PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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ABSTRACT
This professional development plan has been formulated with the aim of guiding one towards achieving a career in electrical engineering. As such, the plan begins by evaluating the industry as well as my current standing in the field of electrical engineering. With that done, it will be possible to determine intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect my professional development through comprehensive SWOT analysis. Afterwards, one will be able to formulate several SMART objectives that are aligned with eliminating inherent weaknesses in my self-development while simultaneously driving me towards my future career path. Furthermore, evaluating the job specifications necessitated by professional electrical engineers will be beneficial for identifying areas where my competency is inadequate for undertaking the occupation. In the end, the professional development plan makes crucial deductions on how to embrace future successes and failures in my career goal.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Analysis of the Electrical Engineering Industry in the United Kingdom.. 4
Outline of Career Development Plan. 5
Creating and Updating My CV.. 10
Identification of Job Specifications for Future Career Ambitions. 10
Contrasting Current Skills and Experience for Desired Future Role. 11
Personal Development throughout the Year 12
Recent Successes and Failures. 12
Future Development Challenges in Electrical Engineering. 13
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
My ambition in life for as long as I can remember has been to pursue a professional career in electrical engineering. For that reason, I have dedicated several years of my life in pursuit of this goal. However, it is important to discern that the difficulty and complexity of this undertaking have impeded my ability to reach the professional heights that I desire. With that said, this professional development plan will serve as a valuable tool for orienting me towards my future goals. Through this tool, I will be capable of evaluating my current position in life with the aim of researching optimal strategies that would enable me to become a proficient electrical engineer in any field, particularly with regards to renewable energy through wind energy. On top of that, this plan will also be useful in minimizing distractions often associated with day to day life.
Analysis of the Electrical Engineering Industry in the United Kingdom
The field of electrical engineering in the United Kingdom is extremely broad and diversified. As such, there are numerous professional opportunities that are associated with this industry. In my case, emphasis will be placed in the field of renewable energy technologies. According to recent studies, the United Kingdom has turned to renewable energy owing to the efficiency and environmental sustainability of this means of production (Allen et al., 2008). The finite supply of fossil fuels in the UK has enlightened the government to the uncertainty surrounding the use of non-renewable means of generating electricity (Allen et al., 2008). Moreover, the need for renewable electricity in the UK has escalated in response to growing power demands by electricity consumers. In summary, renewable energy is a field of electrical energy that will continue to grow at a rapid rate hence creating many vacant opportunities for fresh graduates like me.
Outline of Career Development Plan
In my opinion, the requirements for pursuing a career in electrical engineering are extremely numerous. Nonetheless, education and practical experience are often considered the key elements in this career (Kandel 2018). With regards to education, I deduced that pursuing a degree in electrical engineering from a renowned higher institution will be beneficial in the long-run. For that reason, I migrated to the UK to find competent educators who teach electrical engineering. When it comes to practical experience, I have undergone a few internship programs with the purpose of gaining real-world knowledge on renewable energy technology. By combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on knowledge, I believe that I am taking the biggest steps towards achieving an occupation in electrical engineering.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
Based on my personal examination, I have deduced that there are several intrinsic strengths and weaknesses that affect my career development. Foremost, my personal strengths enable me to endure and thrive in difficult situations. In my opinion, my greatest strengths are flexibility and critical thinking. For most people, obstacles typically prevent them from reaching the peak of their dreams and ambitions. In contrast, I see obstacles as stepping stones for self-development. Nowadays, it is common for professional electrical engineers to encounter unpredictable situations in their day-to-day lives. Hence, engineers who prove that they can handle unexpected events and work under pressure are given precedence over engineers who are inflexible. In brief, flexibility and critical thinking are two traits that will give me a competitive edge over other prospective employees in the engineering industry.
Weaknesses
After looking at my personal strengths, it will be crucial to evaluate my personal weaknesses. In my case, the key weakness affecting my professional development is communication. Unlike most graduates in campus, I was not born a native citizen of the United Kingdom. In essence, my origin from a Spanish background has amplified the extent to which language barriers have affected my communication. Ever since I came to UK, I have been compelled to improve how I communicate with others in English. Learning English as a second language has been quite a challenge since I was accustomed to communicating in Spanish. A slight error in grammar or pronunciation can completely alter the meaning of my statements. If this weakness is not addressed, I will be unable to communicate with my fellow electrical engineers in the workplace.
Opportunities
Beyond the intrinsic factors, it is vital to understand how extrinsic factors such as opportunities and weaknesses affect my professional development. My greatest opportunity in the industry lies in the growing movement towards renewable technology. The UK’s decision to indoctrinate renewable electricity to the grid symbolizes the potential of this sector (Baloch, Wang, and Kaloi 2016). If more companies move towards renewable technology, it will be easier to gain practical experience through attachment and internship programs. Furthermore, there are various projects that have been proposed that will entail solar energy, wind energy or geothermal energy. In my case, wind energy offers significant benefits since there are over 650 existing wind installations and 1500 proposed projects in the UK (Allen et al., 2008). Clearly, renewable energy is a lucrative opportunity for my career development.
