MG408 The Graduate Challenge Assignment Sample

Developing Transferable Skills for Academic and Business Success

Introduction

I will examine the four required difficulties that are crucial to developing transferable abilities for academic achievement in this report. Each task, including the Apprentice, Presentation, and T-shirt Challenges, will be examined using a business analysis framework that takes into account factors like branding, finances, and operations. To provide insights into the dynamics of actual company operations, academic concepts like PESTEL and SWOT analyses, profit and loss, and target markets will be used as examples. In addition, I'll consider how these problems helped me develop personal abilities including communication, teamwork, time management, and essential business skills. Finally, a strategy for skill development over the next three academic years will be presented.

The challenge

Apprentice Challenge

The Apprentice Challenge gave me an in-depth understanding of the complex operations of organisations and enabled me to dissect them from a variety of angles. I started my analysis with the UK target market in mind, drawing on academic ideas like PESTEL and SWOT assessments to get insight into various areas including branding, finances, and operations (Jaskari, 2019).

Branding and Positioning. One of the most important lessons from this difficulty was the critical significance of branding and positioning. I discovered how careful brand positioning can foster customer loyalty and affect purchase choices. The importance of a strong brand identity in fostering loyalty and developing uniqueness in a cutthroat market was made clear by concepts covered in marketing courses.

Finance and Profitability: When I looked more closely at the financial issues, I realised how important sustainable profit margins are. I was able to understand how revenue creation and expense management support a company's financial health by using profit and loss analysis. I was given the tools by financial modules to carefully examine balance sheets and income statements, providing a comprehensive assessment of a company's financial performance (Steedman, 2018).

Operations and Efficiency: It was a revelation to grasp the subtleties of operational efficiency. The problem revealed methods for reducing procedures and improving supply networks. Lean approaches' importance in boosting productivity and reducing waste, which eventually boosts a company's bottom line, was underlined in concepts from operations management courses.

Presentation Challenge

I improved my capacity to successfully convey complex business concepts thanks to the Presentation Challenge. I used the academic information I had learned in communication-focused programmes, with a focus on the UK target market, to explicate my insight in a convincing and clear way. Through this challenge, I improved my communication abilities and made sure that difficult business concepts were conveyed in an understandable way. The importance of emotional intelligence in adjusting communications to connect with various audiences was highlighted by insights from interpersonal communication modules. After incorporating ideas from corporate communication classes, I understood that effective communication goes beyond the delivery of material. Engagement of the audience is highly influenced by visual aids, tone, and delivery style. Using these abilities, I was able to successfully explain business perspectives while retaining the attention of the audience (Jabor, 2020).

T-shirt Challenge

The T-shirt Challenge added a creative element to the world of business. I developed the ability to combine artistic expression with strategic insights while still focusing on the UK market by combining what I learnt in marketing and design programmes. This obstacle highlighted how important it is to comprehend the interests and trends of the UK target market. I was able to create T-shirt designs that connected with particular client categories thanks to concepts like consumer behaviour and market segmentation that were covered in marketing classes. By fusing design concepts with business knowledge, I improved my understanding of how aesthetics affects brand identification. The ability of visual components to communicate a brand's essence was emphasised in graphic design modules, and this knowledge was crucial for creating effective T-shirt designs (Simatupang, 2010).

