Impact of Mini Project Workshops on Self-Development and Employability

This report delves into the multifaceted aspects of self-development and its crucial role in enhancing employability. It examines the contributions of mini-project workshops in fostering essential skills such as time management, presentation abilities, and communication proficiency. The report addresses key concepts including plagiarism, paraphrasing, group formation, and academic integrity, providing a comprehensive understanding of these elements within an academic context. Furthermore, it explores the significance of academic writing skills, reflection, and the development of employability skills, including CV writing and cover letter preparation. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of self-improvement for individual growth and career advancement. The report also highlights the practical application of theoretical concepts and the development of teamwork skills through mini projects.

Self-Development and
Responsibility

Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..............................................................................................................................................3
How and why have the mini project workshops contributed towards the development of your
employability?........................................................................................................................................3
Plagiarism..............................................................................................................................................4
Time and task management Skills......................................................................................................4
Paraphrasing.........................................................................................................................................4
Group Formation...................................................................................................................................4
Presentation Skills................................................................................................................................5
Communication Skills...........................................................................................................................5
Academic Integrity................................................................................................................................5
Academic Writing Skills........................................................................................................................6
Reflection...............................................................................................................................................6
Employability Skills...............................................................................................................................6
CV Writing..............................................................................................................................................7
Cover letter............................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................7
Summary...................................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Self-Development is all about improving oneself and includes a person achieving
high self-awareness, developing potential as well as other talents (Chatelier and
Rudolph, 2018). It comprises of all the steps that an individual takes in order to improve
himself/herself. This can usually be done by developing new skills and overcoming bad
habits, if any.
MAIN BODY
How and why have the mini project workshops contributed towards the development of
your employability?
Mini projects can be defined as assignments that a student tries to complete at
the end of each semester. Such projects help in strengthening the understanding of the
fundamentals by an effective application of the various theoretical concepts. A mini-
projects is important because it helps an individual in developing and enhancing skills.
In simpler words, a mini project acts as a beginner’s guide so that a student can do
larger projects in their careers later on (Peters, 2017). Mini project workshops have
definitely contributed towards the development of my employability as I acquired many
new skills that are essential for getting a high-quality job like presentation skills, time
management, leadership skills etc.
All the skills that I learnt helped me in increasing my overall confidence as well as
complete an assigned task in a much more efficient way. Mini project workshops act like
a value addition on the CV and improve an individual’s chances of obtaining a promising
job that pays well. Also, students get a chance to showcase their talent and grasp new
creative skills. As far as higher education is concerned, mini projects workshops can
influence the degree of the student and make it more appealing. For me, mini project
workshops not only acted as a confidence booster but also introduced me to the wider
aspects of my subject gradually (Why Should Engineering Students To Give More
Importance To Mini Projects, 2020). I also got a chance to work as part of a team and
develop teamwork skills.

Plagiarism
It can be defined as the process of using another person’s ideas without even
acknowledging him/her as a source. Plagiarism can be considered as a form of threat
and has many consequences associated with it. It can get a student expelled from a
particular course or university and further lead to his/her work being destroyed. Some
colleges or universities might expel the individual permanently and take a legal action
regarding the same. The person’s overall professional reputation may also get
destroyed and he/she might be asked to leave the organization (6 Consequences of
Plagiarism, 2019).
Time and task management Skills
Time management can be defined as the way in which a person organizes and
plans the amount of time to be spent on different activities. There are many benefits of
time management like increase in overall productivity and efficiency, an improved
professional reputation, access to greater opportunities etc. On the other hand, task
management can be defined as managing a particular task through various stages like
planning, development and completion. The concept is not only applicable for
individuals but groups as well. It helps differentiating various tasks based on their
priority.
Paraphrasing
A paraphrase can be defined as a restatement of the meaning of a particular text
or paragraph by using other words. It is important because it explains that an individual
has understood the source so much enough to write it again using different words.
Besides having many advantages, paraphrasing also has many disadvantages
associated with it like the person may unknowingly change the original meaning of the
text (Hagaman, Casey and Reid, 2016). Therefore, it is important for a person to have a
complete understanding of the text that is to be paraphrased otherwise desired result
cannot be obtained.
Group Formation
A group can be defined as a collection of two or more people who share similar
interests and objectives who interact with each other. The primary characteristics of a

