Educational and Professional Plan Essay Example

well whereby the word free attracted most of the customers. The customers were provided with free products and email services that performed the function of passing the information to other potential customers. After capturing the attention of the customers, the customers were able to learn about other products that were being sold in the campaign. The strategy of passing the message effortlessly was also used whereby as the marketing campaigners we used a compelling, compressed and copied message in every email message that was sent. The method was powerful since people were able to pass the same message to others.

There are many communication networks available and the campaign made sure it utilized them to achieve the desired results. I learned that placing the message into an existing communication between people diversifies the chances of dispersion. The research was meaningful because I learn how to take advantage of the available resources to deliver the mission of the project. For instance, placing a text or a link in other websites was a powerful strategy and the message was passed through the resources of other people. Social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, and LinkedIn have viral effects as well as video sharing sites like Youtube and Vimeo.

Viral marketing is one of the fastest methods in marketing and it is more successful when combined with other conventional strategies of marketing. Budgeting, the culture of the company, developing the brand and all the concepts that are to be used in the marketing campaign are an important consideration before the commencement of the campaign. The campaign also helped me to learn the use of word processors, software used in database management

and media and the internet campaigns. Computer technology is an important factor in any viral marketing strategy since people move with technology. The marketing research was successful because of the use of trends and habits the customers. The data and the conduct of the customers were utilized to determine what was required by the customer then a plan was implemented on how to reach these customers. For the strategy to be successful, paying attention to details and using a strong communication strategy was important as well as being computer literate and using computer technology. The viral marketing campaign was meaningful to me because I learned how to use project management skills practically.

Characteristics of International Project Management Course

International project management course, graduate school of management (Köster, 2009) is a program offered by Kyoto University and its main focus is on temporary cooperation between business teams to achieve a goal I projects. The course has a characteristic of nurturing professionals in international project management and practices in business. The aim of the course is to provide the students with basic core competencies in management, accounting, and economics (Burke, 2013). Practical subjects like management of contracts, evaluation of policies, management of risks and development management will be part of the course. The students will also obtain practical knowledge in project finance and disaster management as well as management in mega project management. Business writing and negotiation will be a skill that will be obtained by students pursuing the course in the graduate school of management Kyoto University. International internship placements and workshops are available and the course is open for students from all cultures and nations. The course

is taught in English and creation of leaders for the next generation is a target in the school.

Students pursuing the course will be motivated and inspired to take leadership positions and opportunities will be provided in the graduate school of management for students to gain experience in project management. There are unique and world-class research resources at Kyoto University and the program aims at nurturing interaction in higher education. The course has a characteristic of equipping the students with skills that will make them leaders of the next generation (Lientz, & Rea, 2012). The students will learn how to take on challenges in the modern day society and lead excellently. The program aims at contributing to the diverse development of the society by developing originality and capabilities in decision making to create leaders in all areas and fields. There is an administrative strategy in the school that helps the university to achieve its mission statement. In Kyoto University, the graduate school of management achieves its mission by valuing the need of an independent spirit by promoting advanced research and creating an educational environment that is incorporated with the government and the industries. The faculty is of diverse nations to encourage students from diverse communities to join the program.
The course program is established under the national government program and it takes two years. The main aim of the program is to facilitate students with skills that will help them meet the needs of global expansions of businesses in Japan and the world at large. The course started in April 2011 and the main focus of the course is international project management. Students with working experience as

well as working professionals are encouraged to enroll in the program since they will be nurtured will skills that will help them complete international projects successfully (Kerzner, 2013). The educational program helps students to complete projects with aims that are special or in situations that have various restrictions and uncertainties.

The program is suitable for me because I need to develop the skills and strategies for managing international projects. I also need to understand my client's cultural preferences to be able to negotiate more successfully. I need to operate in an environment with a variety of cultural and socio-economic settings. I also need to be able to handle the complexities that arise in international settings. I will be able to understand project management much better and have more insights on critical awareness of current issues. Since I have majored in marketing and management, project management will help me to work effectively with the stakeholders, team members and communicating with them will be timely. The course will also help me in understanding the implications of project management from all perspectives including legal, political, environmental, technological and contractual hence managing risks will be more effective. The program is suitable for me because I will be able to combine the benefits of project management and marketing to effectively be successful in my career in future.
Personal project involvement

I was recently involved in maintaining a project plan which was about creating an interactive and content website as well as tracking the feedback of members. As the project administrator, the most important issues were maintaining the plan of the project and updating the progress on the website. The site had features like

video, audio and canvas elements as well as animation for users to be facilitated with different options. The canvas element allowed the audience to paint and make great paintings which was not possible without the element. The canvas element also allows users to use shapes and images easily. The site also has an animation editor whereby the users are facilitated with text filters hence Photoshop is not necessary for the creation of a cool text. There is a large collection of images in the site to help users have many projects while exploring the site. The website is compatible both with a desktop and mobile devices to facilitate users to access the site at all times wherever they may be. The site enables users to create, share and reuse the contents they have created.

