Self Development and Responsibility

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FY027: Preparing for Success at
University: Self Development and
ResponsibilityMicroeconomics Assignment
1
Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Contribution of the mini-project workshops towards development of employability skills……3
A summary of the choices of the portfolio (Appendices 1 to 12)……………………………………….4
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Appendix 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
Appendix 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12
Appendix 3……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13
Appendix 4……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14
Appendix 5……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16
Appendix 6……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16
Appendix 7……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
Appendix 8……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
Appendix 9……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19
Appendix 10……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20
Appendix 11……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20
Appendix 12……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..22
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Introduction
The process of self-development is life-long. In this process, an individual takes the initiative
to assess one’s own skills, knowledge and abilities and take necessary steps to enhance them.
Self-development is necessary for personal as well as career-growth (Harappa.education.
2020). The individual gets a chance to be updated with the changes that are taking place. For
example, the people who depended on letters once upon a time, have learnt the process of
writing and sending e-mails. This report would contain the details of self-development and
the various aspects surrounding it. It would also contain a reflection on how the processes of
self-development has helped in career growth.
Contribution of the mini-project workshops towards development of employability
skills
The mini-project workshops that I have attended have been a great help for me. They have
helped me develop a good number of skills such as communication and presentation skills
(Doyle, 2020). I could also get a chance to enhance my skills in decision making and problem
solving as those workshops gave me a chance to face challenges where I had to take the
correct decision by analysing various aspects and consequences. The workshops have also
enhanced my knowledge on various topics that would help me shape my career as well as
enhancing personal growth. It has also helped me recognise a good number of skills that I
myself was unaware about. I got a chance to utilize those skills and develop more and more
knowledge on those skills. I have also got the required experience that I needed for similar
tasks. I can now perform any similar task in a better way and in a lesser period of time as I
am acquainted with the key aspects that I should consider while performing them.
The workshops have also given me a chance to know about the big organisations on which I
had conducted surveys and researches. I have got a chance to interact with the people
working there and convince them to provide necessary help in the research works. Earlier, I
felt a bit awkward while talking to people I did not know. This project has helped me remove
this obstacle as I got a practical experience of interacting with such people. I conducted their
interviews and surveys and appropriately prepared the necessary reports after proper analysis.
The workshops also allowed me to participate in several learning programmes. Those
programmes helped me learn many new aspects on my subject. They helped me enhance my
knowledge and skills to a great extent. They also will help me deliver a better performance if
I get the relevant opportunities in my field of career. I have come to know the concept of
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leadership. The workshops have given me a chance to do proper planning and ensure it is
implemented properly. I had a team working under me that I was entitled to guide and
support in order to ensure the work is being done in a proper way. In my job field, if I am
given a leadership role, this experience will help me deliver a great performance there which
would help me grow and excel in my field of career. Hence, all I can say is that these
workshops have indeed prepared me to resolve all the challenges in career growth and
develop my employability.
A summary of the choices of the portfolio (Appendices 1 to 12)
The portfolio contains all the details about myself and my professional career in the form of
twelve documents. The first documents shows a personal development plan where all the
skills I need to develop and enhance have been shown. It also shows the actions I would need
to perform in order to meet those goals, the people or things that would help me and the time
frame and expected date of getting the work completed. The next document contains the
details of my personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities of gain as well as the threats I
might have to face owing mostly to my weaknesses. The reading log shows the books I have
chosen to read in order to develop myself professionally. The details of the books have been
mentioned along with the number of pages read and the time required to read them. It would
help me in time management. The next document contains my daily routine with what I am
intended to do every hour of the day. It would help me do my work systematically. Apart
from this, a document contains the difference between an effective and ineffective
communication. Since communication skills are very important in any field of work, I need to
know what to keep in mind in order to ensure the communication is effective. The
communication should include active listening, proper tone of speech, proper body language,
etc. The next document is on effective presentation. Since I need to enhance my presentation
skills, I need to know the aspects that differentiates a good presentation from a bad one. The
next document is about the skills in academic writing. It is important to know how to write an
academic content. In order to do this, one needs to know what is paraphrasing, what its
benefits are, how to take help from different sources and create one’s own content without
plagiarizing. The importance of reflection also has been shown considering the fact that it is
often included with any academic write-up. The next document highlights the employability
skills I have developed during the workshops which were parts of my curriculum. The
document also shows how those skills would help me when I would be looking for jobs. The
next document focuses on reflection. It shows how reflective skills would help me. It is
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always necessary to reflect on all the aspects. It has often been seen that one a certain task, be
it a course, learning or project, is completed, an individual is asked to write a reflective note.
This reflective note enables the individual to look back into the event and jot down the
experiences. The next document is the curriculum vitae. This is a statement by which I can
describe myself and highlight my experiences, qualification, skills and knowledge in various
fields. This is why this document has been added to the portfolio. The last document is the
action plan. In order to ensure the issues that are hindering my career growth are brought to
an end, it is necessary to create an action plan. The action plan I have created is mainly on
time management which has been one of my weaknesses.
Conclusion
The above assessment has helped in getting a clear idea on the aspects an individual needs to
consider in order to gain personal development in personal and professional fields. The
individual needs to evaluate their skills and potentials as well as the areas they lack in. The
assessment helps an individual do this evaluation and take action plans on solving the issues
so that they can perform really well as a student, as well as gain and develop the necessary
skills and abilities required for meeting the career goals in the future.
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References
Doyle, A., (2020). These Are the Communication Skills Employers Look for in Employees.
[online] The Balance Careers. Available at:

