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Example of 'Intro to Research' Assessment 1 coursework ...

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Pre Placement Portfolio N0732719

Contents Page 1

Introduction

3

Reflection and Job Description Selection

3-4

Strengths & Weaknesses

4-6

Career Anchors

6-7

Reference List

7-8

Appendix A

8

Appendix B

9

Appendix C

10-11

Appendix D

12

Appendix E

13-16

Appendix F

17-19

Appendix G

19-20

Appendix H

20

Appendix I

21

Appendix J

22-23

Introduction In this portfolio I will review and reflect upon my strengths and weaknesses in relation to workplace skills and experiences. I will discuss a 2

chosen job description for a position I aspire to reach within five years of leaving university and also analyse what is important to me in my life using Schein’s career anchors (Schein, 1996). All of these components together will justify my placement learning outcomes, which are as follows. 1 - To build self confidence in the workplace through being given responsibilities and objectives to complete. 2 – To establish great working relationships with employees and customers. 3 – Communicate freely and share any ideas, opinions I have with fellow employees. Reflection and Job Description Selection Clearly a major influence on the decision to choose the placement learning objectives that I did was my future career. After thoroughly enjoying the marketing module at university this year, I decided this was an area of work that I could be interested in. For that reason when I searched for a job description of a role I could aspire to reach shortly after university I selected a Marketing Assistant role at Ferrari. The job description, which can be viewed under Appendix A, states that the job involves ‘nurturing existing customer relationships’. This is one of the reasons I derived objective two, in order to develop skills such as communication and customer service which are essential in the area of work I aspire to be in after university. A building block to achieving objective two is improving my own self-confidence, hence objective one, which aims to build on this particular skill. This in turn will help me achieve objective two. A key part of the job description read ‘you will be reporting directly to the Marketing Manager’, and stated that the job involves working as part of a team. For this reason I believe it is extremely important to have good communication skills, and to be able to have confidence in sharing ideas and opinions. For this reason, as well as the results from my personal strengths and weaknesses audit, (which will be mentioned shortly) I came up with objective three.

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A crucial part of moving forward and progressing is by reflecting. Bassot (2013) breaks reflection down into different mirrors. Ordinary mirrors (for assessment and decision), Rear view mirrors (to look back in order to move forward), wing mirrors (to check blind spots for weaknesses), magnifying mirrors (for closer examination) and distortion mirrors (to seek feedback avoiding personal prejudice). Strengths & Weaknesses Using a personal audit of strengths and weaknesses for the workplace was one way in which I reflected on myself. I ranked twelve workplace skills from one to twelve (one being my strongest asset, twelve being the one requiring most improvement). My peers also ranked the twelve skills based upon how they believe I act in a work environment. This is an example of using the wing mirror for reflection by spotting weaknesses that can be worked upon (Bassot, 2013). My best and worse four skills are shown in the Fig. 1 below.

Ab Pe ilit rso y& na lp wi lan llin ni gn ng es & st or o In g lea ita an rn isa tv e& to n m al ot sk In va ills te to rp n er to so wo na rk lu nd er sta Re lat nd on in g sh ip Bu ild in g Fle xib ilit y Le ad er sh Se ip lf co nf de nc e

Score

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 My Score Peers Score

Workplace Skill

Fig.1 highest and lowest ranked skills from the personal audit of strengths and weaknesses in the workplace, based upon my own, and peers scores.

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As displayed in Fig. 1 my top four skills, as judged by myself and a peer, are ability and willingness to learn, personal planning and organisational skills, initiative and motivation to work & interpersonal understanding. The full set of results can be found as Appendix C. The job description for the marketing job at Ferrari used the words ‘creative’ and ‘self-motivated’ when describing the ideal candidate for the job. As Fig. 1 shows these are all skills that I and my peers believe I am good at, which makes this job seem like a reasonable aspiration to reach after university. Appendix F shows my CV, in this document you can see I have retails experience, another desired quality of the job description. This also makes the job even more appealing to me. Based upon the results of the personal audit it was clear that relationship building, flexibility, leadership and self confidence are the skills that need most improvement. Of these four skills, the one employer’s desire most from graduates according to Fleming et al. (2009) is relationship building, which ranked fourth. It is for this reason that I decided to make one of my placement learning objectives ‘To establish great working relationships with employees in order to work efficiently’. I believe this objective will not only enhance my own personal skills but also benefit the host organisation. The decision to choose this objective is also justified by my results of the Myers-Briggs personality test, where the top tip for the personality I received was to ‘talk to others, share ideas’. I believe this objective is attainable and that my good interpersonal understanding should aid me in the development of relationship building as I am good at listening and understanding people. Crebert et al. (2004) states that work placements are crucial for giving young people responsibility. I hope that by being given responsibilities on my work placement my self confidence will grow, which will also help me improve my leadership skills (two of my skills that require the most improvement). If I am given my own goals and responsibilities to

