Professional Identity and Practice

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1

Overview of the company................................................................................................................2

Analyse the necessity of on-going professional development and self-directed learning to

enhance professional identity and career opportunities...................................................................2

Assessing the key benefits of going professional development and its usefulness to enhance
the skills of a hospitality manager...............................................................................................2

Inquiry of the skills that are demanded by the employer to get the job of a hospitality manager
.....................................................................................................................................................4

Assess own skills, competences and the different learning and development approaches..............5

Evaluation of my current skills and competencies to do the hospitality management job in

Bourne Leisure Limited...............................................................................................................5

There are four learning theories to individual development which are illustrated below...........6

The most effective learning strategy for myself to enhance my professional and personal skills
for a specific role.........................................................................................................................7

Introduction......................................................................................................................................8

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12

LO4................................................................................................................................................13

Plan and undertake a job interview for your chosen service industry role................................13

Strength and weakness of applied interview process................................................................15

Evaluation of a job interview process, and the obstacles and challenges to overcome.............15

A critical reflection of the job interviews process and the highlight of my own abilities during
the interview process.................................................................................................................16

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17

References......................................................................................................................................18

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iii
 Introduction
This assignment is about professional development and the learning processes that will help a
person to get his desire job. The ongoing development process will be discussed in this
assignment. The ongoing development process is the way to develop professional knowledge and
skills through independent and participation-based learning. The tasks include critically
evaluating my skills and ability to get my desire job in the hospitality company name Bourne
Leisure Limited as a hospitality manager. The key roles and skills I need for getting this job will
be discussed. The four learning process of developing one’s skills will also be discussed here.

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 Overview of the company
Bourne Leisure Limited is chosen to complete this assignment. Bourne Leisure is a British
hospitality company that works with the leisure and holiday sectors of the UK. It was established
in 1964 at Whistable, Kent (Bourne, 2008). The headquarters of this company is situated in
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK. In 1972 the company went to the London Stock
exchange. The company got ranked in the stock exchange as it owned £20m (Bourne, 2008).
Haven Holidays, Butlins, and Warner Leisure Hotels are the subsidiaries of Bourne leisure. This
company operates the hospitality business mainly with caravan holiday parks, resorts, and hotels.
Currently, this company has revenue of £951.4m.

Analyse the necessity of on-going professional development and self-

directed learning to enhance professional identity and career
opportunities

Assessing the key benefits of going professional development and its

usefulness to enhance the skills of a hospitality manager
Continuous professional development is an on-going professional development (Herbert and
Rainford, 2013). It is a way to develop professional knowledge and skills through independent
and participation-based learning. The professionals take initiative to develop and enhance their
ability to work more effectively with the assist of certified learning. The professional courses
help a professional to develop their career which also increases their skills and knowledge to do
any task perfectly. The benefits of continuous professional developments are illustrated below.

Creating sufficient earning sources

There is some specific strategy like gathering knowledge and enhancing skills that are so
beneficial to potential earning (Mashile, 2014). The fresh graduates do not know how to handle a
task professionally until they engage in the workforce. They can be aware of the knowledge and
be skillful to complete their task successfully with continuous learning. This learning criterion
provides online and flexible tasks for the professional. The toughness varies from person to

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person. Organizations provide from scratch to specialists to experts. So, this will help an
individual to enhance their job position and getting more income than the past

Keeping good health

The purpose of continuous learning is not just about creating monetary benefits for professionals.
Learning and being well is positively correlated. Learners get positive learning which contributes
them to get a better physical and mental health. Mental health is so necessary for everyone. A
study says lifespan extended up to 23% only when brain cell increases (Hardy, 2008). Reading
helps to increase brain cells. All these link up to reduce stress levels, maintain blood pressure,
heart disease, insomnia, and many more. A hospitality manager has to do a lot of work. So his
work is so stressful. Learning criterion would likely help him to reduce his stress. This will make
the professional stable to do his respective work which leads to efficiency and success.

Enhancing new skills and gaining a competitive edge

Nowadays skillful people are demanding in the corporate world. So, one who develops new
skills will be successful in getting a better position. With the CPD an individual is likely to
experience new learning and opportunities that will boost their skills.

Keeping up with the industrial trends

The trend is changeable. In the past, employers used to hire a typist. Now the people with
efficient computer knowledge are hiring and demandable. So, everyone has to be up to date with
the industry. In the CPD program, trainers train the learners to cope with the. Besides, after the
effective training and gathering knowledge, managers can forecast the trends and become
successful in marketing.

Participations

Networking with employees would help to open up new ideas. a hospitality manager should
always cope with his employees to know about the customer and their demands. The employees
work more closely with the customers. The main process of CPD is mainly participation based.
So, this is a vital example of networking.

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Inquiry of the skills that are demanded by the employer to get the job of a
hospitality manager
Communicating ability

Communication is vital for managers. Regularly he has to check up the area, building, and the
atmosphere. He should be up to date with the changing trends. Besides he should be cooperatives
with the guests so that they feel comfortable staying there. So he needs to be much more efficient
in communication skills (Harris, 2009). Only the communication skills help him to satisfy the
customers, coping up with the industry journals, and good relations with his employees. At the
interview, the employer checks it thoroughly.

Financial knowledge

Without money, no business runs. The operation of hospitality management is pretty tough. So,
the manager should be very careful about spending money (Alexis, 2009). First of all, he should
create an efficient budget line for the marketing of the organization so that people should be
aware of them. Then he should be careful with the expenditure. Not every demand of the
customers should be necessarily important to fulfill.

In detail

To run the hospitality business, a manager should be concerned with every detail. The safety
measures, the luxurious equipment, and the anti-fire wiring should be checked.

Leadership

In this case, leadership is much important. There are lots of people working under the manager.
So, the proper guideline should be provided to them to get a better result.

Flexibility

There might be unexpected problems operating the hospitality business. Flexibility skills would
help the managers to make the proper decision in the adverse situation.

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Assess own skills, competences and the different learning and
development approaches
Evaluation of my current skills and competencies to do the hospitality
management job in Bourne Leisure Limited
It would be efficient if I check the strengths and weaknesses I have in my personal life to
evaluate my skills.

Strength Weakness
In 2015 I have graduated in hospitality I get hyper sometimes when my plan does not
management. I worked as an intern for many work. This is my main drawback. So,
hospitality companies in 2016. In the mid of sometimes I misbehave with my subordinates.
I think that might create a bad impression on
2016, I got a job in a resort as an area manager.
them. I work to do anything in my way. But I
Since then I have been working hard. I get guidelines from the headquarters to do my
successfully gained profit from my duties as they mentioned which bothers me a
organization. I try to build team effort with the lot. These factors slow down my productivity.
subordinates that lead me to success and our
guests are also satisfied with our services. I
started to tackle the adverse situation. Besides I
can now forecast the industrial changes. My
creative skills and the knowledge about
hospitality management that I got from my
university are my strengths. I hope my
experience in working in a regional hospitality
organization will likely get me the job I want
in Bourne Leisure Limited.

Critical evaluation of my current skills and competencies to do the hospitality management

job in Bourne Leisure Limited

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The opportunities and the threats that I have to face to get the job should be acknowledged first.

Opportunities
As I mentioned earlier that I have to work in a
resort and I have a vast knowledge of
hospitality management, I have such a great
opportunity to work in Bourne Leisure
Limited. I can convince the employer about my
experience. So when I will be able to work in
this company I will be able to explore more. I
can learn many more from the experienced
employees of the organization.
Threats
The ever-changing industrial factor might be a
worse threat for me. Besides, working on a
little resort and for a short period might not be
enough to convince the employer as my
experience level is low.

There are four learning theories to individual development which are

illustrated below
Behaviourist Theories

A behaviourist theory refers to the action of an individual upon his learning behavior (Nagase,
2018). Both positive and negative reinforcement is the main factor of this learning. With a proper
understanding of the reinforcement led once to succeed. This is the process of learning. One’s
stimuli cause everything.

Cognitive Theories

It is an alternative to the behaviourist approach. It explains how the mind works at the time of
studying (Kuczaj, 2007). At the time of behavioural change, the cognitivist also changes his
procedures of mental process. This process says one should engage in the learning process
instead of behavioural stimuli because this process helps one to overcome the abstract and
complex factors.

Constructivist Theories

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It makes a learner to a constructor of ideas (Pavlović and Maksić, 2019). It includes past
experiences, social context to make new learning opportunities for the learner. It creates a
learning environment that shows the learner’s ability to achieve new knowledge.

Motivation/Humanist Theories

It focuses on the whole of a person. In this process, a learner learns lessons over his lifetime. A
specific learning environment is created especially for a specific learner.

The most effective learning strategy for myself to enhance my professional

and personal skills for a specific role
I think the cognitive learning process is efficient for me. It is the process where the learner’s
attendance in the learning process is much important. This process helps a learner to know how
the mind works. So I can control my mind and all the stresses. This will help me to make certain
decisions even in an adverse situation. It is already mentioned above that anytime in the
hospitality management adverse situations can arise. So I can take advantage of that time.

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Introduction
To climb up in career path it is helpful to make a professional development plan where goals,
desired skills are pre-determined and there is an identified clear path to achieve those skills.
After setting a preferred professional role or position, learners need to develop a skill set that is
required for that position to perform all the assigned responsibilities for that position. When
students start this development at an early stage of education it helps them to achieve the desired
goal in professional life.

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According to my chosen role that is hospitality manager, I need to develop some skills which are
specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-oriented. So, by tailoring all the skills that I want
to develop, a professional development plan has been developed below:

Priority Skills Current proficiency Target Evidence of Goal

NO proficiency completion
1 Attention to Very poor. Barely, I Reliable level of Doing given Short
detail notice something. attention to detail assignment term
Often miss important without
information missing any
required
information
2 Communication Not satisfactory. Can Not to feel shy, Talking to a Short
not initiate a hesitated during bunch of term
conversation with the conversation; unknown
others even if it is an being able to people in
important issue that write formally in anywhere;
needs to be any business properly
communicated. Don't content written
have proper business business
writing skill proposal, email
3 Interpersonal Now only can talk to Want to attain Solve problems Short
people whom I know. negotiation skill, of the internal term
In the case of people skill, group;
unknown, listen to emotional
others intelligence
4 Leadership Beginner level. Can Being able to Organize an Medium-
lead 4-5 members lead a group of event; arrange term
team 30 people any workshop
or seminar
5 Team building Can build a small Being capable of Make a team Medium-
team within the making a team for any case term
classroom whom I outside the competition
know already classroom with others;
make a sports
team
6 Financial Have course Learning Keeping track Long
management knowledge different model of profit and term
to perform tasks loss, balance
for the role of a sheet, interpret
hospitality them to take
manager the decision
7 Operational Only have theoretical Want to gather Complete an Long
knowledge knowledge practical internship in a term
knowledge service sector

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which can be
applied in a
position

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During the development of a Professional Development Plan, learning theories have been
applied, so that it becomes easy to learn or develop a new skill set which is required for the
desired role in the organizations.

One of the learning theories is behaviourist theory which says, learners are motivated by positive
reinforcement or negative reinforcement. External stimuli stimulate the learning process (Cooley,
2013).

Behaviourist learning theory has been applied in developing attention to details skill as the
assignment has allocated marks for writing in detail and properly following the instruction, so,
marks here has an external effect which stimulates to write properly with attention to detail.

In connectivism theory, learners get feedback immediately as there is the opportunity for
interaction (Sa’adi, 2016). Communication and interpersonal are attained following such theory
as other people’s reactions can be seen immediately by adopting any steps.

In cognitivism learning process learners are thought to be active where they learn by linking
prior experience (Gavankar, 2015). Leadership and team-building are such skills where previous
experience is required to develop it further.

Transfer of learning is where learners carry over their knowledge from one situation to another
(Harris, 2014). This learning theory has been reflected in financial management and operational
knowledge development where course work can be utilized later to do the job in an organization

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Conclusion
Just developing a professional development plan can not do much if the learner is not enough
sincere to perform all those tasks. Any plan can not succeed unless there is no execution.
Another important thing is an evaluation after execution so that, learners can check how far he or
she has gone with that plan. Regular follow up should be maintained after developing the plan.
When learners see some achievement, they get motivated to go further, to make another plan. If
they can not keep the track, get lost in the middle of the path, they lose motivation. So, it is the
learners' responsibilities to stick to the plan no matter whatever happens.

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LO4
Plan and undertake a job interview for your chosen service industry role.
Job interview is always a hectic and it creates a certain amount of pressure for the job seeker. It
is difficult to speculate what the interview board might ask during the interview, so this is
important for the candidate to prepare himself in a way that he can answer all the queries in a
satisfying way. However, the job role that the interview preparation will be taken is hospitality
manager [ CITATION Ste15 \l 1033 ]. The organisation where the candidate will apply is the
Bourne leisure limited. This a very prestigious organisation where people usually go for holiday
and rent the customers resorts. To get ready for the interview the candidate should know very
well about the organisation, its operation, its structure, when is the busy time for the
organisation, how they provide their service and other necessary information. In addition,
candidate should as well try to gather information regarding the role he is applying so he can
have some speculation whet kind of things he needs to know related to the role. For most jobs,
this is standard procedure to before facing interview. However, this is how one should be
preparing for an interview.

Even a fake job interview gives the moral boost to the candidate to do better in the real job
interview. The interview for the Hospitality manager is given below.

Interviewer 1: Hello, Good morning, come in and takes a seat.

Candidate: Hi, Good morning, thanks for the worm gesture.

Interviewer 2: So, I see Mr. Smith. I am Paula. The HR head and this Robb, works as an HR in a
departmental store, he is an external interviewer. Are you nervous for the interview?

Candidate: No, not really. I am excited for this online interview.

Interviewer 2: Terrific, good to see you here on time. So, tell us a little about yourself.