Threats
The key threats to my professional development stem from the engineering industry itself. In spite of the novelty of my career path, there is insufficient knowledge concerning wind as renewable energy. Recent studies indicate that knowledge related to the performance and yield potential of wind projects is still empirically inadequate (Allen et al., 2008). Moreover, wind energy is often considered less predictable than solar energy. This information explains why the country relied on non-renewable energy for supplying electricity to consumers. If this problem continues, young electrical engineering who pursue renewable energy will be unable to find employment in wind generating stations. Thus, it is evident that there are considerable threats to my professional development.
SMART OBJECTIVES
My SMART objectives were formulated in accordance with whether they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.
- Overcome English as a language barrier
As aforementioned, my biggest weakness is my inability to communicate using fluent English. In the UK, language barriers in foreign students can be addressed through ESL (English as a second language) classes (Simpson and Cooke 2018). In the end, this objective will serve to improve the augment my English competency levels through speech and other literal skills. With enough practice, a single year will be enough to enable me to achieve this goal. However, I plan to continue practicing English until I gain mastery of the language. For me, the best-case scenario will be to achieve basic fluency so that it will be impossible to identify my Spanish accent whenever I speak.
- Improve overall grade merit
This objective is oriented towards improving my academic performance during respective semesters. My academic achievement levels will be considered an accurate benchmark of my performance as an engineer. Hence, it will require me to dedicate additional efforts to lectures, practical lessons and assignments. With that done, it will be possible to improve my academic performance in various course units offered on campus that semester. Although this goal will aid me to acquire a distinctive degree, it will also set me apart as an ambitious and hardworking engineer by prospective employers.
- Improve communication skills by interacting with professional engineers
Like the first goal, this objective is aligned with removing language barriers and communication weaknesses. My intention will be to not only practice speaking English but to also interact with other professionals in the engineering environment. On top of that, it will give me access to relevant connections that will accelerate my career development. In order for me to gain a competitive edge in the industry, it will be crucial to establish long-standing networks with qualified professional engineers who handle engineering. In general, this objective will serve to gain mentorship in the industry. Personally, I believe that annual conferences hosted by engineering societies will offer me the greatest rewards.
- Choose a career path in line with “wind power”
Successful engineers are required to be foresighted hence it is in my best interest to find a suitable career path for my career development in renewable energy. In my opinion, focusing on wind energy will serve to increase my insight into renewable technology. On top of that, it will give me an advantage in finding suitable work experience before I graduate. In spite of the difficulty of this undertaking, it will be possible to achieve the objective in a step-by-step methodology. In the end, I believe that wind power is the most productive direction for my career.
- Gain work experience aligned with my chosen career path
For hands-on professions like engineering, practical experience is a necessity that separates competent employees from the incompetent ones (Kandel 2018). With that said, finding attachment and internship opportunities for electrical engineers will be fruitful for my career development. In this case, I will focus my endeavors on renewable energy sites, specifically wind generating stations. With this knowledge, I believe that I will gain an advantage over other candidates who will be vying for the same job vacancies. Nonetheless, it will be important to undertake internship programs during long holiday breaks otherwise it would harm my academic performance.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Creating and Updating My CV
The formulated career development plan will be factored into my resumé hence it is only necessary for me to update my CV. Presently, I have listed some certifications which reveal the extent of my competencies. During my time in Spain, I was able to achieve a variety of certifications: City & Guilds IEE Regulations, Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), Emergency First Aid, IOSH, UKTA, SAFE & SURE – Fire Marshall and Extinction and lastly Legionella and Legionnaires. Although most of these certifications were issued in Spain, I believe that the universality of engineering skills indicate that my practical skills are superlative. With that said, I have included wind energy as the direction of my future career path thus I will seek career opportunities aligned to this direction of renewable energy.
Identification of Job Specifications for Future Career Ambitions
In order to achieve my ambitions, I have carried out intensive research into the job specifications of electrical engineers pursuing a career in wind power. Foremost, wind engineers are required to be proficient in providing technical support for wind turbines. In addition to that, they should be familiar with the mechanics behind the generation of electricity using wind power (Baloch, Wang, and Kaloi 2016). Typical engineers evaluate wind generation plants to ascertain whether they are in compliance with environmental requirements. For that reason, it will be crucial to understand IEEE regulations as well as environmental policies concerning wind power plants (Linsley 2018). In other cases, wind engineers will be required to optimize the layout of wind farms hence it will be important for me to understand the electrical framework behind electrical generation plants. Therefore, it is only necessary for me to acquaint myself with the mechanisms of generating electricity so that I can prepare for my chosen career path.
