MG408 The Graduate Challenge - CW2 report

This report discusses the Graduate Challenges and the skills developed through Apprentice Challenge, Presentation challenge, and T-shirt Challenge. It also includes an action plan to develop weak skills. The report emphasizes the importance of communication, teamwork, time management, and business skills. The report is relevant to MG408 course code and is suitable for students in higher education.

The Graduate Challenges

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Apprentice Challenge.......................................................................................................................1
Presentation challenge.....................................................................................................................1
T-shirt Challenge.............................................................................................................................2
Skills analysis...................................................................................................................................3
The Skills.........................................................................................................................................3
Action Plan.......................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
References:.......................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Graduate challenges are task introduced for the students in the higher education to
actively participate in the challenges to develop skills and knowledge. The challenges comprises
of the business angles such as branding, finance and operations designed to develop the business
skills to gain success in university. The present reflection assessment includes the analysis of
three challenges to reflect the skills demonstrated during the challenge. The report also contains
the action plan to develop the weak skills over the three years of graduation.
MAIN BODY
Challenges and skills developed
Apprentice Challenge
The Apprentices challenge is specially designed to develop the business skills and attributes
through experience of job or internship. The apprentices challenge was on the internship in the
LSST (London School of Science and Technology). The LSST is the place of the high education
that provides the student with professional level education in the field of management, business
and computing. This challenge was about my internship experience at the LSST. During my
internship at the LSST I observed and experienced by internship in different business angles such
as branding, finance and operations.
 Branding: While performing the SWOT analysis I was evaluating the branding of the
LSST. I realised that the brand is highly renowned schools of the country. As this was
individual task therefore, with communication skills I asked the different students and staff
about the strengths that LSST has a branding. I observed that multiple campuses and
professional faculty are key strength that increases the brand image.
 Finance: during my internship I also worked on the finances of the LSST where I used my
business skills to evaluate the company is planning for adding new services and products to
increase the finances. Also for the development of the marketing communication plan the
company was focusing on price and promotion.
Presentation challenge
The presentation challenge was highly prominent and was team work project. In this
challenge as the team we were asked to compare the performance of the Tesco with its key
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competitors as the per the current market dynamics. In this challenge we observed the different
business angles of the Tesco plc with the help of different skill set.
 Branding: With my business skills and competencies I have observed that Tesco
performance as the leading retailer bring the huge positive impact on its branding. Also
participating as the team member for this challenge I observed that I was working more as
an individual by using my business skills to observe the existing and previous year
performance charts and Excel sheets.
 Finance: In this challenge to evaluate the performance of the Tesco, the team evaluated the
two years of financial data of the Tesco plc. Through team working skills and business skills
we all compared the financial statements of the Tesco with the financial statements of Aldi
and Lidl by calculating their financial ratios and demonstrated in the form of bar graph for
better presentation.
 Operations: The presentation challenge of the Tesco plc made me and my team analyse that
company is rapidly expanding their operation in different countries to stay competitive. It is
observed that Tesco has highly effective time management and communication skills to gain
attention of their shareholders other investors to invest in shares of Tesco.
T-shirt Challenge
The T-shirt challenge was the most difficult challenge for me as this was the team working
challenge in which we have to perform different tasks and analysis regarding the T-shirt
branding, financing and operations. Through this challenge I learned multiple skills at a single
time. The challenge was complex but interesting and required excess requirement of effective
communication between team members and efficient time management skills to finish each task
timely.
Branding: There was the marketing team that look after the operations related to the branding of
T-shirt for which the team conducted the STP analysis to analyse the target market. Through this
business angle I evaluated that for effective branding communication skills and emotional
intelligence is compulsory to understand customer’s behaviour to persuade them. The team also