<https://www.thebalancecareers.com/communication-skills-list-2063779>
February 2021].		 [Accessed 18

Harappa.education. (2020). [online] Available at: <https://harappa.education/harappadiaries/personal-or-self-development> [Accessed 18 February 2021].
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Appendix 1
Personal development plan

My Full Name:
Title of Course I’m Enrolled For:
Name of Institution:
Level at which I am Currently Studying:
Start Date:
End Date:
My Reasons/Motivation for Doing this Course:
Objectives for
my personal
development		 Actions required to
achieve my objectives		 Support and/or
resources I need		 Timeframe Estimated
date of
completion /
achievement
To enhance my
skills in
communication		 I need to focus on
my pronunciation in
order to ensure
there is no incorrect
pronunciation.
I would speak in
front of my
teachers, guides and
friends who would
make me
acquainted of the		 I would mainly
need the support
of my mentors
and guides who
would identify
my loopholes
and help me
improve my
performance
every time.
I would also		 I would
require 12
months to
ensure the
complete
development
of my
communicati
on skills.		 By the end of
January
2022, I
believe I will
be able to
meet my
required
skills in this
aspect.

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issues I face during
communication, and
my body language.
I would ask my
mentors and guides
to rate my
communication and
keep a record of the
same. I would try to
improve my
communication
skills going by the
feedback provided
by them in order to
ensure I get better
ratings than that I
got earlier.
I would watch
online videos
related to
communication. I
would also watch
videos where
people are involved
in communication
and addressing the
audience. I would
follow how they are
speaking, their
accent and body
language. I would
try to follow them		 need a notebook
and a pen as I
would need to
keep a record of
my performance.
I would need a
computer and an
internet supply
with sufficient
speed so that I
am able to watch
the required
videos without
any hassle.

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and ensure I do the
same during my
own
communication.
To develop my
skills and
knowledge in
management.		 I would make a
daily routine after
proper planning
where all the work
will be time
bounded. I would
try to do all the
work in the given
time to ensure time
management. Time
will be allocated for
studies as well as
the leisurely
activities.
I would also ensure
proper planning of
all the work I am
going to do, and a
thorough
implementation of
the planning.
I would keep a
record on how well
I am able to adhere
to the routine. I
would try to ensure
my performance
record shows the		 I would require a
notebook and a
pen so that I can
prepare the
routines, plans as
well as to-do list.
I would also
need the same to
record my
performance.
I would take the
help of my
guides and
mentors in order
to create a
balanced routine.		 The
management
skills should
be achieved
by the end of
six months.		 I believe I
would be
able to
achieve the
required
skills by the
end of July
2021.

