Explore the importance of on-going professional development and self-directed learning to enhance professional identity and career opportunities.

LO1 Explore the importance of on-going professionall development and self-directedlearning to enhance professional identity and career opportunities.

On-going professional development

On-going professional development is a continuing process of developing professional skills that are required by the individual in their operational activities. It is important to understand that through the use of the on-going professional development employees within the Hospitality organization can evidently build their skills, and competencies to be operational more effective in the firm's business activities. In the modern age of competitive business the need of on-going professional development has increased as this helps the organization in building a professional and highly developed workforce that will help the organization in conducting their operations effectively.  It is important to understand that through the use of On-going professional development individuals can develop their professional skills continuously for becoming a better employee contribution to the firm's operation in a more productive manner.

Examine the key benefits of on-going professional development for different stakeholders within a specific organisation

The current observation or field visit for exploring the importance of On-going professional development and self-directed learning was done by visiting the Marriott Hotel within the UK. It is one of the biggest hotel chains present within the United Kingdom. It is important to understand that on-going professional development in firm has huge benefits of the On-going professional development for different stakeholders in the firm and they are as follows:

1. On-going professional development benefits for the employees of the firm: Employees are the internal stakeholders of the firm and they are the one that directly get benefited from the process. This is because through the help of continuous development the employees become more skilful and competent to operate in a more efficient manner (Sanchez-Franco, 2017). 
2. On-going professional development benefits for the management of the firm: Now management of the firm is also an internal stakeholder of the firm and they also get benefited with the on-going professional development. This is because through the use of this process the management of the firm is able to develop a well skilled and competent workforce that is highly efficient in nature and can provide high quality of service to the customers of the firm. 
3. On-going professional development benefits for the customers of the firm: Customers are the external stakeholders of Marriott Hotel in the UK and they are also benefited from the On-going professional development that goes on within the firm's operations. This is because through this process the employees become more efficient and are able to render high quality service to their customers and the standards of professionalism is high. In this way customer service quality increases which benefits both the firm as well as the customers of the firm (Rita, 2018). 

Investigate professional employer expectations of skills and competencies within a specific organisational context

The skills and competencies that are expected from the professional employer within Marriottare as follows;

1. Interpersonal skills:  The employer in Marriott expects good interpersonal skills from the employee to make sure the employee is able to engage with customers of the firm to provide them good service and resolve their problems. The employer looks at how well the employee is able to engage with customers and the management of the firm for efficient operations of the company. 
2. Attitude: The attitude of the employee should be positive and the following must have passion for the business and operations. This is the expectation which the employer of Marriott has from their employee.  This is because they need anyone who is passionate about hospitality management as in this way they will operate effectively for the growth of the business (Stewart, 2018).
3. Communication: Communication skills are also expected from the employer of this hotel. The employer expects good communication skills from the employee to make sure that the following are able to effectively communicate within the operations of the firm which make the operation effective in nature. 
4. Flexibility: Work flexibility is also expected from the employer of Marriott this is because the following feel that the employee must be flexible in operating for the firm in this way the company will be able to develop a flexible workforce that is able to adapt to different conditions and changes that occur in the operations of the firm.
5. Problem solving: The employer of the firm also looks at the problem solving skills of the employee to make sure the employees are able to counter the problems faced in the operations of the hotel or to mitigate a conflict with the customer within the workplace. 

Importance of on-going professional development

The importance of on-going professional development plan is as follows;

1. The first important aspect of an on-going professional development plan is that it is very efficient to make sure that there is continuous growth within the workforce of the firm. As well to ensure that the workforce operational standards are increasing in a constant manner. 
2. The second importance that is there due to the presence of the on-going professional development plan is the service and operational quality of the firm which benefits the company in the market. The firm is able to provide a great quality of service which makes sure that there is an increase in goodwill and brand value of Marriott Hotel (ZAIN, 2017). 

Advantages and disadvantages of on-going professional development to the organization

The advantages of the on-going professional development process within Marriott Hotel are as follows;

The firm is able to gain competitive advantage in the market by continuously increasing the operational efficiency of the workforce. In this way there is a better quality of service that the firm is able to produce to its customer giving it a competitive edge within the market.

The disadvantage of the on-going professional development process within Marriott Hotel is as follows;

The company sometimes becomes very rigorous and this can have a negative impact over the motivations of the employee within the firm (Yang, 2017).

