Development Objectives

I am working as a development and marketing manager in a retail and wholesale company that deals with various clothing brands. My background is in marketing; I was first introduced to this sector when I was joining the university. After my first degree, I got a job at a small dairy farm as a temporary office administrator. I became a full-time employee after one year, and I was promoted to client services administrator. My roles involved dealing with management of milk supplies, coordinating all marketing and also engage in learning how best to market the Company’s products. I also handled campaigns from start to the end.  I worked there for three years before I got the current job at a wholesale and retail company that deals supply different brands of clothes. I work there as a development and marketing manager. My responsibilities in this job include;

• Coordinating marketing activities efficiently and effectively to optimize customer experience.
• Generating monthly demand and annual sales estimate to guide the production and supply of the designer clothes.
• Developing an optimal structure for the distribution of products for the Company
• Managing sales and marketing policies, and resources to maximize the sales and revenue for the Company.
• Building a robust customer base and promoting customer service culture in the Company.
• Being at the forefront of implementing a marketing strategy for the Company
• Building brand and spearheading retail campaigns to increase customer base.
• Monitoring marketing expenditure and additional budget requirements.
• Ensuring that brand guidelines and corporate identity are followed by communication associates within the company and its subsidiaries.
• Liaising with the other managers in the planning of in-Company events
• Ensuring the effective running of advertising activities.
• Managing the launch of new channels and products.
• Development and implementation of digital marketing campaigns.
• Coordination of promotional items such as point of sale (POS)
• Compiling reports to CEO monthly

Assessment of my Professional Needs

My primary career interest in marketing in any industry, project management, and food security. My long term-development plans will be to become an expert in the optimal marketing strategies, become a regional development and marketing manager for the retail and wholesale company, and to launch my brand of clothes. I also plan to write a book on the most effective marketing strategies. Besides, I have plans to start a charitable organization which deals with massive storage and distribution of foods and drinks to drought-affected areas based on food security initiative. So need to learn more about the industry.

My short-term development plans will be to engage proactively in learning and equipping myself with the necessary management and marketing skills. I plan to develop my career in learning Effective Marketing through a short-term certification program. I also plan to learn more about Food Security Programs. My goal is to gain more knowledge in the areas so that I can make myself more beneficial.

Deficiencies in my Professional Needs

I have an insufficient amount of money to fund my professional development. All my plans including my MBA degree, Food Security Certification Program and starting a company will require a large amount of money. I am also constrained by time because of my job which would leave very little time for further training. For my plans to be accomplished, I would require to arrange the plans effectively to actualize all of them in the given timeframe. I would also require to seek support through scholarship programs. To mitigate the time constraints, it would require me to talk to my CEO and directors to grand me a study leave for six months. If they accept to grand me a study leave, I will plan that time to accomplish my short-time plans. In addition to the study leave, I would find more effective ways to carry out my duties which would involve the delegation of duties to my team members as I attend the training sessions.

Career Plans

I am planning to complete my MBA degree. Afterward, I plan to enroll in a master’s degree in Strategic Management.  The knowledge integration of marketing and strategic management will help me be an expert in the development of effective and efficient marketing strategies which will enhance optimum sales for the Company’s product. I would also want to move from development and marketing manager to projects manager and later to the director in charge of research and innovations.

How skills will be Acquired and Timeline for Acquisition

To accomplish my professional development, I would require an effective time plan. I plan to be attending the training sessions from April to May, August to September, and November to December, a period of six months in a year. My certification program would take six months cumulatively. My current MBA takes two years, and so far I have studied for one year, remaining with one year. After the current MBA, I will enroll in another MBA on strategic management which will also take two years cumulatively. Planning my time during the three sessions annually can make me accomplish my study plan. The overall accomplishment of my development plans would require financial support to cater for fees and training materials, corporation from my workmates as I would have to delegate some of my duties to some colleagues while I am away as well as cooperation from my seniors.

I plan to gain additional skills through identification and cultivation of a relationship with my mentor, reading materials on strategic management, and food security, engaging in further training, and attending appropriate seminars which are in line with my goals. Other avenues for gaining skills include receiving coaching from a skilled colleague, taking special job assignments and rotation of jobs, integrating my study activities into current work assignments, increasing customer contact.

Standards and Measures for Accessing Improvement

Improvements in skills and the progress of accomplishing development plans are measured by the performance in my duties and the new knowledge acquired. This new knowledge will be realized in the decision making processes in the Company. There is usually a knowledge gap that exists in the daily task that can be filled through further training. I usually perform my tasks under the supervision of my senior managers. These supervision sessions provide opportunities for measuring my developmental progress and setting standards for the performance within the Company. Staff appraisal between my senior managers and I will provide an opportunity for the senior managers’ review on my progress. Most of the forums for progress checkpoint occur in meetings between my senior managers and me. In some cases, the use of memos and phone calls are applicable in measuring the progress of my development.