Developing Employability Skills: A Reflective Review

This report reflects on the development of employability skills through academic pursuits and how it helps in professional growth. It covers the Gibbs model of reflection, explanation of skills like time management, research, and team working skills, and tools like 4D and Trello. The report concludes that these skills are essential for finding good employment opportunities and improving efficiency.

Academic and
employability skills

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Gibbs model of reflection............................................................................................................1
Explanation of chosen skills:.......................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Academic Skills can be described as talents and habits which provide various benefits for
purpose of academic pursuits like learning, research, report writing as well as presentation. It
consist analysis, planning, test taking as well as technical skills. Employability skills on the other
hand can be described as core skills as well as traits required for different jobs (Aliu and
Aigbavboa, 2019). It can also described as general skills which is desirable for an organisation.
This project report includes reflection as how learning of module helps a person to develop
different employability skills. There are different types of employability skills developed by a
person including time management skills, communication skills, note taking skills presentation
skills, digital skills and others.
MAIN BODY
Gibbs model of reflection
It is one of model of reflection model introduced by Graham Gibbs in the year 1988 that provide
structure for learning from experience. It provide a framework that allow to examine experience
and also allow a person to learn from their experience. It is of cyclic natures which allow a
person to learn on basis of repeated experienced. It also allow a person to plan things which went
well and which does not went well. It mainly consist six stages of learning which are mentioned
below:
Description: At time of completing my higher education, I get opportunity to complete different
assignment and work in order to improve my learning as well as employability skills. At time of
completing my education at university, I take participation in different activities. At time of
completing module, I get an assignment with different other members of class. It is a assignment
which is based on academic and employability skills. For completing this, I take initiate and
divide work in different members. As one of my team members has more knowledge about it, we
take more helps from him. In order to complete this assignment, I have divided whole work into
different small task and assign responsibility to each members as per their capability (Bhagra and
Sharma, 2018). We have completed our work but there is mistake occur related to writing style
but we found it on timely basis and work on it.
Feeling: Before joining the university, I was excited as this is the time where we get opportunity
to learn new things and also develop different types of skills. During this project I am happy as
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things are going with us but in the end, there is confusion occur related to learning style. This
problem create frustration in us as we all needs to rewrite our assignment. But we all handle this
situation calmly and overcome of it. It allow us to complete work on time and we all are happy
with the situation.
Evaluation: There are various good things in this experience as we have gain knowledge about
employment and academic skills which are required for professional growth. The thing which is
bad about this experience is that confusion occur in team due to which we all have to cancel out
our personal plan (Griffin and Coelhoso, 2018). For handle the situation effectively, all members
of team also needs cancel their plan and contribute to project in effective manner.
Analysis: There are various reason due to which things go well as I take initiative to divide work
of team and also ways in which we handle situation. Things does not go well due to out lack of
communication as due to this, confusion occur us related to writing style. From this situation, I
make sense we needs to learn from experience and also needs to improve it for future situation.
There are various knowledge of me and other members helps us to complete assignment in
effective manner. My knowledge of leadership and writing style will helps us to complete the
project in effective manner. Our different academic and employment skills helps us to
understand topic of project in effective manner and allow us to present relevant information in
project.
Conclusion: I have learned various new thing from this situation like how to handle situation
where we get panic and stress. I also learn importance of effective leadership style in different
situation. I also learn importance of communication in order to avoid confusion and mistakes.
This situation can be more positive if we have communicated about writing style (Jolly, 2022).
There are different types of skills that I needs to develop like communication skills, decision
making skills stress management and others. I can needs to reconfirm things in order to ensure
avoidance of confusion.
Action Plan: If same situation occur in future, I will act differently as I have developed
necessary skills required for this. I also develop experience which helps me to guide about how
to handle situation I will develop required skills by taking initiatives and develop personal
development plan that provide me guidance. On basis of these skills, I will be able to understand
complex situation and also make initiative to make improvement in it.
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Explanation of chosen skills:
Employability skills can be described as core skills and traits required for purpose of different
jobs. It is general skills which make a person desirable for a specific organisation. At time of
hiring employees for specific job role in organisation, a person needs to consider this in
company. There are different type of employability skills developed by me during attending this
module and explanation of these skills are mentioned below:
Time management skills:
It is one of skill that allow a person for managing time in a manner that allow them for purpose
of completing work on time. It is essential as it provide opportunity for a person by completing
work on time as it create good impression of individual in minds of others (Nisha and
Rajasekaran, 2018). This skills helps me in my academic life by completing assignment on time
and getting good grades. It also helps me to manage time and saves time for my studies.
4D Tool: It is one of tool used for purpose of managing time in effective manner. It is also a
strategy for discerning whether a project is worthy to complete or not. It helps individual to make
quick decision to act. It consist do, defer, delegate and delete which allow a person to categorise
