Graduate Challenge Reflective Report: Skills Development & Action

This report reflects on the graduate challenge, emphasizing the importance of preparing for future complexities through individual and professional growth. It examines three key challenges: Apprentice Challenges (focusing on communication and teamwork), Presentation Challenges (enhancing presentation skills), and T-shirt Challenges (promoting creativity and innovation). The report identifies skills developed through these challenges, such as leadership, problem-solving, communication, presentation, and creativity. It also acknowledges areas needing improvement, including business skills, teamwork, meeting skills, and emotional intelligence. An action plan is proposed to address these gaps through focused development strategies over several months. The report concludes that active participation in such challenges is crucial for graduates to simultaneously grow and develop diverse skills, and that the provided action plan can guide individuals in improving their weaker areas. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments.

The Graduate
Challenge

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
The challenges and skills............................................................................................................3
Action Plan..................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERNCES:..................................................................................................................................7
Books and Journals:....................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
In the current scenario, it is very important for every person to prepare themselves for the
future and forthcoming complexities and challenges. This can be possible when a person grows
individually and professionally. It is quite important to understand that every person should focus
on the challenges that can be experienced in their graduation as this is the time where they can
grow and develop numerous skills and abilities (Hum, 2022). The current report is based on the
reflection to examine the graduate challenge in order to achieve goals and aspirations. It will also
conclude business angles of each graduate challenge. Lastly, it will prepare a plan of actions to
develop and improve the key areas.
TASK
The challenges and skills
It is a crucial activity for an individual that they should develop some knowledge and
skills. For that aim, an individual is required to involve in some challenges so that they can
understand the influences and effects of challenges and then they they are able to identify the
areas of development and improvement (Cheng, Tsai and Liang, 2019). In my perspective, I
found that firstly I need to find and involve in the challenges in order to understand where I need
skills developments. I came to know about the three key challenges in which I have to involve
myself so that I can be familiar to business environment and examine the value of skills
development. The discussion about three main challenges are as below:
Apprentice Challenges:
Apprentice is an useful method in which company are recruited to the graduates with an
aim to train them for the better career and future. It deals in the real business environment in
which companies are hiring graduate people in order to perform towards business objectives. The
apprentice challenge focuses on the improvement of communication skills and motivate people
to build new and creative ideas. Apprentice is useful in the company as they can increase the
employees communication (Yigitoglu Aptoula, 2021). I understand the importance of having a
good communication skills as it can raise the productivity individually in the business. I found
that in my company they facilitated me with this challenge and select random individuals and put
them in a team. It was vital for us to choose a team leader and name the team as well. After that,
we had a task in which we have to generate a brand for our company. Moreover, we also had to

develop an effective but innovative marketing campaigns so that business is able to attain its
goals. Most importantly, the company will give trophy to the team who wins the challenge.
I identified that it was an interesting experience as I tend to develop several skills while
performing the challenge. It is involved with complexities but yet it delivers me great
experiences which taught me how I can grow myself and the key areas which I need to improve
to overcome the challenges. I developed leadership skills within me as I lead my fellow members
and take many smart decisions related with the task. Additionally, I was also able to develop
problem solving skills within me. The task required us to make many effective marketing tactics
and it was complicated to make our brand stand out in the competition. I used different business
management skills so that the team will be able to create best marketing strategies to enhance the
branding in the marketplace. Due to all such activities, I was able to improve my communication
skills as marketing needs an effective communication.
Presentation challenges:
It is fundamental for the businesses to have those employees who can present their brand
effectively in the market. Through which, they can have potential customers towards brand. It is
identified that how a company presents their offers, products, services as well as their brand in
the market, serves a great influence on the decision-making process by consumers. For
delivering potential products to the buyers, it is critical for the brand to serve the bets quality
goods and services (Kirchner and London, 2021).
In my learning sessions, I was taught to use Power Point Presentations in front of the
consumers so that they can better understand what the brand is and what they try to serve to
them. Moreover, we planned to use simple but attractive slides so that the presented work can be
understood by the customers and they can make decisions in favour of the company. Also, we
decided to provide a brief and concise speech about the organisation so that each individual can
get full knowledge about the goods and services.
While attempting this challenge, I have improved my presentation skills which is also
useful in my further career. I am able to create attractive power point slides which is not even
require to explain the content as the effectiveness in the slides already speaks what we are trying
to say and explain in front of others. I use various designs, graphics and pictures in the PPT
slides which is makes presentation clear and beautiful. I also interact and collaborate with other
members as we did this task in group. Moreover, I also understand the feelings and emotions of