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movement in a
positive trend.
To enhance my
skills in
presentation in a
professional
perspective.		 I would stand in
front of the mirror
and practise
explaining various
topics to the people,
since describing a
concept is an
important aspect of
proper presentation.
I would enhance my
knowledge on
PowerPoint
presentation, for
which I would join
a short online
learning programme
or course.
I would also watch
videos on YouTube
that will help me
know more about
how to create
PowerPoint slides,
do the animations
and also how to do
a presentation
before the audience
using the
Powerpoint slides.
I would choose		 I would need a
computer with
the latest version
of MS
PowerPoint
installed.
I would also
require an
internet
connection with
sufficient speed
so that I can do
the online course
and watch the
YouTube videos.
A mirror where I
can see the
reflection of my
whole body
would help me in
seeing my body
language when I
would practise
my
demonstration
skill (as a part of
the presentation).
I would need the
help of my close
peers and		 I would give
myself a time
of 12 months
in order to
enhance this
skill to the
required
level.		 I believe I
should be
able to
achieve the
skill by
January
2022.

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some random topics
and prepare
presentations on
PowerPoint. I
would show those
presentations to my
peers and mentors
and ask them for
feedback.
I would keep a
record of their
feedback and would
try to ensure there is
improvement in my
performance every
time.		 feedback of my
performance.
To update my I would sort out the
digital aspects that I
need to acquire
knowledge in. For
example, I would
learn the use of MS
Office and similar
software.
I would learn how
to have access to
different websites,
how to create them
and communicate
with the help of
digital media.		 I shall join an
online course
where I would be
taught how to
use the required
software. I shall
also need the
software itself
installed in my
system in order
to practise at
home.
I would need a
notepad and pen
to keep a record
of my learnings.		 I should be
able to
update
myself with
the
knowledge of
technology
within a span
of 12 months.		 I believe I
should be
able to get
the required
knowledge
by January
2022.

mentors who
would provide
feedback on my
presentation.
I would require a
pen and a
notebook to jot
down the
knowledge in
technology
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Keep a record of
my learnings.

Appendix 2
Personal SWOT analysis

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
1 I possess good leadership skills and can
lead a team efficiently.		 1 I often feel nervous while interacting
with strangers. I also face a bit of
problem with correct pronunciation. In
other words, I lack sufficient skills in
verbal communication.
2 I can do written communication without
any hassle as I have proficiency in
English language.		 2 I often take more time than required on a
particular aspect. Hence, I am unable to
manage my time properly.
3 I have the ability to plan and organise
something.		 3 I need to get more proficiency with the
use of MS Office, especially MS Excel
and MS Powerpoint.
4 I do have regularity and I am regular in
attending my classes which helps me to
gain the knowledge on the course
properly.		 4 I am unable to manage my stress
properly at times. I get stressed too often
which cause problems in my studies.
5 I have the skill of proper planning and
organising. I ensure everything I do is in
a planned way.		 5 I am weak in decision making and am
often unable to take the correct decision
in different situations.
6 I love to take up new challenges and
attempt the things I am not good at.		 6 I lack proper knowledge in technology
and often am unable to troubleshoot
simple issues.
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
1 I have the opportunity to use my writing
skills in enhancing my career.		 1 Since I am unable to manage my stress
at times, it might be a hurdle while
preparing for my exams.
2 I can set my future goals through proper 2 Lack of sufficient knowledge in

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planning which would ensure I am able
to meet them on time.		 technology might be a hurdle for me to
cope up with the technological changes.
3 My leadership skills would help me
excel and rise in any career opportunity
that requires leadership.		 3 Lack of sufficient skills in verbal
communication might cause difficulties
in cracking interviews.

