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Entry 7

Reflection on the subject with respect to your starting point, new learnings, and experiences, and how this will assist you from a career development perspective.

In the four weeks of this subject, I believe I have developed my interview skills to best present myself in a professional manner. Having not done many interviews outside of my current workplace, I wasn’t familiar with a more formal interview setting, and was accustomed do formatting my resume in a more casual way. Learning how to articulate my strengths and my point of difference has been the major improvement for myself, and this has assisted my confidence.

I have learnt to properly summarise myself, ambitions, education, experiences, and employment, which will assist me in future interviews. Being able to step back and identify my areas for improvement, but then to give examples of how I am improving in these areas has been very beneficial for myself professionally and personally. Highlighting my skills in communication and connecting it to my point of difference has been beneficial, as I had never thought of my point of difference before.

Hearing from the range of guest speakers helped me to build realistic expectations not only for myself, but for my internship. Siobhan, Zac, Noah and Alex offered unique insights into their internships, and this aided me in forming an idea of what I wanted to achieve during mine. Having others feel like I am a colleague and indispensable is a goal that I would like to achieve during my internship, as the benefits of this were highlight by all four of these speakers.

Alexandra, Lynne, Ag, Kate, Darcy and Michael speaking from the employees’ point of view also contributed to building realistic expectations from myself. Hearing them talk also fuelled my confidence, knowing what they look for in an intern and how they support us was insightful and helped me know which skills to highlight for my interview.

In the past four weeks I have come a long way in how I present myself to prospective employers, and these are skills that I will implement throughout the rest of my life. Learning not only professional skills, but life skills, will assist me in my career as I am now able to talk about myself in a more professional manner. I am now more confident in presenting a cover letter, resume and myself in an interview. I am grateful for the opportunity of growth and discovery that this subject has offered, and I look forward to taking these skills and utilising them for my career development.

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Entry 6

Critical reflection on your experience of and performance in your interview practices and assessment. How have you developed your technique? What do you need to focus on? Use your peer feedback to assist.

Today I had my practice interview with Jessie for Assessment 3, I was the first one to go in and felt confident beforehand, but also a little nervous as I wanted to do well. I believe that I presented myself well, dressed appropriately (see Figure 7) and spoke well. Before the interview, I focused on my preparation and examples that I could offer that covered a range of my skills and attributes and was able to implement these examples into my answers.

(Figure 6, Interview Attire, Mikayla Royal, 2023)

The structure of this interview was different to what I am used to at my workplace, having interviewed for multiple different roles within the company. However, I feel I was prepared for the questions through classwork and practice during class time. I adhered to the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action and Result) and structured my answered in accordance with this. Jessie and Sharyn made me feel really comfortable, and, even though it was a formal interview, relaxed enough to feel like it was a casual conversation, so the answers felt natural to give.

My biggest improvement and development is my response to the “tell us about yourself” question. Prior to this unit, my experience with that question has been more casual and less professional experience based, with personal attributes usually forming the answer. However, through this unit, I have learned to discuss my education, experience, skills, ambition and point of difference in a coherent flow. This has helped me to centre myself during an interview, as I am now better able to highlight my strengths and why I would be an asset to a workplace. This in turn has also helped my confidence when speaking, and I am much more comfortable talking about my strengths and my point of difference. Previously, I would struggle with identifying my point of difference, however now I am able to highlight my ability to quickly build and maintain relationships with others as something that sets me aside from other applicants. I endeavour to always include this in my future interviews.

I would like to focus on being able to go more in-depth with my answers, as I was asked to expand on two of my answers. I will work on being able to give detailed responses that are clear and have more depth. I really enjoyed taking part in the interview, and it has helped me identify important aspects of an interview that I will implement going forward.

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Entry 5

The importance of organisational culture and being a high performing intern and team member.

Organisational culture can be defined as “the ethical quality of a work environment, which is defined as the shared values, norms and beliefs that can stimulate ethical behaviour” (Kaptein, 2008;Trevino & Weaver 2003, as cited in Huhtala & Felt, 2016, p 2). Having clear values and ethics ingrained into an organisation allows employees and interns to develop their identity within the workplace and allows them to accurately represent that organisation in public. Having these values in place have shown to be integral for a company’s sustained success through having set principles and practices that allow for the growth and improvement of the organisation (Carvalho et al., 2019).

