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Introduction of Career Development Plan Assignment
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This written document will reflect and evaluate my career development plan. The main objective of this assessment is to analyse and understand the field that I want to work in the future. As an admirer of communicating with the public I appreciate working in the tourism and hospitality industry as a receptionist. As a receptionist I have gained much experience in the realm by dealing with a lot of clients and by working in very competent organisations in the hospitality and tourism industry. From the very beginning my career graph has been rising constantly as I have the capability to handle and communicate with clients in the most satisfactory manner. However there are certain points that still need to be improved and this is the only reason this career development plan is being structured as one needs to know their aspects that need to be developed besides knowing the strong features.
To develop every aspect of being a successful receptionist one should always be aware of the major transferable skills that one can attain from being in the field professionally. But, why are transferable skills so important? When looking for a new job, versatility is the name of the game. Employers are looking for 'all-rounders,' or individuals who can do a variety of tasks and fill diverse roles as required (Segovia-Pérez et al., 2019). We acquire transferable talents as a result of the tasks we perform on a daily basis. What transferable qualities we possess and can offer to a work will be determined by the sum of these accomplishments. Everybody has a diverse level of expertise; the key to guaranteeing that this helps us find work is understanding who to sell those abilities to. While hiring someone, recruiters want to know that they have relevant training and expertise (Kim et al., 2015). Transferable skills are a method for us to demonstrate that we can accomplish the position even if we don't meet the job requirements perfectly. As a result, the more applicable abilities we possess, the more inclined we are to be hired. Our ability to be a value to a firm might be shown through the transferable skills.
When it comes to work, being flexible to new responsibilities and difficulties is a good thing. We exist in a society where everything surrounding us is different, and staying in a job where our responsibilities are the same is no longer the ordinary (Shrestha, 2016). Our job path will most probably take us in unexpected areas. Is it critical to keep current and relevant? Above all, we must be willing to learn and develop as employees. This entails seizing chances when they present themselves. We rarely know where our careers will lead us if we are open to new possibilities and self improvement at work. Keeping an open mind is important and not dismissing anything is to be kept in mind before giving it a shot (Qiu et al., 2015). The following sections will be explaining the aspects that would help in my career development plan.
Mental Wealth within My Own Abilities
A potent blend of positive mindset, mental resilience, as well as abundant way of thinking is mental wealth. One may start establishing a firm foundation of mental riches with persistent activity, understanding, and attention. Since our life, and the lives of those who rely on one's intentional acts and fearless management, depends on it, it's critical to learn skills that keep it growing steadily (Kong et al., 2015).
Active Listening: Listening is undoubtedly among the most crucial abilities for developing psychological wealth since it provides a strong foundation from which to build. Cultivating vivid perception of our present environment is inextricably linked to improving skills in proactive and vibrant listening. Our exterior and internal environments should ideally cooperate so that the backdrop of rational conversations, that is, what we are considering and expressing, is in accordance. Since our internal and outside voices are at odds, conversational rhythm is frequently disrupted (Morozov and Morozova, 2020, January). As a well established receptionist I have quite acquired the skill of listening to individuals quite efficiently. I believe building a strong bond with the clients is one of the major ways that can upheave the reputation of the entire organisation. So for me active listening comes at the very top of my mental wealth within my own abilities.
Being constantly creative: Consistently practising creativity moves our thoughts and attitudes away from consumption and toward creation. The advantages of acquiring this useful skill in helping to generate mental wealth are important for two reasons: first, a continually creative mentality adds value since, rather than diminishing worth by utilising it, we are producing it for others to use (Goryushkina et al., 2019). Secondly, creativity helps people cope with stress, worry, and despair. Persistence is more crucial than intermittent creativity since with a systematic strategy, we will obtain honed talents in any selected unique activity over a period. Intentional productivity is both clever and pleasant; one is more likely to resume delightful routines if they're entertaining (McPhail et al., 2015). I am quite capable of approaching the visitors in a very unique and fun way that includes being funny and sarcastic at the same time. This has actually raised my reputation as a receptionist in my past work places as the clients used to get a very friendly environment along with a dash of laughter. I can automatically set the visitors mood on a high and positive level with my creative attitude towards them and that automatically puts a good impression of the institute on them.
My Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are abilities that can be used to a wide range of vocations and businesses. When looking for a new employment, transferable skill sets can help individuals establish their previous expertise, particularly if it's in a specialized area. To be a receptionist is an entirely different world (Nikolskaya et al., 2017). One must not only be well groomed and have a friendly outlook, but one must also be courteous, knowledgeable, as well as have a kind demeanor. It is among the most difficult job positions in the industry. We, the receptionists, reflect the values of the firm we work for because we are the first line of interaction for any organization. The success of any business is largely determined by how we greet our clients. One must have extensive understanding of their industry as well as a pleasant demeanor to be considered for this position (Okolie et al., 2020). Here are the transferable skills that I have developed over the years working as an efficient receptionist in some reputed organisations.
