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Career goals and career opportunities
Currently, I am working as an Accountant in the Finance Department of a hotel. My senior is Assistant Financial Controller and Director of Finance. I have been working here for a month only.
My job duty is to do month-end closing and management reporting and review the work done by sub-ordinates. As I have started only a month ago, presently I have set my goal to be in the position of Financial Controller within the next three years time.
Within a year, my aim is to be promoted to Assistant Financial Controller. There are large job opportunities, both within and outside the country for the position of Financial Controllers, with high salaries and benefits. The finance portfolio is integral for all types of corporate firms and thus a financial professional has a wide range of career opportunities. If he possesses the necessary educational qualifications, he has opportunities in the areas like Chief Financial Officers, Capital Budget Analyst, Revenue Analyst, Credit Manager, Income Tax Compliance Manager, etc in various corporate firms. He can draw a salary ranging above the US $360,000 per annum.
About myself
Learning styles: My character is featured by different learning styles such as reflective observation, active experimentation, active communication, active listening, and abstract conceptualization.
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Reflective observation: I always adopt learning imbued from my past experiences effectively for framing accurate decisions in different problem-solving situations. In the reflective observation, decisions are mainly derived from the previous experience transformed by intention. According to Kolb, reflective observation represents a tentative, impartial and reflective approach to learning. They rely on careful observation of others and/or like to develop observations about their own experience. (Kolbs theory of learning styles: reflective observations (RO) n.d., p.2).
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Active experimentation: I always adopt experiment-based learning and it is mainly derived by way of involving in projects. I also carry out homework and small group discussion in different types of projects, and it is a part of my extrovert character. It will help me to successfully overcome barriers in my future job process.
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Abstract conceptualization: It includes a strategic, integrated, and coordinated plan to turn employee talent into performance. Middle-level executives, like me, are playing major roles in interpreting goals into objectives for their leaders and workforce, and to ensure their understanding of the companys goals and the objectives. Leaders can then formulate the objective tasks and workers can follow the instruction and raise the problems to the managerial level. A good manager should possess both rational, human and institutional management. It is important for me to manage and understand my strengths and weaknesses of myself before managing co-workers.
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Personality type: I always try to maintain good relations with my co-workers. I am responsible to follow up the matters with the client. I possess the problem identification skills which will contribute to the success of my career as a Financial Controller. I always concentrate on reporting to the management in a timely, updated manner. I keep supportive communication and it contribute to the development of my specific skills. I also believe in qualities of being an extrovert, and in thinking, intuition, and judgement before committed action.
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Values: I always prefer efficient and workable subordinates as it is essential to solve the problems in appropriate and timely manner. I am always loyal to my work and I am able to report promptly to my superiors when the issues are identified or a problem is looming.
Current skills inventory
I currently possess the specific managerial skills which are
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A problem solving solution driven approach: In problem solving and solution driven approach, specific problem definition is provided to the employees. I follow a dynamic strategic approach towards the problems and thus I am able to find out creative alternatives for deciding the problem solutions. Strategic approach is always preferred against issues and it will contribute to the achievement of success in future career goals. In the Finance Controllers position this feature would help me solve problems in an accurate manner. They explore creative alternatives for resolving their problem and choose the most appropriate alternative. This sorting and exploring process leads the individual and/or team to a clearer understanding of the problem and to improved decision making results. (Problem solving training- structured strategic approach 2006).
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Team building: I prefer team building approach to empower the subordinates for the fulfillment of assigned jobs in the most efficient manner. I am able to co ordinate the different functional level personnel in the most effective manner towards the organizational group goals. Team building is an essential factor as it is the basis of building consensus and it will contribute to achieve success in my future career as the Financial Controller. Developing of team spirit in the organizations will facilitate to get better co ordination and control among the human resources towards the team objectives. Team building is essentially a process involving participation, collaboration and nurturing of team spirit amongst the team members. This sense of team spirit is inculcated amongst participants in the team through interactive team exercises and group discussions. (Pandey 2008).
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Communication/ public speaking: In the first stage, my aim is to be in Assistant Financial Controllers position. In this position, I have to perform variety of duties, thus making me an expert in training and supervising staff accountants, reviewing and approving journal entries, analyzing the accounts, maintaining general ledger, preparing monthly financial statements, giving assistance to outside auditors, responding to governmental studies etc. Finance Controller should possess some interpersonal skill to manage people and to work in team.
Skills needed to be improved: Following are the specific skills which I need to improve for achieving my career goals and objectives:
Leadership
Leadership is an important skill required in any managerial position. In the work place for getting better operational results from the co workers, better direction and control should be provided and for this leadership is an essential quality.
I feel I need to further develop my leadership skills and positive interactions with peer groups and subordinates, which could help further develop leadership skills which will contribute to improved controlling of problem situations and to provide effective direction by harnessing of skill sets.
