Reflective Practice for Job Applications and Challenges in Projects

This report includes a self-audit of values and PMI talent triangle, reflection on performance, experiencing challenges in projects, and reflective practice for job applications. The report also includes a table describing the application of hard and soft skills during the project.

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1. Comparing to the baseline
Complete the five values, dream job and skills audit again (you will use this to compare changes to
your baseline submitted earlier).
1.1. Five Values (1 mark)
Value group 1:
Efficiency
Value group 2:
Professional
Behaviour
Value group 3:
Cooperation
Value Group 4:
Integrity
Value group 5:
Discipline
I always try to
provide maximum
efficiency in all the
activities I am
involved in the
learning course
I always try to
exhibit
professional
behaviour in the
course as I believe
this will give me
confidence in my
future professional
life
I always cooperate
with my course
mates in order
conduct mutual
learning process
I have always
maintained
academic honesty
and integrity
throughout the
learning course
Discipline has
always been my
top priority in the
entire learning
course and it will
be the same in
future as well
Level of importance Value
1st Professional Behaviour
2nd Discipline
3rd Integrity
4th Efficiency
5th Cooperation
Have your values changed since completing the unit? Provide a statement as to how and why these
have changed or not.
Since, completing the unit, my values have not changed. Although the discussed values were
introduced at the start of my higher education career, I felt that these are also necessary values
for achieving success in the professional life as well. Hence, even after completing my course, I still
follow these values very closely.
1.2 PMI Talent Triangle Self Audit
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1.2.1 Technical Project Management (1 mark)
Not
competent
Somewhat
competent
Uncertain Competent Highly
Competent
Agile practices 
Data gathering and modelling 
Earned Value Management 
Governance 
Lifecycle management 
Performance management 
Requirements management
and traceability 
Risk management 
Schedule management 
Scope management 
Time, budget, and cost
estimation 
Other
(if adding another skill type
what it is here)
_______________________
Has your Technical Project Management competence changed since completing the unit? Provide a
statement as to how and why these have changed or not.
My technical project management competence has changed significantly since completing this
unit. Before joining this unit, I only had limited knowledge regarding technical project
management. However after this course, I gathered extensive knowledge as well as skills required
in technical project management.
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1.2.2 Strategic and Business Management (1 mark)
Not
competent
Somewhat
competent
Uncertain Competent Highly
Competent
Benefits management and
realisation 
Business acumen 
Business models and structures 
Competitive analysis 
Customer relationship and
satisfaction 
Industry Knowledge and
standards 
Legal and regulatory
compliance 
Market awareness and
conditions 
Operational functions (e.g.
finance, marketing) 
Strategic planning, analysis,
alignment 
Other
(if adding another skill type
what it is here)
_______________________
Have your Strategic and Business Management competence changed since completing the unit?
Provide a statement as to what these are and why you think these have changed or not.
During the course, I have learnt a lot about strategic and business management that helped me
enhance my competence in the same. This unit helped me in preparing business strategies in
particular case studies depending on marketing strategies of the organization.
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1.2.3 Leadership (1 mark)
Not
competent
Somewhat
competent
Uncertain Competent Highly
Competent
Brainstorming 
Coaching and mentoring 
Conflict management 
Emotional intelligence 
Influencing 
Interpersonal skills 
Listening 
Negotiation 
Problem solving 
Team building 
Other
(if adding another skill type
what it is here)
_______________________
Have there been any changes to your Leadership Skill Set since completing the unit? Provide a
statement as to what these are and why you think these have changed or not.
Although I feel have a lot more to learn to be a true leader, I feel my leadership skills have
significantly improved during this unit. I learnt about the necessary characters expected of a
leader and I am trying to achieve maximum competency in this regard.
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2 Reflecting on Performance
2.1 Defining success and failure (2 marks)
a) What does success mean to you personally? (0.5 marks)
Personally I feel success is a sense of personal satisfaction rather than just making high level
achievements. In a personal venture, however small it is, a person can be achieve success if he feels
satisfied with its outcome. In the professional field, I identify success synonymous to achieving all
targets and fulfilling all expectations from the particular personal and moreover, getting satisfied
with the outcome of the actions.
b) How did your project perform in relation to Cost, Time, Scope and Quality? (0.5 marks)
Our project performed reasonable well although there were some issues related to cost and scope.
However, I take this is a learning point and will definitely perform better in determining cost and
scope in the next project.
c) What can you learn from failures and can they ever be a positive thing? (0.5 marks)
From failures I can learn about what went wrong or what I did wrong in that particular project. It can
be a positive thing in the sense that I will know what I have done wrong so that I will not repeat the
same mistakes in the future.
d) How successful was your project in terms of how you define success for you? (0.5 marks)
I was able to achieve all my targets in the project and hence, I consider it as successful.