LO2 Assess own skills, competencies and the different learning and development approaches

Assess own abilities, skills and competences for a specific job role

In a hospitality department, the role of a catering manager is to check all the day to day activities that are related to catering services. It is the work of a catering manager to check the quality of food my monitoring them. A catering manager is the one who leads an entire team of catering services for the hotel and keeps on checking on the outlets. The catering manager also keeps in mind that the food quality is maintained with a budget friendly cost and also the hygiene is maintained properly. The skills and abilities that I have in order to become a catering manager are discussed below:

• Time management skills- It is important to maintain a proper time in order to execute all the operations on time. Managing all the activities within a certain time is required as a catering manager. Maintaining a proper time also helps in managing the entire team who are under the catering manager (Stewart, 2016).
• Quick Decision making skills- It is important to make decision during the emergency time. Making a quick decision helps in reducing the risk factor as well as also avoids difficulties that can be faced by the entire staffs. During the predicament situation making proper decision quickly helps to solve the problem in a faster way.
• Proper Knowledge Food and Hygiene- As a catering manager there are some responsibilities that cannot be avoid. Health is one of the most important factors for the customers. Proper knowledge of food and hygiene provides to work in a safer way. Maintaining a proper hygiene will helps to avoid the spread of any food poisoning and any infection (Beausaert et al. 2015).
• Budgeting and stock maintaining skills- Being a catering manager it is important to maintain a proper budget for food and also maintains the quality. Providing budget friendly food with good quality and taste is beneficial for the business. Setting up a proper budget for food and maintain the taste and quality will attract a lot of customers every day.
• Team Management and leadership skills- Being a catering manager the responsibility becomes also high. In order to provide the best quality of service to both the customer as well as the organisation a proper team is required with proper guidance. The leadership and team management skills helps to maintain a team and show them proper guidance through which they will be able to handle each and every situation. The leadership skills help the catering manager to lead the team in a professional way.

Review of different learning theories and approaches used for personal and professional development processes

There are many learning theories and different approaches that can be used for personal development. Some of the theory likes Cognitive theory and Social Theory that can help in the personal and professional development. By using the Social Learning Theory I will be able to develop my way of learning things in a different way. According to the Social Learning Theory an individual can able to learn things by observing the work or behaviour of other people. It can be said that people learn things from their teachers, parents or from their friends by observing them or listening to them. By using the Social Learning Theory I will be able to learn from my seniors when they will provide any guidelines and instructions. Being a catering a manager it is my duty to serve the team and take care of all the outlets and maintain a proper hygiene for the customers of the organisation (PLANNING, 2018).

Following the learning theories and approaches my inner skills will be developed and it will help me to understand things in a more precise manner. Another method which I can use in order to develop personally and professionally is the Cognitive Theory of Learning. The Cognitive Theory of Learning is the way through which a personal by practice or using their memory can learn things easily. Through the Cognitive way of learning method it will be easier for me tolearn all the respective things only by hearing and memorizing it. Through both the learning process it becomes easier to develop the personal as well as the professional method of learning and understanding things. Using both or following both the methods of learning, I will be able to develop my innate potentialities and qualities. The two theory of learning which includes Cognitive Theory of learning and Social Theory of learning helps to develop the professional and personal skills.

LO3 Design a professional development plan, within a specific work context

SMART Personal Development Plan

The personal development plan is to make one better so that one can achieve the goal. By using the SMART framework I will be able to develop my personal qualities. The following points are mentioned below:

• Specific- A goal is to be fixed that has to be achieved and it will help me to understand my motive for becoming a catering manager.
• Measurable- The goal can be measured by tracking its progress and success.
• Attainable- Once the goal is set then it becomes easier to attain the goal by using various resources of different types of tools.
• Relevant- The goal of the company or the person becomes a mission for which an individual try to develop their skills in order to fulfil the mission.
• Time Based- Every goal has a deadline before which it needs to be fulfilled. It is important to fulfil all the goals before the given deadline.

By using the SMART framework I will be able to develop some more skills that are required in order to become an expert in the catering manager field. The skill that is needed to be developed is the motivational skill. With the help of motivational skill it will be easier to motivate the team so that they can work better. Employ motivation is important as they face new challenges every day and still they try to do their work adequately and sincerely. Another skill that I need to develop is the problem solving skill. Being a catering manager there are many challenges which comes every single day. There can be instances where it will be difficult to handle the situation so developing the problem solving skill is necessary (Grit, 2019).

LO4 Demonstrate a range of service industry and transferable skills for a job application

In this section a detailed research is to be conducted regarding the inclusion of suitable interviews for the job roles for hospitality management operations. Hence a suitable interview is to be induced in order to hire employees for the servicing in the hospitality management operation. The suitable person who is qualified and skilled enough to handle the workload of the hospitality management and services is to be chosen. The factors and aspects along with equations that are to be listed in the interview needs to be evaluated and included in the interview in order to identify and hire suitable people for the job and services for the period. The section consists of two part interviews and strengths and weakness evaluation of the interview process. These sections are evaluated and discussed as follows:

Critical reflection on the mock interview for service industry

In order to have adequate employees and staff we decided to conduct a suitable interview that will evaluate the fundamental requirement, any of the company the selection of the staff will be done according to such procedures. For the conduction of the interview we have decided to have few questions and some practical tasks that will evaluate the required skills of the interviewee. In this context it is also to be added that the inclusion of the interview process has been required by us in order to have essential numbers of staff that will maintain the hospitality services of the association (Grit, 2017). 