Appendix 3
Reading log

DATE TITLE AUTHOR(S) TIME
SPENT		 NUMBER OF
PAGES
READ
January
12, 2021		 Patrick Fanning,
Martha Davis,
Matthew McKay.		 20 days 160 pages
January
31, 2021		 High Output
Management		 Andrew Grove 10 days 100 pages
Februar
y 2,
2021		 The innovator’s dilemma Clayton Christensen 2 days 12 pages

Messages: The
communication skills
book
13
Appendix 4
Daily routine

Regul
ar		 SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
6:00
AM		 Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up
7:00
AM		 Free
hand
exercises		 Free
hand
exercises		 Free
hand
exercises		 Free
hand
exercises		 Free
hand
exercises		 Free
hand
exercise		 Free
hand
exercise
8:00
AM		 Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast
9:00
AM		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Getting
prepared
for
attending
the
classes		 Getting
prepared
for
attending
the
classes		 Getting
prepared
for
attending
the
classes		 Getting
prepared
for
attending
the
classes		 Getting
prepared
for
attending
the
classes		 Getting
prepared
for
attending
the
classes
10:00
AM		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes
11:00
AM		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks		 Take
shower
and other
relevant
househol
d tasks
12:00
PM		 Reading
books		 Attendin
g online		 Attendin
g online		 Attendin
g online		 Attendin
g online		 Attendin
g online		 Attendin
g online

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classes classes classes classes classes classes
1:00
PM		 Studying
and
preparing
notes for
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes
2:00
PM		 Having
lunch		 Having
lunch		 Having
lunch		 Having
lunch		 Having
lunch		 Having
lunch		 Having
lunch
3:00
PM		 Taking
rest		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes
4:00
PM		 Taking
rest		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes
5:00
PM		 Reading
books		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes		 Attendin
g online
classes
6:00
PM		 Having
snacks		 Having
snacks		 Having
snacks		 Having
snacks		 Having
snacks		 Having
snacks		 Having
snacks
7:00
PM		 Taking a
stroll,
buying
the
necessari
es.		 Reading
books		 Reading
books		 Reading
books		 Reading
books		 Reading
books		 Reading
books
8:00
PM		 Reading
books		 Attend
the
online
courses
of power		 Attend
the
online
courses
of power		 Attend
the
online
courses
of power		 Attend
the
online
courses
of power		 Attend
the
online
courses
of power		 Attend
the
online
courses
of power

15

point
presentati
on		 point
presentati
on		 point
presentati
on		 point
presentati
on		 point
presentati
on		 point
presentati
on
9:00
PM		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.		 Having
dinner,
going to
bed.

Appendix 5
To-do-list

Item Priority (High (urgent) /
Low (can wait)		 Action to be taken Done
(tick)
Improve verbal skills High priority See related videos, do
repeated practice.
Improve
technological skills		 Low priority Do related courses in order
to update the skills.
Improve management
of stress		 High priority Watch online videos on how
to manage stress.

Appendix 6
Effective communication skills

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1 Leads to improved relation and
performance.		 1 Creates confusing environment.
2 Includes active listening and following
body language.		 2 Does not involve proper listening
and body language is often ignored.

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3 The communication is friendly. 3 The communication often lacks
personal touch.
4 Leads to something productive. 4 Leads to conflicts and confusions.

Appendix 7
Presentation Skills: Comparison between good and poor practices

No
.		 GOOD PRESENTATION No
.		 POOR PRESENTATION
1 Helps in connecting with the
audience		 1 Lacks proper connection with the
audience.
2 Helps in meeting client expectations 2 Leads to disengagement.
3 Presenter has proper knowledge on
the subject.		 3 Presenter often lacks proper
knowledge on the subject.

