Essential Academic and Professional Skills for Workplace Success

This report examines the critical academic and professional skills essential for success in the modern workplace. It highlights the importance of communication, teamwork, self-management, learning skills, problem-solving, IT skills, planning, organizing, initiative, and time management. T...Read More

Identify academic and
professional development
needs that are essential in the
modern workplace

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Essential academic and professional development skills needed in the modern work place......3
Action plan related to development of academic and professional skills....................................6
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Academic skills include all those skills related to working with others, managing time,
solving problems, communication (both verbal and oral). These skills are required by workers
working at lower, middle and upper level in an organization. Professional skills are those skills
which includes planning, organizing, taking initiatives, leadership, team working and many
more. These skills are important for being successful in an organization. It helps employees in
their career growth. Report will lay emphasis on the essential academic and professional
development skills that are needed in workplace. It will also lay focus on action plan which is
required in order to develop them
MAIN BODY
Essential academic and professional development skills needed in the modern work place
For an employee to be successful in organization there are various professional and
academic skills which needs to be possess by them. Skills discussed below are most essential for
adjusting in changing environment. This includes the following:
Communication: It is the most essential skills that needs to be developed by individuals
who are working at managerial position. Effective communication is necessary to perform
various tasks that includes planning, organizing, directing and controlling (Thompson, Jaap and
Lennard, 2017). It is also required in order to analyse the needs and demands of other individuals
working in organization. It can assist managers in performing their job and responsibilities
adequately. Developing communication skills is really necessary in order to achieve
organizational goals and objectives. It can also help individuals in making better relationship
with employees working with them. Effective communication can also assist workers in
enhancing their productivity and operational efficiency. It can promote their growth aspects.
Team work: Individual working at managerial position must possess Team work skills, as it
is very important in an organization. It can help employees in creating better bond with each
other and also they can achieve their goals and objectives on timely basis. If managers are
involved in doing work in collaboration, then by this can also explore various learning
opportunities. Like for example performing task in a team can help them in learning from more
experienced employees. This is a very important professional skill as working in a team can
bring out solutions to various problems that is being faced by workers in company. Team work

can also increase the belongingness towards organization that makes work better. It can also
enhance productivity of company.
Self-management: Self-management is the most important in workplace as it helps in
contributing to a better work environment. In this employees are expected to complete their work
on time and also they must be a good decision maker. This aspect can support them in enhancing
their efficiency and also taking better decision can help them in bringing out solutions to
problems that are pertaining them (Greenberg, 2017). It is also very important for workers to
resists stress and work with a free mind, as working without taking stress can support them in
accomplishing their and even gaols and objectives of organization. It has also been analysed that
employees must be confident enough while they are making any decision. They must take an
active role in monitoring and re-enforcing their own behaviour.
Learning skills: This skill can include critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating
and collaborating. In order to grow, it is very essential for employee to be creative. They must be
participating in all activities which are going in company, so that workers can learn from
experience of others. Also it is very important for employees to come up with new ideas and
solutions to problems that is making an organization ineffective. Coming up with new and
innovative ideas can bring them success and growth. Learning skills also includes that workers
must be self-regulated. It should come from within them that they have to perform better so that
organizational productivity can be increased. Also employees must believe in collaborative
working so that task can be finished on time and also they can share a better relationship with
each other.
Problem solving skills: This skill is linked to number of other techniques that can be used
at workplace. like for example analytical skills, initiative, adaptability and flexibility. It has been
analysed that to be successful in their career employees must be flexible enough so that they can
easily adjust in changing environment. They must be the one who take keen initiative in solving
any issues which is pertaining in firm (Cottrell, 2017). All the problems must be deal by workers
patiently. As if they are conscious enough than it can lead to a situation where workers may
leave the firm. This can hamper growth of any organization. Also it is very essential for
individual working at managerial position to come up with most creative solutions to problems.
Issues can be solved by listening carefully and understanding the situation of needful.

IT Skills: Information technology skills are abilities, knowledge and talents related to the
use, administration, development, design, architecture and management of technology. It is very
necessary for HR manager to possess some adequate information technology skills. They must
have the knowledge related to software used in managing human resource. Employee must be
prominent in handling social media, so that they can make general public aware about the events
and programs that are being held up by organization. This can help them in enhancing goodwill
of firm (Göpferich and Neumann, 2016). Also by social media they can reach out large range of
consumers. Workers also needs to possess basic knowledge about how to handle excel, so
information related to customers and employees can be maintained by them firmly.
Planning and organizing: These skills supports in managing time and reaching to ultimate
goals and objectives. It is very essential for workers to plan out their work and also prioritise
them according to the importance of work. It has also been analysed that to be organized in
workplace, it is necessary for employees to manage time and resources. They must be involved
in effective utilization of resources in order to grow. All work which is assigned to worker must
be organized, they must prepare data sheet, spread sheet, excel sheet so that task can be separated
and they so not get confused which can reduce their efficiency related to work (McIntyre, 2016).
Initiative and enterprise: It has been analysed that workers must get involved in taking
initiative to solve problems, responsibilities related to work, bringing out creative solutions to
issues. When workers take initiative their belongingness towards organization is being increased.
It can also help them in their career growth and they can explore more learning opportunities by
taking initiative. Also managers must be involved in delegating work to employees so that there
trust on firm increases and employee loyalty is being created (Rieken, Schar and Sheppard,
2016).
Time management skills: In order to manage time workers must be involved in organizing
work, they must make sure that which task they need to completed first. There goals must be
clear and all strategies related to completion of objectives must be made by them. To properly
manage time workers are also advised to manage their stress, as taking stress can lead to delay in
finishing project. They must prioritise work according to its importance so that no confusion
exists.

