Reflective Journal: Employability Skills and Kolb's Reflective Cycle

This reflective journal explores the development of personal and professional skills, focusing on a comprehensive development plan. It delves into the significance of continuous learning for enhancing knowledge and skills, emphasizing the application of Kolb's reflective model to understand employability skills. The journal examines essential skills such as communication (verbal and written), research, the use of ICTs, teamwork, time and self-management, and problem-solving, providing practical examples of their application. The analysis includes a detailed explanation of Kolb's reflective cycle, including diverging, assimilating, converging, and accommodating learning styles, and how this cycle aids in skill development. The journal concludes by highlighting the importance of continuous skill development and practical experience for long-term career sustainability and professional growth.

Reflective journal

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The personal and professional development plan is helpful in making prominent learning
plan through which sustainable growth can be attained within career of an individual. This is
significant to have continuous learning in order to attain continuous skills advancement and
enhancement in knowledge through which perfection can be drawn through effective and
continuous efforts. This is associated with the objective of managing self learning which is
helping in enriching work experience and skills improvement of an individual. These skills are
leading to develop motivation, happiness and fulfilment of major obligations as well. This report
is associated with Kolb's reflection model in order to understand employability skills.
MAIN BODY
The skills of employability and study is enhancing probability of developing and
completing own career in enlightened manner. This is also utilised in order to maintain
prominent relationship within personal development and study skills through which major
contribution can be enumerated towards attainment of future goals and objectives in stipulated
time period. These skills are defined as under:
Communication skills (Verbal and written): This is defined as the skill which is the
ability of making transparent delivery of any information. In reference to this skill effective
communication was drawn by me in order to provide proper understanding in team mates so that
they can prospect fundamental interaction. This can be conducted vocally, written, by body
gestures, facial expression and many forth. Communication is highly required that for intention
to improve life quality and addition in professionalism and working behaviour as well. Under
this some of the aspects are there which are required to be emphasised such as eye contact,
effective vocabulary, hearing abilities, skills to represent idea in clear manner, writing skills
through which individual may seek to attain higher benefits as well. These all aspects were
undertaken by me while making communication so as to develop my personal relationships in
concise manner and for long term (Clokie and Fourie, 2016). These interrelationships are helpful
in managing the organisation so that effective working can be enumerated.
Research skills: These skills are defined as capability of searching, interpreting,
analysing various information through which prominent interpretation can be drawn on a
particular subject in order to evaluate the same. This is utilised to shape future capabilities by
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which new information can be opted and evaluated in similar manner. This skills is highly
significant in preparing report and writing report in which needs and demands can be met
significantly. On the other hand development of new product, analysing competitors policies,
updating business by market technologies these are aspects which can be undertaken during
research skills. This shows capacities of suggesting new and emerging concepts in such a way
that positive changes can be inhaled in business. I have demonstrated varied skills in order to get
support over my dissertation and experiment as well (Allison and et. al., 2016). This helped to
develop objectives and attaining them as well along with high degree of perfection.
The use of ICTs: This stands for Information communication strategy in which digital
technologies can be used such as mobile phone, computer, emails, internet, tablet and many
more. These platforms are assisting for acquire new information and utilising the same to draw
prominent results. Basically this is associated with spreadsheets, word processing, search engine,
power point and many more. This is related with technical skills in which creativity and analytics
are enhanced in such a way that positive impact can be seen in completing those activities in
given time frame. In this diversified tools were used by me through which process of
communication were executed (Cárdenas-Claros and Oyanedel, 2016). I have accumulated
information regarding various technological tools which can be used to gather information from
various resources. In current technological era improvements are highly appreciable and for this
communication strategy is playing vital role.
Teamwork: This is defined as the skill in which effective alteration is being sorted at
workplace which is required to modify professionalism and is laced with high degree of
perfection. Advancement of employees are allowing persons to stay connected and collaborate
with diversified workforce which is existed within team. This results into emergence of robust
team in which virtual and face to face communication can be processes in effective manner.
During internship various opportunities were emerged in order to enhance relationship and
developing team as a whole. Under this I have enhanced my communication skills which helped
me to address team mates (Driskell, Salas and Driskell, 2018). On the other hand I developed
collaborative skills in which I tried to knot whole the team so as to solve any problem. Similarly
critical thinking was one of the major ability which developed through team work as a leader is
