Challenges Faced by Graduates and Skills Developed: A Case Study

This report discusses the challenges faced by graduates during their university studies and the skills they develop to overcome them. It includes case studies on the apprentice challenge, presentation challenge, and t-shirt challenge. The report also includes an action plan for improving specific skills. The challenges discussed in the report include communication, time-management, teamwork, and business skills. The report also includes Tuckman's theory of teamwork and an analysis of the different stages of team development. The report is based on various books and journals.

The Graduate
Challenge

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Main Body ......................................................................................................................................4
Analysis of challenges............................................................................................................4
Presentation Challenges..........................................................................................................5
T shirt Challenge....................................................................................................................6
Tuckman's theory of teamwork..............................................................................................7
Action Plan.............................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
University provides various challenges or assignments to students during their graduation
that enable them to perform efficiently under certain circumstance. It helps students to improve
their skills and competencies that enable them attain future goals and objectives in desirable
manner. Students improves students communication, team-management, teamwork, business
skills and various other. This report consists different challenges such as t-shirt challenge,
presentation challenge and apprentice challenge that enable graduates to enhance their
professional skills. Along with challenges, there is reflection on skills that are learnt from
challenges are explained. SMART action plan for improvement in specific skills are mentioned
in this project report.
Main Body
Analysis of challenges
Apprentice challenge:
Apprentice challenge helps the group of individual to develop effective ideas and
concepts. I have encountered with this situation when I studied in the university name London
School of science and technology. It improves my learning and knowledge regarding academic
work as well as improve my professional skills. In university, l have worked under skilled and
experienced professors that allow me to perform operations in best possible manner. I have
gained learning and development opportunities that helps me to attain determined goals and
objectives in efficient manner. During facing this situation, various skills has been developed
that helps me tB67921o deal with challenges and problems in efficient manner (Benati, and
Fischer,2020). Some learnt skills are discussed below:
Communication skill: Effective communication skill helps me to covey my opinions,
ideas and through to other people in understandable manner. Strong communication skill helps
me to deals with challenge efficiently. There are various assignments are provided to me in
university that has to be done in team. This skill help me to communicate data to other team
members clearly that enable to attain desired goals with effectiveness.
Time-management: Time-management skills is very important that help an individual to
complete their work on time with efficiency. During studying in university, I have develop time-

management skill that help me to become discipline person (Succi, and Canovi, 2020). This skill
enable me to complete all assignment or projects that are issued by university as well as it helps
me in my personal as well as professional life.
Teamwork: During the period of studying in university, I have worked in team members
who posses knowledge and experience in different field. I have learnt various skills through
working in a team. This skill help me to divide work among all team members with efficiency
(Hysa, and Mansi, 2020). Through taking participation in different assignment, I have worked
with different members that make me comfortable to working with them to attain desirable
outcomes.
Business skill: I have analysed that, it is very hard skill to opt during facing the challenge
because it compromises set of different skills and competencies. I have developed this skill in the
period of studying in university. This skill helps me to take appropriate decisions according to
situation. I have presented my ideas to others and prepare excel sheet regarding assignment that
help me in future to attain objectives.
Presentation Challenges
The presentation challenge is defined as the process through which presenter present
ideas, concepts to audience and make them comfortable and engaged till the end of presentation.
My university has provided me a task to prepare presentation on performance evaluation of
Tesco that consist various concepts such as background information regarding Tesco, SWOT
analysis of business and its current performance level. I have prepared this presentation in team
of five members that improves various personal ans professional skill that help me to perform
operations with efficiency and effectiveness. Some learnt skills are mentioned below:
Communication skill: During preparing the presentation, I have concentrated on
improving my communication skill because it helps me to convey all information and data to
audience in understandable manner. With the help of effective communication skill, I have
shared Tesco current performance, strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that are faced
by the organisation properly (Lehnen, 2021). This skill helps me to overcome the challenges that
occur during presentation.
Time-management skill: In personal and professional life, it is important for individual
to complete their task on time with efficiency. During preparing presentation on performance

evaluation of Tesco, team-management skill help me to complete it on time with efficiency. This
skill helps me in future s well as to compete task with discipline and punctuality.
Team work: University has assigned this presentation challenge to me in group that
improve team work skill in my personality. I have taken initiative to interact with other team
members and coordinate with them to complete presentation work before deadline. I have
allocated task of presentation among team members according to their interest area that improves
efficiency of team.
Business skills: In the process of developing presentation in the context of Tesco, I have
developed various business skills such as presenting ideas to other, influencing others, problem
solving and decision-making skill that help me handle challenge in efficient manner. These skill
helps me to perform efficiently in professional life.
T shirt Challenge
University as assigned a duty that is related to launch a t-shirt that shows logo of specific
company. I have promote the Sweet Cake through printing its image and name on t-shirt. I have
decided a specific budget to complete this t-shirt challenge that includes different types of
variable and fix costs. I have used social media platform to promote t-shirts and improve its
awareness in market (Moore, 2021). During this challenge I have learnt various skills and
competencies that are mentioned below:
Communication skill: In university, I have been assigned to design and launch a t-shirt
with logo of Sweet Cake. I have communicate the ideas of designing logo and responsibility to
others in clear manner that improve my communication skill. It helps me to create mutual
understanding so work can be proceed in efficient manner.
Tram work: Team working skill has evolved in my personality when I have worked with
team of five people to complete the t-shirt challenge. This skills helps me collaborate and
maintain effective communication with others team members. I led the team and influence other
to perform efficiently.
Time-management: When I have assigned a project of launching t-shirt. I have
developed time-management skill because I is required to complete the assignment within
specific time limit (Oguro, and Mueller, 2020). This skill help me to develop discipline and
punctuality to perform task with efficiency.

