Developing Academic and Employability Skills: A Reflection

This report discusses the importance of developing academic and employability skills and how they can enhance career opportunities. It includes a reflection in Kolb's reflective model, highlighting the experiences and learning from these skills. The report emphasizes the role of HR managers in improving their efficiency and effectiveness.

Academic And
Employability Skills

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
Reflection....................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERNCES:..................................................................................................................................7
Books and Journals:....................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Day to day competition get rises which creates the problem for an individual that how
they can deal with this competition and achieve their goals. It is identified that with the help of
developing academic and employability skills they can achieve their goals with the taking of
competitive advantage (Adeyinka-Ojo, 2018). It gives many benefits to the person. It is
identified that there are many skills which plays a important role in the employees life so that's
why they should have to improve their skills. In this report it covers the self reflection in a Kolb's
reflective model which includes the experiences and learning from academic and employability
skills. It assists in the role of HR manager as it makes them more efficient and effective.
MAIN BODY
TASK 2
Reflection.
Reflection is the important part as it gives the experience and feelings of own learning. It
can be more clearly understand with the help of Kolb's reflective model which assists in
understanding individual experiencing with clarity (Aliu and Aigbavboa, 2017). It consists of
main four stages in the Kolb's reflective model that are concrete experience, reflective
observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation. In the first stage a person
can physically experience that situation and because of that they want to reflect on them. In the
second stage, the person can write the reflection for that situation which they faced in reality in
more deeply. Third stage of Kolb's reflective model assists in finding the ways that how a person
can improve them with the consultation of their colleagues. Last stage which is the practices of
ways that find in the abstract conceptualisation stage. Actually it is the stage in which they start a
new cycle. It can be more clear with my personal experiences.
As a HR manager of Marks & Spencer, it is a great opportunity for me that I was
appointed as a HR of large multinational company. In that process I have face many things that
make me more effective and efficient (Bhagra and Sharma, 2018). It can more clear with the use
of Kolb's reflective model of first stage i.e. concrete experience. In that time I realised that skills
are very important for my career. It assist me to take more good opportunities. It is very obvious
that academic and employability skills are necessary for an individual but it actually makes my
career more brighter. In my working I learned many things that is very necessary for my career

growth. I learned because I was physically present at that situation and that's why it becomes
more effective for me. I faced that organisation assigned something that should be completed
within time. From that one I learned time management. In the organisation there are many
situations in which I need a good academic writing. When I am HR in the company then here are
more things which I used for performing my job role. I used skills such as communication,
listening, proactive, time management, interpersonal, analytical, summarizing, etc. All these
skills I have used in which some of them I had to develop so that I can complete my goals and
remaining I already have.
According to the second stage of Kolb's reflective model i.e. reflective observation, I am
trying to clear out the things that how I can develop skills in which I have lack knowledge. I
analysed during my job role that I was less efficient in time management because there were
many situation in which I failed in my task only because of time management. For example, in
the starting of my job organisation gave me a task that I had to found eligible candidates in the
organisation for fulfilling the vacancies. I analysed that I was failed in the assigned task because
I had not manage time. It was very difficult for me that I had to found people who were looking
for the job and had enough skills and knowledge which can fulfil the organisational goals and
objective in 10 days. That time I analysed that I have to develop time management skills so that
I can accomplished my goals and objectives effectively. It is very important not only for that
time but also for bright future. Time management skills are very necessary because it assist me to
maintain the balance of my all work (Cotronei-Baird, 2020). With the help of this I can manage
my work very well and accomplished goals and objectives.
Other skill that I found that is important for me is academic writing. I found that
academic writing is very important when I had to gave motive to each employees about the
information related to the employees. It includes the payroll, employees leave, etc. it is very
important for me when I had to inform employees about working hours, holidays, important
meetings, etc. academic writing plays a crucial role in that time. I analysed that my academic
writing is very well so that's why I cannot make more efforts for that one. But I learned that
academic writing is very useful for every person so that's why I gave coaching to the employees
so that they can build their academic writings more effectively.
There is one important skill which I usually used in the organisation i.e. presentation and
public speaking (Gill, 2018). Whenever I had to conduct a meeting then I had to prepare a

