Reflective Practice for Job Applications

This article discusses the importance of reflective practice for job applications and provides a STAR form of addressing selection criteria for hard and soft skills. It includes examples of technical project management and leadership/interpersonal skills demonstrated in a 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 Value group 2 Value group 3 Value Group 4 Value group 5
Ambition
Adventure
Enthusiasm
Performance
Flexibility
Professionalism
Team work
Passion
Friendship
Family
Kindness
Independence
Individuality
Innovation
Happiness
Growth
Brilliance
Cooperation
Honesty
Curiosity
Inspiration
Wealth
Power
Health
Dedication
Vision
Perfection
Security
Joy
Fun
Balance
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Level of
importance
Value
1st (Most important) Ambition
2nd Friendship
3rd Happiness
4th Wealth
5th Vision
Have your values changed since completing the unit? Provide a statement as to how and why
these have changed or not.
1. The current job of mine is of an Estimator
2. I am planning to go and work as a Project Manager as the job will give me the
opportunity for achieving my dream job as well as planning for the future.
3. My dream job is to establish and run my own company and be the CEO of the same as I
always love to do my own work.
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1.2 PMI Talent Triangle Self Audit
1.2.1 Technical Project Management (1 mark)
Not
competen
t
Somewha
t
competent
Uncertai
n
Competen
t
Highly
Competen
t
Agile practices Yes
Data gathering and
modelling
Yes
Earned Value Management Yes
Governance Yes
Lifecycle management Yes
Performance management Yes
Requirements management
and traceability
Yes
Risk management Yes
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Schedule management Yes
Scope management Yes
Time, budget, and cost
estimation
Yes
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.
Yes it has changed for the better and I am now more competent towards technical project
management
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1.2.2 Strategic and Business Management (1 mark)
Not
competen
t
Somewha
t
competent
Uncertai
n
Competen
t
Highly
Competen
t
Benefits management and
realisation
Yes
Business acumen Yes
Business models and
structures
Yes
Competitive analysis Yes
Customer relationship and
satisfaction
Yes
Industry Knowledge and
standards
Yes
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Legal and regulatory
compliance
Yes
Market awareness and
conditions
Yes
Operational functions (e.g.
finance, marketing)
Yes
Strategic planning, analysis,
alignment
Yes
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.
It has remained almost the same but I am able to fare better.
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1.2.3 Leadership (1 mark)
Not
competen
t
Somewha
t
competent
Uncertai
n
Competen
t
Highly
Competen
t
Brainstorming Yes
Coaching and mentoring Yes
Conflict management Yes
Emotional intelligence Yes
Influencing Yes
Interpersonal skills Yes
Listening Yes
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Negotiation Yes
Problem solving Yes
Team building Yes
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.
The leadership skill has increased a lot
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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)
Success is a way of attaining the better version of oneself. Professional or personal success
totally depends on the aims and motives of the person and needs to be met accordingly.
b) How did your project perform in relation to Cost, Time, Scope and Quality? (0.5 marks)
The project perfomed really well in relation to Cost, Time, Scope and Quality and it gave me
ample scope to learn a wholesome related to this.
c) What can you learn from failures and can they ever be a positive thing? (0.5 marks)
Failures teach us the way of attaining future success by pointing out what has been missing in
all these years. It is positive in the terms of determination and motivation to perform better
everytime.
d) How successful was your project in terms of how you define success for you? (0.5 marks)
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My project was successful and it defined my terms of success accordingly. It gave me the
opportunity to fare better than my previously submitted project.
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)
I gained skills and knowledge to perform better and about the subject. Also the qualities
helped me to define the insights that I always had in me but in a dormant stage. Contacts
were also established as I got to interact with a lot of knowledgeable people.
b) What did you achieve by participating in this unit? (0.5 marks)
I achieved knowledge, skill and the ways to develop those in the unit and by participation.
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 made you
feel?
What lessons I have learnt
about myself from this
experience?
There is no tracable
discrimination between the
answers The causes of
similarity being that the unit
The project made me feel
good and confident about
myself.
