Professional Skills - Assignment Example

? TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Employment criteria expected in first job………………………………………2 SME and its employment potential……………………………………………..3 Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of a Computer Professional……………….4 Hard and Soft skill to offer the employer……………………………………….6 Potentiality in team skill………………………………………………………...8 My experience and ability in team skill…………………………………………9 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………….10 Topic - Professional Skills Introduction Professional skill can be defined as the abilities and knowledge needed for the development of professional aspect of a person. People gain professional skill by working in different job atmosphere. Professional skill is extremely important to progress in career and this can be acquired by consistent coaching and experience at work place. One has to invest time and effort to gain professional skill as it is a lifelong asset. In his article Wilcox, (2010) mentions that “Professional development also includes the full range of intellectual discipline, from conceptual understanding to the practical application of knowledge”. Working in different job environment and acquiring new information and knowledge about particular profession enhance the professional skill of an individual. In order to acquire perfect professional skill an extensive knowledge in current technology is also essential. Since the world is progressing at a staggering rate, the demands of employers and customers are getting high. The public is highly knowledgeable and sophisticated and hence demands high care and service from the professionals. Even organizations which are modern require professionals who are qualified and exceptionally skilled. They want their employees to be extremely good at communication and interpersonal skills and offer quality service to the organization. If the professionals are less competent they can lag behind in their profession .It is also essential for the professional t o learn continually when they are at work. Professional skills can vary in every individual as it is depended upon the personality and training received by a person. People who understand and assess their own skill have a better opportunity to grow in a professional environment Employment Criteria Expected in First Job As a graduate in Business computing, certain employment criteria’s are looked in for when joining a new Job. Since I have just finished the education, the anticipation is to join a company which can give me maximum professional knowledge relating to my fieild.The employment offer should be from a multinational company as it can increase my exposure to outside world and also deliver maximum opportunity to understand more intense technical skills. The company should be efficient in providing training to enhance my professional skills so that I can deliver maximum service to the company. I want to join a company who values my ability and have trust and faith in me. As per Wise Geek(2011)“ To employees, faith and trust in an employer are extremely important. These two components will go a long way in earning an employee's respect, but there are a number of other factors to consider”. I must feel that the employer understand my professional skills and knowledge and put enough trust in me to do justice to my position in the new job. The employment also should offer a reasonable remuneration to me which I consider is compatible with my qualification and technical knowledge. The environment of the work place should also be safe, comfortable and friendly so that less discomfort is experienced while working. The work timings should not be too constraint as it can develop stress and pressure in personal life. Being a new professional, the credibility of the company also means a lot as the experience gained in the company can be a milestone in my career. SME and its employment potential SMEs are small medium enterprises who have certain limited number of employees preferably less than 50 in case of small ones and around 250 in case of medium ones. It is seen that employees working at small companies are more satisfied with their jobs and also are more loyal with the organization. Employees in small and medium enterprises practice more freedom at work and experience less stress level, bully at work and fewer complaints regarding long working hours. According to Woodcock (2011)“Small businesses that have recruited graduates have frequently found great benefits in terms of new ways of looking at problems, enthusiasm, and new skills brought into the company”. The disadvantage for working for an SME is that they have lesser goodwill and reputation unlike MNCS. They have less structured training programmed ,for eg. Companies like Microsoft send their fresh employees to USA to get trained and this can’t be expected with small and medium firms. Even salary package can be low with no allowance packages. When working for a large organization the prestige level and pride of the employee is high. The job security is also high and employees get high salary package and incentives. The work experience at large organization is varied and more potential. But large companies have its own share of disadvantages and problems. The employees of multinational companies are demanded to work in stressful atmosphere and for long hours. There is consistent evaluation and assessment of their work progress and hence pressure is high. Large companies have often rigid rules and regulations to follow which can annoy the employees. For e g. Companies like Hewlett – Packard expect their full time and part time employees to adhere strictly to their code of ethics. In comparison to small and large companies, working for self can be greatly a different experience. When working for self, one need not be concerned about pressure from employer and managers. One can work at his own pace and with great freedom as there is no managerial head to criticize him. The profit share for the work he is performing can be shared by him alone .One can also get the reputation of being a business man and get fame and name in