants you to plan, prepare and undertake a job interview for a suitable service industry role.
In your Role Play, you must:
- Prepare to undertake a job interview for a specific suitable service industry role. Please include a transcript (questions and answers for your chosen job role.)
- Review the key strengths and weaknesses of an applied interview process.
- Evaluate a job interview process and the obstacles and challenges to overcome.
- Produce a detailed and coherent critical reflection of an interview process and your abilities during this process.
A sample job list is provided below for you to choose from.
Job List
- Hospitality Manager
- Events Centre Manager
- Hospitality Floor Manager
- Hotel Supervisor
- Food and Beverage Manager
- Restaurants & Hospitality Lifestyle Manager
- Bar Manager
- General Manager
- Pub and Grill Manager
10. Canteen Manager
Operations Manager or any other suitable industry role