Business skill: In the process of completing this t-shirt assignment, I have interacted
with various team members as well as customers that improves various skill in my personality. I
have learnt how to convince customers, conduct marketing and promotional campaigns. Along
with that I have learnt presentation and marketing skills.
Tuckman's theory of teamwork
This theory of teamwork is related to the process of team that consist various stages from
the starting when group members met first time till the end of project. These steps are mentioned
below:
 In forming stage, team members are positive and polite. I and other members in group
understand the work in this stage and we are excited to perform task ahead. Team
members work together and they make effort to know others.
 In storming stage, team members start to push boundaries that are set in forming stage.
There are various conflicts are raised in team due to different working styles.
 In the stage of norming, people start to resolve their differences and appreciate strengths
of colleagues and leaders (Rosier, 2021). We have developed strong commitment to
achieve team goals. In the stage of performing, team work leads properly with any friction and achieve
desirable outcome. I have analysed that, there is no supervision is required to evaluate
performance that saves time.
 Adjourning is the last stage, in which objectives of project are achieved. We have
prepared all documentations regarding the project.
Action Plan
Basis Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely
Team work Teamwork is
the skill that is
used to perform
group
assignment and
class room
assignment on
Improvement in
team work can
measured by me
through
evaluating
performance of
group without
The goal of
effective
teamwork can
be achieved
through
creating
transparent
Teamwork is
the skill help to
complete task
on time with
efficiency. It
also lead me
towards attain
Three
Months

time with
efficiency.
occurring any
kind of conflicts
(Schramm,Jose,
and
Schmiemann,
2021).
communicati
on in team
and clarify
roles and
responsibility
.
professional
goals. lead
towards
professional
career path.
Communicati
on
I have
achieved the
goal of
effective
communication
through
participating in
various
academic
courses that
improve my
verbal and non-
verbal skills.
Achievement of
goal is measured
by the team
leaders as well
as completion of
communication
process without
occur any type
of barrier or
conflict.
I have
analysed that
goal of
effective
communicati
on can be
achieved
through
eliminating
the barrier
from
communicati
on process.
Effective
communication
skill facilitates
me to convey
my ideas,
thoughts and
opinions with
others in
understandable
manner.
Two
Months
Time
management
Time-
management
skill is used to
me for
competing
determined
projects on
time. I have
developed time
-table and
schedule to
I have reviewed
the activities to
ensure that they
are performed in
determined time
limit or not.
Goal of
effective
time-
management
is achievable
through
dividing
activities and
task of
project
according to
Time-
management
facilitates me to
perform
personal and
professional
work on time
with
effectiveness.
25 Days

complete work
on time.
time.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that development of professional skills helps
students to attain success in life through getting good job. Through performing assignments in
university, students learn various skills and competencies that help them to attain personal and
professional goals and objectives in efficient manner. Improvement in these skills help to
perform operations on time with effectiveness.

REFERENCE
Book and journal
Benati, K. and Fischer, J., 2020. Beyond human capital: student preparation for graduate
life. Education+ Training.
Hysa, E. and Mansi, E., 2020. Integrating teaching and learning in graduate studies: economic
development course. Technology transfer: innovative solutions in Social Sciences and
Humanities, 3, pp.61-64.
Lehnen, C.A., 2021. Skills, support networks, and socialization: Needs of dissertating graduate
students. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(5), p.102430.
Moore, S.E., 2021. A critical exploration of the cultivation of identities and spaces for agency in
practice among Graduate Teaching Assistants in higher education (Doctoral
dissertation, University of Sheffield).
Oguro, S. and Mueller, B., 2020. Learning abroad and graduate employability: challenges
articulating international learning outcomes. Research and Development in Higher
Education: Next generation, Higher Education: Challenges, Changes and Opportunities.
Rosier, E., 2021. Using live business projects to develop graduate employability skills.
In Handbook of Teaching and Learning at Business Schools. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Schramm, T., Jose, A. and Schmiemann, P., 2021. Modeling and Measuring Tree-Reading Skills
in Undergraduate and Graduate Students. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(3), p.ar32.
Succi, C. and Canovi, M., 2020. Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing
students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), pp.1834-1847.