worked on the logo designing as this is the most essential part of branding to make the brand
recognisable through its logo.
Finance: the team also has small segment of finance department that has duty to look after the
budget, pricing and other finance related activities. I was also the part of this team and through
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my knowledge and competencies in Excel band budget related software I calculated the cost
involved in producing T-shirt to derive the price of T-shirt.
Operations: this team of the T- shirt challenge has a duty of managing and controlling the daily
operations related to the T-shirt development. This team through its effective communication and
meeting skills manage the different operational areas such as packaging, logistics, manufacturing
etc. In the end of the day this team through communication skills discussed the daily
performance.
Skills analysis
The Skills
Communication Skills
By participating in above four challenges I realized that I have excellent communication
skills. With the help of debate challenge I was above to outshine my verbal communication skills
and in the hotel management challenges I was able to represent my written communication skills.
I also analysed in T- shirt challenge communication skills are really important to execute the
work of team effectively without any conflict (Alharahsheh and Pius, 2021).
Teamwork
The three challenges presentation challenge, T-shirt challenge and Hotel management
challenge made me analyse that Team working skills are really important in the business world
to complete the task collectively as functional areas of the business work together as a team. I
have very moderate team working skills which it is essential for me to develop and enhance my
team working skills. The challenges really helped in improving my team working skills and to
work more in the team to make it my top most strength (Aryanti and Adhariani, 2020).
Time Management and meeting skills
The time management skills are really important in personal and professional life to improve
the quality of work. The debate challenge helped me in developing time management skills as I
have to sum my views in 3 minutes which was really helpful to me (Duh, Belak and Štrukelj,
2020). The t- shirt challenge was useful to me in analysing the importance of meeting skills them
to complete a project there is requirement of various functional areas of business for which their
timely meeting is necessary therefore I have to enhance and develop meeting skills.
Business skills
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To effectively represent the financial data a financial department of a business plays a great
role. All the four challenges and the business angle under them really helped me in improving
my presentation skills (Ahmad and et. al., 2020). Especially the presentation challenge and T-
shirt were highly beneficial in developing and enhancing my business skills related to
presentation using the spreadsheets, and Excel and their pivot tables, Bar graphs etc.
Action Plan
The action plan will help me to implement an SMART objective to achieve the skills that I have
discussed above in terms of challenges (Aşıkcan and Saban, 2021).
 Specific: the main objective is to develop suitable presentation, team work and Time
management skills to get higher marks in university.
 Measurable: To achieve high grade and marks I need to increase schedule my timetable for
studying, practice more with my classmates to increase my communication as well as team
working skills and then ask my teammates about my skills.
 Achievable: To achieve the set of skills in need to spend more time with my studies and
need to manage time effectively to give specific hours of day to each skill to be improved.
 Relevant: I will be able to achieve all my skills with adequate hard work and proper
guidance.
 Time bound: Within 3 years I need to attain all the skills that will be useful for my future
career growth.
CONCLUSION
From the above information it is concluded that the individuals must work on their skill set to
meet the high grades in the higher schools. For this the students must participate in different
challenges as an individuals and team members. Through apprentices challenge it is concluded
that internships are important part of growing communication and self confidence and also helps
in gaining business knowledge. It is also evaluated that for the student or professional employee
communication and business skills are must. The action plan helps in self devlopemnt of skills
through SMART objectives.
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References:
Books and Journals
Atwood, S.S., 2021. Graduate education and research. In The State University (pp. 30-44).
University of Texas Press.
Brooks, M., Simpson, D. and Johnson, C., 2021. Meeting the Challenge: Preparing for a
Graduate Assistant.
Gates, I.D and et. al., 2021. Instilling innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering graduate
students: Observations at the University of Calgary. The Canadian Journal of Chemical
Engineering, 99(10), pp.2195-2204.
Hadiyanto, H and et. al., 2018. Graduate Candidates’ 21st Century Skills and Challenge for the
Faculty and the University in Online Learning Era. The Turkish Online Journal of
Educational Technology, 1, pp.201-216.
López, A.O and et. al., 2021. The challenge of evaluating oral presentations: the use of a rubric
in a graduate program in medical education. Investigación en Educación Médica, 10(39),
pp.35-42.
McDermott, R.J., 2019. Life, Career, and Graduate School–Challenge and Opportunity for
Students. Florida Public Health Review, 12(1), p.8.
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