Reflecting on the Development of Academic and Employability Skills

This reflective journal entry details a student's experience in developing academic and employability skills, utilizing Gibbs' reflective cycle to analyze their learning journey. The student describes their experiences in workshops, highlighting the acquisition of IT skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills. They reflect on both positive and negative experiences, evaluating their progress in areas such as accessing information, presentation skills, and research abilities. The analysis section identifies challenges faced, such as difficulties in understanding business success factors and incorporating reading habits. The student concludes by outlining steps to improve research skills and team-building abilities, aiming for future professional success. The reflection covers the student's feelings throughout the process, from initial excitement to overcoming nervousness, and emphasizes the development of essential skills for future career advancement.

Academic And Employability Skills
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Table of Contents
Description.............................................................................................................................2
Feeling....................................................................................................................................3
Evaluation...............................................................................................................................4
Analysis..................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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Reflection-
Learning and developing employability as well as academic skills are really very
essential for everyone; it could make a person able to grab further growth opportunities along
with current one. I order to show reflection in better manner, I have utilized Gibbs Learning
model of reflection in which I have share my personal experience through varied phases that are
as cite below:
Description
It describe that while attending workshops I have learned a lot of things which enable me
to work excellently and allow to obtain desire outcomes in form of accomplish daily work or task
in systematic and effective manner. I have learned and gain knowledge about IT skill that is
necessary, as it help to gather a lot of key data or information about different things and allow
solving technical issues in effective manner. Experience is procedure of doing and seeing things
and of having acts happen to individual. While learning new skills and knowledge about
different aspects I have experience positive things for example, I has enjoy gaining
understanding about IT skills, problems solving abilities and team work skills as well. I have
gain positive and negatives experience during my whole journey of learning and understanding,
which make me able to learn different things. Furthermore, while obtaining each skill along with
positive things I have experience some challenges and difficulties as well which could overcome
by conducting effective practices and adopting suitable approaches. I have attempted hard work
to gain knowledge and specific skills like team work abilities. All the skills which I have learned
like presentation skills, research and reading skills are beneficial for me in form of presenting my
thoughts, point of views and information after gathering key data relate to specific topic. The
overall journey of my work is quite good and I also learn more valuable skills through current
module (Howard and et.al., 2018). Earlier I did not posses appropriate knowledge about skill that
is accessing information and its role in a person life. But when I conduct report, I come to
experience that its play significant role in growth and better success of personal as well as
professional life too.
I have come to realize that when an individual have ability to access key data he or she
could collect a lot of important and valuable information which could be used in existing and
further activities. It was really a very good experience to develop this skill as it boosts my
confidence level even better than earlier (Boetje and van Ginkel, 2020). Furthermore, along with
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above experience I realize that when a person is able to give appropriate suggestion he or she
could considered or recognize as experience gainer which allow him or her to conduct this
activity within effective manner. During developing and understanding this ability I realize its
importance in personal along with professional life as it bring benefits in term of building a
strong team and making other person capable to complete their work on time without any king of
mistakes he or she would do.
Feeling
While conducting this work and learning new things or skills, I was so excited and feel
really very happy because it help me to boost my personal and professional abilities and
competencies as well. Furthermore, after developing specific skill that is accessing information I
am so excited to use it while gathering info about particular topic. I also examine that my feeling
during conducting current study and before investigation are very different things, but after it in
this subject, I come to know that this act could support me to raise my IT skill, ability to discuss
a specific topic and assignment submission. Moreover, I am also excited because after
developing presentation skill I feel able to convey my thoughts, creative things or ideas and
opinions through presentation by using digital tools, which is quite beneficial. With this skill I
suppose to accomplish my work with good presentation via utilizing digital power point tools or
technologies. My excitement could be more eager when I feel that this knowledge make me
capable to use power point presentation under micro soft office programme as it have me an
chance to learn new things which will actually support me in my the future professional or
personal career.
Hence, during current work, I change my thinking towards me because through this I
identify my weakness and strengths as well and also create a tactics to make project in systematic
and affective manner in the future. My overall reaction during whole journey is full of
excitement and happy; I enjoy entire work and learning procedure which increase my confidence
level and productivity. Assignment submission is another skill which I have learned during
current study, which increases my excitement level even better. Before, developing this ability I
never feel comfortable while submitting my project or an assignment, which is really important
to do in systematic manner. My feeling relate to this project increase more and more because it
teach me who to work in a team and support to develop teamwork skill (Deichmann and Jensen,
2018). It is one of the skills which allow me to accomplish particular task or work on time by
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working with team members. It also bring new growth and learning opportunities for me like
during teamwork I have gain chance to learn new skills and develop knowledge which I will use
in future professional career. During, some points I feel really very nervous because I thought I
could never be able to work effectively and productive at professional level as it require different
forms of skills, knowledge and competencies. I feel that reading and research process at
university is quite challenging for me but after enhancing my skill my nervousness get little bit
lower.