2.2 What I achieved in PPMP20018 (2.5 marks)
a) What did you hope to achieve (skills/knowledge/personal insights/ contacts etc.) during your time
in this unit? (0.5 marks)
During the time in this unit, I hoped to achieve skills, knowledge and personal insight, all of which
will help me in my professional career.
b) What did you achieve by participating in this unit? (0.5 marks)
I gained significant amount of technical knowledge and skills in project management while
participating in this unit. In addition, this unit also significantly helped me in personal development.
c) Reflecting on your answers above fill in the following table (1.5 marks)
Compare and discuss your
answers to (a) and (b). Is there
a difference between the two?
What are the potential causes
of any difference or similarity?
How does this make you feel? What lessons I have learnt
about myself from this
experience?
The two answers are more or I do not feel satisfied yet I have learnt that I have strong
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less similar as both of them are
interrelated and required for
the professional development
of an individual
because I have still a lot to
learn in order to progress in
my professional career;
however I am happy with my
progress
desire to learn more and
dedicate myself for personal as
well as professional
development
2.3 Your skills and abilities (1.5 marks)
a) What do you believe are your major strengths? (0.5 marks)
My major strengths are perseverance, team work skills, eagerness to learn, quick learning skills
and good technical understanding.
b) Discuss whether you able to utilise your strengths in the project. Include an explanation of how
you were OR why you were not able to demonstrate them during your project. (1 mark)
I will be able to utilize my strengths in the project to the best of my abilities. In one case during
the project, I faced some technical problems. In order to solve these problems, I took the initiative
of team work as well as studied as much as I could about possible counter measures. As a result,
not only I solved the problems, I believe I will not repeat the mistakes any further.
3 Experiencing challenges in projects (10 marks)
This unit was designed so you will experience a number of challenges that project managers face.
These include tight timeframes, diverse teams and requirements that are not necessarily well
defined. Being challenged places us under stress, to a certain point this increases performance.
However, as stress increases it will start to diminish our performance. The challenging nature of the
unit may have raised differing emotions, you may have felt overwhelmed, excited, frustrated, or a
sense of achievement. You may have felt different emotions at different stages of the unit, this is
perfectly normal when managing projects.
Reflecting on how we each react to stress is important. It enables us to recognise when we are under
stress and how we can manage our reactions effectively.
Experiencing challenges of project management in the university context, although uncomfortable
enables us to be better prepared for the realities of industry. For example, this unit allows you to
make mistakes that are better experienced for first time at university than in industry. Can you think
of something you wish you handled better this term?
However, we only gain value if we reflect on our experiences and understand how we can utilise
these learnings in future work environments.
Complete the following table:
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Challenge Situation
Describe your
experience of the
following concepts in
the context of the unit,
including whether you
found this challenging
or not.
Your Reaction
How did you react
(note both feelings and
actions) to the
challenges?
Industry readiness
How does having this
experience better
prepare you for
working in industry?
a) Dealing with the
pressures of
extremely tight
timeframes and
limited resources.
(2 marks)
There were a number
of work packages in the
project that had to be
done within a very
short time period as
well as low amount of
resources
Although I faced
nervous initially, I took
active initiatives to take
the challenge. I
assigned roles to my
team mates including
me so that the work
was divided and done
within limited time and
resources.
This experience will
help me with enhanced
time and resource
management skills
when I will work in the
industry.
b) Dealing with
team dynamics
when team
members may be
diverse, have
differing
expectations and
commitment.
(2 marks)
I had some teammates
who had different
commitments and
expectations in the
project.
I conducted team
meetings to let all the
members know what
they needed to do in
order fulfil their duties.
This experience will
help me in leading
project teams in my
professional career in
the industry.
c) Defining an
innovative
solution for a
social issue that is
not your primary
area of expertise.
(2 marks)
I faced a problem that
some aspects of the
project may not be
socially acceptable.
I designed the project is
such a way with
supporting
demonstration related
to the same issue.
This experience will
help me design
innovative solution for
social issues in project
better in future.
d) Achieving
project delivery for
a social issue that
is not your primary
area of expertise.
(2 marks)
I understood that all
aspects of project must
be socially acceptable
before it is being
delivered.
I conducted a
demonstration to
address possible social
issues related to the
project.
This experience will
help me manage social
issues in project better
in future.
e) Engaging with
and eliciting
feedback from
stakeholders
(2 marks)
There were certain
times in the project
when I needed to
consult with the
stakeholders regarding
I noted down all the
requirements and
points that I needed to
discuss and met with
relevant stakeholders
The project progress
was never stopped and
updates were regularly
provided to the
stakeholders.
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Challenge Situation
Describe your
experience of the
following concepts in
the context of the unit,
including whether you
found this challenging
or not.
Your Reaction
How did you react
(note both feelings and
actions) to the
challenges?
Industry readiness
How does having this
experience better
prepare you for
working in industry?
further progress. accordingly.
4 Reflective practice for job applications (10 marks)
Use the table below and the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) form of addressing Selection
Criteria to describe your application of one hard skill (technical project management) and one soft
(leadership/interpersonal) skill during the project.
4.1 Hard Skill (5 marks)
Demonstrated
Hard Skill
I demonstrated strong technical skills in order to be creative and productive
in the technical project management modules of this unit.
