Reflective Report on Graduate Challenges: MG408, Skills Development

This report presents a reflective analysis of the skills and knowledge gained through participation in several graduate challenges. It begins with an introduction outlining the challenges, including an apprenticeship, presentation, and t-shirt challenge. The main body analyzes each challenge, detailing the skills developed, such as teamwork, communication, and business acumen. It also addresses the importance of time management and meeting skills. The report includes a breakdown of teamwork stages based on the Bruce Tuckman theory. An action plan is provided, outlining specific skills, measurable goals, timelines, and feedback mechanisms. The report concludes by emphasizing the interconnectedness of the challenges and the skills acquired, as well as their relevance for future professional development. References to books and journals used in the report are also provided.

Graduate challenge

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Analysis of challenges.................................................................................................................3
Skills development:.....................................................................................................................4
Business skills and competencies................................................................................................5
Action plan:.................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9
Books and journals:.....................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
The report aims to present various challenges and skills gained during the graduation period.
This project involves three challenges that are apprentice comma presentation and t-shirt
challenge. All the challenges are helpful in developing inner skills to perform a job role after
leaving the university (Barr, 2019). The presentation challenge is based on Tesco which is the
largest Supermarket chain in UK. And the t-shirt challenge is all about branding and financing a
t-shirt brand into appropriate manner. This report is a reflective piece which analyses all the
skills in based on the experience and an action plan to improve those skills into the next 3 years.
MAIN BODY
Analysis of challenges
The three challenges are the most appropriate and required once in order to improve my skills for
career growth. These skills are suitably learn with the institute of LSST which is the biggest
Institute of Learning in England. They provide many programs and sessions in order to build
career by facing required challenges that are useful for future purpose. These challenges are
described below:
Apprenticeship challenge:
This challenge is quite popular and required for every individual who look forward to get a job
and analyses its working environment fruitfully. The challenge has helped me in developing
various skills during my graduation period. Under this, the individual become understand about
the decisions and maintaining networks with the company people. Along with this, it requires to
regulate the business practices into effective way (Costello-Judge, and Foster, 2017). I
acknowledge many e skills during this internship challenge which include communication from
our team work and business skills to maintain relations and regulate the information to the whole
department. It made me more confident to face top management authorities and present my
potential in workplace.
Presentation challenge

This is the much required and must have in every individual whether a student or a job
professional. Presentation shows a systematic manner to present the idea and thoughts. An
effective presentation lead to an effective decision and results will be reliable. While working for
Tesco, it has analyses that for delivering an effective presentation communication skill is a must
to showcase my ideas and be clear in the language so that it would be understandable for other. I
have developed this as I made a lot of presentations during my graduate period and had a part of
seminar and debate (Hurst, Azevedo, and Hawranik, 2018). For Tesco, it will be helpful to have
the leaders which could provide good training to the employed and remain competitive into
market. Also the analysis shows skills like creative innovative positive thinker, Team Builder
and presenting the ideas and thoughts which are all learnt during this challenge with effective
time management skills. As the presentation must be concise but clear set for a specific period of
time.
T-shirt challenge:
The name shows the challenge is all about bringing a new T shirt brand in the market. The
branding will be start with the logo into a set budget of $20. It was a quite toughest challenge to
represent a brand which will be e suitable for the market. This includes all the decisions
regarding the number of units selling prices and what will be channel of distribution promotion,
suppliers and all the other marketing decisions. It is all related to branding and financing the
brand logo for T Shirt Company. By involving into manager search, I came to know about
unique selling proposition and creating a product which are mostly into Trend will be the success
for company and make potential to stand against competitors. By working into the group, we
used internet sources, each other ideas, maintain coordination and teamwork to select the best
logo and complete the challenge effectively.
Skills development:
Teamwork:
working with a group which have number of people who have different personalities,
background attitude skills and thinking aspects is known as a team work which is required in
every stage of life. Teamwork builds coordination and makes the task easier. It provides success
and eliminates the chances of failure as the responsibilities are divided into groups so that each
member will perform their best of practices. But it is not easy to handle all the personalities who

