Reflective Photo Journal: Volunteering and Employability Skills

This reflective photo journal presents a student's analysis of their volunteering experience, focusing on the development of employability skills within an organization. The journal utilizes Kolb's experiential learning cycle to explore the student's journey, including concrete experiences, reflective observations, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The student identifies key employability skills such as communication, problem-solving, initiative, time management, and teamwork, while also highlighting areas for improvement. A professional development plan (PDP) is introduced to address skill gaps, outlining specific goals, timelines, and responsibilities for skill enhancement. The journal concludes by emphasizing the significance of employability skills in both personal and professional contexts, underscoring how the volunteering experience has contributed to the student's personal and professional growth.

Reflective photo
journal

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...........................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Volunteer management is also named as volunteer engagement, volunteer administration, and
volunteer coordination as well as refers to systematic and logical procedure of working with and
through volunteers for accomplishing organisational goals and objectives. In simple term it can be
said that, volunteer is the individual who manage working of an organisation in effective manner for
accomplishing their goals as well as objectives in appropriate way. This reflection will going to
discuss that how focus is on the learning environment. The method of learning, teaching and
assessment is based on actual work as far as possible. The emphasis is on reflective practice on the
role of volunteering as a way of connecting to business and employment.
MAIN BODY
I was performing volunteer within an organisation which will provide assistance to me in
developing my employability skills within effective manner. Within the assistance of Kolb reflective
model i will explain entire journey of learning employability skills. David Kolb published his learning
styles model in 1984 from which he developed his learning style inventory. Respective model work on
four different stages of learning i.e., concrete experience, reflective observation of new experience,
abstract conceptualization and active experimentation (Kamis and Khan, 2019). Explanation of these
in relation of my journey are as follows :-
 Concrete experience – Working as a volunteer and furniture and Electronics shop and buy role
within that organisation is floor assistant. There are several duties performed by me as an floor
assistance are restocking shelves receiving goods, sporting goods, cleaning ok, helping as well
as advising customers (Tomkins and Ulus, 2016). While performing these duties several issues
faced by me which create difficulties for me working as an volunteer within an organisation.
 Reflective observation of the new experience – Due to these difficulties which are mentioned
below in first time several inconsistencies faced by me as my self motivation goes down and I
learn that I am lagging behind and communication and Organisation skills full stop for
working in an organisation these skills are important as well as it is important for me to learn
these skills in effective manner for getting better future opportunities (McKinney, 2017).
 Abstract conceptualization – So after identifying all these lagging behind areas it has been
analysed by me that I have to work on these skills as it will help me in getting better
opportunities as an professional. So I decided to prepare PDP plan which is known as
professional development plan. I found that this is an effective way of developing my skills
and it will help me in learning several things along with these respective skills that is

communication, self motivation and organisational skills (GÜNEŞ, 2017). Within simple term
it can be said that, professional development plan is the best way which provide assistance in
developing skills within effective manner as well as also result in accomplishing future related
targets.
 Active experimentation - Skills learnt by me applied within my daily life as well as in
professional life. Please help me in accomplishing my daily object with an effective manner
and I started gaining success in my both personal and professional life. So it has been
identified by mean that employability skills play important role not only in professional life
but also in personal life so it is important for each and every individual to learn employability
skills with an effective manner as it play important role within individual life (Botelho and et.
al., 2016).
Employability skills can be defined a transferable skills which needed by a particular person
for getting employable. In addition to this, with good technical subject knowledge and understanding
as well as employers has outlined set of skills which they require within an their employees (Fearon
And et. al., 2019). These skills will e help individual in conducting work within more effective
manner and result in achieving goals and objectives of business firm. In simple term it can be said that
employability depend on individual skills, attitude, knowledge and so on individual present
themselves to employers. While working as an volunteer in furniture and electric shop several skills
learned by me which provide assistance in getting employed and performing my work in more
effective manner. There are several skills which required which in need for becoming employable and
accomplishing future goals in effective manner. Explanation of these skills are as follows :-
 Communication and interpersonal skills – The capacity to clarify what you mean in an
unmistakable and compact path through composed what's more, verbally expressed methods
(Cotronei-Baird, 2020). To tune in and relate to others, and to follow up on key
data/guidelines. For getting better employability opportunity there is requirement of effective
communication skills. But i am not good in communicating with people as my communication
skills are not good.
 Problem solving skills – It is the skills which have ability of understanding problem through
dividing it within small part, identifying key issues, implications as well as identifying
solutions. In simple term problem solving skills is applying knowledge to different areas for
solving particular task. I am good in solving problem which faced by employees or
organisation.
 Using your initiative and being self motivated – It is related to having own new ideas of own
that can be possible to made into reality. I am not that much self motivated which an employ
should have as sometimes I feel demotivated while doing any work.