Providing administrative support, especially to the manager of the project, was a key issue. The experience was good and memorable. I contributed to the project by making sure that planning, tracking, and reporting were effective and facilitating quality management and communication. I was responsible for producing a consolidated report to the board of the project which included the risks, benefits, costs and the key issues. Creating an interactive site was the main objective of the project with the aim of delivering and receiving information from the target audience. The main work was to get customers to give their feedback, hence we had to come up with a good strategy that would attract the audience and give them a reason to get back at us. The project enabled the users to create interactive materials in all sense ranging from videos, presentations, games and

even advertising. These were an option of either importing or exporting materials and even applications can be shared in the site. I was in the group that was involved in designing the site whereby we gave our views and the technology experts implemented them.

Identifying the goals of the project is a key issue in any project since the lack of identification can lead to the suffering of the whole team (Burke, 2013). The project involved creating a test and quizzes website with the main idea being keeping the users hooked. The audience was to share their results with friends whereby the more an individual participated the more content he/she was given. Each member of the team was given their responsibility according to skills and experiences to facilitate accountability. An important issue was also ensuring that the budget of the plan was followed and the necessary resources were used and well managed. According to Kerzner, (2013) Cooperation and motivation among the team players is an important aspect of the project because it plays a role in the success of the project. With the help of digital technology, the participants were able to influence the outcome of the project by being allowed to share. For instance, there were video quizzes and surveys that came from the audience. All the mandatory requirements were supplied in time and it went according to the budget. The team members did an excellent job since they worked efficiently throughout the project. The roles of the team members depended on their expertise and experience whereby the users were incorporated to facilitate the success of the project.
Communication is an important aspect of any project

and poor communication can lead to the failure of a project (Ihori, 2015). As the project administrator, I made sure that interaction with the audience was constant and I replied to the feedback that they posted. We encouraged the audience to continue interacting by coming up with topics that were trending and interesting so that the audience could feel comfortable. The topics ranged from fashion to entertainment to lifestyles. How the meetings are scheduled is important because it can waste of save time (Ihori, 2015). In the project, we made sure that the schedule was set at the beginning of the project and any meeting that happened beyond the plan had to be an emergency or an important detail. I also helped in making the project a success by creating a questionnaire for the audience where they gave all their views on the project.

Meeting the deadline of the project is a key issue and failure to complete in time is considered a failure of the whole project (Köster, 2009). Therefore, it is important to set the realistic deadlines to avoid last minute rush which results in poor results. The stakeholders in the project participated actively ranging from the CEO to the team members whereby all the members verified the content in advance. There was a consensus among the stakeholders which resulted in a positive outcome in the project. Risk management is an important aspect of any project (Kerzner, 2013). The team members were made aware of the issues related to lack of understanding and emphasis was put in making sure that a point was clear before the commencement of any task. As the project administrator,

to avoid misunderstandings, I made sure my communication skills were good and I encouraged feedback. I also made sure I worked with the other team leaders to ensure that the project was successful. The project took a lot of time since the planning and organizing required dedication. I was the project administrator so I had to assess all the steps and make sure everything went according to the plan. According to Köster, (2009) it is possible to learn effective project management skills as well as evaluate and work on improving them.