Situation There was once a situation when the project progress was stopped due to
some IT related technical problem that could not be predicted during
preparation of the project charter.
Task During an IT implementation process, there was a need for additional
software for which additional cost was required.
Action I calculated the contingency budget that was available as well as how much
additional budget can be saved from the rest of the project. I allocated this
extra for purchasing the software required.
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Result Although the remaining activities in the project were to be modified slightly
to save budget, the final outcome was successful.
4.2 Soft skill (5 marks)
Demonstrated
Soft Skill
I showed soft skill in managing team member conflict during the project.
Situation Once during the project, there was a conflict between two of the team
members.
Task Due to disagreement during the project, the two team members started
argument and quickly started a conflict.
Action I separated them and talked with them individually to understand their
issues. Later on, I told both of them that instead of conflict, both should share
ideas with each other that will actually benefit our project.
Result No conflict occurred in rest of the project.
5 Action and Next Steps (10 Marks)
5.1 Action (9 marks)
During the unit you were asked to embrace an action mindset. We are challenging you to do the
same. You must complete the actions and submissions for one of the options. Some options will
provide a choice of actions to complete. Submission act both as evidence of completion of a task and
need sufficient details to enable them to be checked, e.g. if you speak to someone provide their
details including name, organisation and contact details.
It is better to act in a small way that takes you one step further long your career path than have big
plans that are never actioned. Do not submit an extravagant plan or fictionalised exaggeration, as it
will waste your time and marks. Choose the option that you can gain value from and is achievable.
Choose one of the following options:
1. Apply for a job
2. Build your profile
3. Improve your industry exposure and networks
The table below provides further information about each option:
Option Action Submit
Option 1
1. Apply for a job
Apply for a job in your chosen
discipline or one that will enable
you to develop transferable skills.
i). A copy of the job
advertisement and a short
statement explaining why you
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Option Action Submit
decided on this position.
ii).The completed application you
have submitted or plan to submit,
including supporting
documentation e.g. your updated
Curriculum Vitae.
iii) Discuss the dos and don’ts of
completing job applications.
Include at least one relevant
reference supporting your
statement.
Option 2.
Build your profile
Complete ONE of the following:
a) Social Media
Write a positive social media
message about some aspect
related to the unit concepts and
what you have achieved that a
prospective employer would be
able to find e.g. Twitter post
“Embracing social innovation
mindset #PPMP20018 #CQU”
OR
b) Article
Write a short article about your
experience in the unit. The article
should be written in a style
appropriate for online publication
e.g. CQU website or newsletter.
You can include a copy of your
poster (updated considering any
feedback.
Submit the following:
i) Your post/article or profile
A copy of the social media post /
article / LinkedIn Profile etc.
Include web addresses, screen
shots etc.
ii) Compliance and Permission
A statement agreeing you have
read and complied with all
relevant CQU polices/procedures
relating to social media and you
(and your group members – if
including the poster) give
permission to publish your
article/poster.
Note: There is no guarantee of
publication. Publications may be
in the form of extracts and edited.
iii) Online Presence
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Option Action Submit
OR
c) LinkedIn Profile
Create or update your LinkedIn
Profile. Research how to optimise
your Linkedin profile and market
yourself professionally.
Describe how what you post
online can help or hinder your
future job prospects. Include at
least one relevant reference
supporting your statement.
Option 3.
Improve your industry
exposure and networks
Note: this relates to the
industry of your choice
whether project
management or
domain specific.
Complete ONE of the following:
a) Industry Body Membership
Apply for membership to a
relevant industry body e.g. PMI,
AIPM or other industry body
relevant to your discipline.
b) Apply for certification
Apply for an industry relevant
certification e.g. CAPM, PMP etc.
c) Attend event
Attend an Industry Body or other
event relevant to your industry.
d) Learn from those in industry
Talk with a person within your
industry of choice. (this does not
have to be a face-to-face
meeting, but could be a phone
call, zoom meeting etc.). Use the
opportunity to seek advice. If you
i) State your target industry and
why this is the industry you want
to build a career in.
ii) Describe what you have done
and include relevant details e.g.
contact details, application or
membership numbers.
iii) Describe the benefits of
improving your industry exposure
and networks. What have you
gained from the action you took?
What advice would you give a
student who will attempt this
next term? Ensure you include at
least one relevant reference as a
source to support your
statement.
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Option Action Submit
do not have specific questions ask
what advice they would give a
graduate who wants to get work
in the industry.
5.2. Next Steps (1 mark)
Use the table to identify two actions you will complete in the next six months.
a) Building your CV
Work / career related action to add to your
Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Note down my educational qualifications and
extra-curricular activities and add them in my
CV
b) Finding Balance
Fun / exciting activity that you have never done
before (does not need to be work related)
Add fun activities / interests in the CV that I
would like to take part in the future
OPTIONAL – email contact
Provide an email address that will be active in
six months if you wish to receive a follow-up
email (note if this is your last unit the CQU
email may not still be active).
.
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