University Graduate Challenge Report: Skills and Development

This report examines a student's engagement with various graduate challenges, including debates, presentations, and practical projects like the T-shirt and hotel management simulations. The report details the skills developed through these challenges, specifically highlighting improvements in communication, teamwork, time management, and business acumen. The analysis covers branding, finance, and operations within each challenge, providing a comprehensive overview of the student's learning experience. Furthermore, the report outlines a SMART action plan with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives to further enhance these skills. The report concludes by summarizing the key takeaways from each challenge and emphasizing the importance of these skills for future career growth in business functions.

Graduate Challenge

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
The Challenges.................................................................................................................................1
The Skills.........................................................................................................................................3
Action Plan.......................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
References:.......................................................................................................................................6
Books and Journals.................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Development of skills and knowledge is a continuous improvement process which helps the
individual in growing its potential capabilities for personal and professional growth. The present
is the self reflection of an individual to develop the skills and knowledge by analysing the four
challenges (Vogelsang and et. al., 2020). The report discuss about the various challenges in
context of business functional areas. The report will highlight the refection of skills learned and
developed during the participation in the challenges at university. At last the report will outline
the SMART action plan.
MAIN BODY
The Challenges
Debate Challenge
The debate challenge was all about is the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) increasing
becoming more of marketing tool in business. I speak in the middle of the topic.
 Branding: The debate challenge helped me in analysing that CSR is a strong marketing
tool in the branding of the business. With the help my communication skills I was able to present
that branding is considered as the most vital and essential part of a business functional areas and
for promoting the corporate social responsibility it is the most effective and convincing
promotional and branding tool that helps in increasing the brand image of a business (Seppälä,
Lindblom-Ylänne and Kallio, 2020).
 Finance: During the debate challenge able to present my business skills by representing
the Excel spreadsheet on the various graphical data representation I also presented the financial
reports within my presentation slide of my research on CSR which depicted by important part of
financial department of a business. I justified my knowledge and understanding about CSR using
effective communication skills through slangs and quotes. Hence, CSR is not only marketing
tool but also an imperative requirement in the business functions.
 Operations: In the debate challenge I stated the importance of CSR in operations
department where by using my presentation and communication skills I represented the various
evidences that are supporting the CSR as a marketing tool as CSR helps in supplying of the
products to consumers in more effective manner. Effective communication skills I rest my debate
with effective sentence but justify that operations of the business run smoothly when there is a
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legally correct CSR report in order to maintain the social as well as corporate responsibilities
within the organisation.
Presentation Challenge
The presentation challenge was highly analytical and group challenge as it requires the deep
understanding to analytically compare the competitors with the performance of Tesco as per the
current retail market of UK.
 Branding: Through participating in this challenge I analysed that Tesco performance can
bring a significant impact on the branding of the organisation (Alharahsheh and Pius,
2021). With my team members I put emphasizes on the existing and pervious
performance charts of the Tesco to analyse the branding of the Tesco.
 Finance: I evaluated all the last two years financial figures and reports of Tesco and
along with that in by teamwork we compared all the previous year financial performance
measurement using the Excel spreadsheets, bar charts etc. I with my team members used
performance indicators to measure the financial performance of the competitors of Tesco
ALDI and Lidl and using my mathematical skills I also calculated their market share
which also represented my business skills.
 Operations: during the presentation challenge me and my team realized that performance
of Tesco is really outstanding compared to their competitors and also there is rapid
expansion and growth in the operations of the Tesco. Tesco has effective planning and
execution of strategies. (Suarta and Suwintana, 2021).
T-shirt Challenge
This challenge was tough task for me as complete this challenge requires the multiple skills as
well as immense knowledge of branding, STP, Budget and other factors related to new product
launch. The T- shirt challenge was group work and required a time based schedule to complete
task on time.
 Branding: the STP model was practically conducted by the marketing department of T-
shirt business as it is important for analysing the target audience and a market to
commercialize the T- shirt. For the branding, communication skills are very necessary to
get the response of the audience towards the T – shirt in the market.
 Finance: the finance department is responsible and accountable for the management of
cash and other factors that requires the cash flow. The finance department creates a
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budget for maintain the expense and also to decide the price in the end. To manage the
cash the team was required to have the knowledge of financial accounting and also the
business skills to create financial data in Excel and other finance related software’s.
(Halm, 2020).
 Operations: the operating team manage and control all the operation related to
manufacturing, packaging, logo designing and other activities to complete the T- shirt as
per the demand of market. To manage and control an effective communication was there
between the all the teams the meeting were conducted every end of month where all the
teams discuss performance and progress according to timeframe and the problems and
their solutions.
Hotel Challenge
The hotel management challenge was a interesting and explanatory task that required the
complete information about the hotel management process.
 Branding: to demonstrate the branding and its efficiency in the hotel management process I