Action plan related to development of academic and professional skills
I am working as an HR manager in Tesco, and I have analysed that I am really weak in
some of the academic and professional skills. In order to develop skills, I am making an action
plan that will support me in achieving my objectives.
Objectives Task Success Criteria Time Frame
Communication skills  In order to
improve my
communicatio
n skills, I must
be engaged in
participating
in various
seminars and
events that is
being
organized by
Tesco.
 I should also
be involved in
trying to speak
in front of
every one, so
that my
confidence
also increases.
 As a Hr
manager to
improve my
communicatio
n skill I should
also prepare
The success criteria
for this will be when I
am able to speak in
public without any
hesitation. Also
success can be
measured when I am
able to make other
people understand
what I actually meant
and they do not face
any problem in
understanding it. Also
I will be successful
when my self-
confidence is bene
increased while
speaking in public.
3 Months

the
presentation
that I can
show up in
public, so this
will enhance
my
communicatio
n skills.
Time and Self-
management
 There are
various ways
in which my
time and self-
management
skills can be
improved.
Like for
example when
I need to make
an excel sheet
so that my
time could be
managed
comfortably.
Also I must
have engaged
in keeping my
future target in
mind so that it
can be finished
on time.
The success criteria
for this will be when I
am bel to finish the
task assign to me on
time. I would be
successful when I am
comfortable in
managing all my work
and my objectives are
being achieved.
4 Months

 For being a
great self-
manager, I
must also be
involved in
taking
participation
in various
events held by
firm and also I
must have
engaged in
taking
initiative so
that my
efficiency is
been
improved.
Problem solving  In order to
improve this, I
must get
engaged in
contributing to
group projects.
I must also
work with an
experienced
worker, so that
I can learn
from them the
technique of
The success criteria,
in this will be when I
am better able to solve
the issues of workers
working in Tesco. I
will be successful
when I am able to
analyse the problems
which is being faced
by workers, this will
also help me in
making better bond
with workers
2 Months

solving the
issues, this
will also
ensure my
growth as a
HR manager.
 To be a better
problem
solver, I must
also get
involved in
attending
various
workshops, so
that my
knowledge
related to
problem
solving is been
increased.
IT Skills  To improve
my IT related
skills, I must
be involved in
taking
coaching and
learning from
my seniors. I
can also
involve in
taking online
I will be successful
when I am able to
handle all software’s
appropriately and
adequately (Moles
and Wishart, 2016).
Also I will be
successful when I am
utilising resources
firmly. I will be
successful when I am
3 Months

tutorials that is
available on
internet.
 Support from
seniors when I
am learning
the IT skills is
also needed. I
must also
involve in
taking the
classes from
internet for my
growth.
able to handle and
manage the human
resource in
department firmly and
also when I am able to
properly maintain pay
roll.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been analyzed that in order to be successful and ensure growth
in organization, it is necessary for employees to possess various academic and professional
skills. Time management skills has supported workers in managing their stress and also led them
to finish their work on time. It has supported in enhancing their efficiency and abilities. It has
also been analyzed from report that IT skills has supported employees like HR manager in
managing human resource. By having knowledge related to excel has also helped them in writing
down the task which needs to be completed.
Report has also emphasized that effective communication has assisted employees in making
better relationship with each other. It has also supported in analyzing needs and demands of
workers. Communication has also assisted in solving problems that is being pertaining in
organization. Report has also provided action plan in order to improve the various academic and
professional skill. This action plan is most important for employee to achieve their goals and
objectives. It has also been analyzed to improve communication skills workers need to speak in

public and also get engaged in various activities like participating in debates, interacting with
seniors.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Rieken, B., Schar, M. and Sheppard, S., 2016, October. Trait mindfulness in an engineering
classroom: An exploration of the relationship between mindfulness, academic skills, and
professional skills. In 2016 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1-8).
IEEE.
Moles, J. and Wishart, L., 2016. Reading the map: Locating and navigating the academic skills
development of pre-service teachers. Journal of university teaching & learning
practice.13(3). pp.1-15.
Göpferich, S. and Neumann, I. eds., 2016. Developing and Assessing Academic and Professional
Writing Skills. Peter Lang.
Thompson, K., Jaap, A. and Lennard, F., 2017. Skills for Learning and Work-Promoting
Graduate Attributes Through Diverse Approaches to Assessment.
Drew, S., 2018. The student skills: guide. Routledge.
Long, E.C. and Bailey, D.C., 2017. The Professional Sequence and High-Impact Teaching:
Skills, Methods, and Internships. In Field-Based Learning in Family Life Education (pp.
29-37). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
McIntyre, G., 2016. Academic vs professional qualifications: feature-skills. HR Future, 1(Jan
2016), pp.24-25.
Greenberg, A.E., 2017. Fostering a public health of consequence: Practical skills and lessons
learned. American journal of public health.107(7). p.1058.
Cottrell, S., 2017. Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument and reflection. Macmillan
International Higher Education.

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