Employability Skills Report: Analyzing Career Paths and Skills

This report, submitted by a student, delves into the development of employability skills, focusing on self-awareness and career planning within the context of an Event and Entertainment Management degree. It begins by assessing the student's career aspirations, highlighting relevant experiences and strengths. The report then explores the Clifton StrengthsFinder and Johari's Window theories, identifying key strengths such as managerial capability, influence, and adaptability. Furthermore, it analyzes two desired companies, Penguin and Opus agency, detailing their values, ethics, and the roles of an Event Coordinator. The report also emphasizes the importance of networking and the STAR method for interviews, concluding with a self-reflective analysis to nurture the skills needed for future success. The report also highlights the importance of professional qualifications like the Certified Event Planning Specialist.

Employability Skills
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note:

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Abstract
The current assignment focuses on building employability skills through various activities and
approaches. The paper focuses on describing how to establish skills and competencies in order to
work in accompany. The main focus is on building career and aim and an individual future
prospect. The paper suggest various theories in order to understand the requirement of knowing
own capabilities and abilities. Lastly through the study a picture clear career development is
briefly demonstrated. The assessment also depicts the sources through which one can achieve its
goal.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................5
Discussion........................................................................................................................................5
1.0 Know yourself...................................................................................................................5
1.1 Overview of Career Aspiration..........................................................................................5
1.2 Theories.............................................................................................................................6
1.3 Strengths............................................................................................................................7
1.4 Elements of Theories.........................................................................................................7
2.0 Know your Sector..................................................................................................................8
2.1 Desired Companies............................................................................................................8
2.2 Values and Ethics..............................................................................................................9
2.3 Event Coordinator..............................................................................................................9
2.4 C.V and Linkedln.............................................................................................................10
2.5 Professional Qualification...............................................................................................10
3.0 Let them Know You............................................................................................................11
3.1 Networking......................................................................................................................11
3.2 Professional Convention Management Association........................................................12
3.3 Mock Interview: STAR Method......................................................................................12
3.4 Self-Reflection.................................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14

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Reference.......................................................................................................................................15
Appendix........................................................................................................................................18

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Introduction
The current assignment focuses on understanding the key prospects of employability
skills and the concept of self-awareness. In the first part the paper also emphasizes on increasing
self-awareness by critically appraising the Clifton Gallup Strengths and Johari’s Window
theories in relation to career development. The assignment identifies key strengths for the
desired career particularly based on these theories. The second part of the paper compares and
contrasts two companies’ two companies Penguin and Opus agency where I would like work
with and upgrade my skills. The job description of the job roles are described and depicted in the
paper. Linkedln profile would help to demonstrate the essential and desirable skills for that
particular role. The paper also highlights the essential course that would aid to achieve desired
job in the company. The third part describes how networking helps to become more
commercially aware of the sectors. STAR method is also reflected in order to analyze the
performance in the interviews in the company. At last a self-reflective analysis is demonstrated
in order to nurture the skills to become a successful employer in the future.
Discussion
1.0 Know yourself
1.1 Overview of Career Aspiration
In the current stage I am pursuing my degree in Events and Entertainment Management
in Greenwich School of Management, London and aiming to achieve a firs grade. Since,
childhood I have been keenly interested and enjoy planning and organizing family events. These
events planning became one of my hobbies and interests. I was in level 3 in Access to Health,

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Nursing and Midwifery for one year. This course assisted me to understand clients and their
needs and a caring and responsible person. I have work experience as Care Assistant, Agency in
London for 4 years, in Care Assistant, Bluebird Care UK, London for one year and a Self-
employed Cloth designer for three years. These experiences enabled me to handle clients and
also have fostered to become a trustworthy individual who is patient focused and has a natural
ability to adapt in vulnerable situations. My present course would help me to seek my career
aspirations as An Event Coordinator. The key skills which I have fostered within myself are
good communication skills, Able to relate to people from different backgrounds and demonstrate
respect. I am capable of using Microsoft Office, and I am adaptability and a quick learner and
more specifically I have good organization and planning skills. A recent project I have been
involved during college is organizing and bespoke event and the outcome was appreciable and
successful. One of my key strength is coordinating and developing and I demonstrate this at the
time of the event by distributing the task to the right people and monitoring the critical success
factors at each point of the event. These factors would help me to achieve my career aspirations
and aim in life.
1.2 Theories
The Clifton Strength is a theory which is based on general model of Positive Psychology,
which is basically a paradigm or a framework that incorporates an approach to psychology from
the perspective of successful life functioning. The Clifton StrengthFinder is basically an
assessment that helps to assists in order to identify comprehensive individual’s strength and to
maximize individual’s strength (Yee et al. 2018). The output of these strengths or skills is used
to create and develop strategy that would eventually aid the organization to work effectively and
achieve their goal in the company. Additionally, exploring more on individual’s strength will