Evaluation
From the seminar it can be stated that there are several things that have gone good while
other has caused lot of troubles like session 1a was about accessing information that helps in
learning the way several software like Wifi, email and apps contribute in accessing useful
information. It also helps in developing understanding of library system or what the best
methods or techniques are to gather most relevant information. I get to know about my module
resources, the way books are kept reserved so that it can be used by number of student for
different purposes. On the other hand, in session 1b I have found problem in identifying solution
of potential areas where I feel problem or difficulties. While the session was helpful in
understanding meaning of active study and benefits of time management and group work. I have
ability to work in team so this topic make me more interested to gathered relevant information
about its benefits and importance. Week 2, session 2a on contrary was related to seminar and
discussion that was fruitful in understanding role of seminars and academic discussion in context
of academic studies (Tymon and Batistic, 2016). It also helps in identifying roles of participants
and seminar leaders so it was quite easy and interested topic that helps me to easy learn. As per
my previous experienced, in initially stage of session 2B I have felt difficulties in identifying key
reason for business success.
Whereas, I was unable to identify key business and economic terms that help in widening
or sharpening my existing knowledge and capabilities. I have good innovative and creative skills
so session 3a helps in enhancing my presentation skills more by providing necessary or relevant
information about what its presentation, key features, tips for making it better and the way
language, structure and content can be improved. Session 3 b was about research and reading
skills required at university, like most of the student that have less habit to read books I also does
not have quality to read books on regular basis. Therefore, this session has helped in developing
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reading habit in myself that would be fruitful in near future or enhancing my existing knowledge
and capabilities. Session 5a, was also a great experienced for me as it helps in developing
critical thinking skills, helps in understanding of academic integrity and academic voice (Tang,
2019). Further the session has provided me idea about the way plagiarism and helps in raising
awareness of techniques, method or tool that can be used for better outcome. Overall session 5a
has positive experienced as I was much more familiar with terms such as academic arguments,
plagiarism and critical thinking. I was not at all interested in academic writing but the session 5b
positive experienced has helped in understanding key features, format and stages or steps that
could be used to work on particular project. The session 6a was about job satisfaction, team work
and attribute, I thought it would be quite boring or not much useful but as soon I get to know
about different theories of team working and motivation I am able to become happy and more
interested to know about it. The session has very good experienced as I got to know about most
crucial information that are used in each and every profession that would be better for me in near
future. Session 6b was also related to topic such as marketing, brand value, brand image and the
way problem can be solved so overall it was much useful and interesting that make it my best
experienced of learning new things in more better way.
Analysis
It can be analysis from above report that the experienced was overall good but there are
key areas where I have faced problem such as in understanding or finding reason that leads to
business success. The problem has caused as I have less research skills that limit my potential to
find or enumerates information regarding reason of business success. Another problem that I
have faced during my previous experienced is learning about incorporating reading habit in daily
life as i am less interested to read. But the session held has helped in improving my reading skills
or habit that would be beneficial in my professional and personal career. It can also analysed
from above discussion or reflection that all other session experienced were quite interesting as I
am able to developed skills that are useful in profession career or for getting employment in
reputable organisation (Kapareliotis, Voutsina and Patsiotis, 2019). There are few steps that I
could done better in order to get relevant information about business success such as make use of
different sources to gathered information like online and offline sources i.e, books and journals
or several websites. I can enhance my reading capabilities by making daily habit to read books
on regular basis so that I can get higher growth and success in future career.
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Conclusion
It can be concluded from above analysis or discussion that there are lot many things or
employability skills that I have developed or learned during various session. Such as i have learn
about brand image and value, marketing for organisation in attracting maximum individuals to
become part of organisation. It has also helped in learning about theories related to team building
and motivation that I could use in my profession to build strong team that is dedicated to give its
best for growth and success of firm. So, on the basis of various learning, I have planned to take
key steps or moves for better outcome like improve my research skills in order to find accurate
and relevant information about specific topic (Wilson and Zulu, 2016). At the same time I have
decided to improve my team building, motivation skills so that in my future career I can capable
of influencing diverse individuals to work toward particular goals in specific manners. Therefore,
I have decided to remove all hurdles that created problem for me during my session learning for
bright future ahead.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Boetje, J. and van Ginkel, S., 2020. The added benefit of an extra practice session in virtual
reality on the development of presentation skills: A randomized control trial. Journal of
Computer Assisted Learning.
Deichmann, D. and Jensen, M., 2018. I can do that alone… or not? H ow idea generators juggle
between the pros and cons of teamwork. Strategic Management Journal. 39(2). pp.458-
475.
Howard, C.M and et.al., 2018. Preparing for College Success: Exploring Undergraduate
Students' Perceptions of the Benefits of a College Reading and Study Skills Course
through Action Research. Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research. 20(1). p.4.
Kapareliotis, I., Voutsina, K. and Patsiotis, A., 2019. Internship and employability prospects:
assessing student’s work readiness. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Tang, K. N., 2019. Beyond Employability: Embedding Soft Skills in Higher Education. Turkish
Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 18(2). pp.1-9.
Tymon, A. and Batistic, S., 2016. Improved academic performance and enhanced employability?
The potential double benefit of proactivity for business graduates. Teaching in Higher
Education, 21(8). pp.915-932.
Wilson, M. and Zulu, S., 2016. Inter-professional Collaborative Learning for the Enhancement of
Employability Skills. Delivering Excellence in Higher Education 2016.
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