adequately using the theories and models described the process of maintain a good brand of
hotel and stated with my communication skills that maintain a good brand image is highly
essential for the survival of the hotel in the hospitality industry (Duh, Belak and Štrukelj,
2020).
 Finance: The finance department of the hotel is the crucial for maintain the correct balance
of expense and earning within the hotel. With my business and written communication skills
I represented the interrelationship of the finance department of the hotel with the other
departments.
 Operations: I realized that in operations department the team working skills are highly
essential as the different activities are divide in the team member and when integrated
together the complete one operational activity of the hotel. Hence, with my effective
communication and time management skills the operation department with their team
working skills manage all the activities of the hotel.
The Skills
Communication Skills
Participating in the above challenges are there lies that the different skill sets my
communication skills are excellent with the help of Hotel management and debate challenge I
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was able to represent and outshine my written and verbal communication skills. Analyse that the
t-shirt challenge but also effective in order to realise my effective communication skills while
communicating with other team members without any conflict (Alharahsheh and Pius, 2021).
Teamwork
Teamwork skills are essential to work as a team and while working with team during
presentation and T- shirt challenge I realise that I have a moderate team working skills. It is very
essential for me to develop ant work on my team working skills in order to gain the future
opportunities to work in a group in a big projects in an organisation therefore team working skills
are very essential and are considered as the strength to learn new things (Aryanti and Adhariani,
2020).
Time Management and meeting skills
To complete the work on time before the deadlines it is very important to have a time
management skills during my debate challenge my time management skills made me complete
the debate on time as I was able to sum up my thoughts and evidences within the time frame
which help me in raining extra points as well as also help me in planning my debate. During t-
shirt challenge also I was able to realise that but you management skills are highly efficient
therefore I was able to finished the whole process of T-shirt in time scale which not only
enhanced my productivity but also provided me with quality of work (Duh, Belak and Štrukelj,
2020).
Business skills
The t-shirt challenge and presentation challenge I was able to reflect the financial data of the
financial department in an efficient manner which showcase that I have moderate business skills
therefore it is important for me to improve my business girls in order to meet the future needs
related to cash flow and other financial aided factors. Hands in order to develop and enhance my
career it is very important for me to have a deep knowledge about business skills. (Ahmad and
et. al., 2020).
Action Plan
The action plan with SMART objective to enhance my above discussed skills (Aşıkcan and
Saban, 2021).
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 Specific: the main objective is to develop suitable presentation, team work and Time
management skills to get higher marks in university.
 Measurable: To achieve high grade and marks I need to increase schedule my timetable for
studying, practice more with my classmates to increase my communication as well as team
working skills and then ask my teammates about my skills.
 Achievable: To attain the set of skills I require expending more time with my academics and
need to manage time effectively to give specific hours of day to each skill to be improved.
 Relevant: I will be able to achieve all my skills with adequate hard work and proper
guidance.
 Time bound: Within 3 years I need to attain all the skills that will be useful for my future
career growth.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the above report that the four of the above challenges majorly happens in
the business in the angle of business functions. The debate challenge on CSR was helpful to
understand the importance of CSR in the business and within its various functional areas. The
debate challenge was really helpful to me in increasing and developing the communication and
emotional intelligence skills in effective manner. The presentation challenge of analysing the
performance of an organisation with its competitors was highly beneficial in developing the
knowledge related to the financial stability of different organisation and also to understand how
to develop per enhance the financial as well as operational department to gain competitive
advantage. T-shirt challenge help me in improving my designing skills as well as my team
working basically it help me in increasing and developing the other skills that will be beneficial
to me in other key areas of business. Hence, the hotel management challenges helped me in
wholesome manner to achieve all the skills and also focus on all the departments of the business.
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References:
Books and Journals
Ahmad Uzir, N.A and et. al., 2020. Analytics of time management strategies in a flipped
classroom. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 36(1). pp.70-88.
Alharahsheh, H.H. and Pius, A., 2021. Exploration of Employability Skills in Business
Management Studies Within Higher Education Levels: Systematic Literature
Review. Research Anthology on Business and Technical Education in the Information
Era, pp.1147-1164.
Aryanti, C. and Adhariani, D., 2020. Students' perceptions and expectation gap on the skills and
knowledge of accounting graduates. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics, and
Business. 7(9). pp.649-657.
Aşıkcan, M. and Saban, A., 2021. An Action Research on Improving Fluent Reading Skills of
Third-Grade Primary School Students. Egitim ve Bilim. 46(205).
Duh, M., Belak, J. and Štrukelj, T., 2020. Innovative Approach to Developing Competencies for
Business Practice. In Handbook of Research on Enhancing Innovation in Higher
Education Institutions (pp. 428-463). IGI Global.
Halm, J.N., 2020. Presentation Skills. In Customer Service Management in Africa (pp. 273-286).
Productivity Press.
Seppälä, H., Lindblom-Ylänne, S. and Kallio, E.K., 2020. Integrating epistemic knowledge and
logical reasoning skills in adult cognitive development 1. In Development of Adult
Thinking (pp. 33-46). Routledge.
Suarta, I.M. and Suwintana, I.K., 2021, March. The new framework of employability skills for
digital business. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1833, No. 1, p. 012034).
IOP Publishing.
Vogelsang, C and et. al., 2020. Development of Prospective Physics Teachers’ Professional
Knowledge and Skills during a One-Semester School Internship. In Student Learning in
German Higher Education (pp. 105-123). Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
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