Challenges Faced by Graduates: Reflections on Skills Gained and Teamwork

This report discusses the challenges faced by graduates during their academic curriculum, including apprenticeship, presentation, and t-shirt branding challenges. It reflects on the skills gained, such as communication, teamwork, time management, and business competencies, and the importance of effective teamwork in facing these challenges. The report also includes an action plan for developing marketing and communication skills.

Module: The Graduate Challenge
Title:
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Executive Summary
The report discusses about various challenges which I faced during my academic
curriculum. This also comprises of differential skills that I developed during facing
these challenges. It also consists of discussion about fulfilment of those challenges
with effective teamwork. It also included an action plan describing the need and
development of skills.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
1.What are you going to do in this report?................................................................................3
2.Reflective writing in each of the challenges including skills gained such as;..........................3
3.Analysis of Each Challenge from a business angle and knowledge gained from about how
businesses actually work............................................................................................................5
Discussion of the following themes in relation to Teamwork...................................................6
5.Conclusion...............................................................................................................................7
5.List of References....................................................................................................................8
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Introduction
Graduate challenges are developed by universities in order to develop core
competencies of students (Martin, 2018). These challenges also help students in
improving their varied skills such as communication, presentation etc. This is an
reflective report consisting of challenges like apprenticeship, presentation and t-shirt
branding. These challenges are promoted in universities as they delves a sense of
competitiveness in students. This project encompasses the understanding of
teamwork in facing those challenges. It also comprises an action plan which tells
about various specific and measurable goals set by graduates to meet varied
challenges and to improve numerous skills.
1.What are you going to do in this report?
This report majorly talks about three challenges which I have faced during my
university curriculum. Apprenticeship challenge designed by universities or high
schools is a specialized program which aids in preparing students for internships
(May, 2019). Presentation challenge are so developed to provide students an
opportunity of presenting their work in a precise way to a larger audience. T-shirt
challenge is designed to examine capabilities of market the products in a specified
audience (Ingram and Allen, 2019). These challenges are faced by me and also
helps me to improve my knowledge and skills in an effective manner.
2.Reflective writing in each of the challenges including
skills gained such as;
Apprentice and Presentation Challenges
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Apprenticeship challenge provides me an opportunity to develop my skills and
make me ready to involve in internship programme during summer. It facilitated me
to get my first internship at London School of Science and Technology (LSST). It is
one of the best universities of London that provides higher education in business
management subjects. My internship is related with one of the business course it
provided. These challenge provided me to outlook and experience business
environment critically. This internship helps me in understanding various decisions
taken by top management. Through this internship, I understand the relevance of
SWOT analysis and has implemented it on the specified company. It assists me in
understanding growth opportunities of various brands.
In order to develop my skills and knowledge, I have given presentation challenge.
Under this, I was asked to design a presentation on marketing trends of
Tesco. It also comprises of financial performance of Tesco in comparison to its
competitors. I faced lots of problems in making this presentation. As it is a tough task
to collect accurate and reliable data and to present it with full confidence. These
challenges have helped me to gain varied insights into corporate life. Some of the
skills are:
Communication skills/Emotional Intelligence – These challenges helped
me in developing my communication skills better. As in presentation challenge, I
have to present my work to number of people. In apprenticeship challenge, I
regularly talk to my seniors in order to understand my work.
Teamwork- Presentation challenge was a group task where I worked with
other students (Korka, 2021). It helps me to understand the need and importance of
teamwork. During apprenticeship challenge, I got the opportunity of participating in
group discussions by forming team of five members.
Time Management and meeting skills- I learned to mange time in an
effective manner during both the challenges. In presentation challenge, I managed
time for collecting data and passing it to another team member. I invest some time in
rehearsing for the presentation also.
Business skills and competencies developed- During apprenticeship
challenge, I got the chance to develop numerous business skills such as problem-
solving and decision-making. In presentation challenge, I learned to collect relevant
data and incorporate it within different slides.
T-Shirt Challenge
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This challenge is basically relates with designing a logo of Tesco on t-shirt. I dealt
with lot of problems in meeting this challenge such as selecting target market and
segmentation of consumers. After this, the specified task also consists of
determination of varied branding and marketing tools that help to attract potential
customers. It assisted me in developing several skills. Such as:
Communication skills/Emotional Intelligence- Communication skills are
essentially needed for marketing the products and services. These are developed in
me through promoting tecso logo.
