Reflective Journal: Employability Skills and Reflective Cycle Analysis

This reflective journal explores the importance of personal and professional development, focusing on the acquisition and application of essential skills for employability. The journal examines various skills, including communication, research, ICT proficiency, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving, highlighting their impact on the author's academic and professional journey. The analysis incorporates the Kolb's reflective cycle to understand the learning process through concrete experiences, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The author reflects on how these skills were developed during their studies and how they contribute to success in the corporate world, emphasizing the significance of continuous self-improvement and adaptability. The journal concludes by underscoring the critical role of personal and professional growth in achieving individual goals and thriving in a competitive environment.

Reflective journal
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY........................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................7
Books & Journal:...............................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Employability and study skills are important to be presented in a particular individual
life so that goals and objectives are accomplished (Adeani, 2020). It is necessary to be aware
about personal and professional development so that it is easier to cope up with competitive
market. Every person wants to achieve success for which it is necessary to have a
employability and study skills. In corporate world without use of skills and knowledge it is
difficult to enter. Main purpose of this report is to understand the importance of personal and
professional development in an individual life. This report comprises of different types of
skills and reflective model.
MAIN BODY
In my past experience, personal learning and professional development has been
affecting on my skills at large scale. I have been able to identify and examine my internal as
well as external capabilities which I used at most appropriate level. When I was pursuing my
BCA, Bachelor of communication and application there were many types of skills which
were needed to be focused by me which also impacted upon my study as well as
employability. There were many different types of skills which are discussed below-
 Communication skills- Communication skills are those by an individual message
between two or more than two people. Message is communicated in between people
verbal or in written form. Verbal communications are those which are spoken orally
and messages understood by other. It is important to have a proper pronunciation so
that word which has been produced is clearly understood by other individual. Written
communication is one in which messages, reports, emails etc. While attending
University, main commission skills got improved from semester to semester.
Moreover it impacted in positive way upon my employability as because I was able to
carry out presentations properly.
 Research skills- It is another skill which was developed by me while attending the
university because during my semester many projects to be assigned by teachers and
research were to be carried out. So, during this I improved my research skills which
help me to achieve employability in effective manner. There are different types of
research skills which you improve such as identifying reliability of information
investigation critical analysis and evaluation as well as extracting the detailed concept
(Akpabio, 2017).
 The use of ICT- As i was from technical background, it was important for me to
develop my ICT skills up to higher level. It basically stands for information
communication technology. My ICT skills are being developed up to satisfactory
level such as using of internet computer and machines. It has become important for
individual to be aware about technology and using those skills into a career. This is
because every business is connected to technology and has become digitally which
increased the use of ICT.

 Team work & networking- It is often seen that working individually makes it
difficult to achieve objective whereas working with team help in accomplishing both
objectives as well as goals. It necessary for me to adjust with others so that conflict
does not arise. So while attending University I also developed and improved my team
work as well as networking skills on the basis of which I was able to deliver better
and efficient output. It assists me in achieving my employability because through
using of teamwork skills today I am a team leader in an IT company. Without
teamwork it is not possible for a person to achieve success in life (Bertelli, 2017).
 Time & self-management- In both personal as well as professional life of an
individual, it becomes difficult for them to focus on priority task. To overcome with
this problem it is necessary to develop time as well as self-management skills which
help in managing of work. So, when I attended University I observed many people
were able to perform multitasking operations at a same time. So, through this it was
easy for me to improve my time and self-management skills at high risk level on the
basis of which I was able to manage and differentiate between priorities as well as
less priority task. These skills also help me to achieve my employability because in
corporate culture it is necessary to have a time as well as self-management so that
work is completed within a period of time.
 Problem solving skills- Events are uncertain and it is important to be aware about
problems and issues. When I was in the university my teacher gives me e critical
situations in which problems were to be solved by me throw using my proper
understanding. Moreover within my team many times conflict arises due to difference
in opinions of team members and I was able to solve their problems easily. It led me
to achieve my employability easily as because in organisations there are many e
critical situations which occur during work and which require this problem solving
skills at primary level. There are various types of problems solving skills which were
improved while attending universities such as proper analysis, creativity
communication, dependability, decision making, team building are some of the
important which I was able to improved (Bertelli, 2019).
Therefore it has been seen that it is important to news skills in both
professional as well as personal development so that it is easy to survive in this
market. It depends upon individual capability at what level they improves themselves
and employability.
Kolb reflective cycle-
It is a type of a reflective cycle in which reflex that learning through experience is an
effective procedure (Huntsinger, 2016). This model was developed by David Kolb in 1984
and he was responsible for learning style inventory. Main benefit of understanding this
reflective cycle is that it was a brief overview about past experiences which are recalled by a
person and decisions on way in present as well as future context. Understanding refractive of

