3. Drive Your Career
Introduction
For the pastsix years I have worked for a bakery called Warburton’s, during my time I
have worked in many different departments and held a variety ofjob roles. Warburton’s
have been an amazing organisation to work for as they have supported me to carry on
with my education and gain a degree. Itis because ofthis Ihave decided thatIwould
like to stay within the company and move my way up the ranks, Ihave chosen two
different career paths within this company first becoming Operation Manager and the
second becoming the General Manager ofone ofthe bakeries. According to a reportby
(Key Note, 2012) they estimate a rise of 56.5% in household expenditure on bread and
other baked goods, as a result, the annual spend for the sector rises from £3.59bn to
£5.61bn. This is notjustgood news for the company, butmyselfas it adds job security
and allows more opportunity’s within the company to learn.
4. Drive Your Career
Career Path 1
Stage 1-
The first step to become Operations Manageris to complete my Foundation Degree in
Business and Management,and then continue with the BA Hons top up one-year
programme.This will take me a total of four years to complete.
Stage 2-
According to the companywebsite see appendix A,I would have to gain a 2:1 grade in
my degree to qualify as a candidate to the Warburtons graduate programme.
Stage 3-
To complete the operations graduate programme see appendix B,I mustdedicate two
years of my life, working at the Bolton site, this will require me to commute every day
and also take a subsidised wage.
Stage 4-
After completing the graduate programme with the experience and courses thatit offers I
would then be qualified to apply to become the Operations Manager.
Finish
University
Degree
(4Years)
Apply for
Graduate
Programme
Complete
Graduate
Programme
(2Years)
Become
Operations
Manager
5. Drive Your Career
Career Path 2
Stage 1-
As my currentrole is Key Operative I am currently gaining the experience necessaryto
become a Team Leader.I believe within the next one to two years, this could be
achieved by gaining an extra qualification, for example ILM in Leadership and
ManagementAward.
Stage 2-
To become a ManageratWarburton’s a degree has become a necessaryqualification to
possess.
Stage 3-
The combination of experience ofbeing a Team Leaderand having a Degree in
Business and Managementwould help me become a Shift Manager,meaning Iwould be
responsible for over sixty people and would be required to step up as the Bakery
Managerwhen he is off site.
Stage 4-
Being a Shift Manageris seen as a step to becoming a BakeryManagerhaving the
reasonability of dealing with food safety and health and safety incidents when the Bakery
Manageris off site, will help me getto the nextstep in my careerpath.
Stage 5-
After I have completed all the previous steps I will have gained enough knowledge,
experience and qualifications needed to be a successfulGeneralManagersee appendix
C.
Become a
Team
Leader (1-
2 Years)
Finish
University
Degree (3
Years)
Become
Shift
Manager
(1-3
Years)
Become
Bakery
Manager
(1-3
Years)
General
Manager
6. Drive Your Career
Skills Gap Analysis
Using the Palgrave skills auditI have completed (see appendix E), I have identified my currentskill
level using a colour code system green = confident, amber = sufficientand red = is need to develop. I
have also backed this up with evidence using relevantexamples in work and personal life.
Skill Colour Evidence How I would Improve
Communication -
Written
Recently I have been creating reports and letters
in University.
More practice as this is new to me, I
am still learning what the do's and
don’ts are.
Networking I am very good at communicating with other
departments by attending meetings with them
and by having good working relationships with
everyone.
Maintain my relationships with other
departments but also start to build
relationships with senior
management.
Communication –
Spoken
I think I speak common and in slang sometimes. Watch they way I speak and
pronounce words correctly instead of
using the slang version.
Negotiation Often think my way is better and as a result don’t
consider other peoples ideas.
Try to stand back and listen to other
and contemplate whether there idea
is better than my own.
Strategic, Financial
and Logistics
Planning
I have placed this as a need to develop simply
because I have never had the opportunity to do
any planning of this kind before.
I will learn this within the next three
years of my University Degree.
Project Planning I am currently involved in two projects at work;
one I have created my self, which has been a
success.
Would like to be involved in more
projects in the next few years and
organize more myself.
Time Management In work I must complete orders by deadlines,
which I do very well, and in personal life I always
keep a diary of events.
To utilize more time at home, by
reducing rest time and increasing my
workload.
Meeting
Management
I attend a lot of meetings at work and by keeping
track of them in my phone I can set up
notifications to alert me of the time and place.
I don’t think I need to improve this as
I do this very well.
Leadership I currently run a team of six people on a frequent
basis.
By running a team on a permanent
basis, I will gain more control over
actions the team have.
System Productivity I do daily, weekly and hourly checks on plant to
ensure productivity is at its maximum.
No need for improvement.
Personal
Productivity
I am willing to give my free time towards projects
at work that will help me better myself in the
future.