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help the individual to make interaction with the others members in the team or clients and
therefore, promoting transformational culture within the organization.
The Johari’s Window is another theory based on the technique that helps the individuals to
understand their relationship with others as well as with themselves (Cruz 2019). This theory
generally focuses on four approaches which include “how one is known to self, not known to
self, known to others and not known to others”.
1.3 Strengths
The key strengths which need to be fostered in order to achieve the desired career choices based
on these theories are:
On the basis of Clifton StrengthFinder it helps to raise self-awareness, it is one of the
benefits. The more one knows or get self-realization of their own skills and strength the more
they tend to know their own capabilities and competencies. The key strengths that I got assess
from this theory are executive that is managerial capability, influence others, maintaining good
relation with others and strategic thinking. These strengths would probably help to me achieve
my aim and foster my career in the future. On the other hand Johar’s Window theory, the
technique helped me to identify my key strength with reference to know about myself and my
relation with others. The key strength was I am adaptable in vulnerable situation, trustworthy; I
have the capability of emotional intelligence and influence others. The other strengths from
Johar’s window would is gained through feedback which is referred as blind spot.
1.4 Elements of Theories
The elements of these two theories would help the individuals to achieve the career
aspirations are restorative, individualization, responsibility, futuristic and leaner of Clifton
Gallup Strength. The restorative element encouraged me to solve the problems and to enjoy the

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challenge of analyzing the symptoms and identify the issue and the find the appropriate solution.
This may lead to overly self-critical. The individual element helped me to build a productive
team as it assisted me to be a keen observer. The responsibility element forced me to take
psychological ownership for anything I commit to whether small or large. It made me feel
emotionally bound to follow it through completion. The futuristic element seeks the ability to see
the future, and where I want to see myself in next couple of years. On the hand the Johar’s
Window theory have four elements which include approaches like “how one is known to self, not
known to self, known to others and not known to others”. These elements would give me the
idea that what are my key strength and weakness as well and how I can bring effective
interaction with the other members which are necessary to maintain in workplace.
2.0 Know your Sector
2.1 Desired Companies
The companies where I would like to work and explore my skills are Penguin and Opus
agency. I would like to work in one these companies. The Penguin is an event management
agency which deals with creative event agency and is passionate in delivering exceptional results
for the customers. Penguin was founded in the year 1987; it is a privately held company with 11-
50 employees working as a team. The teams in Penguin support one another their incredible
standards, experience and creativity of Penguin would help me to exceed my expectations. The
specialties in this company are conference, production, award ceremonies, event management,
event logistics, lighting, event communication, entertainment solution, incentive, event app,
video production, incentive travel and recognition event productions.
Values and Ethics: The values and ethics of the company is to combine big ideas with
professionalism and inducing innovation and bringing all the details together, using thoughts,

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experiences and methodical approach. The company seeks at providing successful results by
giving the clients the fantastic and memorable event of exceptional quality.
On the other the company Opus agency is also a brand events and marketing agency which
focuses on driving the customers’ success. It is a privately held company headquartered in
Beaverton. There are over 201-500 employees in the company working as a team. The specialties
are event strategy, event production, event technology, creative design, tradeshow, promotional
marketing and branding. Their mission statement is customer success and this is done by driving
culture, values and growth. Their sale has been increased by 81%.
2.2 Values and Ethics
The companies’ values and ethics will help me to foster my skills and work in a dynamic
environment. The values and ethics of these companies include integrity, dedication,
collaboration, respect and accountability. These elements of values and ethics assist me to work
as a team and would give me the strength to work in critical situations. The values of the
company show integrity and dedication towards our work and therefore, it builds confidence to
complete and undergo a particular task. The collaboration and respect helps to work as team
within the workplace and understand each other situations and difficulties. These are some of the
factors which are really necessary to build and adapt in order to work in an organization.
2.3 Event Coordinator
The job sector of my interest is Event Coordinator in a well-known company like
Penguin, where I can learn and hone my skills I have good managerial skills and good
communication skills (Oberle et al. 2019). I am fond of planning and organizing for big day and
put all my creativity and innovation in order to get best results. Thus an event coordinator career
would best suit for my future prospects. The key roles in order to become an effective event