Research has shown that having these set values positively impacts the employee’s work performance. They can motivate, encourage positivity, and impact the employee’s commitment and intentions regarding their work. This contributes to the worker’s work performance, and the overall company performance (Huhtala & Feldt, 2016; Carvalho et al., 2019). It is important that a company’s values and the individual’s values align, creating a sense of belonging for the employee – this further reinforces their performance and commitment to their job. This can also be applied to interns completing placement hours at an organisation, as if there is a strong value alignment, the overall quality of work produced by the intern will be influenced by their attitude towards the organisation they are placed at.

As an intern, it is important to reflect the host organisation’s values and morals, and to be a strong representative for the company. Being a reliable, trustworthy, and dedicated intern will help foster genuine relationships and connections. Taking opportunities to learn how an organisation functions and what the professional expectations are, will contribute to personal and professional development for the intern. Acting in a professional manner will aid the intern in developing a professional presence within an organisation, and positively influence their reputation amongst professionals. Making themself seen as indispensable will increase the possibility of the intern being offered a job at the end of the placement or gaining a valuable reference. Being seen as a colleague and not an intern contributes to their professional reputation and connections they build with the employees and employer.

References:

Carvalho, A., Sampaio, P., Rebentisch, E., & Carvalho, J., & Saraiva, P. (2019). Operational excellence, organisation culture and agility: the missing link? Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(13-14), 1495-1514.

Huhtala, M., & Feldt, T. (2016). The path from ethical organisational culture to employee commitment: Mediating roles of value congruence and work engagement. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 1(1). https://www.sjwop.com/articles/10.16993/sjwop.6/

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Entry 4

Critical analysis of your internship applications relative to best practice using peer feedback.

I used these internship applications to refine and update my resume. The examples and guidance provided in this unit aided me to develop a more professional resume, cover letter and method of answering selection criteria. Implementing key words for the first time was challenging, but beneficial as it helped me to reflect each position (Smith, 2016) and tailor each application. This is an important element (Tomaska & Nosek, 2018) as it demonstrates that the description has been read and that the application isn’t generic. Cover letters and resumes should be unique for each application, and have listings of education, skills, employment, and experience that are relevant to the role description (Smith, 2016; Schrager, 2021) and a suitable applicant (Schrager, 2021). I tailored each of my applications to the relevant skills and requirements set out in the internship descriptions for Fox Sports, Melbourne Aces and Outer East Football Netball.

This week, we conducted a peer feedback task, in which we exchanged our cover letters, resumes, LinkedIn profiles and selection criteria with a partner. We gave each other constructive feedback, highlighted what we did well and what we could improve on (see Figure 6).

(Figure 6, Peer Review and Feedback - Assessment 2, Mikayla Royal, 2023)

My cover letter feedback is that it was well written, with minimal grammar and spelling errors. This is in line with best practice cover letter writing, as correct grammar and spelling errors demonstrate a form of communication, and applicants with cover letters with less mistakes are more likely to progress to the next round of the interview process. An area that was highlighted for me to improve on, is what order I present the information. I will be changing the order of my current roles and employment paragraphs to have my current roles first, as these are more relevant to the internship position.

The feedback for my resume is that it has a very good layout and is easy to read. I tailored each resume for each job description relevant to what the required skillset and experience was. This made for a comprehensive flow that had a logical order. The feedback I received for an area to improve on, was to expand on the skills that I had listed. I will be adding more skills to the list, and instead of removing skills based on the job, will just be changing the order with the most relevant listed the highest.

The feedback I received for my Linked In profile is that my profile picture looks clear and professional, and that my banner photo of myself in my football team photo shows my passion for sports. Where I can improve on for my Linked In profile to optimise the platform, is to gain more connections and post more content.

My selection criteria feedback is that I provided good examples of my work and my experiences that were relevant to the internship role. I went into excellent detail about each one and elaborated and connected them back to my strengths and skills. The area to improve on for my selection criteria is, when providing examples of my prior work, to have all published work in a single link so it is easier to find. The feedback received will help me fine tune my internship applications, and will also help me further highlight what my strengths are.

References:

Schrager, S. (2021). Tips for writing effective CVs and cover letters. Family Practice Management, 28(5), 4-5. https://primoapac02.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/afosdf/TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_2572526079

Smith, L. (2016). Writing a perfect cover letter. Nursing (Jenkintown, Pa.) 46(3), 47-49. https://primoapac02.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/afosdf/TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_1802731777

Tomaska, L. & Nosek, J. (2018). Ten simple rules for writing a cover letter to accompany a job application for an academic position. PLoS Computational Biology, 14(1), 1-4. https://primoapac02.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/afosdf/TN_cdi_plos_journals_2049927398

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Entry 3

The importance of personal marketing, branding and your unique value proposition. What is your brand and what areas do you need to improve?

Personal marketing and branding are an essential part of entering the professional workforce, as it is what identifies someone as a person with their own unique experiences, skillsets, and interests. Two of the main functions of personal branding is to separate someone from their competition (Marin & Nila, 2021) and influences the way that professionals and possible employers view them (McCorcle & Pavan, 2017).

Standing out from others will make a difference in success in the sporting industry and having a personal brand will give someone a “competitive advantage” (Marin & Nila, 2021, p 1) over other applicants. Branding is intended to “distinguish a product or service from its competitors” (Szikszai-Nemeth, 2020, p 417), and although Szikszai-Nemeth was relating this to a company, it is applicable to people’s personal brands as they seek to stand out from others in their field. Personal branding helps to highlight the person’s skillsets and the attributes (Szikszai-Nemeth, 2020) they have that support their application. McCorkle and Pavan (2017) relates personal branding to individual people, rather than corporations, as “identifying and articulating their unique value proposition” (p 36).

Personal branding also contributes to someone’s reputation and reflects how someone represents themselves to others, especially in a professional setting (Marin & Nila, 2021). Because of this, branding has become “one of the most important aspects of a business strategy” (Marin & Nila, 2021, p 1), however this can also be applied to how people market themselves and their personal strategies. By developing a personal brand, people’s strengths become known to others (Marin & Nila, 2021), influencing how others in the same or similar industries will see them (McCorckle & Pavan, 2017).  

My personal brand highlights my ability to quickly connect with people and build genuine connections with others that last. I have experience in leading and coordinating teams of around 25 people, which has developed my strong leadership skills and qualities that I am able to demonstrate in professional workplaces. I place a lot of value in honesty, inclusivity, and respect, and try to reflect these when I present my brand to other people. LinkedIn is one platform that I use (see Figure 5) to market my brand and build professional contacts. LinkedIn is a great tool to use, as it allows people to grow their image and maintain a strong, professional brand in front of possible employers (Marin & Nila, 2021).

(Figure 5, LinkedIn Profile – Mikayla Royal, 2023, Mikayla Royal).

The main area that I would like to improve in, is speaking more confidently about myself and my unique attributes that allow me to stand out from others. Since beginning the Transition to Professional Practice unit, I have found that I am improving in this area, and plan to utilise the rest of the unit to continue to advance and grow.

References:

Marin, G., & Nila, C. (2021). Branding in social media. Using LinkedIn in personal brand communication: A study on communications/marketing and recruitment/human resources specialists perception. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 4(1), 1-8. https://primoapac02.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/afosdf/TN_cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_109cedaa39744436ba6eeb5fa66ddefa

McCorckle, D., & Payan, J. (2017). Using Twitter in the marketing and advertising classroom to develop skills for social media marketing and personal branding. Journal of Advertising Education, 21(1), 33-42. https://primoapac02.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/afosdf/TN_cdi_proquest_journals_1914439338

Szikszai-Nemeth, K. (2020). Personal branding in team sports marketing. Analele Universitatii din Oradea. Stiinte Economice, 29(1), 416-424. https://primoapac02.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/afosdf/TN_cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_9ff6c40dc53043abb672e8cb1c959f1e

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Entry 2

Your preparedness for an internship: your skills (and skills gap), and the importance of a resume and cover letter with respect to the current status of your own documents.

I believe that I am prepared to undertake an internship by implementing the professional and technical skills that I have developed during my studies. I have been working in professional environments for the last eight years and have the experience of working as a team in the workplace. I have the capability to work well with a team, lead a team and work independently, and I believe this will aid me in the completion of my internship. My technical, communication and professional skills are transferable and adaptable to different workplaces, and my judgement for what is more suitable for specific situations is strong. The area in which I would like to improve most in is my conflict management resolution between employees, as I have not had much experience in this area. I believe it is important to be able to resolve conflict within the workplace to achieve the best outcome for all involved.