Teamwork- I needed teamwork for varied jobs to be performed effectively
during facing this challenge. As branding, marketing are divided in different team
members.
Time Management and meeting skills- While performing varied tasks in this
challenge. I learned to mange time and how to effectively deal with it.
Business skills and competencies developed- These challenge developed varied
competencies and skills in me such as I understand various marketing and designing
tools.
3.Analysis of Each Challenge from a business angle and
knowledge gained from about how businesses actually
work.
Branding
During t-shirt challenge, I learned about branding technique used by
companies. Branding is described as a process which is used by organisations in
shaping or influencing a brand name in consumer's mind. Main purpose of this is to
attract potential buyers and retain loyal customers by offering a product that aligned
with quality and brand. Target market choosen by me for t-shirt is young generation
of UK. Pricing strategy is taken by me skimming strategy. Under this, prices are high
at initial stage and increase later with high demands.
Finance
I learned about finance and its workings in specific department during my
internship in apprenticeship challenge. I get to know that finance department majorly
works with acquiring funds and allocating it towards differential business activities.
Operations
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In my apprenticeship challenge, I learned about varied operations
management. I learned that this department takes care of every single activity of
business from production to delivering products to end consumers.
Discussion of the following themes in relation to
Teamwork
Tuckman's model theory is used to describe the various stages of team
development. In facing above stated challenges, teamwork is needed to develop
varied skills. Stages for team development are:
Forming- Under this stage, varied individuals from different backgrounds are
incorporated to form a team. In meeting above challenges, I was also included in a
specific team.
Storming is the stage where individuals interact with each other. This is the
stage where conflicts also arises due to different opinions. I also faced this conflicts
as I and my team member has different opinions about t-shirt design.
Norming is the stage where team members appreciates work of others. My
work was appreciated of collection of reliable data in presentation task (Haider,
2018).
Performing is the stage where work is work is performed with full-fledge. This
is the stage where team moves in achieving their goals. Me and my team also
performed well in meeting these challenges.
Adjoining is the stage where teams gets deployed and members gets
segregated. After accomplishing desired skills, my team is also deployed.
4.Action Plan
Goals Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time
duration
Marketing
skills
These skills
will aids me
getting more
internships
in my
university
curriculum.
These skills
are
measured by
me in
designing a
promotional
campaign.
These
specified
skills are
attained by
me through
attending
seminars
and
classroom
training.
These skills
are
important for
me as it
would aids
me
influencing
prospective
buyers.
3 Months
Communicat These skills I can These are Good 4 Months
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ion skills is specific as
it helps me
in making
interpersonal
relations in
university.
measure this
skills set in
me by
getting
pro[per and
regular
feedback
from my
superiors
and peers.
achieved by
me
practising
vocabulary
and reading
good
literature.
communicati
on skills will
keep me
motivated
and
confident in
business
organisation.
5.Conclusion
From the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that in learning and
development of individuals, they have to face various challenges. A student faces
varied challenges in their university curriculum. These are t-shirt, presentation and
apprenticeship challenges. In order to face these challenges, varied skills and
competencies are developed by students. Action plan is significant for businesses as
it helps to provide direction to organisation and employees.
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5.List of References
Martin, D., 2018. First Semester: Graduate Students, Teaching Writing, and the Challenge of
Middle Ground.
May, S., 2019, April. Graduate Outcomes Review: looking to the future. In BSAVA Congress
Proceedings 2019 (pp. 336-336). BSAVA Library.
Ingram, N. and Allen, K., 2019. ‘Talent-spotting’or ‘social magic’? Inequality, cultural
sorting and constructions of the ideal graduate in elite professions. The Sociological
Review. 67(3). pp.723-740.
Korka, M., 2021. Transforming Graduate Business Education. FAIMA Business &
Management Journal. 9(1). pp.40-50.
Haider, M., 2018. Double Consciousness: How Pakistani Graduate Students Navigate Their
Contested Identities in American Universities. In Understanding International
Students from Asia in American Universities (pp. 107-125). Springer, Cham.
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