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coordinator are: a good planner, attention to the details, problem solver, critical thinker,
interpersonal skills, proficiency in communications skills, negotiating skills, flexibility and
enthusiasm skills, multitasking, being creative and innovative, creating and maintaining
relationship, trustworthy, target oriented and mainly the ability to keep calm under pressure.
These are number of responsibility and key skills which are necessary for an event coordinator in
a big company.
2.4 C.V and Linkedln
The C.V and the Linkedln mentions all the essential and desirable skills that I possess in order to
become an event coordinator. The key skills are:
- Able to relate to people from different backgrounds and demonstrate respect
- Good communication skills, both verbal and written
- Able to use Word and PowerPoint
- Patient person, with a sense of humour who is reliable and flexible
- Adaptable and a quick learner
- Good organisation and planning skills
- Flexible in nature
- Creative and innovative
- Problem Solver
- Good interpersonal skills
I have work experience in in three agencies where I learned how to work patience fully.
There are some of the competencies which I need to work on and hone my skills such as doing
the task within the deadline and ability to become calm in difficult situations or under high work
pressure.
2.5 Professional Qualification
The professional qualification or course along with degree that could be credible and
which can nurture for an event coordinator is Certified Event Planning Specialist. The Certified
Event Planning Specialist is a training program that basically focuses on instructing the

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participants for enrolling in and nurturing their business management skills as well as there are
special test and practical exam to know individual capabilities (El Mansour and Dean 2016). The
CEPS programs qualifies the potential candidates in specific related topics of the business
management such as better coordinating, how to handle clients, working in a dynamic
organization.
The main objective of the training program is to instruct future event coordinators to develop and
analyses the business data and proper use of their resources and to explore their skills which are
necessary to establish a good managing teams.
3.0 Let them Know You
3.1 Networking
The professional networking is all about making and building contacts and building good
relationships that would give a good opportunity for jobs and many other work-related jobs.
Networking provides the individuals who are seeking for job a focused way to interact with
people about their job sector in which they are interested. Effective networking can lead to
advice, referrals, supports and job information (Khatoon 2018). The first approach is to making
connections through online portals like Indeed, Linkedln, Meetup, AngelList, and Opportunity,
Xing, Jobcase, Sumry and so on. There are many new jobs in online portals and recruits to
recruit fresh talents. Networking can be done through offline communication that is through
referrals, through newspaper and campus (Allen 2016). There are associations for meeting and
events planners such as American Planning Association, Professional Convention Management
Association and many more.

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3.2 Professional Convention Management Association
Professional Convention Management Association is one of the networking events that I
have attended and found very beneficial in networking area. The PCMA is the largest, respected
and most recognized network of business events. The aim at providing professional experience
and permit personal connections, they are in unique position to transform the world economically
and socially. It was a great experience in the event as I was able to meet many professional and
was able to seek proper guidance and advices from them. I have already created many contacts
with many professionals. I was very clear about my goals and desired outcomes. I met many
people, shared our views, thoughts and ideas. I collected cards from the professionals which I
may require in the future.
3.3 Mock Interview: STAR Method
On 10/08/2019 I attended an interview conducted by Miss Rose Mary who is the human resource
manager of Penguin Company.
I was selected to apply as event coordinator at Penguin Company, according to my qualification.
The job requirements were that I must have a bachelor degree in the field of Event Management
or pursuing Event Management. Since, I am still pursuing this course, I decided of applying in
this particular job profile.
Firstly the interview was of self-introduction and I introduced myself in a confident manner,
which included my name, my qualification background, skills, interest and hobbies. Since, the
job advertisement had selection criteria which include skills like communication, interpersonal,
adaptability, flexibility and managerial skills (Time 2019). I was asked many situation where I
had used those skills to overcome challenges and obstacles and how successfully I handled those
situations.