 Working under pressure and to deadline – It is related to handling stress which comes along
deadlines and also ensure that i will meet them. I am good in managing thing which result in
reducing pressure of completing task within required duration.
 Organisational skills – In this skills work will plan by individual for meeting deadlines as well
as targets. Moreover, in organisational skills process of work will monitor for ensuring that I
am no tract or not for meeting task deadlines. I am not good in organising things within
effective manner which sometimes result in deal for accomplishing particular target which
assigned on deadlines.
 Team working – it is important skill for working with people who are from different
backgrounds, disciplines and so on. Without working in team it will be not easy for individual
to accomplish goals and objectives. I am quite good in team working skills which help me in
conducting my daily basis activities within organisation in effective manner.
 Time management skills – It is important skill which required within each and every employee
as it provide assistance in completing task within effective manner. I am good in time
management skills which help me in completing task allotted by manager and other people in
company on their deadlines.
Above mention are employability skills which required within individual for gaining better position in
business environment. Thus, I am not good in some skills which needed by me for taking better
opportunities within business environment. For developing these skills there is requirement of
designing professional development plan. PDP (Professional development plan) is also named as
employee development plan as well as individual development plan. It is an document which used for
documenting individual career goals as well as set out strategy on how to meet them. For creating
PDP there is requirement of proper time and also planning. Writing and implementing a PDP can help
me in identify and develop the professional skills needed to reach individual goals, and can keep me
on to the track of success. It’s an important process that helps me in achieving your potential, reach
your goals and take charge of your professional development.
Learning and
development needs
Type of development Timeline Who is responsible
I want to develop my
communication skills
because it is
important gaining
future opportunities as
an professional.
There are several ways of
developing communication skills
as i will give more and more
presentations and also take
participation in group discussion
which will assist me in developing
my presentation skills. Along with
4-5 months My manager within
organisation will
check out that my
communication skills
have been developed
or not when i started
giving presentations

this I am part of debate club
which will help my
communication as well as
interpersonal skills at great level.
as well group
discussion. Along
with this, in debate
clubs volunteers will
help me in
development of
communication skills.
Self motivation is
necessary for getting
successful in life. If
individual is not self
motivated it will be
difficult for them to
succeed in life.
For developing self motivation it
is important for me to think
positive about the things because
positiviness results in developing
self motivation. In addition to this,
i will listen some motivation
speeches also of good motivators
which also provide assistance to
me within same.
5-6 moths In development of self
motivation my
manager as well as
family members and
friends will check out
that my skills has been
developed or not.
Without organising
things in proper
manner it is not
possible to
accomplish success in
life as well as
profession. So it is
important to have
organisational skills.
I will start organising my daily
basis activities which help me in
developing my organisational
skills and will also try to
accomplishing them within
required duration.
2-3 months Superiors will aids me
that my organisational
skills has been
developed or not,.
Along with this, they
also suggest me that in
which area in need to
work more.
Thus, respective PDP (professional development plan) will provide me assistance in developing my
employability skills. It is important for me to develop these skills because it provides assistance to me
in working within an organisation in effective manner. Along with this, also assist in taking better
future place as professional (Scott and et. al., 2019.). In addition to this, within simple term it can be
said that professional development plan is the best way which provide assistance in developing skills
within effective manner as well as also result in accomplishing future related targets.
CONCLUSION
After going through entire discussion it has been concluded that, Employability skills can be
defined a transferable skills which needed by a particular person for getting employable. In addition to

this, with good technical subject knowledge and understanding as well as employers has outlined set
of skills which they require within an their employees. These skills will help individual in conducting
work within more effective manner and result in achieving goals and objectives of business firm. In
addition to this, for developing employability skills several practices has been implemented by
individual skills. If they lack down behind some skills then they can develop personal and professional
plan through which employability skills will gain. In addition to this, within simple term it can be said
that professional development plan is the best way which provide assistance in developing skills
within effective manner as well as also result in accomplishing future related targets.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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guiding the use of computer simulation in engineering education: A pedagogical proposal to
shift toward an experiential pedagogy. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 24(1),
pp.79-88.
Kamis, A. and Khan, B. K., 2019. Synthesizing Huber's problem solving and Kolb's learning cycle: A
balanced approach to technical problem solving. Journal of Information Systems
Education, 20(1), p.10.
Tomkins, L. and Ulus, E., 2016. ‘Oh, was that “experiential learning”?!’Spaces, synergies and
surprises with Kolb’s learning cycle. Management Learning, 47(2), pp.158-178.
McKinney, E., 2017. Using Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle to lead students in learning about
sewable circuits.
GÜNEŞ, M. H., 2017. An experimental study about the application of Kolb's learning cycle on
biology lesson. Kastamonu Education Journal, 25(5).
Scott, F. J. and et. al., 2019. Empowering students by enhancing their employability skills. Journal of
Further and Higher Education, 43(5), pp.692-707.
Fearon, C. And et. al., 2019. Graduate employability, skills development and the UK’s Universities
Business Challenge competition: a self-determined learning perspective. Studies in Higher
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Cotronei-Baird, V. S., 2020. Academic hindrances in the integration of employability skills
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Di Gregorio, A. And et. al., 2019. Employability skills for future marketing professionals. European
Management Journal, 37(3), pp.251-258.
Bates, G. W. and et. al., 2019. Beyond employability skills: Developing professional purpose. Journal
of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 10(1), p.7.
Marrington, J. Z., O’Shea, A. and Burton, L. J., 2019. The Work-Integrated Learning Program:
Developing Employability Skills in Psychology Undergraduates. In Ensuring Quality in
Professional Education Volume I (pp. 241-258). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Lord, R. And et. al., 2019. The role of mock job interviews in enhancing sport students’ employability
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Ramberg, U., Edgren, G. and Wahlgren, M., 2019. Capturing progression of formal knowledge and
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