Managing People and Careers Portfolio - QAB020N501S, Roehampton

This portfolio assignment, submitted by Antonina Bondarcuka, is a comprehensive document designed to demonstrate understanding of managing people and careers. It includes a cover letter applying for an Arcadia Merchandise Administration Assistant position, highlighting relevant skills and experiences in business management, sales, and marketing. The CV provides a detailed overview of the student's education, qualifications, and work history, emphasizing key competencies such as customer service, organizational skills, and time management. An application form addresses questions related to the student's interest in the company, teamwork experiences, problem-solving approaches, time management skills, and persuasion techniques. Finally, the portfolio incorporates interview practice notes, reflecting on the Arcadia Merchandise Administration Assistant role and the student's preparation for potential interview questions. The assignment showcases the student's ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios in the field of human resources and career development.

Managing People and Careers Portfolio
ANTONINA BONDARCUKA
ADD VACANCY REFERENCE CODE HERE

Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
COVER LETTER
Arcadia Merchandise,
___________________
Ref: Arcadia Merchandise Administration Assistant Vacancy
Dear Sir,
My name is Antonina Bondarcuka, and I am writing to apply for the position of Arcadia Merchandise
Administration Assistant. I came across the vacancy in an online advertisement.
I believe that my academic background and previous work experience in business, sales, and
marketing make me a perfect candidate for the position.
I am pursuing an Extended Degree in Business Management from the University of Roehampton and
expanding on my knowledge related to human resource management, marketing, and strategic
management. As part of my course, I believe that my computer skills and business management and
marketing education make me well equipped for the skills required to work as Arcadia Merchandise
Administration Assistant.
Along with my in-depth understanding of human resource management and marketing, I carry
experience in team-building and leadership. I have imbibed those skills during business development
programmes and when working in different situations and with different people. Exposure to
different fields of working and administration has allowed me to expand on my skills of developing
customer relationships, promoting sales and developing effective communication skills.
I am aware that Arcadia Merchandise is the largest privately-owned fashion retailer in the UK. As
world-wide leaders in the fashion industry, I believe that Arcadia Merchandise will provide me with
the perfect platform for professional growth and development. As I take a keen interest in modern
art and follow the latest fashion trends passionately, as a Merchandise Administration Assistant, I
would be confident of handling new stocks and apply strategic thinking as to what could be the big
seller.
I have enclosed my resume which provides additional information about my educational
qualifications and work experience. I hope you would consider me for the position of Arcadia
Merchandise Administration Assistant and give me the opportunity for an interview.
As I conclude my studies in June 2019, I will be able to start working for this position immediately
after.
Thank you for considering my application and looking forward to hearing from you. Please do not
hesitate to contact me on [phone] for any further questions.
Yours sincerely
Antonina Bondarcuka
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Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
CV
Antonina Bondarcuka
BA Candidate in Business Management
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Professional profile
I am a highly motivated individual. I have a great passion for developing my skills in the best way
possible. I am a calm and very responsible individual who always pays good attention to details.
My attitude is friendly, and I always get along with people that I work with and for. I am a
flexible and reliable person who can manage time efficiently. I am a fast learner who is willing to
improve in every step in my life.
Now I am looking to secure a stimulating and rewarding new role. Thus, I am currently looking
for a chance to work as a salesperson in clothes or cosmetic shop with a reputable organization
who appreciates my loyalty, sincerity and hard work.
Key Competencies
Concentration Customer service
Organizational skills Able to work both individually and in the
team
Upselling Time management
Education & qualifications
 University of Roehampton – February 2017 to current
o Business Management - Extended Degree
BA in Business Management acquire knowledge of the key aspects in business
including marketing, human resource management, strategic management and
strategic management.
