Professional Practice Report
Student: Chan Chun Fung Paul
Student ID: HP201212459
P.3 -5
The Organization
P.6-9
Analysis and Evaluation of placement
P.10-11
Developed Competencies
P.12-13
Recommendations
P.14-15
Conclusion
P.16-17
Professional Practice Evaluation
P.18-34
Appendix
Table of Content
Section One:
The Organization
The organization of the placement in the past three months is The Clear Water Bay Golf and Country Club. The placement was undertaken in the Sports and Recreation Department. The agency supervisor is Mr. Victor Law and his title is "Sports and Recreation Supervisor".
The Clear Water Bay Golf and Country Club is one of the commercial clubhouses …show more content…
in Hong Kong. Its purpose is to provide premier Golf, Yachting, Recreation and Dining services in a friendly manner that exceeds the expectations of members, guests and visitors. Moreover, this placement took place in Sport and Recreation Department and Country Store. It mainly provides various sport facilities to allow members or guests to relax and enjoy their leisure time. Besides, country store is a general sports store, it sells different kinds of sportswear and accessories, such as shoes, t-shirts that suit people's causal lifestyle.
Organizational Chart
The Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club is a big organization in Hong Kong. In this club, it is divided into three different units which are "Country Club", "Golf Club" and " Marina Club". Country Club is where the 3 months placement took place. The entire club has its own management style.
Country Club has different departments, which are responsible in different aspects and activities / events. For example, "Sports and Recreation Department" is responsible for sports and recreation facility, “Food and Beverage Department” is responsible for the food services. Another department, such as Account, Human Resource will handle some financial and human power resources.
Staffing Structure
In Sports and Recreation Department, there are total 8 full time staff and 7 trainees.
Management Practices
Although the department is small, there is a lot of cases needed to be handled. Each of the staff acts an important role and bears important responsibility. Compare to other departments, Sports and Recreation Department is relative open-minded. It focuses on communication and freedom. Manager will delegate his power to fellow staff and allow them to have the right of speaking and the right of decision making. Moreover, staff were encouraged to point out where the problems are, in order to have further improvement.
Resources
It is known that the aim of the club is to provide a great place for people to enjoy and relax. All staff have to do the best, in order to exceed members' expectation. Therefore, different kinds of trainings were given. For example, product and goods training and facilities usage training. These trainings can allow staff to know how the product should be used and understand its details.
Safety practices
Basic instructions were given before using different pops or tools. For example, staff have to be trained on how to work under bad water or typhoon. A notice clearly point out what cannot do and how to avoid the dangers.
The program and service quality keep upgrading through cooperating with different departments. Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club provides various program and service to fulfill members and guests in different age groups. For example, summer kids camp and different interest class.
Section two
Aims of the placement
1. To learn the basic customer service and skill through daily work
This aim was selected because in this hospitality industry, communication is necessary. Customer is always at the top, also they are the most important people in an organization. Without customers, nothing we can do, therefore customer service is the basic skill to learn during the placement.
To speak skillfully and be claimed when facing different customers is the expectation of student during the placement. Besides speaking, listening is also very important. As the customers of the club are almost foreigners, so listening carefully becomes another thing to learn.
After placement, 80% of the aim was achieved. Basically, student became braver and more confident to speak and talk to customers, even he does not understand their needs and wants sometimes. However, when facing some picky customers, especially some foreigners. With language barrier, student felt difficult to explain and communicate with them. Therefore, student has to upgrade language skill in order to overcome the shortage.
2. To learn how to organize a program and the preparation of running a program
This aim was selected because student has learnt some program designing skills at school. Through this placement, it is expected to practice the knowledge and skill from textbook. Also, student hopes to understand the process of run a program, in order to increase experience for the future career.
After placement, 90% of the aim was achieved. Take the kids program as an example, student can participate in all sections, such as planning, organizing and promoting. It allows student to know that the assigned job is required to be done at his best, even it is only a small part of the program. If student want to become successful, improvement is required.
Project and Program undertaken by the student whilst on the placement:
During the placement, some programs and events were provided to plan and organize. For example "Summer Kids Camp" and "Summer Pool Party 2014".
Summer Kids Camp provides different activities which allow children to build up different intelligent. For example, sports camps allow children to experience different sport events, in order to build up their physical ability. Also, adventure camps allow kids to build up self-esteem and develop team spirit by overcoming different challenges.