different task and allow them to manage time in effective manner (Skoyles, Bullock and Neville,
2019). It is important as it allow a person to give their attention to a specific activity and allow
them to utilise their time in effective manner. With helps of this tool, I will be able to understand
which task I needs to do, which I needs to delay and which deny.
Skill Action Assessment Time frame
Time
management
In order to develop this
skills, I have develop
schedule that provide me
guidance at which time, I
needs to complete a task.
For this, I can also use 4D
tool that also assist me to
prioritise different task.
In order to assess this
work, I needs to
ensure whether
different task assign to
me can be done on
time or not.
1 Month
Research skills:
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It is one of skills that provide ability to a person to find out a answer of a question and also
provide solution to problem. It also provide ability to person to gather different types of
information on various topic, review information, analyse and interpreting information that allow
a person to reach to a solution. It is an important skills that allow employee to develop various
solution to a problem (Sokhanvar, Salehi and Sokhanvar, 2021). It allow me as an employee to
evaluate different resources and also allow to utilise it in a manner to improve efficiency. It
allow me to identify needs to target customer of company and also helps them to meet to needs
of products and service.
CRAAP test: It is one of tool which is by an individual for purpose of conducting research. It
stands for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy as well as purpose. For this, it is important for
an information to be available on time. Information to be used should also be fulfil needs and
there should be a source of information (Stewart, 2021). Information used in this should also be
reliable, trustfulness and also there should be purpose of information to be used.
Skill Action Assessment Time frame
Research Skills In order to develop this
skill, a person needs to
know a topic by dive it into
specifics. They also needs
to learn ways in order to
recognise quality source.
They also needs to ensure
verification of different
sources and also needs to
be open up for surprising
answers. For research,
individual also needs to
organise information and
also needs to take
advantage of different types
of library sources.
In order to assess this
skills, a person needs
to analyse result of
research that whether
it is right or not.
3 Month
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Team working skills: It is one of skills that allow a person for purpose of work in a group for
attainment of goals and outcomes in effective and efficient manner. It is essential as it allow
them to listen to different members and complete work in effective manner (Timane, Wandhe
and Band, 2019). It is an important skills that allow them a person to get contribution of other
members and also allow them to attain goals and objectives. It is required by employers at time
of hiring of employees individual needs to work with different members at workplace for
attainment of goals. It is essential skills as it allow a person to reach to a common goals with
mutual efforts and allow them a person to complete a work in less time.
Virtual project management tool: There are different virtual project management tool like
Trello which are mobile friendly as it can be easily understand by user. It allow a person for
purpose of promoting team work in organisation and allow a person to manage a project in
effective manner (Wrye, Chafin and Higginbotham, 2019). It is important as it allow them to
manage complex project in less effective manner that will increase its efficiency. It is also allow
a person to plan out different activities in different platform and also helps them to attain goals of
team.
Skill Action Assessment Time frame
Team working
skills
In order to develop team
working skills, a person
needs to develop goals and
needs to understand these
goals. They also needs to
clarifies different roles in
team and also needs to
develop positive mindset at
workplace. A person also
needs to manage time and
needs to share enthusiasm
that motivate them to
complete work in team.
In order to assess this
skill, a person needs to
ensure to which extent
individual is able to
reach to goals and
objectives of team.
3 Months
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CONCLUSION
From above mentioned project report, it can be concluded that there are different types of
employability and academic skills attained by a person. It allow them to for purpose of develop
skills and also improving efficiency of a person. It is essential as it allow them for finding good
employment opportunity and also to develop skills which is essential for them. Some of
employment skills are time management, team working skills, research skills and others. All
these skills are important for individual not only at workplace but also at academic life. In order
to reflect learning, individual can also use Gibbs model of reflection that allow them to learn
from their previous experience.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
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.
Griffin, M. and Coelhoso, P., 2018. Business students’ perspectives on employability skills post
internship experience: lessons from the UAE. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based
Learning.
Jolly, D., 2022. Impact of Academic Performance, Personality Types, Self-Efficacy and
Demographic Profile to the Employability Skills of Alternative Learning System
Learners. Personality Types, Self-Efficacy and Demographic Profile to the
Employability Skills of Alternative Learning System Learners (March 3, 2022).
Nisha, S.M. and Rajasekaran, V., 2018. Employability skills: A review. IUP Journal of Soft
Skills, 12(1), pp.29-37.
Skoyles, A., Bullock, N. and Neville, K., 2019. Developing Employability Skills Workshops for
Students’ Higher Education Achievement Reports. New Review of Academic
Librarianship, 25(2-4), pp.190-217.
Sokhanvar, Z., Salehi, K. and Sokhanvar, F., 2021. Advantages of authentic assessment for
improving the learning experience and employability skills of higher education students:
A systematic literature review. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 70, p.101030.
Stewart, B.A., 2021. An empirical approach to identifying employability skills required of
graduates in the environmental sciences. Industry and Higher Education, 35(2), pp.89-
101.
Timane, R., Wandhe, P. and Band, G., 2019. A Study of Analysis of Gap in the Employability
Skills and Attributes of Management Students with Respect to Academic Output and
Industry Requirement. The International Journal of Analytical and Experimental Modal
analysis (ISSN No. 0886-9367) pg, pp.4335-4346.
Wrye, B., Chafin, C. and Higginbotham, C., 2019. Creating a Win-Win: Designing and
implementing mutually beneficial collaborations between community organizations and
academic programs. Education+ Training.
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