Resumes should be current and accurately reflect one’s experience, employment history and education, so a perspective employer can make a properly informed choice and are not being deceived. Resumes and cover letters are important, as they aid the employer in filtering possible employees to progress to the next stage of hiring (Burns et al., 2014, as cited in Waung et al., 2017). Having key words and a tailored resume and cover letter increases the likelihood of progression, as it demonstrates that effort has been made by the applicant. Cover letters give employers insight into the applicant’s suitability for the job, and should highlight employment experience, career aspirations, applicable skills and knowledge, strengths and areas of interest.

My resume is up to date (see Figure 3), with alterations needed to reflect the expected level of quality outlined in this unit. I need to separate employment and volunteer history and elaborate on my duties under each role. Over the course of the next week, I will be making my resume more detailed and more tailored to the internship applications, and will include an updated version in this entry (see Figure 4) to demonstrate the differences. My cover letters will also be altered to reflect each individual application, as it is important to individualise these as to not address cover letters to the wrong people, or to mix up prospective employers.

(Figure 3, Mikayla Royal Resume, Mikayla Royal, 2023)

(Figure 4, Mikayla Royal Updated Resume, Mikayla Royal, 2023)

References: Waung, M., McAuslan, P., DiMambro, J., & Miegoc, N. (2017). Impression management use in resumes and cover letters. Journal of Business and Psycohology, 32(6), 727-746. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1955518270?parentSessionId=nGZdOZsY8we7xM7hArWOTYGqJJ0lpBZaE1Ac0LeQzPA%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=132066

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Entry 1

About Me page including: a brief on your background, sport interests, work experiences and career ambitions. In addition: a reflection on your study performance to date and areas to improve; expectations and aspirations for this subject and your internship.

I am Mikayla Royal, I am 25-year-old woman living in Southeast Melbourne. I completed secondary school in 2015 and went on to study a short musical theatre course in 2016. In 2019, I completed my Diploma of Screen and Media (Make Up Services). I commenced my Bachelor of Sports Media in 2021 at Holmesglen Institute.

I am currently employed at the Glen Eira Sports and Aquatics Centre (GESAC) as an Aquatics Shift Supervisor, Aquatics Program Assistant, Aquatic Education Teacher, and an Everybody Active (EBA) support worker. My roles and responsibilities include overseeing and coordinating swim school shifts, co-ordinating a team of staff, parents, and students to ensure the learn to swim program is provided at a high-quality level. I am also responsible for teaching swimming lessons, assessing students’ skills, and providing customer service to swim school members. As an EBA support worker, it is my role to help clients requiring support for their gym and hydro pool programs. I have been employed at GESAC for almost seven years.

I am the Communications and Social Media Coordinator at the Bentleigh Football Netball Club (BFNC), where I am also a general committee member, and play in the women’s football and netball programs. I have been at the club since 2018, and this has helped shape my passion for sports, particularly women sports, in recent years. I also volunteer as a digital content creator for Knight Vision Analysis, creating graphics from statistics provided.

My career ambitions include working as a digital content creator for an AFL club or the AFL/AFLW and working in broadcasting as a producer or content creator. Recently I have gained interest in the business side of sports, and I am hopeful that my internship will be able to provide me with insight about both the media and business aspect of professional sports.

When reflecting on my study, I am proud of the high quality of work I have achieved, and attribute this to my organisational skills and determination. I am proud of the work I have submitted, and the skills I have developed to do so. My knowledge in media theory, creation (See Figure 1, demonstrating the use of repetition and rules of threes, theories learnt during Digital Media Production) and video and audio editing have improved during my studies, and I believe I also have a better understanding of the professional world.

(Figure 1, Christalee Davies Graphic, 2022, Mikayla Royal)

In addition, my communication skills have developed on a professional and personal level. I would like to improve on having assignments completed two to three days before submission, to utilise the time to fine tune and maximise the quality of work. To do this, I will set a date that falls three days before the submission cut off and will work towards that deadline, using a calendar with clearly labelled dates (See Figure 2). I would also like to expand upon my vocabulary and use more terminology in my work.

(Figure 2, Transition to Professional Practice Assignment Due Dates Calendar, 2023, Mikayla Royal)

I am hopeful that this subject will best prepare me for my internship, giving me the confidence, knowledge, and motivation to perform at my very best for the duration of my internship. It would be ideal if my internship led into full time work in the industry, and I will ensure to represent myself and Holmesglen as best I can to give myself every opportunity of that coming into fruition.