MG410 Career Research Report: Analysis of Retail Marketing Skills

This report is a career research analysis focusing on the marketing field within the retail industry. It begins with an introduction to career research, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making for recent graduates with an MBA in marketing. The report then analyzes the retail sector, highlighting its growth and impact on the economy, with a specific focus on marketing and sales. Secondary research methods are discussed, including data collection from websites, company logs, books, and articles, followed by an examination of general trends that may impact the profession, such as technological advancements, internationalization, and faster delivery processes. The report then details the required skills, knowledge, and experience, including communication management, human resource management, and personal skills like communication, leadership, conflict management, time management, information technology, and finance. The report also includes an evaluation of the author's skills through a personal skill audit and the results of primary research in the form of an interview with a marketing manager. The report concludes with a summary of findings and references.

Carrier Research
Report

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
ANALYSIS & APPLICATIONS....................................................................................................2
Secondary research......................................................................................................................2
General trends that may have impact over chosen profession.....................................................2
Skills / knowledge and experience required................................................................................3
KNOWLEDGE AREA AND EXPERIENCE.................................................................................3
EVALUATION...............................................................................................................................4
Personal skills..............................................................................................................................4
Primary research..........................................................................................................................6
Evaluation....................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
APPENDIX 2...................................................................................................................................9
APPENDIX 3...................................................................................................................................9
1

INTRODUCTION
Career research can be defined as the major decision which is being taken by every
individual at some point in their professional life. In this they are being involved in taking
decisions about their future and pursuing favourable opportunities from the ample bundle present
in front of them. When a person completes their graduation and even post-graduation. They start
looking for jobs so that their career can also grow (Maitra and Maitra, 2018). I have recently
completed my MBA with specialisation in field of marketing. I am really passionate to work in
retail industry. Under the supervision of my tutor they have explained me about the various
opportunities the retail stores have in the department of marketing and sales. Main aim of the
research is to analysing skills and knowledge required by any recent graduate in order to enter
certain industry.
ANALYSIS & APPLICATIONS
The industry selected is retail in which marketing and sales has the most important role in
order to bridge the gap between the organisation and consumers. It is one of the fastest growing
sector and also various changes and development has taken place in this industry. Retail sector
has huge impact on the growth of economy (Hafsteinsdóttir, van der Zwaag and Schuurmans,
2017). This industry satisfies consumers needs and demands and give them products according to
their choices. They also provide job opportunities so many people, this has impacted in growth
of living standards of individuals. For the beginners the marketing career in retail industry is
most suitable. For better knowledge and for selecting a better career primary and secondary
research is being done for the same.
Secondary research
It is one of the most commonly used data collection method. This will assist an individual
in enhancing their knowledge towards the suitable career options which can be selected in retail
industry. In this the data can be collected from the already published sources like websites,
company logs, books, articles (Wehmeyer and et.al., 2019).
General trends that may have impact over chosen profession
The career that has been selected is basically to become a marketing professional in retail
industry. For this it is really necessary to have better skills and expertise to run basic marketing
errands like doing market research, promotion of products and services, collection of information
related to competitors (LENT, 2020). Retail industry is one of the most dynamic and fastest
2

changing industry. They have been opting for continuous improvement process in order to
enhance consumer satisfaction. So, it is really necessary for a recent graduate to have knowledge
related to the trends which can have impact on their selected profession. It includes the
following:
Technological Advancement: It can have huge impact on the marketing profession as
retail industry is growing and they are becoming technologically advanced. In this the new
graduate needs to learn about the various technological changes and also the industry might have
to change their structure of working because of technological advancement. This will assist in
adhering to this dynamic industry (Akkermans and Tims, 2017). It has also been analysed that a
recent intern can also be involved in going to a training assessment so that technological changes
do not affect their work.
Internationalization- This can also affect the working of retail industry. With the
internationalization and globalization, it is really necessary for the retail company to bring
changes in their work. This will assist them in bringing new policies and regulations and will
also affect the working environment of the industry (Guan and et.al., 2019).
Faster Delivery process: The retail sector is going through an enormous change and now
a day’s consumer prefers to have faster delivery. This means that the company needs to increase
their distribution channels. It can affect the work of an organisation and also, they need to build
company environment on the basis of this (Bocciardi and et.al., 2017).
Skills / knowledge and experience required
KNOWLEDGE AREA AND EXPERIENCE
Area of communications management is considered to be paramount for create better
knowledge in every aspect. Communication is helpful in maintaining up balance between team
members and stakeholders. This is critical step for maintaining up the firm effectiveness and
efficiency. This is important for completion of targets creating up issues in project development.
Managing up the communication helping out in reviewing up effectiveness regularly and
adjustments as needed. These communication management is longing up in the planning phase
with managing communications in respect to executive phase and controlling communication in
monitoring and controlling (Kapur, 2019). This will ensure everything’s with proper facilitation
of communication. The creations of communication in distribution and storage are important in
project management which requires up the full attention of its manager.
3

There are different tools and techniques based on the information management system looking
at the judgement criteria meeting up experts for changing request, planning up dates. There is
organizational aspect for different assets intervening in the process (Ben-David, Birru and Rossi,
2019). This will have determination of the things needed on different cost line related to cost-
controlled sourcing out external sources. Project communication has is helpful in way such as
verbal manner, written, formal or informal. The outcomes of planning will have risk
management plan holding up different responsibilities looking to risk management teams and
associated risk plans.
Human resource management is the area of knowledge concerned about broad span of areas
such as leadership, team building and conflict resolution. This is helpful in creating up major
scope in professional and personal aspect. The process regarding the organization is require up to
meet up both permanents and short-term requirements (Ben-David, Birru and Rossi, 2019). The
projects are needed to look into sufficient human resources with correct skills setting up the
projects in successful manner. Human resource management is looking with proper description
and end process meeting up the requirements. This stage has proper reequipment with proper
skills, competencies and experience filling up with critical roles.
It is important for determination in accomplish their large projects. Human resource area is
concerned with broad span of areas such as leadership, team building, and conflict resolution.
Staff planning is highly dependent on the fully elaborated work breakdown structure and project
schedule analysing tasks & deliverables in WBS along with the Project Scope statement,
organizational policies, historical information from previous similar projects, available resources,
and activity duration estimates to develop resource requirements (Kapur, 2019). External
resources are acquired with integrated team forming up to have similar service providers as the
individual resource in individual resources.
EVALUATION
Personal skills
Communication skills.
Communication skills have made up of different abilities used for giving up and receiving differ
kinds of information such as communication with ideas, feeling or any upgradation of projects
(Maitra and Maitra, 2018). The communication skill has the major requirements over involving
up with proper speaking, listening, observing and empathising the different term of management.
4

Communication skill is set of activities making up with quality performances set of activities
which are important in the business world and private life. Successful communication helping
individuals to have better understanding of business world and situation (Hafsteinsdóttir, van der
Zwaag and Schuurmans, 2017). Demonstrating with strong communication skills conveying
information in simple and ambiguous manner. This will have inclusion of active listening,
nonverbal communication along with being clear and succinct.
Leadership
Leadership is important aspect required in work with communication of different policies
and plans which is tending to clear subordinated. The leader is responsible for playing up
incentive roles in the working concern with visionary outlook in right decision at right time.
Leader have to be independent and autonomous creating up major concern with emotional
intelligences and ability to command. Leader have major obligation in building trust along with
providing supporting supervision in intellectual ability for greater extends (Smith and Teicher,
2017). On the other hand, in retail industry, marketing profile have more level of disciplined and
ordered with having commitments to organization.
Conflict management skill
Conflict managements is also known as conflict resolution. The situation is involving with
workplace for looking in management team needed to successfully handle and resolving the
workplaces issues. Professional in the workplace should be avoid in conflict solving in effective
manner (LENT, 2020). Employee with conflict resolution skills able in effectively handling
workplace issues. conflicts have allowed buy faster and grow ultimately diminishing
productivity and damage staff morale. Poor communication and interpersonal tension can easily
cause simple disagreements to flare up the into the resentments or worse. Individual who have
handling up conflict have maximum chance for growth and learning within organization.
Time management
Time management skills refers up with process development and tools increasing
efficiency and productivity. These are combination with soft skills and organization skill are
higher in higher demand. Employers need to get into managing up for time and reaching up
organization objectives (Wehmeyer and et.al., 2019). Individual who is successful in managing
time well will be considered as productive and more efficient to meet up deadlines. There is
5