experience is useful for person because it help in recalling of mistakes which were made or
benefit which was gained by an individual. According to this model, an individual and
controls several types of stages in both past as well as present situations and which are
discussed below-
In this reflective cycle it comprises of four stages and it is a continuous process which
is explained as follows-
 Concrete experience- It is a first aspect and stage of a reflective cycle in which it
reflects the new situation which is faced by individual. When such situation arises, it
is necessary to reflect to the past situations so that decision made accordingly. When I
was in a University, I faced many situations such as new way of connecting with
people how to deal with them according to their point of view.
 Reflective observation- It is also aspect of a model in which it shows difference
between in person reflection of experience and level of understanding on a particular
field or subject. For example-my experience of learning coding was good and I can
make observations in this field in a positive way (Mahlanze, 2017).
 Abstract conceptualisation- Then comes the stage of extract conceptualization in
which it includes reflection of a new environment or an idea. Also comprises of
modification of existing concept. For example in my context, from my experience I
have learnt that to achieve growth it is necessary to work within team.
 Active experimentation- After the idea has been developed stage of actual
experimentation arises in which a person actively works and put efforts on those
ideas. It is necessary to select and perform actual real course of action so that it leads
to achieving of goals in proper manner (McKinney, 2017).

The above explained model shows that it is necessary to focus on experience
reflection so that it is easy to accomplish present or future objectives in an effective way.
Further in my own experience, I have examined that above stated stages are necessary to
be analysed as they help in understanding importance of reflection in a person life.
CONCLUSION
After brief analysis of above reflective journal, it has been examined that experience
and present to different things which are important to be analysed at a particular time. This
report gives brief information about types of skills which are improved and using of a
reflective model. To accomplish success and goal in life it is important for in individual to
develop their own personal and professional development growth. Personal and professional
development to you essential things which are necessary to be achieved and focused as they
assist in providing a positive mind-set.

REFERENCES
Books & Journal:
Adeani, 2020. Using GIBBS reflective cycle in making reflections of literary
analysis. Indonesian EFL Journal (IEFLJ),6(2), pp.139-148.
Akpabio, 2017. Teachers use of information and communication technology (ICT) in
teaching english language in senior secondary schools in Akwa Ibom state. Equatorial
Journal of Education and Curriculum Studies,2(2), pp.28-3.
Bertelli, 2017. The effects of expressive arts on the evoking of automatic thoughts during the
training at a graduate level of personal and professional development of cognitive-
behavioural clinical psychologists: A qualitative study. Review of Arts and
Humanities,6(1), pp.7-11.
Bertelli, 2019. The application of an expressive arts activity for the very first session of
training of personal and professional development of cognitive-behavioural clinical
psychologists: Cognitive content as proxy data to study core beliefs. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal,6(7), pp.599-605.
Huntsinger, 2016. Parental facilitation of early mathematics and reading skills and
knowledge through encouragement of home-based activities. Early Childhood
Research Quarterly,37, pp.1-15.
Mahlanze, 2017. Perceptions of student nurses on the writing of reflective journals as a
means for personal, professional and clinical learning development. Health SA
Gesondheid,22(1), pp.79-86.
McKinney, 2017, January. Using Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle to lead students in
learning about sewable circuits. In International Textile and Apparel Association
Annual Conference Proceedings(Vol. 74, No. 1). Iowa State University Digital Press.
Okada, 2016, October. Estimating communication skills using dialogue acts and nonverbal
features in multiple discussion datasets. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM International
Conference on Multimodal Interaction(pp. 169-176).
Siefker, 2019. The Application of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model in a Business English
Program.
Wyllie, 2019. Skills for safe practice–a qualitative study to evaluate the use of simulation in
safeguarding children teaching for pre-registration children’s nurses. Nurse education
in practice,34, pp.85-89.