 Chapman Bennett Associates Ltd (Easyastraining) – September 2017
o Diploma in Team Leading, Level 2 Qualification
 Riga 3rd High-School – June 1997
o High school degree
Work Experience
May 2018 to present H&M store in London,
From May 2018 till now I am working in Sales Advisor position . H&M store in London, High
street Kensington store
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Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
September 2013 – August 2017 Costa, Barista, United Kingdom
I have started working as a barista and in a few months became a shift manager. Primary duties were
daily cash up, opening and closing the shift, greeting guests, ensuring the excellent service of
beverages and food, new staff training. Within the years of working in this position, I have gained a
lot of experience in customer service and meeting their expectations even in stressful and busy
situations.
Skills and key duties: Sales, leadership, development of customer relations, motivating, negotiating,
communication, and development of friendly sales teams.
February 1997 – April 2005 Model Agency, Model, Latvia
Within eight years in Model Agency, I have been working with many different companies displaying
clothes in fashion shows, retail establishments as well as advertising various perfume, cosmetics,
and jewellery brands. Therefore, I gained a wide knowledge of the beauty and fashion industry and
also developed a strong and self-confident personality with excellent communication skills.
Skills and key duties: Sales, goal-setting, marketing. customer relations, networking, negotiating,
marketing, communication, customer service.
I was able to develop good working relationships with my senior and colleagues while offering
administrative support with any tasks.
Computer Skills
Great computer skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Interests
Interests: I constantly follow the latest fashion trends, and I am interested in modern art. I also
love traveling and exploring new places; it allows me to develop my knowledge and
understanding of different parts of the world and their culture.
Languages: Latvian (mother tongue), English (fluent), Russian (fluent).
References are available upon request
APPLICATION FORM
1. Why do you want to work for us?
I believe that Arcadia would be an ideal fit for me as a Merchandise Administration
Assistant. I am a person who is a keen observer and has an eye for details, and love meeting
people from different backgrounds and have a flair for fashion. As I get motivated by a fast-
paced environment, I believe that Arcadia would provide me just that perfect environment I
am looking for my further growth and learning. I am a highly motivated individual who has a
great passion for learning something new and develop my skills. The idea of reviewing
trends, forecasting sales amidst fast-paced planning makes me excited about the job. It
would be exciting to meet new customers, understand their preferences and guide them
towards the latest styles and trends.
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Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
I am looking forward to getting not just national exposure but International exposure too.
I sincerely wish to give my 100% to Arcadia as a Merchandise Administration Assistant. I am
hardworking, responsible and an expert with Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint. I am good
with people, and team building, and the workplace environment of Arcadia attracts me to
work in the organization. Nothing would give me more satisfaction to do my job with
complete sincerity and raise the season’s profits for Arcadia. I am confident about my skills
and experience and will not only be able to contribute towards Arcadia but also help the
company achieve its goals and objectives.
2. Tell us about a time you worked in a group to achieve an objective (what did you do
and what was the outcome?)
In my last on-field project on retail marketing, I worked in a group. The department split us
into a different team, and each team was given the objective of achieving the highest sales
on Thanksgiving. Our team made an action plan where each team member was assigned a
specific area of the mall. We were there for every customer and thus were able to generate
15% higher sales than the rest of the teams in the department. It was indeed a very
satisfying moment for all of us. Most importantly, I got a real-life exposure to how good
teamwork can bring out positive results. As I was the team leader, I was responsible for
charting out a plan on how to carry out the teamwork successfully. Group motivation and
leadership skills played an important role here. I made sure that each member of our team
felt important and was given due importance for his efforts. Towards the end, it was more
about the team and collective effort on how to increase the sales in our area.
3. Tell us about a time when you identified a new approach to solve a problem. (What did
you do and what was the outcome?)
