Graduate Challenge Report: Skills Development and Action Plan

This report analyzes the graduate challenge, focusing on the apprentice challenge, presentation challenge, and t-shirt challenge, and reflects on the skills learned, including communication, teamwork, time management, and business skills. It discusses Tuckman's theory of teamwork and provides a SMART action plan for improving these skills. The report concludes that academic institutions enhance students' skills through assignments and projects, enabling them to achieve personal and professional goals. The action plan helps students improve skills, measure progress, and achieve goals within a specific timeframe. This document is available on Desklib, where students can find similar solved assignments and resources.

The Graduate
Challenge

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Main Body ......................................................................................................................................4
Analysis of challenges............................................................................................................4
Presentation challenge............................................................................................................5
T-shirt challenge.....................................................................................................................6
Tuckman's theory of teamwork..............................................................................................6
Action Plan.............................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Graduate challenge is defined as the aspects that are faced by the students during the
period of graduation. There are various challenges are faced by the students such as apprentice
challenges, presentation challenge and t-shirt challenge that help them them to gain opportunities
through enhancing their skills and managing situation properly. This report covers various
challenges like presentation challenge, t-shirt challenge and apprentice challenge as well as
reflection on skills that are learnt in the process of handling these challenges. Along with that
SMART action plan is developed that help to improve skills and lead towards attaining better
future results.
Main Body
Analysis of challenges
Apprentice challenge:
The Apprentice challenge is related to After Sales Apprentice Support Team position in
Primaflow organisation in which I have responsibility for providing post sale experience to
customers through resolving their quarries, customer returns as well as assisting internal team
which is related to After Sales. Through working in organisation as apprentice I have learnt
various skills such as communication, team work and others that help me to improve my working
efficiency as well as lead towards attaining determined goals and objectives (Jones, 2020)
(Korka, 2021). Skills that are learnt by me are mentioned below:
Communication skill: I have worked in Primaflow organisation as a After Sales
Apprentice Support Team in which I interact with customers directly to understand their
experience or problems regarding organisational products. It have improved my communication
skill that enable me to convey my ideas, thoughts and opinions to others in understandable
manner as well as enhance customers experience through resolving their problem and provide
better after sale services.
Teamwork: Teamwork is the skills that is learnt by me through working in organisation
in a team of five members. This skill helps me to interact with others team members as well as
lead towards attaining common goals and objectives in efficient manner (Wigfield, and Ganatra
2020).

Time management: Organisational managers provide us specific task that are performed
with given time period that helps me to improve my time management skill. In starting stage,
matching deadline is the challenge for me but later I have learnt how to manage time and
perform operations in best possible manner.
Business skills: Working in organisation as a apprentice help me to improve my business
skill that improve my overall efficiency and effectiveness to perform the task related to job
position. Strong presentation skill helps me to influence customers and provide them better after
sales services that retain them with organisation for longer period of time.
Presentation challenge
This presentation challenge is related to the developing presentation on starting a new
business that includes various aspects such as requirement to start business, advantages,
disadvantages, how business reputation impacts on business profitability as well as learning from
unhappy clients. To prepare presentation I have research about the types of business sole trader,
limited company and partnership. This challenge improves various skills and competencies in
my personality that help me to attain future goals and objectives in efficient manner
(Montelongo, 2020). Skills that are learnt from presentation challenge are explained below:
Communication skill: Preparing presentation on stating a new business improves my
communication skill that help me to communicate my ideas, point of view and through to others
properly. Strong communication skill enables me to improve interest level of viewers in
presentation engage them till end.
Team work: Institute has assigned task of preparing presentation on the topic of starting
new business in a group. I have interacted with all members and perform efficiently to attain
common goals and objectives. We have allocated different task among team members as per
their interest that helps to prepare effective presentation.
Time-management: Institute has decided a deadline to complete presentation that create
a challenge for me. I have prepared a specific schedule and follow it strictly that improves my
time-management skill. This skill helps me to complete presentation on time with efficiency.
Business skills: The whole presentation challenge is related to the concept of starting
new business that improve my knowledge regarding different concepts of business such as sole-
trader, partnership and limited company (Morris Harte, 2021). I have searched impacts of
business profitability due to reputation as well as learning from unhappy clients that improves