Appendix 8
Academic writing skills

1 Skill 1 Strong points (advantages) Weak points (disadvantages)
Paraphrasing I can understand a sentence
easily and can paraphrase it in
my own words.		 Sometimes paraphrasing makes it
difficult to construct sentences
correctly
It helps me utilize my creative
skills.		 It changes the meaning of some
sentences from the original one
Paraphrasing makes it easier to

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avoid plagiarism as well
Benefit(s) of this
skill to me		 Paraphrasing has helped me reconstruct a sentence in a better way and
avoid plagiarism.
2 Skill 2 Strong points (advantages) Weak points (disadvantages)
Reflective writing Enables me to reflect
thoroughly on whatever I have
learnt.		 Since it involves thinking on
whatever has been achieved, it often
consumes good time.
Allows me to think critically
and analyse every aspect.		 Since it has personal touch, it might
be informal at times.
Reflective writing permits me
to express my personal feelings		 It is not relevant for every field of
knowledge.
Benefit(s) of this
skill to me		 Reflective writing enables me to pen down my personal thought and
creativity on a certain knowledge.
3 Skill 3 Strong points (advantages) Weak points (disadvantages)
Data analysis Helps in judgement of which
data are correct and most
relevant.		 Data might be insufficient at times.
It allows me to search for
multiple information		 It often leads to infringement of data,
which is an ethical issue.

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It allows me to interpret the
opinions of others on a said
knowledge		 At times, the opinions of the other
people are incorrect.
Benefit(s) of this
skill to me		 Data analysis helps me get to know the details of the data which would
make it easier for me to perform the further tasks.

Appendix 9
The employability skills

No
.		 Specific skill I have acquired during
lessons or workshops		 How does it raise my chances of getting my
desired job?
1 Ability to communicate It has enhanced my skills of communication
and I can now get any job which requires
open communication even with unknown
people.
2 Leadership I have been able to lead and guide my team
while doing the workshop projects. It would
help me get any job which involves
leadership and management of a team.
3 Decision making skills I would get to do any job where I need to
take the correct decision required to solve
an issue.

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Appendix 10
Notes on Reflection
Writing a reflection enables a person to enhance their skills and areas of expertise. The person
gets a chance to look back to whatever knowledge they have acquired and whatever
experiences they have had in the process of performance or learning. The person would get to
analyse what they have learnt, what were the strengths as well as shortcomings. Considering
my own part, I can say that reflection has helped me realise my skills that I was unaware
about. I have come to know the importance of communication and what I should do for an
effective communication. I have also come to know what I should have done so that my team
could have given a better performance, which I would keep in mind if I get to do similar
projects again.
Appendix 11
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
NAME:
ADDRESS:
CONTACT DETAILS:
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:
I am an experienced IT professional, with an experience of three years. I am looking for a
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job where I can utilise my skills in IT as well as my leadership skills as much as possible. I
am seeking for the best opportunity and place to work in where I can face new challenges
and get the opportunity to solve different issues.
EDUCATION (Name and year of Institution attended):
Diploma in Information Technology, Hall green College (2014 – 2015)
Bournville Senior Secondary School (2008 – 2014)
CORE QUALIFICATIONS:
B.Sc. in Management, Aston University (2016 – 2019)
WORK EXPERIENCE:
IT Support Officer, Maplin (2019 – Present)
IT Admin, West London Council (2017 – 2019)
REFERENCES:
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Appendix 12
The action plan

Date: 1st Dec 2020
My Name:
Course enrolled for: M.Sc. in Management
Level of study: B.Sc. in Management
GOAL to be accomplished: Time Management skills
Actions I need to take in order to
accomplish my Goal:		 I need to set my routing where every
action would be time-based. I would try
to do everything within the given time.
I would keep a record of my
performance with regard to doing
everything on time.
I would try to do all the tasks faster than
before.
Resources / support / backup that I
need:		 I would take repeated feedback from my

22

mentors and guides.
I need a pen and a notebook so that I can
jot down my performance on this aspect.
I would prepare a daily to-do list.
Timeframe: This particular skill will take around 6 months.
Success criteria or indicators:
(How will you know when you’ve
achieved the goal)		 When I will be able to do all the work in
the pre-set time.
When I would be able to do all the given
projects within the deadline.
When I would get positive feedback
from my mentors and guides on this
aspect.
Review / evaluation:
(Identify some benefits of achieving
your goal; as well as some obstacles
that hinder your further progress)		 It helps in doing more work in a given
period of time.
It helps in getting the tasks done within
the deadline.
It creates pressure at times especially
when the task is a vital one.

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