[ Student Number]
[ Date of Submission]
Reflective Report
According to Aristotle, the vocation of an individual lies where his talents and the needs of the world cross. Honestly, there are not many people that are actually excited about their job. Achieving job satisfaction is not something accidental; many people who are satisfied with their job have spent considerable amount of time discovering what they want to do. In today’s society it is essential to have the ability of taking charge of life choice and career (Finger and Asún, 2000, p.112). A person in his professional life is responsible for lifelong development of skills and learning. In life to find work that is meaningful personally, it is necessary to consider the following factors: talents, interests, skills, values, life goals, and personality. In the process of self exploration, goal setting, decision making, and implementation of this research will be a repeated process throughout the life (Pakman, 2000, p.7).
Academic Skills
Most of the recent graduates realize that career planning is a point in time decision; they have limited knowledge about their career path, a suitable position, and occupations. It is important to understand what makes a person unique (example: skills, traits, interests, values, and personality).
Giving Presentation
My academic journey so far has disclosed that in different subjects presenting presentations is my best forte. Although my personality is a bit reserved, I like to express my ideas verbally, it is a useful combination with strong critical thinking leads to a well thought out answer (example: my score in viva is better in comparison with written exams). It is a part of my nature to observe every aspect of the object and subject in an imaginative way, instead of responding in haste I tend to decisively analyze it (example: during classroom discussions, I take time to process thoughts). As a person who enjoys deep and analytical thinking, I consider myself more focused towards the future. Being reflective in nature, I express creativity through technology updates, accounts, and presenting ideas.
Listening Lectures
A lecture helps in creating listening skills of a student, through listening we learn to judge and interpret the given information. To develop a rich understanding of the content, noting down what is being said in a clear, concise, and without missing important fact is part of note taking. These notes can be made with a visual aid or by writing concise summary of a given lecture (example I take notes by writing the title of the topic on the page center, and making lines showing main ideas and branches for details. These connecting lines help in portraying the points and ideas).
Seminar and Group Activities
In group activities, I like to be partnered with people of the same temperament. To contribute positively, I prepare before a tutorial listen to the ideas of other and arguments, giving my own opinion debating on the benefits, try new ideas and analyzing the idea of others. My role in a group is highlighted during a brainstorming session related to ideas and presenting ideas. The team relies on me to spot flaws in the argument and analyze a line of reasoning. In a group project I see a vast potential of skill development such as negotiating with people, leadership, and motivating people. It also helped me in identifying my own strength (example, completing things, leading, and innovating) and weaknesses (example conflicts and report writing). The most important aspect of a group project is sharing and discussing of ideas, flow of communication is vital for allotting the tasks and achieving the results.
Planning and Writing Creatively
I am driven by finding activities that allow expression of creativity in everything. Since, in my onwards academic journey, I will be required to contribute to effective written content, at present I am polishing my writing skills. The problems I am facing in developing my essay and assignment planning is how to decode the research questions appropriately, research an assignment, dealing with structures and outlines. I have a habit of active reading which makes me attracted towards scientific writing, the proper use of vocabulary, tenses, active/ passive voice, paragraphing and objective language. The perfect combination of all these factors leads to an effective scientific writing.
Revising for Exams
During the exams, it is necessary to consider the learning style of a person. I try to memorize the important facts, but I always wait till the last moment. Although I am good at managing my activities in time, when it comes to exams I am unable to set realistic targets regarding how much time is required to finish a particular subject. It’s difficult to work with a defined pace and organize the given instruction accordingly. I plan to induce the reward aspect in learning and stop burdening myself to learn at the yearend entire syllabus, also using group study strategy to help me in covering the topic that I find difficult.
Gantt Chart
Career Skills
In a professional environment, career skills can be referred as effective use of professional knowledge, professional values of all abilities, ethics and attitudes, including intellectual, technical and functional skills, personal, interpersonal and communication, organizational and business management skills. In an organization, all employees are encouraged to continuously improve all aspects of their own skills, for their own career development is considered beneficial for their growth. In order to progress by achieving better position and enhance the future of the organization, it is necessary to stay abreast with new skills (Richardson, 1990, p.34).
Self Management Skills
I do not have any self-management skills in working environment because I have not worked before. I did not realize to manage myself until I start studying at university. When I start studying at university, I learned to do everything by myself because I travel far away from my country. My parents used to do everything for me while I was in Oman, but when I am at university I try to be self-responsible. I learn how to manage my time and divide my time in study and other social life.
