GAP Analysis Plan Sample Assignment

Introduction

Because I am graduating this semester, I am in the process of looking for work that I can fall upon after graduate. I am looking to become a Game Writer, so this project is something I needed to do in order to find out the step necessary to reach my dream job. The purpose of this paper is to learn the skills, requirements, and comparisons to things that I want and needed in order to learn and apply for the job position. Within this GAP analysis, I will be looking at the different skills in which employers are looking for as well as what interest me within the job field so that I can meet those goals as well as know more about the environment.

Through the KSAB and the online resources, I will be able to develop a process in which I can help myself improve on my skills as well as gain knowledge on skills that I lack within the field. If the skills are compatible with what I have learned about myself in the KSAB and SAPA project then I know that I am on the right track. If not then I know that I will have to change positions or find another means of getting into the industry I am pursuing work from. But with all of the companies that I have been applying for such as Atlus, Sega, Sony, Nintendo, and many other small land business that are looking for writers, I know that I will be able to land one of these positions and work my way up to getting my dream job at my favorite company.

Gap/Match Analysis

Gap

After observing my KSAB, my weaknesses seem to be that I have problems with Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, and Social Perceptiveness. I can understand why Critical Thinking is needed since there will be instances in which something will need to be incorporated differently or if a process cannot be done. Another that I can see is Social Perceptiveness since you want to keep track of how people react to certain situations and your material to know if things need to be changed to incorporate the mood. Lastly another problem I have is Complex Problem Solving; I like to have straight solutions and being able to solve a problem as quickly and fewer complexes as possible. I can understand why a writer will need this when you have to write different methods that will need changed or worked differently than what you like. These are some of the problems that my job goals require in which I will have to improve upon.

Matches

Most of my requirements from the KSAB are in my job description. Though they are mostly fair since my skills are not as developed as they should be, I can see myself getting better at them. The ones that I feel should be improved on the most however are Time Management, Active Learning, and Systems Analysis which will really be used more so on projects that I will participate on. Time Management is rough for me since I don’t like being pressured to have things done, but if I want to become successful in the business, then I will need to do my part and learn how to have things done in a reasonable and respectable time. Active Learning may not be as big of a process when writing, but it will tie into group meetings and discussions on what things should done and what steps and improvements could make the works better. Lastly Systems Analysis will be used mostly due to the fact that I will be responsible for uploading, typing, and researching information for the projects that are due. Although it will focus on creativity, there will be instances that spread sheets, web updates, and statements for correction will come up, so this will need to be improved upon.

Luckily for me most of my requirements for my job market are in hand with what I see myself doing and being comfortable with on a daily basis. Some of the things that I worry about such as Safety, Profits, and Security are taken care of since they are indoor jobs that have a continuous market. Others constraints such as Excitement, Friendships, and Recognition for work are also included in the projects due to it being a group effort and recognition to those that actually do things on the project and the exciting possibilities of what can be made with each project. That is why I feel I am in the right line of what is important to me when it comes to a job.

Development Plan

According to my Gap Analysis, my overall comparison to my job position that I am applying for is average, however my major gaps in order seem to be: Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, and Complex Problem Solving. The reason that Critical Thinking is my top priority is because Critical Thinking is used within everyday business and the reason I am slacking on this skill is because I don’t have a lot of reason to use it in school right now and it seems to take away from processes that can be done quickly. My second problem is Social Perceptiveness which I have trouble with do to me only thinking of my own opinion when it comes to my work and if it’s only appealing to me. I know that it is unprofessional to do this in the working world but it is something that I need to improve upon so that I can be in better sync with my co-workers and be able to see the different opinions of those around me. Lastly my last problem seems to be Complex Problem Solving which is simply something I try to avoid since it will require more time to finish and detract away from progress that I could get by just avoiding the problem. This could also be used within writing but I don’t see it being something that will majorly affect my writing skills unless there needs to be a complex situation to tie into a story problem.

In order to improve my Gaps there are things that I could do for each so that I won’t have these problems. My first solution for Critical Thinking is to start doing exercises that would allow me to think things thoroughly such as papers for class, problems in the back of business books that ask for opinions, or even having conversations with other people that will incorporate Critical Thinking. My second problem, which is Social Perceptiveness, can easily be taken care of by attending my writers’ club meetings and getting different opinions on my written work, as well as getting opinions from friends that look at my works and getting opinions on how it can be improved. Since Complex Problem Solving seems to go in hand with Critical Thinking, I think that me doing thinking exercises from workbooks and thinking things through would be a step to improve this flaw. By doing all of these I can see major improvements on my Gaps so that they can match into my job field.

As far as my Match Analysis goes, my major strengths to me are Judgment and Decision Making, Writing, and Negotiation. These skills can be very useful in the working world and are very beneficial to many jobs. I will use my Judgment and Decision Making skills within the work place to determine the best market in which audience different games would appeal to as well as show how markets can affect overall profit that the company can make with certain decisions. With my writing skills I can impress most people with letters and articles that will give me more publicity as well as using these skills in order to make something that audiences will enjoy playing as well as makes them think. Lastly with Negotiation, I will be able to persuade different companies to invest into our product for sales profits and also try to make collaborations with other studios in order to have a bigger audience and succeed with better outputs.

I plan to use these skills to stand out from the competition by persuading the job audience to look at my works as well as having an array of styles that will differentiate from other writers. The first step will be to have a conversation that will make the hirer think about the current market and then give examples of how my skills can be used to bring in a younger audience as well as a foreign audience that could be related to different genres. After this I can show off my different decision making steps that will allow for the most profit in a short and reasonable amount of time. By doing these things, I am sure that I can land the spot and beat out my competition.

Conclusion

By looking at my strengths and weakness according to my job field, I will be able to go within the working world and become confident in my skills. Though some of my Gaps are bad, and most of my skills need improvement, I feel that with enough training and participation, I will be able to improve on them and become an asset to whatever company I will eventually work for. With my Matches, I know where my strengths are and how I can make them better as well as work on the skills that are in ‘fair’ condition. I am also glad that the work conditions that I was looking for all seem to be within the industry that I am pursing ant that I will be able to have extra advantages that I was not even familiar with. This project allowed me to be able to focus on things that I really need to improve on and things that I can sharpen up on to make them stand out more. I feel that in time I will be able to achieve better communication, writing, and inner skills in order to make it to the top of any business that I go into.

References

O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. February 28, 2015. <http://www.onetonline.org/link/details/27-3043.04>

O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. February 28, 2015. <http://www.onetonline.org/link/details/27-3043.04#WorkValues>

CareerPerfect. CareerPerfect.com. n.d. Web. January 22, 2015. <http://www.careerperfect.com/>