presentation for me which assist people to clear out the purpose of meeting. It is very essential
for organisation because day to day any meetings were conducted in which I had to inform and
explain the content for which that meeting was conducting. I analysed that everyone should
know the importance of presentation as it assist in boosting confidence of each person. It is very
necessary for me that I had to improve my presentation skills so that the purpose of presentation
can be effectively done. I used to daily attend meetings with employees as well as top level
management. I analysed that I had to improve public speakings so that no one mistakenly get
wrong attitude through my words. I had to used words in a very proper way.
I analysed that public speaking helps me to improve my confidence and self esteem so
that's why I realised that I had to improve this one. It is very necessary for removing the stage
fear from me because in my school days I never gave a participation in debate competition
because I had a fear of stage. I analysed that I can forget everything when I get on the stage so
that's why I never went on the stage. But during the job role I realised that it is very necessary for
every person if they want to achieve something big. If a person want to get a successful
businessman then they have the skills to front all public's questions. It is not easy but it is crucial.
So that's why I realised that it was very essential for me. I learned from one incident in which I
had to give a speech in which I could not give because I was very nervous and had a stage fear at
that time. My whole colleagues tried to give motivation but still I could not perform on the stage.
At that time I though that it is necessary to reduce the stage fear.
One another skill which I realised that important for me i.e. summarizing (Griffin and
Coelhoso, 2019). It is very important for HR manager that they should direct and guide their
employees in a very precise manner so that they cannot feel any ambiguity in their duties and
responsibility. In the Human resource management it is very necessary that HR manager should
provide a training programme to the employees so that they can understand the job role and
perform accordingly. But it is analysed that they are not understand till when they get a
conclusion or summarizing of all part. It is very necessary for me that I have to summarize the
lecture so that they get the actual meaning. It is also important for the next lecture in which I had
start the session from the summary of last session so that they can connect all lectures. I analysed
that it is necessary for me that I had to develop this skill also but I already have a good
experiencing from my last academic studies.

As per the abstract conceptualisation stage of Kolb's reflective model, it is very necessary
for me that I have to find the ways in order to improve my skills in which I have lack knowledge.
I identified that time management skills can be improved with the help of making or formulating
a schedule so that I can complete my task within time (Hart, 2019) . It is necessary for me that I
have to remove my stage fear so that I can improve my public speaking and presentation skills. I
find out the many ways in which one is very effective i.e. conversation with mirror. I also
learned that I can able to improve summarizing skills with the help of more and more reading. I
found many ways in which I improve my skills.
In the last and important stage of Kolb's reflective model i.e. active experimentation. It is
the stage in which I have to make a action plan so that I can improve my skills. I gave me a time
limit in the cation plan so that I can complete my assigned goals dan objectives easily. It is
necessary for me that I have to make a proper plan in which I had to cover all skills that I need to
develop and improve. I analysed that there are many skills in which I have expertise so that's
why I made a action plan for those skills which are no so effective in me. I analyse that I have a
good communication, listening and interpersonal skills. So that's why I had to make a action plan
for time management, public speaking, presentation skills and summarizing. So for that purpose,
I had to improve my skills with the help of action plan. It is the starting of another cycle.
From the above discussion, I analysed that it is very important for me that I have to learn
the ways which assist in developing skills. It is essential for me that I can improve my skills
which can assist in enhancing in academic and employability skills. It is analysed that if a person
can understand the importance of employability and academic skills then they can achieve their
goals and objectives. Academic skills are necessary to learn something new which gives
understanding of a specified topic. Whereas employability skills are necessary for candidates in
which they are improves their productivity that gives benefits to the organisation as well as
candidates. It assist them in their future growth and gives opportunity to enhance more.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the above discussion that every person needs to understand the
importance of academic and employability skills. It is analysed that both skills are very
important for individual as it assists them to make more effective and efficient for personal and
professional life. This report covers the reflection in Kolb's reflective model in which an
individual reflect their own learning experiences that what they have to do and how they can

achieve them. It is analysed that with the help of developing skills a person can get more
important and effective opportunities which makes their career brighter.

REFERNCES:
Books and Journals:
Adeyinka-Ojo, S., 2018. A strategic framework for analysing employability skills deficits in
rural hospitality and tourism destinations. Tourism Management Perspectives, 27,
pp.47-54.
Aliu, J. and Aigbavboa, C. O., 2019. Employers’ perception of employability skills among built-
environment graduates. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology.
Bhagra, A. and Sharma, D. K., 2018. Changing paradigm of employability skills in the global
business world: A review. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 12(2), pp.7-24.
Cotronei-Baird, V. S., 2020. Academic hindrances in the integration of employability skills
development in teaching and assessment practice. Higher Education, 79(2), pp.203-223.
Gill, R., 2018. Building employability skills for higher education students: An Australian
example. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 9(1), pp.84-92.
Griffin, M. and Coelhoso, P., 2019. Business students’ perspectives on employability skills post
internship experience. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Hart, J., 2019. Interdisciplinary project-based learning as a means of developing employability
skills in undergraduate science degree programs. Journal of Teaching and Learning for
Graduate Employability, 10(2), pp.50-66.