Employability Skills - Reflection on Development Centre Experience - Assignment Example

Employability Skills Employability Skills Introduction My is Hamad Al Baker, a young man of good character and an outgoing personality. Academically, I am currently a student at the University of Brighton based in Brighton, UK. I have been through High School where I successfully completed my IGCSE and AS examinations in business, tourism, social sciences and Hospitality certifications. I also went through the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) since am not a native citizen in the United Kingdom. My test results were good and this confirms that my proficiency in the English language is of the required standards. Recently, I completed my first academic year in the university and eligible for an internship program in the field of marketing. Essentially, I love interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. This explains why I am an outgoing person. Therefore, I am passionate about publicity, advertising and marketing. I am very good at advertising and marketing products to potential customers including online marketing. I am basing my analysis of my skills on the following grounds: Having studied Hospitality, Tourism and Social Sciences, my public relations skills have been natured to standards that can be applicable in the corporate world. Studying Social Sciences gave me a deeper understanding of the human race. My studies were mainly based on ways of adequately and efficiently relating with people in the different sectors in the world both socially and businesswise. The Hospitality and Tourism studies reinforced the relations skills I obtained from the study of Social Sciences. Public Relation is a core constituent of both the hospitality and tourism industries since the personnel in these industries deliver services directly to people. Therefore, such personnel must possess the necessary skills for relating with the people they serve. The lessons learnt during first year in the university have also sharpened my public relations and marketing skills. All this discussion about my skills in Public Relations culminates into my suitability for the marketing sector of the corporate world. According to me, marketing is an art as well as an academic qualification. Therefore, marketing should have both the academic aspect and the aspect of being able to produce quality results in the actual field of work. For one to be able to adequately work in the marketing field, the person must possess the much-needed public relation skills. Dealing directly with the targeted group of individuals in marketing requires brings up the vitality of good inter-personal skills. Given the diversity of my academic qualifications, I can confidently confirm that I am fit for the marketing world. Being a student I will still need some guidance while in the corporate world by my firm academic foundation will enable me to grasp the relevant marketing approaches easily. My proficiency in the English language is also an influencing factor for my application. Language is a vital component in the communication channel. Communication is also an important and mandatory constituent in any form of marketing. English is the most appropriate language in the marketing world because it is universal. As I mentioned earlier, I went through the International English Language Testing System and my tests results confirmed that my knowledge of the English language is intact. This is another reason why I can deliver quality results in the marketing world (Hoboken, Wiley 2010, p.63) Placement/Internship Details at American Express Company (Amex) Brighton (Source : (Milkround, 2015, p. 1) I would apply for a summer internship programme at American Express Company. The Company offers various summer internships in professional fields including accountancy, marketing and public relations, consultancy, and telecommunications. The internship programme offered by the company remains based in their various offices located in UK such as Brighton, Burgess Hill, and London. However, I would prefer to apply for the internship opportunity at American Express offices in Brighton. Brighton is closest to my residence and such location would offer me stability and comfort during practice. Also known as Amex, the American company that deals in global financial services including credit card transactions would offer me the most viable opportunity for professional development. The company requires marketing interns or graduates that would establish reputable communication strategies. Attracting customers and advancing their loyalty remains as the significant focus of Amex and our main role as marketing interns is to ensure success of such outlined objectives. Additionally, the company operates marketing oriented projects including creating customer service interactive tools relevant to its clients. Meeting the needs of its customers is also a primary objective and the placement opportunity would largely advance our professional communication skills as marketing interns. Besides, American express company focuses on research and marketing to establish the most successful and printable venture globally. Passion of helping individuals of varied diversity would also be imperative in maintaining and securing the summer internship programme. Consequently, Amex values interns that have passion and commitment to assisting them in actualization of their dreams. Curriculum Vitae Hamad Al Baker Personal Details Home Address: Term Address: Telephone Number: Email Address Date of Birth Objective My foremost objective is to establish refutable expertise in internet marketing. In addition, I wish to find impeccable solutions within business professional work environment especially in relation to comprehensive and profitable advertisement. Moreover, I am at enhancing my profession in internet marketing experience to assist in meeting organization’s goals and objectives. Besides, I aim at developing a professional network that is imperative in enhancing profitable marketing ventures within given organisations. Academic Education Background Year Range: Completed High School Qualifications for IGCSE’S and AS Year Range Certificate in Business, Tourism, Hospitality, and Social Sciences Year Range Completed IELTS : 6.0 Skills Profile Proficient in effective internet marketing and advertising Books reading Proficient in social relations Playing Cricket, Pool, and Badminton Efficient in teamwork and development of organization’s agenda Proper communication skills Hardworking, optimistic, and Ambitious Referees Personal Reflection on Development centre Experience Foremost experience gained within the development centre entailed enhancement of my marketing skills including effective costumer communication and comprehension of specified products. Effective communication is domineering in successful marketing within various platforms including the internet. Development of proper language use and application within marketing as a professional field remained reflective of inherent success. Besides enhancement of language skills and effective use, public communication remains imperative in marketing and proper advertising. Most consumers relate to companies that maintains excellent public image and social responsibility. It is the fundamental responsibility of sales and marketing officers to maintain an organization’s public image through effective communication and public relations . Effective accomplishment of such imperative objectives within an organization entails development of consumer communication systems including channels for feedback and inquiry. Meeting customers’ needs and preferences domineers in attainment of their loyalty and influence in associating within the organization. The experiences gained from my development centre largely influenced my career and professional development. I realized the need for effective communication skills besides improved public relations. Effective marketing and success as a professional requires social sensitive characteristics. In addition, relevance of language skills greatly influenced my perception about business development especially in marketing industry. Enhancement of communication through proper public relations and language use domineers in attainment of outlined objectives both professionally and within individualized levels. Moreover, the perception of integrating sound health activities and performance during professional development and career practice largely influenced my personal development. I developed as an effective internet-marketing professional with vast ability to incorporate diversity and professionalism (Cottrell, 2015, p. 13). In essence, my enhanced personal development and preference for online marketing remained entirely influenced by the relevant experiences gained from the development centre. I developed passion in practicing marketing within an organization mainly due to my ability to associate effectively with people of varied diversity. Consequently, the experiences that I gained from development centre remained influential in my career development and inherent perception about people. Personal Development Plan Personal development plans are domineering in assisting learners to reflect on their individual attainments and educational experiences. The plan is imperative in attainment of career development objectives (Nutley, 2008, p. 13). As outlined below, my personal development plan included educational, physical, and professional development objectives. For instance, professional career development entailed enrolling for an internship program within marketing based companies to acquire fundamental experience. The plan entails elucidation of expected goals, actions taken, criterion for success, and applicability of the outlined plans. In addition, time plan remains reflective of my commitment in achieving the outlined personal development plans (Rughani, 2001, p. 143). For Development Expected Goal Actions to take Success Criteria Application Deadline Language Communicate fluently in English Read widely on marketing communications Evaluate communication strategies Marketing and sales practice Job Position Intern Improve on my skills Attain company objectives Hard working Maintain career progress Develop effective relations with staff members Promotion to fulltime employment Increased benefits Advanced responsibility and greater authority at work place Public Speaking and Relations Overcoming nervousness Public speaking practice with relatives, friends, and work mates Proper training at school Speaking with confidence within public forums Effective communication Presentation reporting of ideas Effective customer education and relations Physical Vitality Improving my working performance Attend gymnastic sessions three times in a week Perform daily physical exercises Improved physical flexibility and excellent health condition Quicker accomplishment of work Improved personal productivity Educational Development Attaining improved grades Comprehensive research Excellent accomplishment of assignment Proper accomplishment of exams Attaining excellent grades Improved professional relations Marketing company products Improved consumer communications Being industrious as far as my schoolwork is concerned; my first year in the University of Brighton has been transformative in a positive way. I have added on the knowledge I got from my high school education and therefore my understanding of the marketing world has been broadened and diversified. Academic Rigorous Reflection During the first academic year we covered a number of academic modules. One is the Global Business Environment that introduced me to the business world and gave me a feel of the corporate sector. Marketing project is another module that made me understand the key procedures involved in initiating marketing plans (Page., Baines., Fill 2010, p. 17). The Marketing, Communication and Branding module shades light on the importance of branding and communication in marketing. The module on marketing metrics gave me a statistical view of the field of marketing. An interesting module is the one dealing with consumer psychology that equipped me with skills on how to handle consumers and how to carry myself around while interacting with them (Noel 2009, p. 14). Finally, I got enlightenment on how to practice professionalism in the marketing field under the Professional Marketing Practitioner module. The first year in the university formed a basis for my self-rediscovery. The studies made my passion for marketing world even more compact. I also got a deeper and more precise understanding of the marketing world compared to the superficial information I had before joining the university. The impacts of the studies on me are extensively positive and this accounts for my eligibility for an internship program. From the knowledge gained during the first year in the university, I can personally make some adjustments in my perception of marketing. This means that my approach towards the process of marketing changes as well. Having learned more about the integration of communication in marketing, I will tailor my communication skills to ensure that they conform to the communication standard that the process of marketing requires. The lessons on the global business environment have made understand the necessity of understanding and relating to the business environment. Due to the rationale, I will certify that I establish various links to different marketing faculties for better understanding of the environs around businesses. As a result of the learning I now have a better understanding of the consumer psychology and this forms a basis for me to improve my public relation skills. I will aim at enhancing productive relationships with potential consumers and in this way establish strong links and business relationships (Jeffery 2010, p.15). Another significant change that I will make will be on matters concerning professionalism in marketing. I will strive to act more appropriately and in a more professional manner. In the course of my action, I will ensure that I am in line with the standard business ethics set for marketing practitioners. From the lessons in class, I have been able to identify various loopholes or disadvantageous aspects in the marketing profession. Therefore, my aim will be to establish parameters that would override and do away with such undesirable factors in pursuit of better and ethical marketing methodologies and practices. Bibliography Baines, P., Fill, C., & Page, K. (2013). Essentials of marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cottrell, Stella. 2015. Skills for Success: Personal Development and Employability. London: Palgrave Macmillan Jeffery, M. (2010). Data-driven marketing the 15 metrics everyone in marketing should know. Hoboken: John Wiley (2010). Milkround. 2015. 2015 Summer Internship Programme. Web. May 14, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.milkround.com/job/61081/2015-summer-internship-programme/ Noel, H. (2009). Consumer behaviour. Lausanne: AVA Academia. . Nutley, Tony. 2008. The Little Book of Personal Development. Hillsborough: Lulu.com. Rughani, A. (2001). The GPs guide to personal development plans. Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical Press. Read More