my understanding regarding business . Business skills facilitates me to attain future goals and
objectives in efficient manner.
T-shirt challenge
T-shirt challenge is related to producing a t-shirt printed with specific logo or design that
used to promote brand in market. My institute has provided an assignment that is related to
developing a t-shirt with unique logo. It is the promotional activity so, I have conducted social
media campaigns on different platforms that helps to influence people towards logo or brand that
is printed on t-shirt (Thomas, and Ashburn-Nardo, 2020). I bring various new and innovative
ideas for this challenge such as I used neon colours that appear to glow with intensity and make
3D prints that attract more people towards brand.
Communication skill: T-shirt challenge is related to promoting specific brand through
printing unique and attractive logo or features on t-shirt. It improves my communication skill
because I influence people through describing features of t-shirt and logo that are printed on
them. This skill enables me to interact with people and convince to purchase t-shirts.
Teamwork: Institute has provided this t-shirt challenge in group. We have allocated
different tasks among group members related to designing t-shirt logo, conducting campaigns
and others. This skill allows me to interact with other team members and perform task efficiently
to attain determined goals and objectives.
Time-management: My institute has assigned this t-shirt challenge with certain deadline.
So, I have performed determined task related to designing attracting logo of t-shirt and
promoting it among people according to time line that improves my time-management skill. It
enables me to perform task on time with efficiency and effectiveness.
Business skills: I have learnt various business skill through t-shirt challenge such as
presenting ideas and thoughts to others, designing logos, develop planning, preparing budget
conducting promotional campaigns that helps me to perform business operations in efficient
manner and attain goals and objectives with effectiveness.
Tuckman's theory of teamwork
Tuckman theory of teamwork is the process that contains various steps that starts when
group first meet and it last until the project ends.
Forming: Forming is related to the phase in which team has just introduced with each
other and task has been allocated among them. To perform the assignment is efficient manner,

we have discussed skills, background of each member. Project timeline, rules and regulations
also discussed in thus stage.
Storming: In thus stage, reality and weight of completing the project is settled down.
Here, guidance of strong leaders in vital because we recognise that team members may disagree
regarding how to complete task that create conflicts.
Norming: In the stage of norming, team starts working together for attaining common
goals and objectives (Tuckman’s Theory: Five Stages of Team Development, 2020). Here, I
observed that some conflicts are raised in team but team members can address them easily.
Performing: In this phrase, each team member understand their strengths and weaknesses
as well as become familiar with others. Each team members are motivated and confident so they
can operate without any supervision. I have analysed that team perform with high morale in
performing stage.
Adjourning: In this stage, project ends and team will disband because all goals and
objectives of team are achieved. We have wrapped the final task and documenting the results that
are achieved from teamwork.
Action Plan
Basis Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely
Team work Teamwork is
skills that help
me to perform
group
assignments
and classroom
assignment in
efficient
manner.
Improvement in
teamwork is
measured by the
institute
professions and
mentors. Along
with that result-
oriented
working without
occurring any
king of conflict
is the proof of
effective
Teamwork is
achieved with
proper
communicati
on among
team
members that
leads team
towards
higher
working
performance.
Effective
teamwork skill
help to achieve
determined task
as well as
enhance the
professional
career path.
Three
Months

teamwork.
Communicati
on
Communication
skill can be
achieved
through
different
academic
courses.
Through taking
these courses I
have improved
verbal and non-
verbal skills.
Improvement is
communication
skill measured by
the professors
through
assessing the
process without
have any barrier
(Lee, 2020).
Effective
communicati
on can be
achieved by
me through
eliminating
the barriers
for the
purpose of
understanding
as well as
perceiving
knowledge.
Effective
communication
help me to
conveying ideas
and thoughts to
others without
creating
misunderstandi
ng.
Two
Months
Presentation
skills
I have
developed
presentation
skill through
taking
participation on
presentation
assignment that
are held in
university.
Effectiveness of
presentation is
measured by the
efficiency that it
can convey the
desired idea to
views .
Presentation
skill is
attained by
me through
concentrating
on techniques
of
presentation.
Effective
presentation
skills helps me
to present ideas
views and
through to
others with
confidence.
One
Month
Time
management
Time
management
skill is
developed
through
preparing time-
I measured
improvement in
time
management skill
through
reviewing the
Goals can be
achieved
through
allocating
specific time
in each
Time
management
helps me to
complete task
on determined
deadline.
25 Days

table. activities that
they are meeting
timeline or not.
activities of
task.
CONCLUSION
As per above report, it can be concluded that academic institutions provides various
assignments or projects to students that improves their skills and competencies such as
communication skill, time management, teamwork and business skills. These skills and
competencies enable them to attain personal and professional goals and objectives in efficient
manner. Action plan helps students to improve skills that are required to complete specific task
with efficiency, measure improvement in skills and attain them in determined time period.

REFERENCE
Book and journal
Jones, C., 2020. The post-graduate years. In How to Become an Entrepreneurship Educator.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
Korka, M., 2021. Transforming Graduate Business Education. FAIMA Business & Management
Journal, 9(1), pp.40-50.
Lee, Y.W., 2020. The Understanding of L2 Writing Anxiety in Graduate Students and Its
Research Implications. 신신신신신신, 75, pp.167-185.
Montelongo, R., 2020. Using Immersive Video Camera Technology to Enhance Online Graduate
Preparation Courses. Journal of College Student Development, 61(5), pp.654-657.
Morris Harte, J., 2021. Conceptions of Literacy: Graduate Instructors and the Teaching of First-
Year Composition.
Thomas, K. and Ashburn-Nardo, L., 2020. Black lives matter… still: moving beyond
acknowledging the problem toward effective solutions in graduate training and
education. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.
Wigfield, D. and Ganatra, M., 2020, November. Building the Next Generation of Petro Technical
Professionals through the Graduate Development Programme. In Abu Dhabi
International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference. OnePetro.
Online:
Tuckman’s Theory: Five Stages of Team Development.2020 [Online] available
through :<https://www.freshbooks.com/hub/other/tuckmans-theory>