When I worked as a customer service representative, I had to deal with an angry and upset
customer. This was the first time I faced an angry customer, and I was a bit scared and at a
loss as to what to do. The customer was angry about some points that had not been
redeemed to her. My first reaction was to make her sit and listen to her with a calm and
soothing tone. However, despite being polite, the customer was still angry. I decided to
throw the ball in the customer’s court and asked her as to what she would like to be done. I
told her that I would go out of my way to get things down the way she wanted. I observed a
change in her , and instead of making complaints, she dictated her terms and wanted an
extra discount on a certain item. I told her that as it was not possible, but we could add
more points to her balance and could give her a free coupon for the next-door spa. Those
extra offers and extra attention worked immediately, and the customer went away with a
big smile. I learned that handling customers can be a stressful experience, but one has to
handle them in the most professional way possible. Working as a customer service
representative was a great experience for me. I learned that working environment could be
changing and one has to come up with innovative solutions on their own to face a particular
challenge or situation.
4. Tell us about a time when you had to manage a number of different priorities and
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Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
complete a number of tasks in a short amount of time (what did you do and what was the
outcome?)
During my summer internship, I was given a new project and had to work on with my
ongoing existing project. With the midterm exams soon approaching, I felt under pressure
and was not very sure how I could handle two projects and prepare for to approaching
exams. It was getting difficult as the projects and the exams were of equal importance. As I
still had three weeks, I set out a timetable. I decided to get over with the projects in the
coming week so that I had two full weeks to focus just on the exams. However, that meant
skipping the weekend outing and the essential trip to the dentist. I got a later appointment
from the dentist and canceled my outing plans with my friends. As a result, I was able to
focus more on my projects and working for slightly longer hours, and on the weekends, I
managed to finish both the projects ion time. I learned that with the help of prioritization
and time management, it was possible to work even under pressure and get the desired
results. Today, even when I work professionally, I prioritize my tasks and focus on which
tasks are the most important and urgent. That allows me to finish all the tasks well in time.
Those experiences have taught me that time management and coping with stress are some
of the challenges that would always be there in professional fields.
5. Tell us about a project you worked on that required you to persuade others to your
point of view (what did you do and what was the outcome?)
During one class of my course, there was a crowdfunding project. The whole class was
discussing the sources, the communication means and how to go about with the project.
Every year, the college went to a regular vendor for designing the fliers, and the expenditure
took away a significant part of the crowdfunded money. When I suggested that we should
design the flier on our own, there was a big debate among the students as to how should
we get the flyers designed. Those who were against the idea complained of the lack of time
and professionalism in self-designed flyers . However, when I explained to them that with
self-made fliers, we could make significant savings, they got interested. I convinced them
further by offering to make a couple of samples for their approval. Finally, I got some
designs approved by the team leader for the project and the professor involved. Later, the
whole group thanked me for my efforts as well as the amount of money they were able to
save for the crowdfunding project. The whole experience taught me that with a little
convincing and collaborative nature, one could persuade others to their point and motivate
them towards better results. As it was my idea, I had to assume the leadership role and take
the initiative to design the fliers.
INTERVIEW PRACTICE
During the interview simulation I was able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses as below:
positive and negative aspects and those were from which I was able to learn:
Positive:
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Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
 I felt confident and was good with my communication skills and observed that people paid
attention to what I said.
 I felt confident about my eye contact and body language.
 I used professional language during my interview and gave clear and confident answers.
Negative:
 I got conscious at times of what I was saying and lost focus at times.
 I need to improve the use of the STAR technique and use it effectively for the interview.
 I should be able to cite more examples to show a more extensive work experience.
ASSESSMENT CENTRE PRACTICE – COPY AND PASTE YOUR REFLECTION NOTES HERE (MAX. 200
WORDS IN BULLET POINT FORMAT)
I enjoyed the whole experience and it was partly because of my outgoing and competitive nature. I
felt that while the experience was very useful and formative, there could have been some
improvements.
Positive:
 Good group communication and involvement with others
 Collaborative support of the educators
 Learn and developed new skills
Negative:
 Not all team members showed interest
 Some members were not fully prepared
 Many were late for meetings
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Managing People and Careers Assignment Template
References
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