Candidate: I am Joshua Smith, have graduated from Nelson college London. I am fond of
formula 1 racing, reading books, travelling. I used to have a hobby which is to play guitar, now
sometimes I play guitar in small occasions in bars or parties with my band, and I am the figure
head of the band.

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Interviewer 1: Good to know you get time to do all these things beside your job. How do you
manage all the things?

Candidate: I work on priority base, first my work comes, the other things come second. But I
regularly read.

Interviewer 2: So, you are the figure head of your part time band. You must be very busy all the
time juggling things around you, and I am also guessing you are good at communication and
team work, and you possess operational skills.

Candidate: Well, I will not say I am always busy. But, mark may calendar and make free time for
each job, so it become easier for me to track and perform all the jobs and not become very busy.
As for operational, communication and operational skill I have gathered all these skills from my
past experience and from running by band. My financial literacy is also solid as I had to deal
with petty cash and bank account in my previous job.

Interviewer 1: You worked in different sector and now you have applied for a job in a different
sector, why and how will you benefit us?

Candidate: Well, I thought to change the sector. I have been a head of a sales team and now
considering job for Hospitality manager, my job roles are quite the same I have to assume the
responsibility of a team, deal will a lot of people, and fulfil the expectation of organization. So, I
think this role is suitable for me even though sector is different.

Interviewer 2: So, you are saying you can fully operate from the day 1?

Candidate: Well, not really, I have to get used to with the operations, and then yes, I can fully
operate.

Interviewer 2: Do you have any questions Interviewer 1?

Interviewer 1: No, you can proceed.

Interviewer 2: We will let you know via mail whether you are selected or not for the role. Thanks
for showing interest.

Candidate: Thank you.

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Strength and weakness of applied interview process
Applied interview process has 5 major steps. Each step is critical for both the candidate and the
interviewer as they get to know each other and get comfortable with each other.

However, the advantages of this process are that it is a gradual process to know the candidates. It
helps to make the candidate very calm and to get to know the interviewer and the environment
right after he enters the board [ CITATION Bil12 \l 1033 ]. Then the interviewers do small talk
to know the candidate better, after those main questions are asked based on the buildup
conversation and the resume. This can be said that this is a process where the candidate gets the
environment what he needed to do well in an interview.

However, this also has some problem. This system has some pattern, a systematic way to
conduct the session, even though the interviewer wants to know a different thing he might not
have the scope. This sometimes takes lot of time as there is 2 or 3 introductory part [ CITATION
Ste15 \l 1033 ].

Evaluation of a job interview process, and the obstacles and challenges to

overcome
In a job interview there is multi steps to evaluate a candidate whether he is right or wrong. But,
there are problems that may arise during interview.

The most common problem is measuring the skills that the candidate possesses. The interviewer
cannot measure this in the board as they can only ask questions about the skills or the previous
skills that required for candidates’ previous jobs. However, to overcome this organisation can
introduce a systematic exam to evaluate this [ CITATION Mar16 \l 1033 ].

Interviewer maybe biased with another issue where an interviewer might like a candidate out of
all for now reason, or they are relevant to each other, this will cause a problem. However, to
overcome this board should consist of variety of interviewer from lots of background.

Bad interview question is another problem that may arise when there are not questions fixed
beforehand. This might happen to great interviewer as well [ CITATION Ker14 \l 1033 ]. So,
questions should be set or the interviewer should check the details of the candidates so that he
can make questions to ask in the interview.

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These are the few common problems that people face during an interview.

A critical reflection of the job interviews process and the highlight of my own
abilities during the interview process
The job interview process above is applied interview process. Not all the organizations follow
this process but there are few that follow this. And this is one of the best processes for both the
parties. There are five stages where the interviewer gets introduced with the candidate and then
do small talk with him so that there is a trusting relationship between them and a good
environment happens in that situation. The interviewer then asks the relevant question once they
both settled calmly with new faces [ CITATION Mar16 \l 1033 ]. Then interviewer tries to bring
the answers as honest as possible. This is very good way to conduct an interview.

In this interview process my biggest fear was how I should answer when they interviewers will
ask why I am changing the job sector. However, I have shown them that my previous job and
this role is quite similar and I will be able to carry out the responsibility. In addition, I could
demonstrate the skills I have without any exaggeration.

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 Conclusion
So far it has been discussed that which ways and the skills I need to get the hospitality manager
in Bourne Leisure Limited. The continuous development process is much beneficial to enhance
my ability and skills to become a hospitality manager. The specific roles and skills mentioned
earlier are much beneficial for a person to get the job. An employer certainly needs those skills
from me so that I can do my job as efficiently as he expected. The cognitive learning process is
so efficient to develop my skills. If I can achieve the strategy I will be succeeded in my way.

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