Personal Development Portfolio: Reflection, Goals & Career

Introduction to Personal Development Portfolios

A Personal Development Portfolio (PDP) entailing personal reflection, individual examination, and goal setting can drive a person to take responsibility for their personal study and career development, and can also be used as a short-term study schedule (Weddle et al., 2005). This is achievable through the identification of one's goals, the identification of the ways in which those goals can be satisfied, and the creation and implementation of action plans (Armstrong & Baron, 2005).

Despite never having prepared this kind of report before, it has been a subject of enormous personal interest. Throughout this entire portfolio, I will not only describe the tests and personal examinations I have conducted in the past, but also present my current assessment. Supporting this enthusiasm, my personal examination has indicated that individuals of my personality, nature, and character are most often intensely and enthusiastically concerned with individual growth and development (Keirsey Report, 2008, 2010).

The format of this portfolio will aim to highlight areas of team working, my individual strengths and weaknesses, and career alternatives and choices, before concluding with my key personal objectives. The credibility of the testing methods used will also be analyzed.

A PDP enables one to record personal growth, to reflect on past performance and achievements, and to look toward the future with confidence by articulating future aims and objectives. Above all, it not only supports good planning but also identifies the specific measures a person intends to take to meet those stated objectives and aims.

A PDP helps one reassess their course of study, adequately prepare for a future career, and communicate information about oneself in a way that impresses prospective employers. The benefits of a PDP are numerous: it enables improvement in academic performance, supports the pursuit of rewarding employment, and makes personal life planning more manageable.

Personal Background and Curriculum Vitae Summary

I am a native of Saudi Arabia and a devoted Muslim. I pursued an undergraduate degree in Biology in Saudi Arabia, after which I moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a master's degree in management — a programme I am currently completing. Before commencing my master's degree, I worked at Mobily, a telecommunications firm in Saudi Arabia, as a receptionist in the customer service department. My role involved taking calls from clients and customers and assisting them by addressing their needs by telephone.

Although the job was unrelated to my undergraduate field of Biology, I enjoyed it greatly. Despite significant competition for the role, I consistently performed well and received several awards for hard work and commitment to customer service.

Having come from a family that values education, I made the decision to leave Saudi Arabia for the United Kingdom to continue my studies. It was, in fact, my desire to further my education that led me to leave that position.

I am capable of multitasking, and this is one of the qualities I wish to maintain both now and in the future. In addition, I am committed to successfully completing my master's degree in management in the United Kingdom.

Group Working and Team Skills

Group work is a value I have embraced for a considerable period of time. As a Muslim, I place great importance on working collaboratively with others, much like a family unit.

During my undergraduate studies, I also taught biology to elementary students in my final year of college, an experience that deepened my appreciation for the spirit of teamwork. Team work is one of my vital strengths (1st Place, 2009; MFS, 2005; Mills, 2008; Appendix 1, 3 & 5), and throughout my university studies I have consistently performed well in collaborative settings. It is, indeed, one of the factors that enabled me to progress to my master's degree.

People of my disposition tend to seek roles filled with significant responsibility, as confirmed by my Jung personality examination outcome of ENTJ (Sminds.com, 2010).

References

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Belbin (2010). 'Belbin Team Role Theory' [Online]. Available at: [Accessed 22/04/2010].

Boud, D., & Garrick, J. (1999). Understanding Learning at Work. London: Routledge.

Fisher, S.G., Macrosson, W.D.K., & Semple, J.H. (2001). 'Control and Belbin's team roles.' Personnel Review, 30(5), pp. 578–588. Available from Emerald Fulltext [Online] [Accessed 24/04/2010].

Heron, J. (1999). The Complete Facilitator's Handbook. London: Kogan Page.

Herts.ac.uk (2009). 'MSc Management Programme Specification' [Online]. Available from: [Accessed 23/04/2010].

Raelin, J.A. (2000). Work-Based Learning: The New Frontier of Management Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. In Sadler-Smith, E. (2006). Learning and Development for Managers: Perspectives from Research and Practice. Oxford: Blackwell.

Shrock, S.A., & Coscarelli, W.C. (2007). Criterion Referenced Test Development. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.

Tzeng, O.C.S., Ware, R., & Chen, J.M. (1989). 'Measurement and utility of continuous unipolar ratings for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.' Journal of Personality Assessment, 53(4), pp. 727–738. [Business Source Complete] [Online] [Accessed 17/04/2010].

Weddle, D.O., Himberg, S.P., Collins, N., & Lewis, R. (2002). 'The professional development portfolio process: Setting goals for credentialing.' Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102(10), pp. 1439–1444.