have different thinking and at behavior towards work. So that it require right stages to manage
the team work effectively. According to the Bruce Tuckman theory, there are stages of team
building which is necessary for the leaders and Management to prepare the team in such manner
that give favorable results. These stages are defined below:
Forming: according to the first stage of this theory, the group or team individual’s gets identify
to form an effective team. This process includes communication and understanding their
potential abilities and attitudes towards working. By forming a team as per understanding their
specialization area, in my own experience, I first described my team member’s capabilities and
then assigned them the work related with their field which created coordination amongst us.
Norming stage: as all the teams get resolved with the conflicts and maintain the unity and
integrity, at norming stage the 3 members get aware about whom to approach and who their
leader are. This would maintain the team coordination and communication properly without any
delay and conclusion (Margherio, 2021). In my experience, all the members shows their Unity in
walking and any e problems get directed to me so that they could get the quick solution without
being into conflicts and improper work done.
Performing: at this stage, the team members take a mature and well managed regarding their
responsibilities, operation and enthusiastic. All the members are adhering about team’s objective.
In my own experience, I and my team worked well together as to complete all challenges with
motivation and enthusiasm (Margherio, 2021). Therefore it worked well and we have achieved
the target.
Adjourning stage: at this stage, the goals and targets have met most prominently. As the
workload get decline, team leader emphasis on individual performance to make them more
effective and may get replace if not suitable for development process.
Business skills and competencies
Time management: This is the most required skill which an individual must have.
Organizations mainly worked at time limits and deadlines which much is fulfill in order to get
effective results (Lockett, 2020). Destination must be eliminating from an individual behavior. I

am very punctual and understand the value of time but still I need to improve my skill for better
development.
Meeting skills: An individual must have skills to meet with people and that includes greeting
communication and body posture (Tracey, and Hutchinson, 2018). I have developed this skill
during my graduate period as we had to manage online classes with our teachers so that I have
good knowledge about conduct a meeting into appropriate manner.
Presentation skills I have developed within my University as we have done a lot of project and
presentations in order to present ideas and thought in a better way. These skills are necessary for
organizations and must have in every employee to present themselves in a meeting and become
an inspiration for others by motivating than with own thought.
Action plan:
skills Specific Measurable Achievable relevant timely
Time
management
Complete
work before
deadline,
manage
responsibility
and set Pacific
period for
specific task.
Feedback from
managers will
show the
performance
results(Wenqing,
2019).
Complete the
assigned task
before the
deadline will
achieve the
project criteria.
It is relevant to
reduce the
stress and
finish the work
and eliminate
workload.
15 July 2021
Team work Maintain team
coordination
assigned duties
and task as per
specialization,
eliminate
individual
differences.
By checking
each individual
performance and
the coordination
they maintain.
Complete the
work as per
order and
maintain
coordination
will achieve
the target.
It is relevant to
make the team
mature and
capable of
taking
decisions.
15 July 2021
Communication Deliver It would be By indulging It is relevant to 30th June

skills information,
maintain
relations,
provide
opinion and
ideas into
effective
manner (Xue,
2021). It is the
key for success
in team
building and
coordination.
measured by
own and
feedback from
managers in
terms of
appreciation
into
presentation,
group task and
focus on
vocabulary will
it to achieve
good
communication
skills.
be clear in the
language and
instructions to
eliminate
confusion and
delay.
2021
Presentation
skills
To present in
meetings,
show ideas and
thoughts
Team
understanding
and
appreciation.
By taking lot
of
presentations
project, catch
the essence of
presenting each
slides and
notes.
It is relevant
for future
employability
skills.
30 June 2021
Use
spreadsheets
and excel.
Require to
present
statistical data
and graphs.
Measures
through data and
calculations.
Good training
and regular
practice.
Relevant in
every field.
15 July 2021

CONCLUSION
This report has concluded that all the challenges and skill are interconnected with each other.
Apprenticeship and t-shirt challenge have taught a lot of skills set in terms of budgeting, finance
and marketing. Also from other report as presented a reflective piece on the skills and knowledge
regarding the challenges. At last, action plan demonstrate the skills which need to be prepare in
future.

References
Books and journals:
Barr, M., 2019. Graduate Attributes and Games. In Graduate Skills and Game-Based
Learning (pp. 33-62). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Costello-Judge, C. and Foster, M., 2017. Post graduate student early years teachers’ perceptions
of HE teaching and learning strategies which may be effective in terms of developing
best professional practice in early years contexts.
Hurst, D., Azevedo, A. and Hawranik, P., 2018. Building adaptive capacity in online graduate
management education. In On the line (pp. 265-280). Springer, Cham.
Lockett, A., 2020. GRADUATE WRITING IN COMMUNITIES. Learning from the Lived
Experiences of Graduate Student Writers, p.125.
Margherio, S.M., 2021. Ethical issues related to the undergraduate-graduate-faculty mentoring
triad in psychology. Ethics & Behavior, 31(2), pp.102-118.
Matthews, J.J.R. and Daniels, D.E., 2019. The Gendered Experiences of Male Students in a
Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program: A Multi-Case Study. Teaching and
Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders, 3(2), p.2.
Tracey, M.W. and Hutchinson, A., 2018. Uncertainty, agency and motivation in graduate design
students. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 29, pp.196-202.
Wenqing, L., 2019. Teaching Reform and Innovation Exploration of Graduate Students of
Industrial Design Engineering Based on the Background of Industrial 4.0.
Xue, L.Y., 2021. Preparing Chinese International Students for Graduate Studies in a US
University Through a Pathway Program: A Case Study (Doctoral dissertation,
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona).