Reflective Report: Enhancing Employability Skills Through Activities

This reflective report details a student's journey through a module, focusing on the development of both academic and employability skills. The report uses the Gibbs reflective model to analyze experiences gained from classroom activities like group presentations, discussions, and debates. The student reflects on the development of communication, presentation, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. The report highlights the student's feelings, evaluations, and analysis of these experiences, including challenges related to time management and team dynamics. The student concludes with an action plan to improve team management, time management, and decision-making skills, aiming for better performance in future academic and professional endeavors. The report emphasizes the importance of these skills in building a successful career.

Reflective Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
.........................................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Employability skills is refers to as a transferable skills that are required by an individual
in order to make them employable. As along with the subject knowledge, employer of an
organisation often outline the set of skills which they want in their individual for performing
particular set of job role in efficient manner (Jackson, 2015). This report is based on the
reflection of an individual in term of experience they gain throughout a module along with the
skills or capabilities they become able to develop while performing the set of class room
activities as involved within this model. For presenting the reflection over the experience and
learning of an individual the Gibb reflective model was used as it help in presenting the
reflection by taking step by step actions.
MAIN BODY
The academic skills are refers to the set of capabilities of writing, referencing and
presenting the information effectively in front of others which in turn results into several more
complex skills such as reflective practices and critical thinking. These skills help in creating a
base for the development of people in term of their future career. In addition to this
employability skills is refers to the set of those ability that an individual is required to have in
order to get a job or perform well at their job role (Deeley, 2014). These both are the category of
skills which are crucial for be to get developed in efficient manner for getting a job. Hence, this
module provided me with lots of opportunities to enhance my academic as well as employability
skills. This is so because throughout this module I went from number of class room activities that
bring several challenges to me but at the same time supported me in enhancing my skills and
capability for getting a better career pathway. Throughout this module I go through several class
room activities such as tests, group discussion, debates, group presentations etc. which supported
me in developing my academicals and employability skills like communication, presentation
skills, researcher skills, team work, team development, critical thinking etc. These all support me
in performing my job in effective manner. Hence, this modules brings up several sort of
experience to me which support in having a personal development which would be fruitful for
my career and my academics too. In order to reflect my experience throughout this module I
make the use of Gibbs model over a single activity i.e. class room group presentation activity
which is mentioned:
1

Description:- At the start of this module I don't have much knowledge about the course
work but later I came to know about several new things. Throughout this module I came to know
about several new things and be able to develop my skills and capability. At the starting of this
model we assigned with the class project over our understanding to the project. For this my
teacher forms up several group of 2-3 students along with mine where we have to perform a
group presentation. Hence, for performing work efficiently the tasks were divided among the
team mates so that work get performed on timely manner (Maurer and Mawdsley, 2014). As a
result of which we become able to develop an understanding regarding the direction on which we
have to work.
Feeling:- At the starting of this module I was quite nervous as I do not have much
understanding regarding it. Despite of this I was also not sure about the kind of performance I
would be able to exert and will it be acceptable by my tutors. In addition to this I was also not
much familiar with the team mates that was assigned to me. But as the time passes we started
performing the work together we become able to understand one another and learnt to manage
our work within a team which was a positive factor for me as I become able to learn the team
working skills. In addition to this I also came to know about several ways that support in forming
up strong bond among the individuals. During this module I feel quite interesting as I got several
opportunities to develop my skills like holding the meeting discussion, resolving the conflicts,
presenting the information etc. This in turn supported me in developing my communicational,
presentational, team building and conflict resolution skills which not only support me in getting
good grades through my performance but also help in enhancing my employability skills.
Despite of this at the end of this module I was quite happier as I become able to develop my
knowledge and be able to enhance my inter personal skills that will support me in each phase of
my life. I will look back to the situation in order to determine the issues or difficulties that I get
at the time of activities so that in future I do not repeat them and be able to perform well.
Evaluation:- For performing our group project, we distribute the work among the team
mates in order to ensure that the each task get performed in effective and efficient manner. For
dividing the task I organise a meeting for the group mates then with the mutual understanding
assign the work to each individual so that best quality of performance can be exerted at the time
of submission. In order to perform the task in effective manner 2 members get assigned with the
task of gathering the content for the project (Simatele, 2015). Another individual is assigned
2

with the sorting of data to present more relevant information and one members is assigned to
prepare the presentation. At last the, I get assigned with the task of delivering the presentation in
class on behalf of whole group. Everything was moving smoothly but one of team fall sick and
because of which the data not be able to get arranged on timely manner (Jackson, 2014). So at
that time we all decided to perform the task of arranging data all together. At that time each and
every individual share their understanding and knowledge in term of data gathered and then
arrange them in a manner that it become easier to prepare the presentation.
Analysis:- It was a great experience to work throughout this module with such supportive
and knowledgable co workers that supported me in each and every phase of team work. I become
able to develop my communication skills while interacting with the group mates and leading
them so that work can be performed on timely manner. While working with them I also came to
know ways through which conflicts are to be resolve and the importance of time management for
performing the operations in effective manner. Despite of this, I also become able to develop my
team building and team working skills that are consider to be most crucial factor from the view
point of an employees. As within the professional life an individual is required to perform its
work with several people within a team (Smith, 2016). Hence in order to perform well that
person is required to have an understanding regarding the ways to manage their work and
behaviour with other people in a manner that best possible outcome can be achieved. The major
issues that I faced while this module was my inappropriateness in term of time scheduling as per
the task to be performed. As a result of which we get delayed in performing our task which in
turn increases my burden of project work as one of my co-worker also fall sick. But as my team
mates was cooperative who supported me in handling the situation otherwise we won't be able
to perform our project effectively. From this I have learnt that it is crucial to schedule each and
every activities as per their priority and time required by them so that at the time of urgency it
become easier to manage the work in effective manner.
Conclusion:- Throughout this module I become able to develop a range of skills and
capability as the project was so much challenging and I go through several things in order to
complete this project on timely manner. This project brings up both positive as well as negative
experiences (Zacharopoulou, Giles and Condell, 2015). While performing this project I meet
with such knowledgable co-workers who enhanced my understanding by sharing their
knowledge and experiences. This supported me in developing my employability skills in term of
3

decision making, critical thinking etc. as I came to know that the success of particular decision is
only possible when it is being taken by having a detailed evaluation. There also remains several
negative experiences throughout this module among them conflicts among the team mates was
very first issues that we have faced at the starting of module. These conflicts occur among team
mates as at the beginning of the module we are not familiar with each other as a result of which
the difference in the thoughts of one another take up the form of conflicts among the people. On
the other hand, another negative experience I got through this module was when my team mates
fallen sick and due to which our work get delayed. But apart from all of these my team mates
provide their whole support in the work and we become able to complete our project on timely
manner. In future when I again get a chance to work over such project then at that time I will
schedule the activities with the time taken by them so that each task can be perform in efficient
manner. Despite of this a back up plan for the potential issue that may arise while performing the
work over the project (Brennan, 2014). This will support in performing my work in efficient
manner without getting stuck into any situation.
Action plan:- As throughout the module I came to know about the strength as well as
weaknesses that I have in term of my academicals skills and employability skills which I
required to improve in order to perform well in my future opportunities. The main skills over
which I have to work is my team management skills, time management skills and decision
making skills. These all are crucial for an individual in order to develop a better future career as
well as performing well in their area of expertise. Hence for this I have developed an action plan
where I have decided to attend seminars which supported me in determining the things to be
consider and kind of actions to be taken in order to effectively manage the team members as well
as work performed by them. In addition to this the seminar will also support in enhancing the
decision making skills by providing an understanding regarding the basic tricks or factor that
must be consider by and individual while taking a decision (Barker, 2014). In addition to this I
have also decided to take guidance from my seniors and class mates regarding the practices of
effective team management so that in future when I again get a chance to perform this role then I
would be able to perform in effective manner. On the other hand for improving my time
management skills I have decided to regularly develop my schedule for day to day activities so
that I get a habit of performing my work on timely manner. This will support me in performing
my future action in much effective manner.
4

CONCLUSION
From the above presented information it can be summarised that academical skills plays a
significant role in an individuals life as it support in forming up the base of knowledge and skills
which a person require for getting a job. Hence it act as a base to develop the employability skills
over which the workplace performance of an individual depends. Therefore a person must
focuses toward enhancing its capability in term of academics and employability skills so that
they become able to develop a better and successful future.
5

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Barker, B., 2014. Employability skills: Maintaining relevance in marketing education. The
Marketing Review, 14(1), pp.29-48.
Brennan, R., 2014. Reflecting on experiential learning in marketing education. The Marketing
Review, 14(1), pp.97-108.
Deeley, S.J., 2014. Summative co-assessment: A deep learning approach to enhancing
employability skills and attributes. Active Learning in Higher Education, 15(1), pp.39-
51.
Jackson, D., 2014. Self-assessment of employability skill outcomes among undergraduates and
alignment with academic ratings. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(1),
pp.53-72.
Jackson, D., 2015. Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and
best practice. Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), pp.350-367.
Maurer, H. and Mawdsley, J., 2014. Students’ Skills, employability and the teaching of
European studies: Challenges and opportunities. European Political Science, 13, pp.32-
42.
Peet, M.R., 2016. Transforming students' beliefs: Developing employability skills and generative
identities through the Integrative Knowledge Portfolio Process. Journal of
Transformative Learning, 3(2), pp.15-36.
Simatele, M., 2015. Enhancing the portability of employability skills using e-portfolios. Journal
of Further and Higher Education, 39(6), pp.862-874.
Smith, A., 2016. Experiential learning. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Zacharopoulou, A., Giles, M. and Condell, J., 2015. Enhancing PASS leaders’ employability
skills through reflection. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 1,
pp.1-19.
6