Take adventure camp as an example. Student act as a coordinator in this event, who is required to coordinate with the organizer and provide help. This is a four-day camp; student brought the kids to different places for having different activities and events. For example raft building, rope challenge, and kayaking and paintball battle. The participants are all aged from 5 to 12. Different equipment and resources are provided to allow all children enjoy and complete each activity. For example, bamboos and ropes are prepared for the children, also a guideline and a finished model act as a example for them to build their own raft. Besides, for the rope challenge course, rope climbing field at Ma Wan is reserved for the children to experience the challenge. For the paintball and kayaking, all the necessary equipment can be rented and borrowed at that place.
In order to ensure the safety of the participants, at least 2 male staff and 2 female staff are along with the camp, a medicine box will be carried as well. Besides, qualified coaches or instructors will be present before having some dangerous events, such as kayaking and rope climbing. Moreover, some safety equipment are required to wear before having these kind of activities, for example helmet, safety belt and lifejacket.
The event was successful, all things were under control. Under the guidance of the supervisor and instructors, student was given lots of freedom in this event. Student acted as a leader and was responsible for different aspects, such as planning and performing. The supervisor delegated his power and this was a chance for student to experience on how to organize a successful event.
Participants felt great during the event. They paid fully attention and were excited during different activities. Their reactions can show that the adventure camp is a meaningful and fantastic event to them.
Moreover, other staff provided certain level of assistance when student faced some difficulties. Also, they tried hard to encourage student to be more active in each of the activities. Positive attitude was found among the student and good interpersonal skill was developed with other staff.
Competencies developed whilst on the placement:
After the placement, personal and professional competence can be developed through participating in different events or activities.
Firstly, the confidence was boosted as student experienced something new. For example working in an unfamiliar working area, meeting with different customers, new colleagues and other staff. Moreover, the confidence was also improved as student has to handle booking call. It is difficult to understand the call because some of the customers speak English in different dialects. However, with several trials and tips given by the supervisor and other experienced colleagues, student is capable to handle this kind of work independently.
Secondly, through planning and designing different kinds of programs and events, creativity of student has been improved a lot. It is required to use imagination to design a set of programs and activities for summer camps and summer pool party. Besides, ideas and opinions are provided by student during the design and planning stage, such as the design of poster.
Thirdly, punctuality is a basic element as a staff, late comers are not acceptable. Since the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club is located at Sai Kung and its location is a bit far from the city town. Therefore, it has a shuttle bus service every hour. However, if you miss the bus, the only way you can arrive the clubhouse is taxi. So, a habit of punctuality was built up throughout the placement.
Fourthly, communication skills can be enhanced through interacting with different customers, supervisor and other staff.
It also allow the student to be more confident when communicating with others. For example, discussing with staff when designing or planning activities, chatting with the participants during the events. All these people come from different background and with different ages. It is understood that communication skill is extremely important when working as a team. Student is friendly to everyone and tries his best to cope with different people and always be willing to ask other colleagues when facing any difficulties. Therefore, a huge improvement in communication skill has been made in the placement. It is believed that communication skill learnt from placement can be widely used in the future. In between the communication with customers, the student has also developed effective listening skill. It is because student needs to listen carefully about what customers want or need. However, if the student make a mistake, it will bring the customer in trouble. Therefore, the outcome cannot be the win-win …show more content…
situation.
Lastly, with optimistic personality, student is able to overcome any adverse circumstances and will not give up easily when having any difficulties in placement. Student will not easily feel depressed when the supervisor or customers punish harshly and student tries his best to do the job and not to be affected by the negative mood.
Recommendations
With the impression and experience after placement, it is suggested that student should have improvement to enhance his professional performance and program outcome.
First of all, student should upgrade and enhance the language skill. As working in hospitability industry, fluent in spoken language is beneficial to work. Moreover, most of the clients or customers come from worldwide, the major communication language is English, therefore improvement in language skill can help to work effectively and efficiently.
Secondly, student should be open-minded. For example, during the discussion of summer programs, student should try to follow the direction of the program theme. It is not suggested to only focus on self-direction and think self's suggestions and ideas as the best. Otherwise, more arguments and problems will be created. Moreover, student should accept other's opinions and comments, take the consensus and have the best outcome.