Skills and Knowledge I Need to Master and How to Utilize Them After the Completion of the Program

I need to learn how to manage international projects and develop the skills required. I also need to acquire the skills required in negotiating to understand the preferences of the client. The skills of negotiating contracts successful are important to be able to handle business at an international level. Leading requires leadership skills so that the team members can be able to understand their leader and follow instructions. I plan to master the skills required for leadership to facilitate satisfaction of the clients and to make sure that their preferences are met. More enterprises continue to take to international projects and the growth of globalization is playing a big role in it. As a result, projects are being carried out in diverse cultural environments and understanding them is essential. Working in such an environment is challenging and it is important to learn the skills required to respond and handle them. I plan to master the skills that are necessary in dealing with people from diverse cultures in order

to be successful in international project management. Language barriers and logistics issues are also a challenge in international project management and as part of my course, I plan on acquiring the knowledge that is necessary for handling these issues. Projects are involved in situations that lead to monetary losses and not meeting the requirements of the clients. However, such situations can be avoided and I plan on acquiring the necessary knowledge to be able to avoid such outcomes. It is also important to reflect on the degree of tolerance of the client in case of spillages. Hence, I plan on developing schedules that are realistic to be able to reflect on the tolerance of the clients.

I plan to master the skills of understanding international project management like the current trends and the challenges. To be able to deliver a successful project and to track results, I need to learn how to use the right metrics. I need to be able to create and lead a team efficiently and also to understand the needs of the clients. Working effectively with the stakeholders is essential especially in a diverse environment and it is important to master the skills required. It is also important to learn how to work with team members and other parties involved. Communicating properly is important for success in project management. Knowing the implications of the project in all perspectives is important to facilitate success in any international project. After completion of the course, I plan to participate in international projects and make use of all the skills and knowledge that I will have acquired from this program. I also plan to combine the

knowledge from marketing and management to be able to market products and ideas on an international level and to international projects.

The Economy of Japan

The economy of Japan is doing well since the country has the third largest economy worldwide. The success in the economy is thought to be a contribution to the cultural philosophies in the country. For example, the Nemawashi principle demands the support of all the involved parties before making a major change in business. The change is hence easier making businesses more competitive resulting in an improvement in the economy. Japan is small in size and the land suitable for agriculture is minimal although it yields a lot. The main crop in the country is rich and it is subsidized to facilitate self-sufficiency (Lientz, & Rea, 2012). On the other hand, the imported rice has high tariffs to decrease local competition. Japan improves its economy by supporting the local producers and discouraging importations especially in products that are available locally. The United States and The people Republic of China (Shimomura, 2016) are the largest partners that Japan imports from.

The manufacturing industry is the main power behind the economy of the country since the country in the forefront in certain technologies. The most successful areas are consumer electronics like televisions, Mp3 players and DVD players (Shimomura, 2016). They are also successful in manufacturing automobile, semiconductor, optic fibers, optoelectronics, optical media and copy machines. The automobile is sold across the globe and they are known for being reliable and cost effective. The country puts its focus on maintaining the infrastructure whereby the roads are kept in good shape and the alternative means of energy

are invested on. The country avoids relying on foreign fuel hence the investment on alternative energy means. The high-speed train industry in Japan is famous for being on time and being efficient. The infrastructure of the country is good and it plays a role in the growth of the economy.

The country is stable socially and politically and the institutions that are run in the country are efficient. The people in the country respect the rule of law and the judicial framework supports the government. Corruption is minimal in the country and the country has high levels of income. Forming a business in Japan requires minimal procedures and capital although dynamic growth in entrepreneurship is discouraged. A flexible labor market is encouraged through a propensity lifetime employment. Investments are screened in several sectors of the economy like in the agriculture and telecommunication sectors. The government has put some efforts in scaling back institutionalized farm subsidies but there has been stiff political resistance. The banking sector lacks vigorous growth although it is competitive. The financial sector is distorted by the Post Company that includes the post office, post bank, and postal insurance company. The rate of average tariffs in the country is 1.2 percent to encourage local production. The overall tax burden adds up to 30.3 percent of the domestic income with the government spending amounting to 42.3 percent of the gross domestic product (Shimomura, 2016). The public debt is more than twice of the size of the economy. However, the Japanese Yen is the third most traded currency in the world. The continued growth of the economy of Japan is mostly as a result of the

manufacturing industry and the supportive government.

References

1. Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.
2. Ihori, T. (2015). Fiscal Consolidation in the Political Economy of Japan. In The Political Economy of Fiscal Consolidation in Japan (pp. 3-33). Springer Japan.
3. Kerzner, H. R. (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
4. Köster, K. (2009). International project management. Sage.
5. Lientz, B., & Rea, K. (2012). International project management. Routledge.
6. Shimomura, Y. (2016). The political economy of Japan’s aid policy trajectory: With particular reference to the changes and continuity under the ODA charter. In Japan’s Development Assistance (pp. 72-87). Palgrave Macmillan UK.