I have learnt to be confident
and to rectify the mistakes
made with patience. It has
also made me generous and
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gave ample amount of scope
to make the better version of
oneself.
understanding of the
situation
2.3 Your skills and abilities (1.5 marks)
a) What do you believe are your major strengths? (0.5 marks)
Kindness, ambition, friendship and vision to improve myself are my major strengths
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)
Yes, I did implement my strengths in this project as I did the project with a vision to accept
my flaws, rectify them accordingly and also fulfil my ambition.
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
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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:
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 It was challenging I was worried at first It prepared me for
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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?
the pressures of
extremely tight
timeframes and
limited resources.
(2 marks)
and then kept my
calmness and
focussed on the
ultimate goal
being the calm project
manager dealing with
the industry stress and
pressures
b) Dealing with
team dynamics
when team
members may be
diverse, have
differing
expectations and
commitment.
It was easy Team management
though demands an
approach of managing
diverse people and I
was able to perform
very effectively
It gave me ample
scope to mingle with
different people and
also get an idea about
the variations in
culture.
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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?
(2 marks)
c) Defining an
innovative
solution for a
social issue that is
not your primary
area of expertise.
(2 marks)
It was easy We are taught to
always innovate
things and solutions
so it was easy
It made me apt for the
innovation in project
management
d) Achieving
project delivery
for a social issue
It was moderate Delivery needs time
and time was the only
constraint
It made me a better
time manager and I
was able to deliver
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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?
that is not your
primary area of
expertise.
(2 marks)
within time.
e) Engaging with
and eliciting
feedback from
stakeholders
(2 marks)
It was moderate It was quite disruptive
to get feedbacks from
the stakeholders as
they were biased in
their opinions
The industry demands
engagement which
has been provided
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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
Here note the hard skill (e.g. technical project management skill) you
have demonstrated in project. Comment on whether the skill is the same
or different to the hard skill you wanted to improve (as noted in your
Baseline assessment – if different note what the baseline skill was) and
what insight this has provided you.
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Situation Technical Project Management skill
Task Managing the risk
Scope Management
Performance that caters to agile practices
Earned management of value
Action Doing all the tasks with accuracy and time management
Result Competent
4.2 Soft skill (5 marks)
Demonstrated
Soft Skill
Here note the soft skill (e.g. interpersonal skills, leadership etc.) you
have demonstrated in project. Comment on whether the skill is the same
or different to the soft skill you wanted to improve (as noted in your
Baseline assessment – if different note what the baseline skill was) and
what insight this has provided.
Situation Leadership qualities
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Task Team building
Motivating the employees
Making the workers work competently
Action Increasing the work of the company and also to increase employee
motivation
Result Competent
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.
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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
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.
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Option Action Submit
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
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
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Option Action Submit
“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.
OR
c) LinkedIn Profile
Create or update your LinkedIn
Profile. Research how to
optimise your Linkedin profile
and market yourself
professionally.
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
Describe how what you post
online can help or hinder your
future job prospects. Include at
least one relevant reference
supporting your statement.
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Option Action Submit
Social Media
Twitter
New mindset in change
#ChangeisTruth
Option 3.
Improve your
industry exposure and
Complete ONE of the
following:
i) State your target industry and
why this is the industry you
want to build a career in.
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Option Action Submit
networks
Note: this relates to
the industry of your
choice whether
project management
or domain specific.
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
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
call, zoom meeting etc.). Use
the opportunity to seek advice.
If you do not have specific
questions ask what advice they
would give a graduate who
wants to get work in the
industry.
Apply for a membership with
PMI and proceed with the plan
of becoming a project manager.
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).
Yes
b) Finding Balance
Fun / exciting activity that you have never
done before (does not need to be work
related)
Yes
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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).
.
References
Daft, R.L., 2014. The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Kyllonen, P.C., 2013. Soft skills for the workplace. Change: The Magazine of Higher
Learning, 45(6), pp.16-23.
Rao, M.S., 2013. Smart leadership blends hard and soft skills: … and emphasizes the
importance of continuous learning. Human Resource Management International
Digest, 21(4), pp.38-40.
Yukl, G.A., 2013. Leadership in organizations. Pearson Education India.
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