group is that all its members are aware of its function and also, there may be
disagreements between the members sometimes. There are two types of groups
namely, formal and informal groups. Formal groups come together to perform several
tasks where as informal groups are the ones that evolve with a work setting. The
various stages involved in the formation of a group are forming, storming, norming,
performing and adjourning.
Presentation Skills
These are the skills that an individual need so as to deliver presentations that are
not only effective as well as engaging to different audiences. The skills cover different
areas such as the structure of presentation, design of slides, body language etc.
Effective presentation skills are important because they help keeping a presentation
engaging and interesting (Van Emden and Becker, 2016). They also help the presenter
in communicating with confidence to the audience as well as motivate them to listen. In
order to deliver an effective presentation, the presenter/speaker should know about the
audience in detail, understand the presentation that has to be delivered precisely and is
well prepared at the time of presentation.
Communication Skills
The process of sharing information, ideas and messages with each other is
defined as communication. The tool of communication is language and English is the
most commonly used language across the world. Verbal, written, oral, visual and
electronic communication are some forms of communication. Effective communication
promotes a healthy and happy environment within as well as outside the workplace. It
helps in motivating and increasing confidence among individuals and meets information
needs at the same time (Kurtz, Draper and Silverman, 2017). Communication skills can be
improved through constant practise, taking part in group discussions, attending various
guest lectures etc.
Academic Integrity
It can be defined as a commitment towards and demonstration of moral and
honest behaviour by a student within an academic setting. Living in integrity for a
student can mean he/she is the same person whatever the situation maybe, is honest

and actively focuses on the overall development of his/her character. It is important for a
student that his work is ethical and truthful. Having a high level of academic integrity
reflects that an individual can be trusted as well as believed by others. Violation of
academic integrity can lead to serious consequences. Some examples of violation are
academic fraud, plagiarism, cheating etc.
Academic Writing Skills
A writer is said to have effective writing skills if he/she is able to write down
thoughts in such a way that their thoughts/ideas/opinions become clear to the reader
(Cottrell, 2019). It involves the usage of grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and
punctuations in a proper manner. A writer should always avoid using two verbs at the
same time and should structure the sentence well. Usage of complex language should
also be avoided at all times and other people’s work should be respected. Lastly, the
writer should focus on using both language as well as information available with him/her
accurately to avoid confusion.
Reflection
It is a kind of writing wherein the author is required to inform the readers about
his/her learning, idea or impression about a particular topic. Reflection is important
because it helps an individual in achieving growth. The two basic models of reflective
learning are Kolb’s Learning Cycle and Gibb’s Reflective Cycle. Reflective writing helps
students in becoming active learners from passive learners. Reflective writing is
important because it helps an individual in learning from a specific practical experience
(Benefits of Reflection, 2020). It transforms an experience into a long-term learning.
Employability Skills
Employability skills can be defined as skills that are required by an individual to
make him/her employable. These skills enable an individual to apply his /her technical
skills to different jobs. They not only help the person in performing better but also
equally help the organization in attaining an increased number of goals (Suleman,
2018). Some examples of important employability skills are teamwork, communication,
problem solving, technology, planning and organization, self-management etc.
Employability skills also help in making effective decisions thereby making the person a

good analyzer. Therefore, if a person possesses effective employability skills, he/she
has a greater chance of getting a high-quality job.
CV Writing
A curriculum Vitae or CV can be defined as a written document that outlines aa
person’s life achievements, experiences, qualifications, skills knowledge etc. In simpler
words, a CV demonstrates why a particular person is more suitable for the job to the
employers (Hicks and Roberts, 2016). A good CV not only stands out from the crowd
but also draws the attention of the employer to relevant skills, achievements and
experience. Some important things that an individual should include in his/her
curriculum vitae are personal information, skills, achievements, work experience,
education, qualifications etc. One should never lie in a CV because it will be found out
at some point of time.
Cover letter
A cover letter is a written document that accompanies a curriculum vitae or CV,
the main purpose of which is introducing the person to organization and express his/her
interest within the organization for a particular vacant job position (Patten, 2016). A
cover letter must comprise of a greeting section, an opening paragraph, body
paragraphs as well as a closing paragraph. Once a person finishes writing the cover
letter, he/she should go back and proof read the same thoroughly in order to identify
any errors or mistakes. Since potential employers spend a small amount of time to read
a letter, it should be made sure that all important details are included in the same that
catch their eye.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that self or personal development is
important for individuals because it helps in improving an individual’s potential, talents
as well as overall employability. It also contributes towards improving and acquiring
various skills so that the person becomes more efficient.