the society. The disadvantage of it can be that there can be more struggles for the entrepreneur to earn goodwill and reputation in the business market. There is a need of capital investment and more responsibility need to be taken by one, as he is the owner of the business. For e.g., while working for oneself, the entire responsibility and accountability of the work is on yourself as you are the sole proprietor. So analyzing all these I would like to work for a SME as I would get experience and also freedom and respect at work on a great level. Ethical Duties and Responsibilities of a Computer Professional Every professional has some duties and responsibilities when it comes to their profession. In the same way, a computer professional has various duties and responsibilities when it comes to his profession. A computer professional in foremost must be able to understand and grasp the nature of computer system he is working with and the goal or objective of the same. He should work towards the enhancement of the system he is working on taking in consideration its limitation and potentiality. The employee must be aware of the ethical code of the system and should comply with it while working with the organization An employee must make sure that the employer is not infringing on patents or copyrights. He should make sure that the goal of the business is within the scope of business ethics. He should concentrate to work with utmost concentration and dedication in the organization with an intention to increase the productivity of the company. In his article Loui (2007) writes that“ Whether a computing professional works as a consultant to an individual or as an employee in a large organization, the professional is obligated to perform assigned tasks competently, according to professional standards”. A computing professional has an obligation to perform his work with technical excellence and also should be aware of the social consequences of the computer on public, operators and users. The computer professional must be transparent when it comes to the risks and capabilities of the computer system. A computer professional when designing a computer system should keep in mind the client’s specification as well as the affect of system on the life of the user. He should be candid about the faults and errors of the software particularly when it comes to safety –critical system. The computer professional have the responsibility to let the customer know about the risks, faults which are known and unknown about the computer system or software. Moreover, when working for an employer, the computing professional should be secretive about the proprietor’s trade information’s. Apart from trade secrets, the computing professional should also respect he intellectual property possessed by his employer. Above all this every employee is supposed to work with full loyalty and dedication in an organization. Hard and Soft skill to offer the employer Every employer looks in for some hard skill and soft skill from his employees. According to Reyston University (2011)“Hard skills are usually related to professional knowledge, tools, or techniques that allow us to work within our profession”. Hard skills are knowledge which a person has with related to computer package and the professional qualification which one holds. It also relate to the analytical skill he possess and his reasoning ability and cognitive skills. I think I have good professional qualification to project to my employer as I have Graduation in Business computing. I have detailed knowledge with related to computing field and this would be a positive aspect for the company. I am also keen on innovation and developing new ideas with related to software and computer system performance. I have knowledge with machinery operations, safety measures and computer protocol which will be of great benefit to organization. Moreover financial procedures and sale skill also are hard skill needed in an organization which I am not very efficient on. I expect to get training on these areas as these are skill which is developed on training and coaching. I have good knowledge with numeracy skills and my computer skills are par excellence. I am not efficient with written communication and want to improve in that area. Although, I am average in writing programs I can improve with experience and training. All these hard skills which I have to offer will be an advantage to my employer and can be potential to the organization. On the other hand, soft skills are largely related to communication, engaging in conversation, interpersonal skills, listening, delivering feedbacks, co – operation with co – workers, problem solving skill and participation in meetings and settling conflicts. As per Performance support (2006)“soft skills (also called “people skills”) are typically hard to observe quantify and measure. People skills are needed for everyday life as much as they’re needed for work”. I am very confident at my communicating skills and problem solving skill and relate to people easily However, I feel I need to acquire more knowledge regarding my communication skill and also need to improve my proficiency in English. Even my observation skills are poor which I need to work on. Since I am new in profession I am not good with decision making and would like to gain experience in that area. Soft skills are really important to a computing professional as it helps him in improving his career. Since I am good in communicating with people I will have an advantage in work place. I am confident that I can maintain a good rapport with my clients due to my interpersonal and communicating skill. I believe my marketing skills need to be enhanced and this is possible when I gain more knowledge in my work place. Skills like project management, team work problem solving skill all need to be polished while working and I am looking forward to get a position which will allow improving all the potentiality stored in me. Potentiality in Team Skill Employers are normally interested in the employee’s potentiality to develop in a career rather than their existing knowledge. The employers want to see the