Personal Development Profile
I have studied in different environments and academic environments that have enabled me to develop both interpersonal and professional skills. I chose engineering as a technical path in professionalism and through all these endurance; I have managed to establish a greater personal profile. In the learning process, I have gained industrial experience and problem solving skills in various production processes, in the manufacturing industry. I am pursuing a degree in Manufacturing and Industrial engineering. This particular field of professionalism requires a variety of technical skills, mastery of scientific concepts as well as instinctive problem solving skills (Nguyen, 1998, p. 67). In this context, I have only achieved a token of the overall requirements of this field. I have managed to maintain a consistent performance above average in virtually all the courses pertaining to this field.
Engineering is a research and practical oriented field. I have not managed to secure any research personally but have contributed in various practical sessions that have led to the explanation of certain scientific concepts. Most importantly, I have demonstrated an understanding and technical skills in the basic industrial and manufacturing concepts. Additionally, engineering can be considered as a managerial aspect of the production process (Smith N. J., 2002, p. 222). Therefore, it is a fundamental factor for an engineering student to understand the managerial concepts of industrial and manufacturing processes. I have participated and attended managerial and ethical classes to equip me with the required skills.
Moreover, I have done a few auxiliary courses to backup my technical skills. I am a programmer and a professional computer analyst. These are skills I gained in the internship programs as well as through guidance by my lecturer. To increase my potential in the engineering field as well as my employability, I have set to acquire and implement a number of development strategies. I have talked to scores of professional engineers for advice on the most appropriate auxiliary courses to enhance my profession. Given that I am still a student and pursing a degree program, there are several technical processes that are mandatory for certification. My performance in these courses is the fundamental aspects of how successful my degree will be. Employability and performance in university are directly related (Smith, McKnight, & Naylor, p. 388). Therefore, the first step I plan to implement is to ensure my overall performance in the degree is considerable enough to award me a competitive advantage in the employment zone.
Practical courses form an integral part of engineering studies and will most probably shape a student’s performance. I will have to work extra hard in the remaining practical sessions to ensure I maximize my chances of scoring the highest marks. Additionally, there are more industrial attachments in the engineering curriculum that finally introduces the student into the real industrial environment (Choy & Haukka, 2009, pp. 1367-1382). This is the ultimate test that will most probably determine a student’s potential in being employed. In fact, where you are recruited later, is as a result of a recommendation report from this particular exercise. Furthermore, the school offers a special recommendation report for the top ten students in each class for the benefit of employment opportunities in the future.
So far, I have managed to maintain sufficient marks to put me in a position for the award of this favor. I have to work extra hard to ensure this configuration is not compromised. There are specific efforts that will either gear my achievements towards a better employment opportunity or a good degree, either way, the ultimate result is favorable. The government has a regulatory organization that awards engineers with professional certificates that either permits a graduate to practice or not to practice. I have to acquire the government’s certification as a graduate engineer because it will help me secure an employment opportunity with any industrial company accredited by the government. Employment opportunities are evaluated with respect to diverse aspects of learning and technical knowhow (Harvey, 2001, p. 97).
Watts (2006) explains that employability depends on the extent to which one can demonstrate greater performance in each of the aspects considered. As mentioned earlier, engineering is largely reliant on the practical knowhow of scientific and production concepts (O'Connor, 2011, p. 126), therefore, I aim at participating in as many research proposals as possible to demonstrate the extent to which my practical exposure reaches. Additionally, gearing my research towards a specialized field in the engineering sector will narrow down my potential in securing employment (Colvin, 2007, p. 18). This will most probably demonstrate my ability to solve engineering problems, come up with new concepts that will ultimately help the company in cutting costs as they maximize on profits.
Furthermore, I aim at enrolling as voluntary personnel in any manufacturing and industrial company as a part-time worker. Voluntary workers are allowed to participate in numerous production processes. Given that they are not paid as any other worker, they have the opportunity in training and mastery of concepts (Forrier & Sels, 2003, pp. 641-666). I will be able to gain the required industrial experience from this setup. Additionally, there are numerous seminars and industrial meetings that are aimed at sensitizing employees on best production practices in the industrial sector. This will expose me to production processes and help me know the exact processes that require definite scientific concepts. Additionally, the industrial sector is vast and wide, therefore, it is even better to specialize on one particular field. This will narrow the employment path and further simplify the employment process.
In conclusion, there are different agencies and organizations that partner with numerous companies in terms of the provision of personnel, raw materials, or even ethical advice. I am a registered member of one of these organizations affiliated to three or four industrial companies. In this context, I aim at being part of as many such organizations as possible to heighten the chances of companies considering me for employment. Most importantly, companies require employees who demonstrate superb interpersonal skills (Hunt & Baruch, 2003, p. 733). To develop these skills, I am planning to engage in more academic, industrial, and integrative processes that will heighten my potential in cohesion. Furthermore, I have embarked on the development process that will help me come up with a project, sufficient enough to demonstrate all the potentials I have in engineering. My project will be a gadget or production plan, to be used for the first time that will not only be financially sensitive, but also effective and efficient. Coming up with something new will shape my profile and most probably display me as a qualified, innovative and academically upright student.
References
Choy, S., & Haukka, S. (2009). Industrial attachments for instructors in TVET delivery. International Handbook of Education for the Changing World of Work .
Colvin, A. (2007). Empirical Research on Employment Arbitration: Clarity Amidst the Sound and Fury? Employee Rights and Employment Policy Journal, 11(2) .
Forrier, A., & Sels, L. (2003). Temporary employment and employability: training opportunities and efforts of temporary and permanent employees in Belgium. Work, Employment & Society, 17(4) .
Harvey, L. (2001). Defining and measuring employability. Quality in higher education, 7(2) .
Hunt, J. W., & Baruch, Y. (2003). Developing top managers: the impact of interpersonal skills training. Journal of Management Development, 22(8) , 733.
Nguyen, D. Q. (1998). The essential skills and attributes of an engineer: a comparative study of academics, industry personnel and engineering students. Global J. of Engng. Educ, 2(1) .
O'Connor, P. &. (2011). Practical reliability engineering. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Smith, J., McKnight, A., & Naylor, R. (n.d.). Graduate employability: policy and performance in higher education in the UK. The Economic Journal, 110(464) .
Smith, N. J. (2002). Engineering project management. Blackwell Science.
Watts, A. G. (2006). Career development learning and employability. New York: Higher Education Academy.