Summary
To summarize, self-development contributes to an individual’s overall
improvement and improves various soft skills. It is a constant and regular part of a
person’s life by which he/she can learn new things and adapt to changes in a better
way. Plagiarism means when a person makes use of the information or idea of another
person. If a student is ever caught copying another person’s thoughts or words and
presenting them as his own, it can lead to negative consequences on his/her overall
academic as well as professional reputation in the future. The university might take strict
legal actions and there can also be cases where the student can get expelled from the
course/university. On the other hand, mini project workshops can help a student in not
only learning new skills and theoretical concepts but also applying them in practical
situations (Peters, 2017). Paraphrasing is another technique that can be defined as a
restatement or expressing the meaning of a particular text or passage by using different
words.
It describes that a person has understood the meaning of the text or paragraph
and can write the same using his/her own words. But if the person has not clearly
understood the meaning of a paragraph and has still paraphrased it, there are chances
that the original meaning of the same has changed. Paraphrasing gives the writer a
chance to express important thoughts in his/her own words. Also, a writer may make
use of less words to express the original text/paragraph. Talking about group formation,
a group can be defined as a collection of two or more persons who interact with each
other by sharing similar ideas and thoughts. Also, a group can either be formal or
informal depending on the nature of its setting. If a speaker wants to deliver an effective
presentation, he/she should have excellent presentation skills (Van Emden and Becker,
2016). So that when the presentation is being delivered, the audience is interested and
engaged in hearing to the message that is being delivered.
Communication, employability skills and academic integrity are other important
components that contribute towards the overall self-development of an individual. A
cover letter is a written document that accompanies a curriculum vitae and acts as an
introduction of an individual, his/her interests to the organization. Therefore, while

writing the letter, a person should ensure that all important qualifications and
achievements are highlighted in it. This will catch the eye of the potential employer and
he/she might select the candidate for the interview process. Also, a CV or curriculum
vitae is presented during the process of interview and it consists of a person’s
qualifications, achievements, personal information, education, hobbies, interests etc.
The CV of an individual should always be up to date with all the recent information and
details in it.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Chatelier, S. and Rudolph, S., 2018. Teacher responsibility: shifting care from student to
(professional) self?. British Journal of Sociology of Education. 39(1). pp.1-15.
Cottrell, S., 2019. The study skills handbook. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Hagaman, J. L., Casey, K. J. and Reid, R., 2016. Paraphrasing strategy instruction for
struggling readers. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children
and Youth. 60(1). pp.43-52.
Hicks, R. W. and Roberts, M. E. E., 2016. Curriculum vitae: An important tool for the
nurse practitioner. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
28(7). pp.347-352.
Kurtz, S., Draper, J. and Silverman, J., 2017. Teaching and learning communication
skills in medicine. CRC press.
Patten, M. L., 2016. Questionnaire research: A practical guide. Routledge.
Peters, M. A., 2017. From state responsibility for education and welfare to self-
responsibilisation in the market. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of
Education. 38(1). pp.138-145.
Suleman, F., 2018. The employability skills of higher education graduates: insights into
conceptual frameworks and methodological options. Higher Education. 76(2).
pp.263-278.
Van Emden, J. and Becker, L., 2016. Presentation skills for students. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Online
6 Consequences of Plagiarism. 2019. [Online]. Available through:<
http://www.ithenticate.com/resources/6-consequences-of-plagiarism>.
Benefits of Reflection. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/service_learning/refben.cfm >.
Why Should Engineering Students To Give More Importance To Mini Projects. 2020.
[Online]. Available through:< https://www.elprocus.com/engineering-students-
give-importance-to-mini-projects/ >.