Factors Affecting Personal Development PDF

SH1687 Factors Affecting Personal Development Personal Development may include the following factors: I. Self-Awareness: This is the central concept of personal development and career planning. Self- awareness, as discussed above considers the kind of person an individual is. One thinks...

SH1687 Factors Affecting Personal Development Personal Development may include the following factors: I. Self-Awareness: This is the central concept of personal development and career planning. Self- awareness, as discussed above considers the kind of person an individual is. One thinks and assesses his skills, values, interests, knowledge and constraints or limitations, what he is good at and what he has done or accomplished so far. An individual's personality can affect his choices and decisions in life including his career choice. It is vital that before deciding on a particular career a person identifies his strengths and preferences and is able to match these to his desired jobs and career choices. The following are guide questions to help adolescents develop self-awareness with regards to career decision making: a. What am I interested in? What jobs am I interested in? Do I have a dream job - it may not be possible, but what is it about that job? What do/did I find interesting about my degree subject? (researching, lab work, being creative, team projects, government politics, etc.) What do/did I not enjoy? (Laboratory work, presentations) Is there a job that I have always admired? (a friend/on TV) Why so? (the responsibility, the type of clients, the sector, fun?) What hobbies have I chosen to pursue out of work/study? What does that say about what I enjoy doing? (perhaps helping other, outdoor workings, leading/coordinating people) b. What is my preferred learning style? Knowing an individual's preferred learning style can help him identify situations and occupations, which would best suit his own personal approach. He can think and identify the most effective learning style applicable to him. For example, one may learn about a job best by interacting with colleagues and taking part in team tasks; or he prefers spending solitary time familiarizing him with the task at hand. c. How do I work with other people? This answers the question; what part does one usually play when he works with other people? Is he a leader, motivator, listener, contributor, negotiator or a follower? d. What is my temperament? A person's temperament is concerned with: How one approach and deal with tasks? How one come across to other people and interact or deal with them? How one react and feel comfortable or otherwise in various situations? The more one is aware of his temperament, the sounder the assessment he can make of job possibilities both in meeting the demands of the job and finding it satisfying. e. What am I good at? What skills do I possess? This refers to one's honest and accurate assessment of strengths and skills. Understanding where one's strength lie considering the areas where one needs to improve can help make decisions for a more positive job outcome. Keep in mind that all careers or jobs require similar skills such as problem solving, communication skills, interpersonal skills, numeracy skills, critical thinking skills, etc. These are referred to as transferable skills. Throughout an individual's lifetime, he developed most of these skills and abilities at home, in school and in his social life. As students, projects, job internships, volunteer experiences, participation in sports or clubs and hobbies are all transferable skills. Now let us look closely at five broad skill areas that every adolescent should develop or improve: 14 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 1 of 4  SH1687 1. Communication refers to the expression, transmission and interpretation of knowledge and ideas. These includes speaking effectively, writing concisely, listening attentively, expressing ideas, facilitating group discussion, providing appropriate feedback, negotiating perceiving non-verbal messages, persuading, reporting information, describing feelings, interviewing, and editing. 2. Research and Planning - the search for specific knowledge and the ability to conceptualize future needs and solutions for meeting those needs. These skills include forecasting, predicting, identifying problems, imagining alternatives, identifying resources, gathering information, solving problems, setting goals, extracting important information, defining needs, and analyzing/developing evaluation strategies. 3. Human Relations - the use of interpersonal skills for resolving conflict, relating to and helping people specifically, this include developing rapport, being sensitive, listening, conveying feelings, providing support for others, motivating, sharing credit, counseling, cooperating, delegating with respect, representing others, perceiving feelings, situations and asserting. 4. Organization, Management and Leadership - the ability to supervise, direct and guide individuals and groups in the completion of tasks and fulfillment of goals. Specific skills include initiating new ideas, handling deals, coordinating tasks, managing groups, delegating responsibility, teaching, coaching, counseling, promoting change, selling ideas or products, decision making with others and managing conflict. 5. Work Management - the day to day skills that assist in promoting effective production and work satisfaction. These include implementing decisions, cooperating, enforcing policies, being punctual, managing time, attending to detail, meeting goals, enlisting help, accepting responsibility, setting and meeting deadlines, organizing and making decisions. II. Opportunity Awareness: What opportunities are open to me? At this point, people begin to research on their chosen career. This process is also referred to as career exploration wherein they identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations based on their identified skills and capabilities. In here, they may use online resources to gain a deeper understanding of their chosen careers. They should look for information that answers the following questions: 1. What are the examples of careers in my major or field of interest? 2. What do I know about the reality of the job market? 3. What job titles interest me? 4. What work environments do I like? Further, they need to read books, magazines, journals and other professional resources and speak with people with the career that they hope to have in the future. Most importantly, they must research on the industry they would likely want to work for. The following are useful background information individuals need to explore. 1. Education and skill requirements: what level of education or specific skills does this industry expect graduates to have? Is a degree in a specific subject a requirement? 