Managing Professional Development (3 cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Content scheduling

Week 1:

Course introduction, Professional Development Essentials, and PDP Workshop

Week 2:

Industry Visit: Practical exposure to inbound and outbound logistics

Week 3:

Guest Lecture: Professional Growth & Career Success (HR Expert)

Week 4:

Online Guest Lecture: Cross-Cultural Competencies (International Expert)

Week 5:

Career Development Workshop: Elevator Pitch Presentations and Course Reflection

Objective

Managing Professional Development Course is an extension to Development as an Expert course. Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Understand the essential competencies required for career development in international business contexts.

Effectively integrate theoretical knowledge with practical logistics and operations insights.

Enhance professional skills including networking, interviewing, and personal branding.

Develop cross-cultural competencies and professional etiquette needed for global workplaces.


The course aims to develop the following COMPETENCES:

Operating in a workplace: You promote and reflect upon personal and professional learning in order to enhance your career development.
To achieve this competence, you will:
-learn to observe professional working environment in industry
-acquire knowledge about working culture
-be able to bridge the gap between rigour and relevance
-be able to develop a professional attitude by adhering to the ethical standards, norms, and expectations of the industry and the society

Internationality and multiculturalism: You work in multicultural and international environments and networks in order to develop knowledge and communication skills as well as develop empathy and appreciation for other cultures. You communicate responsibly and effectively in English through written, verbal, non-verbal and digital formats individually as well as a team member in diverse settings.
To achieve this competence, you will:
_ be able to self-discipline in achieving your career objectives
_be able to utilize business language and perform networking
_be able to develop a career portfolio
_be able to understand the industry culture and visualize the same for your future
_be able to develop interpersonal skills

Content

An overview of the Finnish industry culture, insights of new career position, case study, industry visit and workshop

Week 1:

Course introduction, Professional Development Essentials, and PDP Workshop

Week 2:

Industry Visit: Practical exposure to inbound and outbound logistics

Week 3:

Guest Lecture: Professional Growth & Career Success (HR Expert)

Week 4:

Online Guest Lecture: Cross-Cultural Competencies (International Expert)

Week 5:

Career Development Workshop: Elevator Pitch Presentations and Course Reflection

Location and time

Time and location will be updated later, there will be five sessions in total.

Materials

Recommended Reading:

Inkson, K., Dries, N., & Arnold, J. (2014). Understanding Careers: The Metaphors of Working Lives. SAGE Publications.
Robbins, S.P., & Judge, T.A. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th Edition). Pearson Education.
Lewis, R. D. (2018). When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures (4th Edition). Nicholas Brealey.

Supplementary online resources shared during the course

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures and practical workshops
Guest speaker sessions (face-to-face and online)
Industry visit for practical insights
Reflective journals and peer feedback exercises
Student-centered active participation

Exam schedules

Assessment Deadlines:

Professional Development Plan submission: Week 3

Reflective Journal submission (industry visit): Week 4

Elevator Pitch presentations: Week 5

Completion alternatives

Retake Opportunities:

Assignments can be resubmitted within two weeks of receiving initial feedback.
Additional retake presentations scheduled individually upon request.

Student workload

Managing Professional Development worth 3 ECTS. One ECTS corresponds to an average of 27 hours of work, which means that the load of 5 ECTS approximately 81 hours.

Below are the details of the student's workload in hours
Lectures and Workshops: 15 hours
Industry Visit: 8 hours (half-day session)
Independent study and assignments: 23 hours
Preparation for classes and workshops 10
Completion of reflective journal and professional development plan 15
Research and reading 10

Total Student Workload: Approximately 81 hours (3 ECTS)

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The criteria of the course is pass or fail.

The passing criteria of the course are:
-80% attendance and a mandatory visit to industry
-assignment submission include a learning diary
-you are able to demonstrate an excellent level of evidence in the following competences:
-Operating in a workplace
-Internationality and multiculturalism

The failing criteria of the course are:
-less then 80% attendance
-incomplete learning diary, no submission or late submission

Qualifications

Development as an Expert Course

Me as student in Higher Education