Be more involved in activates in and
out of work i.e. volunteering
Imagination Creativity is one of my strong points as I am
coming up with new ideas a lot.
By putting the ideas I have into
action.
Inventiveness Need to think outside the box more. Try looking at the bigger picture.
Problem Solving I am constantly identifying machinery faults and
have the ability to fix them due to my experience
and knowledge.
I would like to learn about new
machinery so I would become an
asset to the company.
Brainstorm Rather than brainstorm, I would jump in and try
solving the problem headfirst.
Take a step back and think about the
situation.
Making
Connections
Often think that solving one problem is okay and
don’t think of the implications this could have to
others.
Again need to step back and think
about the big picture.
7. Drive Your Career
Development Action Plan
My objective is: To choose my future career
To achieve this I need: Identify the developmentneed, be detailed and specific aboutwhat is
needed from myselfto achieve the career wanted.
I will tell my plan to – My manager, friends and University tutor Target date
Step 1 – I will use the Warburtons Home Grown Developmentsite to help me
identify the job roles and courses needed to achieve chosen career path.
February 2015
Step 2 – I will complete the skills gap analysis to identify my need to develop my
skill level and how to improve this.
February 2015
Step 3 – I will practice interview techniques with my HR departmentand
enhance my CV with volunteering and projects Ihave been involved in.
March 2015
Step 4 – Identify the bestpath to take me to my chosen career. March 2015
Step 5 – Attend workshop and seminars that UCLAN have to offer September 2014-
September 2017
Step 6 – Apply to the future leaders program atUCLAN February 2015
Step 7 – Whilst studying for my degree also gain other qualifications and
workshops work have to offer see appendix D
September 2017
Step 8 – Complete Foundation Degree and continue learning by completing the
BA Hons one-year top up.
September 2017
What problems am I likely to face? What will I do to overcome these?
Not gaining a 2:1 in the BA Hons degree, which would notmake me eligible to apply to the graduate
programme atWarburtons. Overloading myselfwith work and University work and to overcome this I
would be more organized attimescales to assignments. Iwould also attend courses in summer when
not at the University to make sure I don’toverpower myselfwith too much at once.
9. Drive Your Career
Chosen Career Path
To help me with this difficult decision Icompleted the (University of Birmingham, 2010)
what do you wantfrom your job table see appendix F, and from this Ihighlighted thatthe
four mostimportant aspects I wantfrom a job is recognition for my work, career
progression, contribute to the probability and long term security in a stable organization.
All these can be achieved on the path Ihave chosen which is to become Operations
Manager (path one).
The main reason for this is because Iknow Ihave the ability to become a greatleader
one day and becoming Operations Manager would mean Iwould be involved in almost
every aspectofthe business from sales to dispatch, because Iam a very versatile I
believe this role would suitme well as I adaptto new situations easily. I also have a
broad knowledge ofwhat is required from departments, as I have worked in many across
the business myselffrom hygiene to production.
Another reason behind my decision is the time frame itwould take in path one Icould
become an Operations Manager within the nexteightyears, whereas in the path to it
could take me up to fifteen years may be more depending on ifthe job positions were
available.
I believe the path I have chosen to be the bestfor myself as I am more interested in
learning and Ibelieve the graduate programme would teach me more in two years than
working my way up the ranks like path to explains.
Even though I have chosen to take path one, because Iwork for such a large
organization Iwill have the ability to be flexible and once Iam an experienced
Operations Manger Icould transfer these skills and apply to be a General Manager.
10. Drive Your Career
Bibliography
ILM. (2015,February18). Level 7 Leadership and Management.Retrieved from Institude
of Leadership and Mangment: https://www.i-l-m.com/Learning-and-
Development/management/management-and-leadership-generic/8617-level-7-
leadership-and-management
Key Note. (2012). Bread & Bakery Products MarketUpdate. United Kingdom:Key Note.
University of Birmingham.(2010,September22). Careers.Retrieved from University of
Birmingham:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/employability/careers/documents/public/care
ers-workbook.pdf.
Warburtons.(2015,February14). Facts and benefits.Retrieved from Warburtons:
http://www.warburtons.co.uk/warburtons-
careers/meet_the_family/facts_and_benefits.html
Warburtons.(2015,February15). General Manager.Retrieved from Warburtons:
www.jobtrain.co.uk/warburtons/displayjob.aspx?jobid=366
Warburtons.(2015,02 18). Which programme will you choose?Retrieved from
Warburtons:http://www.warburtons.co.uk/warburtons-
careers/meet_the_family/which_programme_will_you_choose.html
Warburtons.(n.d.). Operations Graduate Programme.Retrieved from Warburtons:
www.jobtrain.co.uk/warburtons/displayjob.aspx?jobid=701