enthusiasm and motivation in an applicant while they apply for job. The applicant should be able to impress the employer regarding his team skill which is a core aspect in any job. Today the business world has become more of a social activity than dictatorial regime. Most of the employer looks in for team skill in an employee as organizations work with a co – operation from numerous numbers of employees. An employee should be able to communicate with the team members in a constructive manner so that the productivity of the firm is increased. It is essential for a candidate to prove to his employer that he is a team player and can handle delegating work to others and take responsibility. In his article Pyatt(2007)writes that“Team members need the ability to state ideas or questions clearly, listen to others attentively, and to resolve disagreements in a non-confrontational manner. This is a skill that many students may lack. ”. Teams are formed on a short term basis to conduct immediate business activities and in such cases an employee must be alert and extremely supportive with his team members. Team building is only possible if the communication and interpersonal skill of the applicant is effective. One should have an understanding of the team’s vision and goal, team roles, process of working .Negotiations and decision making skill of the person should also be efficient to work in a team. It is also important for employers to look in for the problem solving skill of applicant as it would help in avoiding conflicts in My Experience and Ability in Team Skill As a graduate employee I can assure my employer that I am a hard worker and can be reliable and supportive. I can get done work faster and have the technical skill needed for it. I can meet the commitments as I work with planning and I am consistent in my working pattern. I can give good performance as a team player and express my ideas and thoughts clearly with the team members. According to Facts on file Inc.(2009,pg18) “ Developing team skills will help prepare you for working with a group of people”. I respect others and honor their ideas and comments and also communicate with them directly and precise. I don’t shy away from conveying my thought to others and is confident about my suggestions and recommendations. I believe that good listening skill is the core to being a team player and hence pay full attention to what others are saying. I have experience in working on my projects at graduation where I had to communicate and listen to the team members in clear cut manner.Moslty, I come prepared to attend for the team meeting and listen and speak effectively among team members. This I believe is a big advantage to my career as communication is the key to career growth. I fully engage in team discussion as I am not a passive member. I take initiative in delivering ideas and solution to problems and assist in making things work. I am keen on contributing to the success of the team and share my knowledge and experience with others in a positive way. I am extremely co – operative and know to use the skill of others in getting things done. I am also flexible in my working style and hence can be greatly productive to my employer. Conclusion Professional skills are very important for the career development of a new graduate job applicant. Every employer looks in for certain skill and abilities in a new employee. An employee needs to use his maximum skill and abilities in an organization to increase its productivity and his own career graph. As a computing professional, an employee should be well versed with technical knowledge and software development process. He should be aware of the knowledge acquired from his academic study and other training procedures. He should be able to apply the computer skills he learnt during graduation in his work place. He should built is confidence in specific skills related to computing system and enhance his professional value as a computing professional. As per U.S Department of Labor(2008,pg .131)“Employers look for professionals with an ever - broader background and range of skills, including technical knowledge and also communication and other interpersonal skills”. Computer professional must be able to think logically and have good communication skill to deal with colleagues and clients. So as a fresh graduate looking for a job, one need to make sure that he choose an organization according to his capabilities and skill. One should analyze themselves well before choosing the organization and understand his positive and negative aspects as a professional. A graduate computer professional has many dreams when he passes out from college, and to get a better position in good company he should make best use of his skills and abilities. Bibliography B.Woodcock. 2011. Working for Small Businesses. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sme.htm. [Accessed 05 August 11]. .E.J.Pyatt. 2007. Basic Skills . [ONLINE] Available at: http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/teams/about/teamskills.html. [Accessed 05 August 11]. Facts on file Inc., 2009. Teamwork Skills. 3rd ed. New York: Infobase Publishing M.C.Loui. 2007. Ethics and Professional Responsibility in Computing1. [ONLINE] Available at: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/loui/www/WileyFinal.pdf. [Accessed 05 August 11]. Performance Support Systems.. 2006. People Skill Training. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.praxisconsulting.org/PeopleSkills.pdf. [Accessed 05 August 11]. Reyston University. 2011. What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://ce-online.ryerson.ca/ce_2010-2011/default.aspx?id=2808. [Accessed 05 August 11]. U.S.Department of Labor, 2008. Occupational Outlook Handbook . 1st ed. New York: Skyhorse Publishing Inc. Wilcox,J.. 2010. Developing Professional Skills. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.materials.ac.uk/guides/developing.asp. [Accessed 05 August 11]. Wisegeek. 2011. How can I Earn Respect from my Employees?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/how-can-i-earn-respect-from-my-employees.htm. [Accessed 05 August 11]. Read More