Free «Career Management Plan» Essay Paper

Career Action Plan

The following career action plan is developed for the application to the position of an advertising performance manager at Dealer.com five years after the graduation. It consists of the following steps:

1. The application to the position of a designer/content writer, specifically the one responsible for the development of advertising materials in the form of banners, Google AdWords, and social network advertisements. Such activity will allow to obtain the understanding of the paid media functioning, as well as the proficiency in terms of their use, which is among the primary requirements to the applicant (“Manager, advertising performance,” 2016). Moreover, it will provide approximately five years of the relevant working experience, ensuring the competitive advantage over the majority of candidates to the managerial position at Dealer.com.

2. Undergoing training to increase the proficiency in the use of Internet applications and protocols, which is imperative for the manager (“Manager, advertising performance,” 2016). It will be performed during the job to ensure the maximum effective working day. As a result, it will be possible to develop the skills of time management, namely the planning of the affairs (the compilation of lists and prioritization of tasks). The achievement of any result is a process that always has its own features and characteristics. It is important to understand that not all actions are efficient, and develop the ability to see the prospects and calculate the future actions. Moreover, it will be possible to become acquainted with the methods of prioritization, as well as the most effective techniques of drawing up plans and lists (Limoncelli, 2006). In addition, such practice will allow learning a few important principles of saving time, improving results, and avoiding many of the problems that are inherent in people that have chosen the path of the competent time distribution.

3. Collaborating with the management of the current place of work in order to develop the organizational, analytical, and leadership skills that are required for the described position (“Manager, advertising performance,” 2016). In particular, such collaboration is important to receive the best experience. First of all, it will be possible to watch the behavior of the leaders that are experts in terms of one of the competencies listed. The results of such observation will be recorded on the daily basis and discussed with the management of the company or the employees of the personnel department to define the best way of their use as educational material. Further, it will be necessary to track the response of the colleagues to them, recording and discussing the results of observation. Finally, it is important to monitor the personal condition, thoughts, and actions during certain activities or at random intervals (Rothwell et al., 2015). In turn, it will be possible to use the obtained information to develop a unique managerial style (a combination of organizational, analytical, and leadership skills) that utilizes the best techniques used by the professionals.

4. The development of communication skills both in the formal and informal conversation. It should be noted that Dealer.com presents rather high requirements to the applicants in terms of their ability to communicate both with colleagues and the clientele (“Manager, advertising performance,” 2016). Thus, it will be necessary to create a personal program of training that will allow addressing most of the shortcomings in one’s linguistic expression. In particular, it will cover such aspects as the fundamentals of business rhetoric, the use of advertising techniques, and logical tricks in business communication, and the evaluation of the reliability of the reported information. As a result, it will be possible to understand the factors that help or hinder the process of efficient communication and learn to formulate and implement the right questions in order to clarify the received data, as well as develop the ability to adjust the interlocutor through the use of non-verbal means of communication. In other words, such training will allow not only communicating with the customers and colleagues at the high level of efficiency but also resolving internal and external conflicts (Newman, 2015). By taking into account that such skill is crucial for the manager, it is possible to say that its possession significantly increases the chances for successful employment in Dealer.com.

Responses to Selection Criteria

Written communication skills were developed in the course of part-time work on the position of web content writer at the online store specializing in computer hardware. The working activities involved the creation of the descriptions of various products, as well as the maintenance of the store’s blogs. The described tasks were performed remotely and involved the use of the analytical skills. In particular, in the process of descriptions writing, one had to conduct an analysis of the properties of the product and select the ones the buyers would consider the most useful. At the same time, blogging was based on the study of the interests of consumers and the creation of the content to match them. In turn, the said activities provided for the development of the ability to draft clear and concise documentation, since the description of a product must be easy to read and understand for the potential customers, as well as contain all the necessary data on the particular item. Moreover, it is possible to say that written communication has become a strong point, which can be supported by the fact that many followers of the blog have become the regular customers of the shop.

The work on the position of web content writer has also facilitated the development of organizational skills, as well as the initiative. In particular, before the beginning of the periods of an increased demand for the products (e.g. holidays, Black Fridays, clearance sales, etc.), the range of tasks involved the development and publication of advertising materials at the website of a shop. The given task was performed through the ranking of the events and particular products according to the degree of their importance for the organization (i.e. the potential profit they could bring). The results of ranking were used to determine the order of different tasks. Given the fact that the mentioned periods were relatively short, often occurring one after another, and the advertisement was presented in advance for the different types of goods, there was a need to comply with strict deadlines (Limoncelli, 2006). In the end, the consumer awareness of the special offers made by the store has been increased before the events, which contributed to sales growth. Moreover, organizational skills, especially those related to the area of time management, have been improved significantly, providing for the efficient prioritizing of goals and meeting deadlines.

The part-time work at the online store has also contributed to the development of personal communication skills. As it was mentioned before, the tasks of a web content writer involved the maintenance of a blog, which resulted in the contact with a wide array of users, such as the regular and potential customers. The process of communication with them was based on the principle of the individual approach, namely the identification of their needs and motives.  At the same time, the content (product descriptions and advertisements) had to be discussed with the managerial staff of the store. Naturally, there were conflicts regarding the deadlines and nature of the submissions. However, the use of cooperation strategy and the constructive discussion of the problems allowed resolving them effectively (Raines, 2012). In the end, it was possible to maintain a sustainable relationship both with the clientele of the shop and its managers. Moreover, the arguments mentioned above have provided an opportunity for the development of the communication skills, namely the ability to resolve verbal conflicts and the art of persuasion. In turn, such abilities can be used in any type of work that involves personal contacts with other people.

The ability to work in the team-based, collaborative environment was developed in the course of a volunteer work in the sphere of human services, namely on the position of a social worker dealing with the people suffering from learning disabilities and autism. The primary tasks included the overseeing of the patients’ adherence to the plan of treatment and rehabilitation that was created by the qualified specialists. At the same time, the nature of the job (i.e. the contacts with the persons that cannot socialize properly) dictates the need for the support from more experienced workers, i.e. mentors. Consequently, in the course of work, collaboration with them, as well as the other volunteers, was the governing principle. In particular, it involved the exchange of knowledge, as well as the combination of efforts in addressing the problems that cannot be solved singlehandedly. In the end, it was possible to improve one’s knowledge and learn the new ways of approaching a particular issue, as well as develop personal methods and techniques for solving specific problems (Mosser & Begun, 2014). Finally, the ability to work as the member of a team has been improved significantly, making it easier and faster to integrate into the collaborative environment.