2. Entry level positions: what responsibilities would you have upon joining the organization at entry level? Is there scope for progression? Do they have a structure training program? 3. Industry trend and developments: what does the future look like for this particular industry? Is it expanding? What are the trends? 4. Salary Information: what type of salary can you expect? Is their progression built in? 5. Recruiting practices: does the company have a history of recruiting graduates? What are the timescales involved? How do you apply? III. Decision Making: What do I want from life? Now that they have knowledge of their transferable skills and understand opportunities for them in the real world of work, they now need to decide on their career options. They may be guided by these important questions: 1. Do I have the resources to pursue these options? 2. What challenges might be presented in the job market? 3. Where are my academic strengths-could I pursue these career options? 14 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 2 of 4  SH1687 4. What career areas or clusters interest me? 5. How can I narrow down my options? 6. Should I pursue graduate school? 7. What else do I need to know to identify my career objectives? 8. What can I do to enhance my academic life? (Study abroad, internships) 9. Do I need to conduct more self- assessment or career research? Below are action steps people can make to help them in coming up with their career decision: 1. Talk to a career counselor Adolescents can talk to their school counselors to help them further identify their strengths, limitations and areas where they may need to support their skills with other experience. They may discuss with their counselor their career options and discoveries about themselves. 2. Gain experience Internships or on-the-job trainings (OJT) help enhance skills and can help determine what an adolescent like and don't like. As students, they can apply for summer jobs or be a student assistant in school. Find out companies who hire students during summer breaks. This gives them the experience of how it is in the real world of work. In school, they can become active members or perhaps officers in various organizations or clubs. The experience will develop their leadership skills and interpersonal skills. Other suggested ways of gaining experience and testing out their career choices includes: undertaking a work placement; involvement in work-shadowing; working in a part-time or full time position; participating in volunteering activity. 3. Attend events on campus Know of available seminars and programs offered in schools. Most schools offer various seminars such as enhancing communication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership trainings, time management and stress management seminars. Students may enhance their resume writing skills and interview skills by participating in the school's pre-employment and job fair seminars. In summary, the career decisions the adolescent makes are influenced by the courses they take, their choice of major, their work experience, the organizations or clubs they join in and the people they meet. Most importantly, their education plays a major part in their career exploration process. Insights into One’s Personal Development An awareness of one’s interest, skills, abilities as well as limitations are necessary for adolescents to make informed decisions, improve their career choices, plan their future careers, develop their potentials, enhance their limitations and cope up with the demands of their chosen careers. All of these involve taking responsibility for themselves and owning up to the decisions they make. There are factors in personal development that guide them in making important career decisions. Self- awareness propels the adolescents to look closely on what their characteristics and what they are capable of. The second factor which involves career exploration is the Opportunity Awareness. Personal development is a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals in order to realize and maximize their potential. It includes improving self-awareness, self- knowledge, skills or learning new ones, developing strengths or talents, identifying or improving potentials and improving social abilities - all these develop one's fullest potential. Six (6) core benefits of personal development 1. Self-awareness Personal development begins with self-awareness. The person should know who they really are; their values, beliefs and the purpose they wish to pursue. True fulfillment can never come from chasing other people's dreams. For people to achieve lasting happiness, they need to design their life based on who they are. Self-awareness is the first fundamental step in the personal development process. 2. A sense of direction 14 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 3 of 4  SH1687 Once there is self-awareness, the individual is clear on the things he wishes to achieve in life. Decision making then becomes a lot easier since he has a clear grasp of what he wants to accomplish such as he knows what course to take in college and what career or job he wants to pursue. He knows what it entails to reach his goals and dreams in life and works towards fulfillment of these goals and dreams. 3. Improved focus and effectiveness With personal development comes clarity. Even with an improved sense of direction, there will always be multiple tasks looking for an individual's attention. As the individual's personal development improves, prioritization becomes much easier. He becomes clearer on his/her objectives and can quickly identify which tasks will give him the best result with the resources available to him at the moment. Improved focus and effectiveness comes with knowing and playing to his strengths. 4. More motivation When a person knows what he wants to achieve, it is easier for him to see the benefits of taking action. Even when the task ahead is not enjoyable; if he can see a clear benefit, he is more motivated to take necessary action. There is truth in the old adage "Where there is a will there is a way. " With strong personal development, the person develops the necessary will. 5. Greater resilience There will be tough times in life. When these tough times occur, a person needs to have the skills and attributes to deal effectively with them. Personal development cannot prevent all bad things from occurring but it will help him deal with them when they do. He will have greater confidence, resilience, personal and interpersonal skills to cope with any eventuality. 6. More fulfilling relationships Relationships are double-edged swords. They either lift a person up or drag him down. When he improves his personal development, he is better able to see which relationships are worth investing in and which need to be cut loose. The person develops the skills to make the most of those relationships which have the most positive impact on his life. 14 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 4 of 4