Adaptability: When teams, initiatives, administration, or products shift, adaptability abilities are utilised to keep working towards targets. Businesses need employees that are adaptable and can rapidly pick up new expertise and processes in order to do work swiftly, effectively, as well as with a good attitude. One will be a competent job applicant as well as a successful overall expert if one can adjust to shifting environments and work methods (Kichuk et al., 2019). Adaptability abilities made me open to learning new things, taking on new tasks, and making modifications to accommodate professional operations. Furthermore, improving the flexibility helped me improve other subtle abilities such as interaction as well as interpersonal abilities.
Communication: Communication skills are useful both at business and at home. In every career, being able to accurately convey instructions, ideas, and concepts can help us succeed. Anyone can improve their interaction abilities with practice. Active listening is one of the most important abilities in communicating effectively that I have excelled in and already mentioned above (R MUHAMMAD, 2016). I am quite proficient in building and maintaining relationships, solving problems, improving operations, as well as remembering data like rules, protocols, as well as objectives that one needs to be good at as a qualified receptionist. The ability to focus totally on a speaker, absorb their word, grasp the data, and answer sensibly is what I do to build up stronger relationships with clients. People are more willing to trust in me if they sense they can talk openly to me without disruptions, judgement, or unwanted retorts. This is particularly useful when encountering a new consumer or business associate with whom I can hope to establish a long-term working connection (McPhail et al., 2015).
Creativity: The capability to comprehend about a project or an issue in a new or unusual way, or the capacity to use one's intellect to come up with fresh ideas, is referred to as creativity. One can use creativity to fix complicated issues or come up with novel approaches to tasks. When one is being creative, they see everything from a different standpoint. To locate possibilities, one might look for trends and develop connections (Morozov and Morozova, 2020, January). There are several levels on which I have attained a significant level of creativity in the field of reception. As I have already mentioned above, being creative is one of my skills in this realm. Being creative has helped me build up good relations with visitors. Asking questions, making observations and complimenting clients, and networking (for instance, trying to join the clients in an open party) are quite good parts of being creative (Morozov and Morozova, 2020, January).
The Other Skills Required for Me to Build Upon
Being Calm: Visitors to various organisations may be dissatisfied for a variety of factors. Hospital guests, for instance, are frequently anxious, while hotel guests are frequently exhausted. We must listen to these consumers in order to put them at ease. Professionals must be patient and compassionate, plus they must not dismiss the consumers' difficulties. They must recognise that the guest may not be in a good mood and may exhibit uncomfortable or negative feelings. While addressing the problem, we must be empathising with the customer's circumstance and comprehend their actions (Morozov and Morozova, 2020, January).
Being Tech Savvy: Front desk employees must use a variety of technological tools in addition to basic data entry abilities and email checking. Every business is increasingly digital, and as a result, they rely on industry-specific software. As a result, employing technology is an important extra front desk operator ability (Goryushkina et al., 2019).
Problem Solving: As a receptionist, our job is to figure out what's causing a client's displeasure and provide a remedy. Instead of emphasizing on the customer's bad sensation, we should concentrate on the issue (Qiu et al., 2015).
Recommendations and Conclusion
I, as a receptionist, am quite competent in various fields but at the very same time, I am a little weak in a few fields like multitasking and working under excess pressure. Operators at the front desk must wear a variety of headgear. At the same time, they must manage several jobs and guests. We would have to take a phone call when looking for crucial data on the computer. However, I actually start panicking when I get to do more than one task at a time. It might be a good idea to list the tasks in an order that would help me to complete them one by one rhythmically. Due to a heavy schedule or multitasking, I frequently work under duress as a receptionist. Nonetheless, I must make an attempt to remain cool and concentrate on every assignment separately. What I realised is I need work on my confidence level. I have realised that making mistakes is okay. Mistakes can be the staircase to climb up towards being more proficient even in the field I am weak in. Support in the workplace can be a great way to boost confidence in the workplace. I must look for encouraging colleagues and supervisors who will encourage me, who can cheer me up whenever I'm sad, as well as who can assist me thrive in my job as well as at the workplace. Being more confident in work will surely help me work on the aspects in which I am not so strong. We are the ones who give the company a face, the ones who determine how a guest feels regarding the place right away. Receptionist positions are generally high-pressure professions, but they are also very gratifying because we receive good pay and the opportunity to contact people, which is a fantastic way to enhance a company's brand. We are at the core of a company, maintaining everything to run smoothly. Therefore, I will always choose to be a receptionist and keep on learning different approaches to be even better in this position.
References
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Kichuk, A., Brown, L. and Ladkin, A., 2019. Talent pool exclusion: the hotel employee perspective. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Kim, S.S., Im, J. and Hwang, J., 2015. The effects of mentoring on role stress, job attitude, and turnover intention in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 48, pp.68-82.
Kong, H., Wang, S. and Fu, X., 2015. Meeting career expectation: can it enhance job satisfaction of Generation Y?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
McPhail, R., Patiar, A., Herington, C., Creed, P. and Davidson, M., 2015. Development and initial validation of a hospitality employees’ job satisfaction index: Evidence from Australia. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Morozov, M. and Morozova, N., 2020, January. Innovative staff training strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry. In 5th International Conference on Economics, Management, Law and Education (EMLE 2019) (pp. 393-396). Atlantis Press.
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