Thirdly, communication and cooperation between student and other staff should also be improved. For example, student should seek help from other staff when they face different problems and difficulties. Student should not work and solve independently. Even student may have ability to handle on their own, it should be better to discuss with other staff because they work as a team. Moreover, workload and problem faced by student should be shared, so that time cost can be saved and the work efficiency can be enhanced.
Beside the professional performance, student should be more active in the programs and activities. Student should try to talk with the participants actively, be aware of their reactions and feelings about the program or activities. Moreover, student should try to assist the younger age, to integrate them in the activities. At the end the event and activities, student can ask participants for the feedbacks and comments for better improvement.
Conclusion:
Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club is a great working place. It is impressive to work with the provision of high quality facilities.
The staff and other people in the club are nice and friendly. Different skills and knowledge are taught by the staff, such as daily operation procedure, technique of selling equipments. Under a free management style, lots of opportunities were given to the student to experience and perform the knowledge learnt from the textbook. For example, how to organize a program, how to prepare and run a successful events or activities.
The expected outcome of student is to learn the basic customer service and skill through daily work. Different practices and trainings were given to student to adapt this unfamiliar working area, in order to increase the work effectiveness and efficiency.
Student leant the communication skills through the training and practice. Different people, such as customers, staff and the participants were needed to be faced during the events and activities. It was a great opportunity for student to be brave and build up the self-confidence.
Apart from the customer service, student also expected to have opportunity to organize a program and running a program.
Student was given lots of opportunities to associate in different program during the placement period. For example, the summer kids program, different competitions and a summer pool party event. Student acts as different roles in different activities and events, such as the organizer, coordinator and designer, in order to show and perform his ability.
It is meaningful and a valuable learning experience. Not only perform the knowledge learnt from textbook, student can also experience the hardness and difficulties to run a program independently.
Lots of competencies was developed during the placement. Student became more mature and independent. However, there are still some mistakes made by student. For example, the trustfulness between the student and other staff.
Due to lack of communication, the opinions and comments are not consent to each other. Lots of arguments and problems are created because the personality of student is a bit self-centered. It is a disappointed result of the placement.
Under the advice and opinions from the supervisor, the problems are solved and the mindset and the personality of the student are also
changed.
Professional Practice Experience Evaluation:
1. Workshop, classes, field visit
To let student understand what is the professional practice, HPCC prepared about 12 talks and lessons to introduce the content and the details of the placement. Also, some organizations have a representative person to introduce the background of the organization and the placement’s duties, such as Outward Bound, Kai Sing Company etc.
Besides, students leant different skills and knowledge during the lessons before the placement, such as interview skill. Also, some importance notice was given to the student, such as the working attitude
2. Contract system
Student requires to sign a contract before the placement. However, this contract system is not much convenience as student needs to find supervisor and ask for the signature, before handed in to HPCC. Some organizations are busy all the day, so the supervisor may not have the time to discuss the contract details with the student, it may waste the time of each other. Although, to discuss with the supervisor personally is a good way, however, it better have other communication channel, such as E-mail or fax .
3. Selection of placement
Student has 20 choices of placement and they required to pick 3 of them as the choice of the placement. Different organization provided to student as a choice of placement. Most of the organization located all around Hong Kong, it is convenience to the student which live in different area. However, the selection system should be more clearly, student do not know the standard of the selection, such as “ why the student pick this organization as first choice and no offer received, but other student picked same organization as third choice and have offer. 4. HPCC staff counseling and support
The overall supports from the HPCC staff are great .They may keep asking the situation and any problem face during the placement and report through phone call and email. Also, during the placement period, one of the supervisors of HPCC had a site visit on student’s working area, in order to realize the situation of student, such as any discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse happen during the placement.
5. Relevance to career and personal direction
The placement life is plentiful and it enriches student knowledge. The experience gained from the placement is relevance to student further studies, such as the management skill and knowledge about sport and recreation industry. The knowledge learnt from the placement can be the references for the further study and be the great working experiences on working in sport field.
Appendix
1. Letter of Thanks
Placement Planner
Time table
June
July
Aug
Copy of Interim Report
Literature or other related information
Booklet:
Training material
Job's Rule and Description