required to have critical thinking skills so that they can analyse situation according to the
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requirements. This is helpful in enlightening my career through which I gained knowledge within
project and my profession.
Time and self-management: Under this skill time management skills each task is being
prioritise by eliminating distractions and managing clean and centralised focus so as to take
certain actions over the tasks. Under this certain actions are undertaken which are managing any
distraction and maintaining clear focus in order to complete all the actions. This is highly useful
at the time of achieving better results and this is helpful in managing all the assigned task and job
role in clear manner before the deadline (Arguedas, Daradoumis and Xhafa, 2016)(. I have
completed all the work by properly delegating roles in proficient manner. This helped me to
retain my thoughts and managing my actions over managing my personal skills. I am going to
get proper guidance for my skills and for this I am maintaining appropriate focus over goals and
responsibilities which are given to me.
Problem solving skills: Under this I am required to manage difficult situation in such a
manner that it can be eliminated in a very short period of time. This eliminated redundancy
within working and helped me to take proper decisions in various situations. This skill helped me
to properly find out decisions for complex one in which creativity, dependability, team building
skills were developed as well (Akben, 2020).
Kolb's reflective cycle: This is a model which is used for experimental learning in which
individual is experiencing and evaluating at each stage in systematic manner. This cycle was
established in the year of 1984 by David Kolb. This is associated with four stages such as
observation, abstract, active experimentation and conceptualisation. This is utilised for
developing effective learning by adopting cycle for continuous process.
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(Source: Kolb's learning styles and experimental learning cycle, 2017)
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Diverging: Under this stage learning is being processed by enhancing dependency in
concept of feeling, analysing things in every aspect. This is based on two observations which is
concrete and reflective. Thus at the time of making clear maintenance and focus various
situations and outcomes are required to be analysed so that perfection can be attained. In this
stage new experience is being encountered within new situation so as to enhance chances of
learning and process of learning as well. In the process of solving composite situations this is
highly significant as prominent balance can be made.
Assimilating: Under this stage process of logical fragmentation takes place which is
associated with parallel support and ideas in which ideas and concepts are germinated. This is
utilised in order to enhance thinking and working abilities along with such capabilities which
may leads in explaining task in clear manner. Brainstorming abilities are one of the major aspect
which is helpful in developing knowledge. This is otherwise known as reflective observation
which leads to have new experiences.
Converging: This includes conceptualisation which obtains clear reflection over ideas
and their modification in learning habits. This is the process under which practical involvement
is added in order to provide assistance to concept and experiments. In ordinary manner there are
various mode in which improvements can be exerted and these are processed in timely manner in
order to advance effectiveness to modes. Under this advancement and modification is being
included so languages such as C, C++, Java and many more has been induced.
Accommodating: Under this stage practical training is been intended in which most
effective aspect is undertaken so as to draw appropriate results. In order to make perfect balance
active experimentation is taking place under this stage. This is used for measuring different
attributes so that their contribution can be taken for enhancement of communication skills and
managerial skills as well. This can be utilised for manage time and providing distinct ideas to the
learner in order to maintain standard.
In the context of learning cycle high assistance was received by me in order to
enhance my abilities and capabilities which helps in meeting long term success and continuous
development. In this I exerted balanced control through which I have developed personal and
professional development in my career.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report this can be concluded that personal and professional development
can be exercised by continuously developing skills, capabilities and experiences. This is used for
providing better insight which may lead in long term sustainability and perfection. Under this
employability and academic skills can be enhanced by taking assistance of Kolb's reflection
cycle in order to learn in rationale manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Akben, N., 2020. Effects of the problem-posing approach on students’ problem solving skills and
metacognitive awareness in science education. Research in Science Education. 50(3).
pp.1143-1165.
Allison and et. al., 2016. Research skills for students. Routledge.
Arguedas, M., Daradoumis, T. and Xhafa, F., 2016. Analyzing the effects of emotion
management on time and self-management in computer-based learning. Computers in
Human Behavior, 63, pp.517-529.
Cárdenas-Claros, M. and Oyanedel, M., 2016. Teachers’ implicit theories and use of ICTs in the
language classroom. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 25(2). pp.207-225.
Clokie, T.L. and Fourie, E., 2016. Graduate employability and communication competence: Are
undergraduates taught relevant skills?. Business and Professional Communication
Quarterly. 79(4). pp.442-463.
Driskell, J.E., Salas, E. and Driskell, T., 2018. Foundations of teamwork and collaboration.
American Psychologist. 73(4). p.334.
ONLINE
Kolb's learning styles and experimental learning cycle, 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html>.
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