M3
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Assess ways of achieving the level and types of transferable business skills needed for the career plan
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My career plan states that I need to develop transferable business skills such as;
InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, HTML, Illustration, Logo Design, Typography, Photography, Styling, Visual Merchandising, Graphic Design, Digital Managing a large team, Public Speaking/Presenting and Managing budgets. In order to achieve an adequate level of development in these skills in the time frame of three to five years, I will need to organise the next appropriate step to take once the course at FRA finishes. This could include;
Staying on at the FRA to complete a Level 4 course in Visual Merchandising - this could develop my specialist skills in visual merchandising, styling and photoshop, this course would help to build my portfolio to become full of work that is of a very high and creative standard, ready to take to retailers once the course is finished. ; working with a company as with a junior role or as an intern/apprentice in Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Ecommerce or Creative departments - this could develop my skills first hand within a fashion retail environment in areas such as management, maintaining budgets, presenting, digital, styling, visual merchandising, photoshop and more . By working within a company, it would give me an even greater insight and experience into the roles and could give me good quality training from experienced members of staff and could build many of the skills needed for my career plan and more. ; taking a course at the University of the Arts London Central Saint Martins in Magazine Layout and other relevant topics such as typography, HTML and photography which are held every year. I would have to save up in order to afford these courses, however, they could build my skills in these subjects and give me the knowledge on how to use these skills in my career path. ; going to university to study something like Visual Communications or Graphic Design in a few years, as they could develop my skills thoroughly in areas such as.. graphic design, photoshop, Indesign, HTML, typography, photography, magazine design, photography, visual merchandising, styling and more.
I was able to develop my transferable business skills over the course of my work placement by getting involved in every task that I could. Overall, I feel that this work placement has developed my skills in terms of communication, presentation, public speaking, excel, visual merchandising and team work. I have also developed my skills enough within the company to feel comfortable there if I applied for a job either in store or in Head Office. I was able to develop my skills due to the team and company I was working with and the tasks they gave me. Being able to create the windows for the White City store really enhanced my visual merchandising skills to a more practical and physical level. Being able to work alongside with some of the store staff while doing this inspired me to ask my Store Manager if she could arrange for me to help the VM team with the windows next season, this is being arranged at the moment.
The work I completed during my work placement was very related to my career plan as it has developed my skills in terms of visual merchandising, styling and presenting. Also developed my skills in operations management, admin and working within a team.