Three Core Competencies for Professional Success

The assignment content discusses the three core competencies required for a career in property investment: communication skills, leadership skills, and commercial awareness. The author highlights their own strengths and weaknesses in each area, providing specific examples from personal experiences, such as leading a team to fundraise money and participating in leadership development programs. The text also includes references to various academic studies and industry reports, demonstrating the author's commitment to understanding the property investment sector.

1.0 PART C (Student 2 Asisgnment)
A career in property investment requires a number of skills, however for the purpose of this
report, I will evaluate three core competencies which is required and desired by most property
firms. Figure 3, is a table illustrating what skills employers require.
Figure 3: The Author 2015
1.1 Graduate Competency One – Communication Skills
Both written and verbal communication skills are essential in the property investment sector
(Prospects 2015). This is because graduates need to liaise with solicitors, brokers, architects or
surveyors to meet the needs and expectations of the client. This skill is also important because
graduates need to coordinate both physical and human resources, to retain and attract further
business (Community Best Property Management 2015). However, failure to communicate with
shareholders effectively can cause confusion and reputational damage (Burns 2010).

I consider my communication skills to be of a high level. I am able to tailor information and style
to the targeted audience. I can also clarify and summarise information effectively, by using
visual diagrams/ charts. One example, whereby I showed my communication skills is when I
was Vice President for Coventry Enactus. It was my responsibility to conduct brainstorming
sessions and distribute post-meeting reports. I also had to build rapport and organise regular
meetings with committee members, to address any barriers or to discuss future projects. During
my role, I maintained a positive attitude and listened to my team members when making
important decisions. I did this by keeping an open mind, expressed opinions in a confident
manner and payed attention to people’s body language and expression. In turn, I believe my
communication skills avoided duplications or misinterpretation, increasing efficiency and
productivity.
However, to improve this competency and achieve my career goals, I need to be more aware of
people’s thoughts and develop a stronger sense of empathy. I learned that it is equally
important to be aware of and respond appropriately to non-verbal feedback. To achieve this
objective successfully, I will seek feedback from my colleagues on a quarterly basis, via
questionnaires and observations when commencing a project. I consider this essential for
professional learning and development of my competences (Raemdonck and Strijbos 2013). It
also helps me to assess whether my messages are received and understood correctly.
1.2 Graduate Competency Two – Analytical Skills
Analytical skills are desirable by employers in the property field, because graduates need to
assess whether investments are profitable, predict supply and demand levels, identify false
trends, solve any tenancy problems, and so forth (Iman 2006). Good analytical skills are also
important for the property investment industry, because it helps a firm to identify and exploit
market opportunities (Wetfeet 2012).
I believe my analytical skills can add value to a firm. I am able to provide explanations on how to
maximise opportunities and minimise potential threats. I can also draw on my practical and
academic knowledge to solve problems. One example, whereby I showed my analytical skills, is
when I applied for the SPEED PLUS programme. Before the panel presentation, I had to
critically analyse and evaluate all the factors that would impact my proposed business idea, as
well as write a report detailing its profitability. It was quiet stressful, as I had to collect and
condense information into manageable components to establish facts and principles. I also had
difficulty in choosing the key literatures to express the effectiveness and feasibility of the idea.
However, towards the end I became more fluid in my approach and was able to use SPSS

statistics software to conclude results. As a result, I was successfully enrolled on the
programme.
Nonetheless, I believe my analytical competencies can be improved, as sometimes I take too
long to arrive at a solution. Therefore, I plan to read and analyse three Government and Savills
research reports per week, starting from January 2016. I also plan to attend a ‘Tigrent Property
Investment’ training event, by the end of February 2016. This is important, because to form an
opinion or reach a decision, I need to be well-informed on the internal and external environment
(Epstein and Buhovac 2006). In addition, I will receive valuable feedback, business intellect and
insight to what makes a property firm profitable, which will develop my analytical skills further.
1.3 Graduate Competency Three – Leadership Skills
Leadership skills are important in the property investment sector, because graduates need to
maintain high results and take initiative when problems arise. A career in property also requires
employees to ‘function as a leader in creating customer service programs for external and
internal customers’ (Cushman & Wakefield 2015). I believe I am fairly competent to lead
individuals or a team. Seeing as, I am flexible to changing situations and can remain calm whilst
under pressure.
An example of my leadership skills is when I was project leader for the Air Ambulance Charity.
During this project, I had to lead, coordinate and inspire a group of 10 individuals to find creative
ways to fundraise money. It required me to set objectives, strategize a course of action, take
responsibility of group performance and make logical decisions. I believe I performed well and
was able to give clear instructions, when my team members had difficulties. As a result, we
managed to turn £1 into £200 in one day. However, at times it was challenging to maintain team
spirt and momentum. This difficulty could be explained by not knowing what their motivators
were.
To improve my leadership skills, I have been successfully enrolled for the Lead Now
Programme scheduled on 23rd of January 2016 in Coventry University. This programme will
help me identify my unique leadership style; furthermore it will help me discover ways to
harness fear and tension (LeadNow 2015). I am also currently participating in the Global
Leaders Programme (GLP) to further enhance my leadership skills and commercial awareness.
During the programme, I am invited to exclusive workshops, global networking events,
international experiences and exposure to industry leaders (Coventry University 2015).

2.0 References
AFS (2012) Single-Loop and Double-Loop Learning Model [online] Available from
<http://www.afs.org/blog/icl/?p=2653> [25th November 2015]
Agcas (2011) Industry insight – Property [online] Available from
<http://www2.open.ac.uk/students/_data/documents/careers/property.pdf > [28th November
2015]
Belbin (2015) Belbin Team Roles [online] Available from <http://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-
team-roles/> [30th November 2015]
Burns, P. (2010) Entrepreneurship and small business: start-up, growth and maturity. United
Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillian
Capita (2015) Salesforce CRM Manager [online] Available from
<http://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_capita/external/jobDetails.do?
functionName=getJobDetail&jobPostId=167422&localeCode=en-
us&source=Indeed.com&sourceType=PREMIUM_POST_SITE> [4th December 2015]
Community Best Property Management (2015) What We Do as Your Property Manager [online]
Available from <http://www.vernalrental.com/owners> [11th December 2015]
Coventry University (2015) Global Leaders Programme Certificate for Undergraduates [online]
Available from <http://www.coventry.ac.uk/study-at-coventry/student-support/enhance-your-
employability/global-leaders-programme/for-undergraduates/> [18th December 2015]
Cushman & Wakefield (2015) Portfolio Manager [online] Available from
<https://cw.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Brooklyn-New-York-USA/Portfolio-
Manager_R2786-1> [23rd November 2015]
Epstein, M.J. and Buhovac, A.R. (2006) The Reporting of Organizational Risks for Internal and
External Decision-Making [online] Available from
<http://www.cimaglobal.com/documents/importeddocuments/tech_mag_reporting_organisationa
l_risks_for_decision_making_sept06.pdf> [9th December 2015]
Experteer (2015) London - Sales Manager [online] Available from
<http://www.experteer.co.uk/vacancies/job-as/sales-manager-2204218> [4th December 2015]
Gibbs, G. (1988) ‘Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods’. London:
Further Education Unit.