Question

Assessment Details: (Write 1000 words)
Reflection is an opportunity for you to think about how your personal experiences and observation have an effect on what you think and how your thinking affects your career choice and the progress you make in your chosen career:

I chosen to be a Business analyst

In this assignment you will discuss:
1) Your level of self-awareness-particularly regarding your awareness of the value of your personal experience and whether this awareness motivates you to make progress in your professional life (i.e. in your career) or holds you back from making progress.
2) Building and maintaining effectiveness professional networks and the use of mentors (Do you have a mentor? Does this mentor help you?how?)
3) Your own professional development program what you need to do and what you want to do to increase your professional development (e.g. enroll in a language course, enroll in public speaking course, become proficient in a useful software package)

Answer 1

1. Every professional is meant to understand his/her position of consious and awareness about himself/herself. This will not only help them to move ahead or progress but also helps in imparting this to others (subordinates, team or even their offsprings) I will describe this with an example

Eg; You are working in a firm for the last 10 years but with limited career growth. You have been witnessing few of your former collegues placed in a higher postition than you or are deputed in better departments with key reponsibilities which are core to the business. Now this would obviously bring a state of tension or ego to any professional. But this is a state of mind which doesn't come out of a deep thought or a self realization but out of fear. Now each individuals are different in their ability to understand and tackle things. This is a ground reality. Now when you rewind your career and see yourself in a nutshell you can surely draw factors like

What are you specialised at?

What is your talent?

How loyal you are to the job that you do?

You may have not gone through few aspects that your former collegue had met or acquired but have surely done your part which has helped you ot be retained in the organisation for so long or which may help you in future at some point. Because each individual is bound to reach some place , but in a different time and in a different manner.

So this realization on self and your tenure as professional and as an individual will surely help you move further without any hindrance

2. Yes I have a mentor, to be exact mentors. and I firmly belive the fact that every professional need a mentor who can guide him the direction on how they should approach things and react to it, which we call it common sense. This is an important part of a profession. We all need a mentor who could understand us.

My mentors helped in establishing myself as a professional and to understand business and functions in a different view. They have mentally transformed me from an employee to a shareholder as I sincerely believe now that professionals should think and work like a shareholder than just reporting staffs

Now the question arises as to how you will find the right mentor? There is nothing called as right or wrong in choosing a mentor? Even those arrogant and merciless bosses that we heard of from business stories and from our circles could be a mentor, but in different terms. We must chose a mentor by way of his achievement and the success that he/she obtained in their professional space/cirlces. Their ideas, irrespective of their character, can be of greater support at some point of our career.

For eg: You may need to manage an organisation which is less people oriented but more task oriented. Here you need to alter your behaviour to bring the function and workforce in line.

You must find your mentors, they won't come to you. You should involve in a deep search and establish professional network. Seminars, orientation programs and Review meetings/yeaar meet ups can be the best place to explore.

3. There are various ways to develop yourself as a professional.

a. Engage in Company sponsored Learning & Development Programs: Online programs sponsored by your organisation can help you explore topics/area that you need to focus and to improve

b. Orientation Programs/Workshops: Such programs make a stage for open speeches/communication, task oriented games, Team based physical activities to improve team morale etc can improve you as a professional and unleash the team player in you

c. TED Talks and other streaming medium: Following Video streaming channels that feature speeches from experienced and successful professionals from various industries can help understand their method and approach towards business ecosystem

d. Advance professional courses : Doing a specialised course or a certification course that helps your career advancement.

e. Attend every Business meetings/meet ups/ Town hall meetings: Helps understanding the clear position of a company rather than knowing through rumors/eavesdrop etc as such meetings consititute big heads from the company (CEO, Heads etc) . Understanding their view, focus and strategies could help any professional on drawing a clear view of the organisation.