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accomplish I can take a lead on making sure they are achieved. Despite this I believe that it will be hard to develop leadership skills on an undergraduate placement, and so my placement learning objective ‘To build self confidence in the workplace through being given responsibilities and objectives to complete’ is intended to improve my self confidence, rather than leadership. It is also key in the world of marketing to be able to communicate freely and share any ideas with teammates and co-workers, as the job description states team work is a crucial element of the job, and without sharing ideas teams cannot work effectively. It is for this reason objective three was derived, and during my placement I will push myself out of my comfort zone to work closely with and interact others at the business. Gaining confidence through interacting with new people in a work environment will stand me in good stead for my work career and help me develop the essential skills needed to be a successful marketing assistant. My chosen placement at Baines Racing (a cycle and motorcycle workshop and shop based at Silverstone race circuit) will give me insight into a functioning business within the sports industry. It is the ideal business to provide opportunities to achieve my objectives. These objectives, once completed, will elevate my confidence, skills and experiences which will leave me in a much stronger position of getting a job I desire after university.

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Career Anchors Using a career anchor sheer (Schein, 1996) eight potential anchors were

ranked. As Fig. 2 shows below, lifestyle was identified as my most important career anchor. This indicates I do not want work to interfere with other aspects of my life, this links to the fact that my flexibility rank on the personal audit was low. It is for this reason during my placement at Baines Racing I will fully engage in all activated and work any hours asked of me as well as grabbing any extra opportunities with both hands.

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Fig. 2 radar chart displaying eight potential career anchors, and the weight of their effect on me. Dedication and pure challenge were also high scoring anchors in the test. The marketing job at Ferrari expresses the need for a motivated candidate who loves a challenge and so this job suits me. I hope to be challenged while on my placement also, and hopefully enjoy the work which will motivate me and make me dedicated, because dedication is something I need in order to be good at whatever it is I am doing. References Bassot, B. (2013). The Reflective Journal. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Crebert, G., Bates, M., Bell, B., Patrick, C., Cragnolini, V. (2004). Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and employment: Graduates’ perceptions. Higher Education Research and Development. 23(2), 147-165. Fleming, J., Martin, A., Hughes, H. & Zinn, C. (2009). Maximising work integrated learning experiences through identifying graduate competencies for employability: a case study of sport studies in higher education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education. 10(3), 189-201. Schein, E.H. (1996). Career anchors revisited: Implications for career development in the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive. 10(4), 80-88.

Appendices Appendix A

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Job description for Marketing Assistant at Ferrari. Something that I would be interested in after university.

Appendix B Confirmation for the completion of health and safety briefing

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Appendix C Personal audit of strengths and weaknesses for the workplace 10

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Appendix D Personal audit of strengths and weaknesses for chosen career

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Appendix E Schein’s career anchors

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Appendix F CV

Charlie Smith [email protected] - 07981851591 22 Melton Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 7NU

PERSONAL PROFILE A passion for providing genuine and sincere service to customers and connectng with them on a level that ensures they know they are being cared for and valued by the company. Customer service skills developed through a high stress retail positon. A willingness to pursue all tasks given to me at the best of my ability and a determinaton to be the best I can be ensures I provide quality service. EDUCATION Sports Science and Management Degree, September 2017 – present Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham The Internal Business Environment: 2:1 Sports and Exercise Physiology: 1st The External Business Environment: 2:1 Sports Culture and Society: 1st st Sports and Exercise Psychology: 1 Introducton to Research: 2:2 These modules completed in my frst year of studies gave me a lot of confdence with interactng with new people. Essental module presentatons and debates in front of live audiences signifcantly improved my communicaton skills and ability to organise and structure my tme. A-Levels, September 2015 – June 2017 Campion School Sixth Form, Bugbrooke, Northampton History: B AS Mathematcs: B Physics: D A2 Mathematcs: D GCSE’s, September 2010 – June 2015 Campion School, Bugbrooke, Northampton English Literature: A English Language: A Maths: A Physics: B Biology: A Physical Educaton: A

Chemistry: A History: A Geography: A Media Studies: B Spanish B

PREVIOUS JOBS Front of House Waiter – October 2015 – April 2016 Towcester Racecourse, Towcester Responsibilites: ●I was responsible for providing an extremely high standard of service to customers, during both regular restaurant hours and for private functons at the venue. ●This job taught me to deal with high pressure situatons, accommodatng customers in a friendly and polite manner. Cleaner – April 2016 – August 2017 Campion School, Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire 14