The process of the interview has been done through the inclusion of two sections. The firm's section was theoretical interview including various questions and the second phrase was practical interview. The practical tasks were allocated to the interviewees based on their qualifications and experiences along with the conducted activities of the association. 

The theoretical interview was done by interviewing the interested candidates through the observation of their CV and other basic skills and characteristics. They were questioned with some of the association and work related factors and aspects to complete the process. These questions are as follows:

1. How did you hear about the role?
2. What do you know about the company?
3. Why did you apply?
4. What are your key professional strengths?
5. Why should we hire you?
6. Do you have any questions for us?
7. What's your definition of hard work?
8. Why are you leaving your current job (if any)?
9. In five minutes, could you explain something to me that is complicated but you know well?

These questions were mainly to create an order to judge the characteristics and mental strength of the interviewees. Not only those there capabilities to handle rapid situations along with various fluctuations in the association operations and requirements. The presence of mind of the interviewees are also evacuated through the conduction of the questioning during the interview. 

There were few practical tasks that were provided to the interviewees to observe their hand skills and work speed. Few tasks such as the identification of hospitality situations, gathering essential hospitality products and equipment, identifying situations for certain responses have been allocated to the interviewees. 

Strengths and weaknesses of the applied job interview process  

According to the conducted interview it is observed that the interviewees have been evaluated through various questions and practical tasks in order to identify and evaluate their working capacities and knowledge regarding the hospitality services and its essentialities. The interviewees are judged and hired based on the results of the interview procedure. However there may be done issues and flaws regarding the interview procedures and methods that have been conducted. There are certainly some points that are good but there may arise some negative feedback regarding the interview procedures. The identified strengths and weakness of the interview are as follows:

Strengths

The interview procedures are essential to identify and observe the potentials of the candidates regarding hospitality activities and operations.

The interview provides essential knowledge to us regarding the qualifications and skills of the interviewees regarding the hospitality services. 

The interview also helps in gathering adequate information on every candidate and provides an opportunity to have detailed comparison regarding the employee operations. This provides benefits in identifying suitable staff and employees to service in the association. 

The suitable candidate regarding the hospitality services and requirements of the firm is identified through the inclusion of the detailed interview procedures (Chathoth, 2017).  

Weaknesses 

There may arise few negative aspects of the interview procedures. The procedures and strategies that are applied in the interview may not be adequate enough to justify the needs to get the association during the period. .

The procedures of the interview may lack the essential factors that are required to the associations regarding the interviews. The interviewer must have enough knowledge and awareness to have suitable interview procedures that define and highlight the requirements of the hospitality services.

The interviewer may skip essential observing points regarding the interviewees in managing other sections of the procedures. Thus the firm must have more than one interviewer to have sustained monitoring of the interview. Lack of this may cause major harm to the association.

There can be issue of maintenance in the interview programmes during the period. The inclusion of suitable interview schedule and programme must be included in order to have proper procedure. Lack of these precautions can cause major issues in the interview operations and organisational structure (Beausaert, 2015).

References

Beausaert, S., Segers, M. and Grohnert, T., 2015. Personal Development Plan, Career Development, and Training. The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Training, Development, and Performance Improvement, p.336.

Chathoth, P.K., Chan, E.S. and Harrington, R.J., 2017. Co-creating customer experience: the role of employees in tourism and hospitality services. In Co-Creation in Tourist Experiences (pp. 123-138). Routledge.

Grit, R., 2019. Managing your competencies: personal development plan. Routledge.

PLANNING, C., 2018. Personal Development Plan.

Rita, P., Oliveira, T., Estorninho, A. and Moro, S., 2018. Mobile services adoption in a hospitality consumer context. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research.

Sanchez-Franco, M.J., Cepeda-Carrion, G. and Roldán, J.L., 2019. Understanding relationship quality in hospitality services. Internet Research.

Stewart, J., 2016. Personal development plan. In Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

Taheri, B., Coelho, F.J., Sousa, C.M. and Evanschitzky, H., 2017. Mood regulation, customer participation, and customer value creation in hospitality services. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Tontini, G., dos Santos Bento, G., Milbratz, T.C., Volles, B.K. and Ferrari, D., 2017. Exploring the nonlinear impact of critical incidents on customers’ general evaluation of hospitality services. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 66, pp.106-116.

Yang, W. and Mattila, A.S., 2017. The impact of status seeking on consumers’ word of mouth and product preference—A comparison between luxury hospitality services and luxury goods. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 41(1), pp.3-22.

ZAIN, N.R.M., Hasan, R. and Finieli, S.T., 2018. Hijabophobia: A Closed Eye Challenge towards Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Syariah and Law, 6(3), pp.1-9