CM0647 Project Management and Professional Development

(Formative Assessment)

A graduate student who acts as a professional will reap the rewards in many ways

Submitted by:

Nibul Roshan 10036639

Submission date: 24th January, 2011

A graduate student who acts as a professional will reap the rewards in many ways

Introduction
This report intends to emphasise the need of a graduate student to be more than just academically equipped, but to have a more professional approach to his or her studies and life, which will aid them in the future in more than one ways. Structure of the report This report is mainly a discussion on the advantages of having a professional behaviour during graduate studies. Conclusion From the findings in this report, it is evident that Graduate Students who infuse professional standards in their life definitely have an upper edge in their post-study life.

The Need for a Professional approach to graduate student life

The main aim of most graduate students is to get placed in a reputed company or start an enterprise of their own. Whatever the case may be, the final dream is to be successful in their future endeavours. This is where the advantages of a professional approach to life or studies come in. According to Tshibangu (2010) Todays employers are not just looking for academically high scoring Graduates, but those who have a deeper knowledge and understanding of their work area and have a multitude of skills with a professional attitude. Just scoring higher marks and not having any professional skills can have a negative effect on both cases of either getting placed in a company or when starting an enterprise of ones own .One needs to be very adaptable and skill-full if he/she aims to succeed. While most employers recognize the importance of graduates personal characteristics, there is little agreement on the balance expected between these and their discipline specific technical knowledge, which is reflected on a book by Harvey, Burrows & Green, in 1992 (Burchell & Hodges, 2003, p17) . Then they go on to reveal that, a review of recent literature examining generic competencies required of graduates, points to increasing emphasis on personal attributes, rather than technical skills, which has been mentioned by many authors such as Liston in 1998, Meade & Andrews in 1995, Sweeney & Twomey in 1997, Stasz in 1997, Weisz in 1999. Personal and professional growth and development are areas of concern for practicing professional educators. These areas of concern include activities related to self-awareness, understanding and overcoming biases, being open-minded, and being effective (Nugent & Jones, 2005)

Professional development equips one with skills and ever updating knowledge of his subject area. A student who embraces professionalism will be able to analyse practical problems logically and think up innovative solutions. It will help them in improving their communication skills and also will enjoy group work effortlessly. The professional approach will contribute a lot to ones personal development according to Shores (2006). A student with a professional approach to life will be aware of their strengths and positives along with their shortcomings, their weaknesses and how, when and where to apply their energy on. They will have a self reflection of their values and will be able to improve themselves in many ways.

A Professional approach during graduate studies can help one in turning their weaknesses into strengths even before they get tested, after their student life, when they are entering a new life of professional competition in many areas. They will be well equipped when facing new challenges and will also have far better resources and contacts than the other students or graduates. According to Kubler & Forbes (2005) people who are matched well with their jobs are more productive, better motivated, perform better and are therefore more valuable to an organisation from the start of employment. The selection processes are getting more effective by matching of the knowledge, skills, attributes and abilities of candidates to role requirements the companies need. Students of all disciplines are increasingly developing highly marketable, work related skills during their higher education, skills of tangible and immediate value to employers and employers are specifically looking for such students. This alone can prove that a professional attitude throughout the graduation period can be a very important factor for future success.

Conclusion & Recommendations From the light of the report, it is very clear that a graduate student who acts as a professional will definitely outshine the others in almost all aspects and will get the returns in many ways. I would definitely recommend any graduate student to infuse a professional behaviour to his or her life before it is too late.

REFERENCES 1) Burchell, Noel & Dave Hodges (2003) Business Graduate Competencies: Employers Views on Importance and Performance, Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 4(2), pp.16-22. 2) Kubler, Bianca & Peter Forbes. (2005). Student Employability Profiles A Guide for Employers. London: CIHE PUBLICATIONS. 3) Nugent, F.A. & Jones K.D. (2005). Introduction to the Profession of Counselling. Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall. 4) Shores, Angela S. (2006) There's More to Graduate School - Personal & Professional Development Resources for Graduate Students & Graduate Student Mentors. Available at: http://counselingoutfitters.com/Shores.htm (Accessed 22/01/2011). 5) Tshibangu, Serge. (2010) Postgraduate (PG) studies at Wits University, Graduate Recruitment Programme (GRP) 2010, pp.6-7. [Online]. Available at: www.wits.ac.za/ccdu (Accessed: 21/01/2011).