M3
Assess ways of achieving the level and types of
transferable business skills needed for the careeer plan
In order to prepare for my work placement I wanted to ensure I had a set of skills that I could take there to show my knowledge but also claim a few new ones to help me with my future career plan and what I plan on doing after I leave FRA. My chosen career being in the PR sector which I know little about, helped me to go there with an open mind and a better understanding. Therefore demonstrating my skills was put into practice without being prepared for.
I wanted to make the best out of my work placement, so I could add it to my CV, learn as much as possible and hope to use it as a work contact one day. I didn’t want to be in a positon where I was not doing anything, or if I did not understand a task, that I asked the simple question of how to complete it. One of my transferable skills I took was how inquisitive I can be. I always ask questions if I do not understand something, my approach is ‘help me to help you’ and I can be more productive. To work in PR I realise that you have to understand how to work on a computer and different software’s, and at my placement we were all completing work on Apple Mac’s which I am not as familiar with having never acquired one before. I asked numerous amount of questions on how to locate different files and servers to be able to complete my work as without this knowledge I wouldn’t have been able too. I know that I still need to improve this skill so that when I land a job I am up to date with any new technologies the company may use.
Brands that Fluorescent PR dealt with
This also allowed me to take the initiative and complete tasks I knew I needed to do without someone telling me to do them. Helping my employer to understand that I enjoyed the responsibility, and it links in with a similar skill; Communication is key in any work place, especially PR as they have to constantly chase up clients about samples or meetings. The PR Agency I was with was quite small with only 7 colleagues including myself, and it was easy for them to talk across to each other. They always made sure that one of them had completed a certain task such as responding to a brand/blogger or booking out samples. Everyone knew what their job role was and were updated with their contribution to a task as a lot of the time they worked as a team with brands and clients. I know that I will use this for my career plan, to leave a good impression for my employer.
Another skill that I have always stuck by is to make notes on anything that could be useful even if you do not need it. This not only helps me to remember what I am supposed to do, but I also find that I learn quicker from writing down exactly what people say from teachers to employers, as they are the ones I aim to become. Whilst at my work placement, my colleagues would ask me to do several things at once, so as to not forget them I wrote down a list so that I knew I would work efficiently. I think this applies in any job not just PR so effectively it is a useful skill to have.
My last transferable skill is one that even I am still learning to apply. I made sure every day for 3 weeks that I arrived at my placement early, even still after noticing that this agency was rather laidback and my colleagues were never on time. This didn’t make me take advantage of this as I wanted to leave an excellent impression for my employer to notice that I was in fact punctual and understood timekeeping. I am still yet to put this skill into practice in more frequent destinations as it would continue to leave a positive impression on my behalf, therefore outlining that all of my skills may be transferable, and even though I use them I haven’t exactly mastered them.