other people as I used to get more interactions. Also, I improve my time-management skills as it
was vital for each member to explain the content with pre decided time so that others can also get
their chance to speak up.
T-shirt challenges:
It is very well understood by many organisations that the growth and success of the
business is based on the creativity and innovation. It is more important where the company is
starting a new business in the market. They are required to come up with new ideas so that they
can attract a good number of customers. This can be attained with the use of T-shirts. Each
person wore T-shirts to represent the brand and its offered good and services in the target market
(Palmer, 2021). For that aim, we all planned to design and print the T-shirts so that the brand
can be promoted. But on the other side, we all need to overlook on the strategies so that it could
be cost effective and well represented. We thought using brand logo can be a great idea to
promote the brand.
While doing this challenge, I found that it delivers me best experience to learn and do
something new. It helped me to accept challenges and makes me confident as well. I developed
creativity skills within me so that my work can be well represented in front of customers. It was
tough for me as procurement and designing cloths involves various complexities as well. We
used different neon colours so that it catches customers attention. I also developed time-
management and meeting skills within me. I observed that financial conditions can be a vital
element as it serves a negative influence if one is not able to handle and arrange the funds. I also
came to realised that team work skills also needs to develop within me.
Action Plan
After involving in different graduate challenges, it is vital for me to develop and improve
some knowledge and skills within me (Prikshat and et.al., 2019). While attempting the
challenges, I observed that I was lack in business skills, teamwork skills, meeting skills,
emotional intelligence and many more. With the help of following action plan, I can develop my
key areas:
Skills Importance Action Plan Time
Meeting skills It is vital for me to
develop meeting skills
With an aim to
develop this skill, I
9 months

within me so that I can
be able to interact,
communicate and talk
with others.
tend to set clear
objectives, don't
confuse, don't late and
need to be prepare
myself for the future
challenges.
Team work It is important for me
as there are many
activities in the
business that needs to
be completed with
group members.
It is essential for me to
involve in such tasks
which can be
performed by a team
and not individually. It
will also help me to
understand different
perspectives of people.
7 months
Emotional intelligence It is that ability
through I can be able
to understand, tackle
different emotions
positively. It will help
me to relieve stress,
communicate
effectively, empathise
others, resolve
conflicts and many
more.
I can work on active
listening, exercising
self-awareness, self-
motivation and many
more.
10 months
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above report, it is sensed that graduates needs to develop the areas where
they think that they are lacking. Graduates must take active participation in different challenges
such as T-shirt, presentation or apprentice challenges through which they can be able to grow

and develop different skills simultaneously. This reflective report is also covered with an action
plan through which an individual can improve the areas where he is lacking.

REFERNCES:
Books and Journals:
Cheng, Y.H., Tsai, C.C. and Liang, J.C., 2019. Academic hardiness and academic self-efficacy
in graduate studies. Higher education research & development, 38(5), pp.907-921.
Hum, J., 2022. The Kindergarten Challenge: An Opportunity for Biomedical Graduate Students
to Practice Scientific Communication.
Kirchner, M. and London, M., 2021. The Co-Created Classroom: Enhancing Students’
Professional Identity through a Teaching Apprentice Assignment. College Teaching,
Palmer, C., 2021. “Share Your Story” Challenge Winner: When teamwork mattered. Nursing
Management, 52(6), pp.48-49.
Prikshat, V. and et.al., 2019. Conceptualising graduate work-readiness: Theories, concepts and
implications for practice and research. In The Transition from Graduation to Work (pp.
15-29). Springer, Singapore.
Yigitoglu Aptoula, N., 2021. Exploring academic literacy practices of graduate students in
English language teacher education programmes at English‐medium universities in
Turkey. Literacy.