The skills

• Communication Skills/Emotional Intelligence: The challenges gave me a stage to refine my relational abilities, both composed and verbal, as well as to feature the capacity to appreciate individuals at their core. In the Show Challenge, making convincing stories while thinking about the crowd's viewpoint requested clear and succinct correspondence. Besides, fitting my messages to reverberate with different partners featured the significance of the ability to understand people on a profound level in powerful correspondence. This expertise permitted me to explore conversations and discussions delicately, cultivating shared understanding and collaboration (Sinha, 2017).
• Teamwork: Cooperative commitment during the difficulties highlighted the substance of collaboration. Sharing experiences, conceptualizing thoughts, and by and large refining techniques displayed my capacity to synergize assorted viewpoints. The Shirt Challenge, for example, required orchestrating innovative plan dreams with business targets, exhibiting versatility and an eagerness to think twice about the long-term benefit of the group (Tripathy, 2018).
• Time Management and Meeting Skills: Shuffling different assignments inside close cutoff times increased my time usage ability. The Apprentice Challenge's time-sensitive tasks and the T-shirt Challenge's design required effective association and prioritization. Moreover, captivating in gatherings, both virtual and face-to-face, improved my skill to contribute usefully and keep up with the centre in conversations (Chaudhari, 2022).
• Business Competencies: These difficulties provided as a testing ground for a variety of business competencies. My presenting abilities improved as a result of the presenting Challenge, which emphasised the value of a well-organized story and captivating delivery. Microsoft Excel proficiency, a tool that was heavily used during the challenges, was improved. I was able to gain insightful conclusions by doing data analysis and comprehending financial ramifications (Mathew, 2019).

In addition to fostering a broad grasp of the complex business environment, the obstacles have helped develop a number of abilities that are essential for success in any professional field. As I look back on my path, it is clear that key competencies I have effectively incorporated into my skill set include excellent communication, flexibility in collaborating, proficient time management, and sharp business acumen. These abilities will unquestionably be crucial for negotiating the challenges of college and subsequent job endeavours.

Action Plan

In order to progress personally and professionally throughout the following three years of university, it is crucial to acquire a variety of abilities. I want to actively improve my public speaking skills in the area of communication skills and emotional intelligence by signing up for a course during the first year's autumn semester. In order to improve my ability to express myself clearly and empathise with others, I also plan to actively participate in group discussions and debates during each semester. I'll include everyday reading on emotional intelligence into my regimen. In order to connect with peers from various backgrounds, I'm committed to joining two different student organisations throughout Years 1 and 2. Additionally, I will take on leadership positions in team projects every year to develop my delegating and dispute resolution abilities. I'll take part in workshops on successful cooperation and communication techniques concurrently. I will start using digital tools and planners to effectively organise my responsibilities at the beginning of Year 1 in order to improve my time management and meeting skills. I want to manage my time well by routinely finishing projects before their due dates by creating personal deadlines. I'll continue to improve my note-taking techniques in meetings and lectures during my time at university to encourage involvement and engagement. Finally, developing business competencies and skills will be a top concern. In Year 1, Autumn Semester, I will register in Excel training classes to improve my data analysis skills. I also intend to participate in a variety of business-related workshops throughout the course of the next three years, which will help me better comprehend important ideas. In order to bridge the gap between theory and practise, I hope to find internships between Year 2 and Year 3 that will allow me to put what I have learned to use.

Conclusion

Chasing scholastic greatness, these difficulties have sustained how I might interpret different business features, while refining essential abilities like successful correspondence, collaboration, using time productively, and business skills. This complete development establishes a strong starting point for outcomes in college and beyond.

References

• Chaudhari, T., 2022. Time management Essentials and Importance, s.l.: Seth kesarimal porwal college kamptee.
• Jabor, K., 2020. Challenges Faced by New Entrepreneurs and Suggestions How to Overcome Them, s.l.: International Conference on Student and Disable Student Development 2019 (ICoSD 2019).
• Jaskari, -M., 2019. Teaching the Future Marketers Through Experiential Client-Based Projects. Marketing knowledge and skills in the context of early phases of service and product development., s.l.: ACTA WASAENSIA.
• Mathew, N., 2019. Building International Business Competencies, Human Capital, and Service Capabilities: A Study of Emerging Market Professional Service Small-and-Medium-Sized Enterprises , s.l.: Cleveland State University.
• Simatupang, T., 2010. An Analysis of Inventory Management of T-Shirt at Mahanagari Bandung Pisan, s.l.: Bandung Institute of Technology.
• Sinha, S., 2017. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, s.l.: Christ University Ghaziabad.
• Steedman, H., 2018. APPRENTICESHIP: A STRATEGY FOR GROWTH, s.l.: Peter Aley.
• Tripathy, M., 2018. Building quality teamwork to achieve excellence in business organizations, s.l.: Birla Global University.