Contrasting Current Skills and Experience for Desired Future Role
Based on my personal evaluation, I believe that the amount of practical experience I have gives me an advantage in any field of electrical engineering. For instance, my experience working as a maintenance technician in the UK accelerates my ability to understand electrical and mechanical systems during the breakdown of key components (Linsley 2018). Moreover, my history as an installation electrician gives me an edge in installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical circuits during construction. For the aforementioned careers, I have a list of suitable referees who can vouch for my character and overall competency. Nonetheless, I have discerned that my current work experience is insufficient to allow me to qualify for a career in wind power. Therefore, I have been compelled to contrast my current skills with those desired in my future role.
In conclusion, my experience with wind power is severely lacking. Without the necessary expertise, it will be difficult to acquire a career that meets the specifications of my chosen career. My path to becoming an engineer who handles wind power begins with improving my ability to communicate with others. At the same time, I will be studying to increase my overall grade merit as well as my academic achievement. If I become fluent enough, I will be able to network with professional engineers with the aim of getting a foothold in the industry of wind power. Afterwards, I will graduate in a few years’ time with exceptional merit. If this plan goes as intended, I will have achieved both the practical and theoretical requirements for electrical engineers handling wind power.
DISCUSSION
Personal Development throughout the Year
Currently, I am in my second year of electrical engineering but I feel like I still have a long way to go. In my opinion, my professional development is growing at a gradual pace. However, I am still making efforts to overcome some of the challenges that I experience in my day to day life. For instance, language barriers have been a big challenge to my growth as an engineer. Without the ability to communicate fluently, I have often been unable to interact. On top of that, this challenge affected by performance in class since it influenced my ability t make presentations during assessments. Also, right now I am 31 years old so it can be a bit challenging to interact with my classmates who are slightly younger than me. In addition to that, I have noticed that my motivation during lectures has diminished because it has been too long since I last considered myself a student. In summary, my year has been full of challenges.
Recent Successes and Failures
In spite of those failures, I am glad to say that I have enjoyed certain successes during my second year at campus. Foremost, my academic performance during the year exceeded my expectations. From my perspective, the year was quite difficult owing to the complexity of routine assessments coupled with my inability to communicate fluently using English. Given those challenges, it was surprising to find that my overall grade merit was not negatively affected. Moreover, I believe that I have improved my ability to communicate using English. Although I cannot confidently say that I have gained fluency in English, I have noticed that my literal and verbal skills have significantly improved. All in all, my accomplishments during this second year of studying electrical engineering outweigh my failures.
Future Development Challenges in Electrical Engineering
In the near future, I have foreseen several changes in the field of renewable energy. With the world emphasizing renewable energy, it is apparent that there will be an increase in employment opportunities in solar, wind and ground-based power plants (Allen et al., 2008). Correspondingly, the UK offers significant growth for my career as an electrical engineer. It is my hope that I will have attained a suitable and well-paying job that will satisfy my career ambitions. Beyond that, it is still uncertain whether my foreign nationality will affect my career progression. Countries like UK are renowned for prioritizing employment opportunities for local citizens and neglecting expatriates (Varma, Pichler, and Budhwar, 2011). If this problem escalates, it will hinder my ability to seek employment in wind power plants. Therefore, it can be perceived that the future of renewable energy is extremely unpredictable.
CONCLUSION
To sum up, this development plan will be valuable for paving my career’s progression in the direction of wind energy. For that to happen, I have formulated several SMART objectives that allow me to augment my strengths while at the same time eliminating my weaknesses. Currently, language barriers are my biggest problem. When I overcome this challenge, I will have taken a crucial step towards becoming a competent electrical engineer who deals with wind power. Even though I have not yet graduated as an engineer, I have faith that my previous career as an electrician will bridge the necessary gaps in knowledge and technical expertise.
References
Allen, S.R., Hammond, G.P. and McManus, M.C., 2008. Prospects for and barriers to
domestic micro-generation: A United Kingdom perspective. Applied Energy, 85(6), pp.528-544.
Baloch, M.H., Wang, J. and Kaloi, G.S., 2016. A review of the state-of-the-art control
techniques for wind energy conversion system. International Journal of Renewable Energy Research (IJRER), 6(4), pp.1276-1295.
Kandel, A., 2018. Engineering Risk and Hazard Assessment: Volume I. CRC Press.
Linsley, T., 2018. Basic electrical installation work. Routledge.
Simpson, J. and Cooke, M., 2018. Teaching Culture in Adult ESOL in the UK. The TESOL
Encyclopaedia of English Language Teaching, pp.1-5.
Varma, A., Pichler, S. and Budhwar, P., 2011. The relationship between expatriate job level
and host country national categorization: An investigation in the UK. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(01), pp.103-120.
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