Responsibilites: ●Cleaning; gaining an understanding in cleaning products and chemicals to operate safely in the workplace ●Also worked in the school paintng; this was in a team of three. I demonstrated great team work and tme management skills in order to get the jobs done consistently within the tme constrains we had. Various Roles – December 2017 – September 2018 The Eastcote Arms, Northamptonshire Responsibilites: ●Gardening ●General upkeep of the venue, i.e. changing light bulbs, small repair jobs ●Cleaning; mopping, hovering, polishing tables, cleaning toilets. Ensuring the pub was set up and ready to receive customers by its opening tme. ●This job gave me great experiences in varied roles, making me more adaptve, well rounded, and confdent in completng any task given to me. Independence during this role sharpened my initatve and tme management skills. Sales Assistant – July 2018 – September 2018 Silverstone Race Track, Silverstone, Northamptonshire Responsibilites: ●Operatng tlls in an extremely fast paced environment. This included not only handling cash but being in the trusted positon of cashing up the tll at the end of a day. ●Managed an entre shop on my own at the Britsh Touring Cars Championship 2018, successfully balancing the upkeep of the store, whilst providing great service to customers. WORK EXPERIENCE EasyJet ●Observed life in an office to deepen my experiences of life in a workplace, interactng with new people and working as part of a team or in a pair. ●Despite having no previous experience in IT I was admired for my enthusiasm and willingness to learn and engage in new tasks. Park Maintenance ●I have volunteered in a local park, partaking in tasks such as laying woodchip, plantng trees and cutting back hedges. I thoroughly enjoyed giving back to the community and developing my organisatonal skills. Tennis Instructor ●Experienced teaching and coaching primary school children tennis and tennis related games. ●I learned how to speak in front of large groups and provide kind and helpful assistance to people. ●Improved my motvatonal skills and encouragement whilst working with children who were struggling or had no interest in tennis. INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS ●Recently successfully ran for the positon of Road Cycling Club Secretary at Nottingham Trent University. ●Completed my DofE Bronze award, demonstratng leadership within a group when there was no directon, and being able to motvate and inspire others. ●Achieved Sports Leaders 1 and 2 accreditatons. ●Recently completed a 50mile Charity bike ride, which raised money for Cycle 4 Cynthia Hospice. 15

●My main interest is road cycling, I raced in a Natonal Series event in Milton Keynes, as well as regular regional compettons. Through which my self-discipline, organisaton and commitment skills were developed. ●My other passion is music and I am also in a band, in which we recently played our frst gig. This passion teaches me how to work effectvely as a team and performing on stage is great for my confdence and speaking/interactng with new people. REFERENCES References available on request

Appendix G Covering Letter 22 Melton Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 7NU. [email protected] 07981851591 Mr G Baines, Company Owner, Baines Racing, Unit 14, Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8TL.

10th January 2019

Dear Mr Baines, I was first introduced to your business by a close family friend who praised the company for its outstanding work and friendly staff. Who then, gave me your details as he believed there would be a possibility of undertaking a short work placement at Baines Racing, preferably in regards to the business and management side to the company. After being immediately drawn in by the prospect of working for you I headed straight to your website. Here I was also incredibly impressed with your values and goals; in particular your expectations of yourself as a business to only provide excellence. This really connected with me as I also expect and demand excellence from myself, it is for this reason especially that I believe I would be the perfect person to come and complete a work placement at your business. I myself am a keen cyclist and have a natural passion for anything on two wheels which also drives me and keeps my motivation running high. I was delighted to read on your website that you are passionate about your craft and keen to share it with the community. This is something I totally agree with and believe that is a great culture to have within a company. As a motor racing fan I thought Project Imola and the build of you own Retro-classic Ducati Special was an amazing achievement.

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My desire to be the best and take on any tasks given to me wholeheartedly with absolute commitment and dedication ensures any work given to me is completed to the highest standard and I really believe I could do some great things and be of great help to the company. Thank you for your consideration and taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this letter. I hope after looking over my CV, you will be impressed and get in touch through one of the contacts provided. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely,

Charlie Smith

Appendix H Elevator Pitch

Elevator Pitch.mp4

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Appendix I Myers-Briggs personality buzz quiz

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Appendix J Placement learning agreement

Placement Learning Agreement ABOUT THE PLACEMENT Student name:

Charlie Smith

Host organisation:

Baines Racing

Host organisation’s key strategic objectives:

1. Provide excellent and informative customer service 2. Make money on workshop work and through the shop 3. Promote themselves as a brand to attract more customers Host supervisor name:

Geoff Baines

Supervisor contact number: Details of placement hours:

2 week block

Please explain how the minimum 72 hours will be completed e.g. two week block, one day per week etc.

Agreed dates for placement:

Start:

8/4/19

Finish:

18/4/19

ABOUT THE PLACEMENT ROLE Placement role/job title:

Business Assistant

Statement of overall purpose for placement role: To develop and enhance key skills needed in order to pursue a career in a sports related business, and gain an understanding of how the business runs from day to day. Key objectives for the placement These should focus on tangible work related activities or outputs that will contribute to the student fulfilling the overall purpose of the placement. Due to placement time restrictions please include a minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 key objectives.

1. To build self confidence in the workplace through being given responsibilities and objectives to complete 2. To establish great working relationships with employees and customers 3. Communicate freely and share any ideas, opinions I have with fellow employees.

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How will these be fulfilled? Increasingly, sports organisations are adopting statements of values and behaviours which staff are expected to embrace as they perform their roles. Please indicate any organisational expectations of values and behaviours below e.g. working collaboratively with colleagues; taking personal responsibility to improve quality of work performance; focussing on customers etc.

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By taking on responsibilities in the work place and striving to complete all tasks given to me to a high standard I believe I can fulfil my objective of gaining self-confidence. In order to establish great relationships with others whi...