time sensitive task which should not be wasted on non-essential duties. Saving time will work on
organization money and increase up in the revenue in better manner.
Information technology
The information technology has requirement on similar basic skill set with understanding
of mathematical concepts. There are high degrees of data manipulation and logical multiple
requirements (Mohamed, 2020). Communication skills have ability to understand a wide range
of perspectives in the critical manner. This have led to better demand of market performance
tuning, different programming languages and computer platform in different manner.
PERSONAL SKILL AUDIT:
1. Bad
2. Not Bad
3. Average
4. Good
5. Very Good
Skills (Ppersonal AUdit
Qquestionnaire)
1 2 3 4 5
Communication skills *
Leadership *
Conflict Management Skills *
Time management *
Adaptability *
Information Technology *
Finance *
Primary research
This is basically the collection of raw data, in this fresh hand information is being
collected. It is a really reliable and authentic source for gathering information. This method can
assist researcher in getting to the end results. There are various methods for collecting raw data
like questionnaire, interview, observations. I was been involved in collecting the primary
6

information with an interview with marketing manager in Marks and Spencer’s. The interview
script is presented in appendices (Zecher and et.al., 2019).
Evaluation
I am a recent graduate in the field of marketing and from the primary and secondary
research I have analysed that marketing role in retail industry is best option available for me. The
job role for marketing manager really interests me as I have the better skills and qualities which
is needed for this job role and also, I am really passionate towards working in this sector. I have
preferred this job industry in comparison to others as retail sector is fastest growing. This is my
first job and I know marketing managers has a bright future ahead (Spork, Hirschi and Dries,
2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above file, it can be concluded as retail is the fastest growing sector and also
various changes and development has taken place in this industry. For the beginners the
marketing career in retail industry is most suitable. Retail industry is one of the most dynamic
and fastest changing industry. Internationalization affect the working of retail industry. There are
different tools and techniques based on the information management system looking at the
judgement criteria meeting up experts looking at the changing request, planning up dates, the
organizational aspect for different assets intervening the process. On the other hand, in retail
industry, marketing profile have more level of disciplined and ordered with having commitments
to organization.
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Zecher, H. and et.al., 2019. Academic career development: A review and research
agenda. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, pp.357-373.
Bocciardi, F. and et.al., 2017. Career adaptability as a strategic competence for career
development. European Journal of Training and Development.
Wehmeyer, M.L. and et.al., 2019. A crisis in career development: Life designing and
implications for transition. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional
Individuals, 42(3), pp.179-187.
LENT, R.W., 2020. Career development and counseling: A social cognitive framework. Career
Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work, p.129.
Hafsteinsdóttir, T.B., van der Zwaag, A.M. and Schuurmans, M.J., 2017. Leadership mentoring
in nursing research, career development and scholarly productivity: A systematic
review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 75, pp.21-34.
Kapur, L., 2019. Study of Skill Development Opportunities for Frontline Staff in Indian Retail
Industry. Amity Global Business Review, 9.
Ben-David, I., Birru, J. and Rossi, A., 2019. Industry familiarity and trading: Evidence from the
personal portfolios of industry insiders. Journal of Financial Economics, 132(1).pp.49-75.
Maitra, S. and Maitra, S., 2018. Producing the aesthetic self: An analysis of aesthetic skill and
labour in the organized retail industries in India. Journal of South Asian Development,
13(3). pp.337-357.
Smith, E. and Teicher, J., 2017. Re-thinking skill through a new lens: evidence from three
Australian service industries. Journal of Education and Work, 30(5). pp.515-530.
Mohamed, S., 2020. Hearing the Voices of Frontline Employees in the Retail Industry on
Engagement in the Workplace (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of
Technology).
Akkermans, J. and Tims, M., 2017. Crafting your career: How career competencies relate to
career success via job crafting. Applied Psychology, 66(1), pp.168-195.
Guan, Y. and et.al., 2019. Career boundarylessness and career success: A review, integration and
guide to future research. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, pp.390-402.
Spurk, D., Hirschi, A. and Dries, N., 2019. Antecedents and outcomes of objective versus
subjective career success: Competing perspectives and future directions. Journal of
Management, 45(1), pp.35-69.
8

APPENDIX 1
Interview script
 How did you contact them: I was exploring online sites and there an advertisement
popped up my feed where you can meet the marketing manager of M&S, so I contacted
them and they agree for communicating with me?
Questions asked
 What skills and qualities are required to be manager?
 How employees adjust to dynamic environment?
 How is the environment of company?
APPENDIX 2
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Shane Jacob
Phone number: 123456
Aim: To become marketing manager in Marks and Spencer
Skills: Problem solving, decision making, communication, information technology
Knowledge: Finance, technology
Education: BBA and MBA
Declaration: I hereby declare that all information is authentic and reliable.
APPENDIX 3
Job description
Name of company: Marks and Spencer’s
Post: Marketing intern
Roles and responsibilities
 To gather marketing information
 To promote products and services
Required qualification: BBA and MBA
9

10