Teamwork
With the help of teamwork a person can easily survive school and professional life. It is easier to identify the strength and weaknesses. Discussing and sharing ideas can play an important role in development of patience and active listening. A sense of respect for other is developed along with learning to cooperate. The division of work makes the task easier and makes it important to get along to achieve the required result.
Problem Solving
UnDeveloped Skills
Along with the basic skills - reading, writing and math capabilities, it is necessary to have specific job-related skill. I have identified the skill that will be beneficial in my professional life are technical, interpersonal and entrepreneurship skills.
Technical Skills
Many companies offer training is mainly aimed at improving employees' technical skills. With advances in technology, business development requirements, the vast majority compared to those that were used in the past have become more complex such as office automation, e-commerce, and enterprise ERP management system, CNC machine tools, which require employees to have knowledge of math, reading, and computer area (Argyris and Schön, 1996, p.64).
Timeline for Improvement
With the advancement of technology, a large number of high-tech to be used in the production areas. I personally will take up short courses available of software training, but I will also be dependent on the company’s union to come up with more money to do the training for the staff.
Interpersonal Skills
Each employee is a subordinate to the organization. To some extent, employee job performance depends on the effective ability to get along with their colleagues and bosses. Some employees need to improve their interpersonal skills, including how to be a good listener, how to communicate their ideas with others, how to avoid conflicts (Ranson, 1998, p.187).
Timeline for Improvement
Since I have a reserved nature, I aim to deal with difficult people found through an interacting with them and by making contact with each other and I will wait for good improvement to occur. In these interactions, the school colleagues will talk openly how to treat each other. After identifying the shortcoming from these interactions I will be able initiate efforts to make changes and finally, witness an improvement in the relationship of colleagues along with a way to improved organizational job performance. I am going to be more positive, fully engaged with a person that I talk with, embrace opportunities to meet new people and do not over-analyze my interactions.
Entrepreneurship Skills
Many individual find difficult to be creative especially in tasks that need to use their imagination. Especially those unconventional, varied work even more incase an entrepreneur does not have a basic understanding of the key drivers for business success – including the importance of innovation and taking calculated risks – and the need to provide customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty (Usher, 1997, p.98).
Timeline for Improvement
I am going to work for a company in the summer, which will give me an opportunity to learn many skills in work environment and how to deal with my colleagues and customers. I aim to strengthen my entrepreneurship skills by working with my strength. Since I am good at problem solving, I will concentrate on strengthening the logic, reasoning and the ability to determine the problem, specify solve, analyze feasible solutions to achieve their goals.
Conclusion
The 21st century is the century of the knowledge economy, the competition of comprehensive national strength around the world, mainly economic and technological strength of competition, market competition will become more intense and more brutal compared to the past. Vocational education in improving the quality of workers, the promotion of employment, economic growth mode and delayed employment, alleviating the pressure on employment, promote local economic and social development, promote social harmony and stability in the role has become increasingly evident. Development of professional skills is important during educational journey. The skills of school student are different compared to a university undergraduate, although the skills learned in college are difficult aiming to develop professional skills through different courses. Students are prepared as professionals to understand the market demand, market demand. In the modern world, college students are more aware of the importance of professional skills and practical ability of understanding.
References
Argyris, C. and Schön, D. (1996) Organizational learning II: Theory, method and practice, Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley, p.64
Eraut, M. (1994) Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence, London: Falmer
Finger, M. and Asún, M. (2000) Adult Education at the Crossroads. Learning our way out, London: Zed Books, p.112
Pakman, M. (2000) ‘Thematic Foreword: Reflective Practices: The Legacy Of Donald Schön’, Cybernetics & Human Knowing, Vol.7, no.2-3, 2000, pp. 5–8. http://www.imprint.co.uk/C&HK/vol7/Pakman_foreword.PDF
Ranson, R. (1998) ‘Lineages of the learning society’ in S. Ranson (ed.) Inside the Learning Society, London: Cassell.
Richardson, V. (1990) ‘The evolution of reflective teaching and teacher education’ in R. T. Clift, W. R. Houston and M. C. Pugach (eds.) Encouraging Reflective Practice in Education. An analysis of issues and programs, New York: Teachers College Press.p.34
Usher, R. et al (1997) Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge, London: Routledge.p.98