Multitasking
Multitasking is the human level ability to employ diverse multitask management tactics. (Freed n.d., p.3).
In the Finance Controller position, I will have to possess multitasking character for co-coordinating different functions effectively and efficiently towards the organizational goals.
I have to further develop multitasking ability through executive action and managerial learning. By developing multitasking tactics, I can effectively control and manage organizational financial resources of the organization in a controlled and economical manner.
Board interaction
I need to identify myself and discover the uniqueness and strengths of co-workers, capitalizes on them. I also need to improve my focused attention on contributing to the organization performance. I also understood that my attention towards the contribution of co-workers and their attitude and approach towards the work. I should have to develop interpersonal skills through active communication approach. I should have to keep openness in dealing with co-workers and this would facilitate better understanding of reasons of their wrong actions. Active listening also has to improve as it contributes to effective two way communication which improves mutual understanding and interfacing.
Learning Goals
My main goals are in terms of becoming an Assistant Financial Controller within the next year, or so. Thus I am working hard and smart in order to achieve my short term career goals. For this purpose, I have worked out certain career strategies, including enrolling myself for financial management courses and workshops conducted by professional financial institutions in my city and also reading books, journals and reading materials aligned with my professional career goals and objectives.
These strategies, combined with my interest and aptitude for hard work would surely make me achieve my aims and objectives. My long term objective is to become a Finance Director (Board Member) of a reputed MNC company, and I shall take up these long term measures over a period of time. It is necessary that people occupying top positions in industry and commerce possess a multitude of personal and professional skills, positive frame of mind and sound business attitudes. It is also very important for them to manage people effectively.
Thus learning goals need to be incorporated that would serve well in personal and professional lives. Goals need to be specific- become director of company, measurable earn minimum 12 lacs per annum, control, manage and direct a team of finance professionals in empowering financial strategies and profit/revenue generating for company Considering my talent and professional skills and experience, these are not unrealistic goals and this is to be achieved within 3 years time. It also entails practicing good management ethos. Institutionalization of management means setting measurable company goal, building organizations and systems, personal development plans with KPI (Key Performance Index). (Buckingham 2005).
Plan
One of the most effective tools to promote successful change is organization development (OD). As HR increasingly focuses on building organizational learning, skills and workforce productivity, the effective use of OD to help achieve company business goals and strategies is becoming a broad HR competency as well as a key strategic HR tool. (Organization development: a strategic HR tool 2009, p.1).
The main strategies and action plans would be in terms of improving present personal and professional skill sets through use of OD.. Since the leadership aspect needs to be improve, I would enroll myself in some good leadership enhancement courses including communication skills development. This is necessary since, however well a manager informed may be, he needs to communicate effectively in order to achieve his goals for managing and getting assigned tasks done effectively, efficiently and appropriately. Moreover professional education and training are also necessary to tackle unexpected developments at workplace. A well oriented management development program would prepare me to deal effectively with the various challenges that would arise from time to time in my profession as financial head.
For achieving my career goals, the help of my family members, bosses, peers and subordinates is important since their commitments reflect upon the delivery of sound work performance and sharing of responsibilities and risks associates with modern business. Their moral support, commitment to work, dedication and sincerity would reflect in all round development of company which would also help me achieve career goals and objectives. It is necessary to respond positively to challenges, to overcome them and quickly regain lost ground. Also it is necessary not only to have preplanning but also to respond according to the demands of particular situations.
Resources/References
The main aspects that helped in this plan were my personal experiences and also the research done in websites. Discussions with peer groups, colleagues and other members of the work force also contributed to the overall framework and fleshing out the salient points involved in this study. The use of reference books and other source materials cannot be ruled out, as it had provided food for thought and writing of this study.
The overarching goal is to build high-performance organizations that are a great place to work, with focus on both performance and people to lead to a competitive advantage. (Organization development: a strategic HR tool 2009, p.10).
It is believed that proper development of these competencies provide the necessary insight into development plans for finance professional like me to expand not only the skill sets of subordinates, but in the process, also refine and develop the management skills of managers.
References
Buckingham, M 2005, Harvard business review: what great managers do, vol.83, no.3, p. 70-79.
Freed, M n.d., Multitasking under time pressure and uncertainty: challenge. Web.
Kolbs theory of learning styles: reflective observations (RO) n.d. Web.
Organization development: a strategic HR tool: introduction 2009, All Business A D&B Company. Web.
Organization development: a strategic HR tool: HR professional 2009, All Business A D&B Company. Web.
Problem solving training- structured strategic approach 2006, Bright Training & Safety Wear. Web.
Pandey, S 2008, Importance of team building, ArticleSnatch. Web.
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