BUS306 [Task 1 Information Session]
Assessment details
• Due: Friday of Week 8 by 5pm
• Weighting : 50%
• Format: Word Document or PDF
• Type/ Product: Portfolio
• Length/Duration: 1,250 words
• Individual task
QUESTION
The goal of this is to explore professional job trends and career opportunities in your employment area of interest and create a professional portfolio. Your digital professional portfolio will contain the following:
a) An outline of your professional strengths and weaknesses
b) Research of current booming industries and growing job clusters/job vacancies in the market
c) Showcase a professional portfolio for yourself in the appendices
d) Discuss your strategy for managing your digital reputation
This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The following Program Competency will be assessed:
PC1.3: Demonstrate digital literacy skills for communication and information sharing in a business context
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE
This task requires the submission of a 1,250 word report. How you structure your report is up to you but make sure you focus on the following key areas:
SECTION 1. Introduction [approx. 50 words]
SECTION 2. Exploration of professional job trends in your employment area of interest (2x Job vacancies analysed) [approx. 150 words]
SECTION 3. My professional brand identity [approx. 500 words]
SECTION 4. My digital assets: Justification of your choice of digital tools for your professional portfolio [approx. 250 words]
SECTION 6. Strategy for online reputation management [approx. 250 words]
SECTION 7. Conclusion [approx. 50 words]
SECTION 8. Reference List
APPENDIX. Include website links to your digital portfolio and/or screenshots (i.e., provide evidence of your digital assets)
You MUST include evidence of:
• An elevator pitch (video or script),
• Evidence of a resume,
• A cover letter,
• Screenshot of your LinkedIn account,
• Any professional bodies you have joined (or plan to join), and
• A mock interview (video or script of Approximately 5 - 10 questions and answers)
EXAMPLE CASE STUDY
Michael is a student of BUS306 and has aspirations to work in the fashion industry. He is studying a Commerce degree majoring in Marketing. He is not sure what direction he is wanting to take post graduation but definitely wants to work in Fashion. Doing what exactly, he isn't quite sure.
While researching ideas for his assignment he gets distracted on Youtube. 40 minutes later, the next video that appears in the suggestions is one about fashion and style from someone called Tom Ford.
He has never heard of him but watches the short video
https://youtu.be/btlgsKIvN0M
The next youtube video suggestion shows that Tom has been on Jimmy Kimmel...and he's also a film director. Research his Wikipedia page you find out has worked as the creative director for Gucci and
Yves Saint Laurent. He is also currently the Chairman of the board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He has quite the resume.
https://youtu.be/v95oG52oGW8
Michael continues to research Tom Ford's story to figure out his path to success and finds another video from the CNBC interview. Tom's undergraduate degree was in architecture but he get his first job in Fashion in New York. And on his first day he didn't even know how to design a garment; he was hired because the boss said he had nice hands. He soon figured out that designing dresses was very similar to architecture...
https://youtu.be/g03cbeohn_w
Michael visits seek.com.au and searches fashion jobs in Australia and the following ads appear.
The first job posting says they are looking for -an energetic, hardworking full-time brand manager. This role is ideal for someone who thrives across fashion and sales and is ready to grow and flourish in their career.
What we're looking for in you:
If you are creative, known to think outside the box and are passionate about the fashion industry, this could be the role you’ve been looking for.
Our ideal candidate will have:
• fashion industry experience including product purchasing and sales skills
• the ability to manage a wide range of stakeholders and relationships including department stores, major fashion retailers, online retailers and boutiques
• experience working with larger retailers and chain groups would be an advantage
• experience in managing a large range of sales representatives Australia wide and overseas
• experience in identifying new audiences and customers and strategies of how to attract and retain existing customers to drive sales growth
• excellent communication skills both in and outside the business including with our in-house production team
• a team player with expert attention to detail and fantastic organisational skills
• the ability to assist with design and product development
• experiencing reporting on sales performance, interpreting data and great computer skills
• a current drivers license and a car
You scan through the second ad to see if it requires similar skills and/or experience:
-What we’re looking for?
We are now seeking an experienced Womenswear Apparel Graphic Designer to join the team. This is an exciting opportunity to further develop your graphic design experience with Australia’s most iconic retailer and have your graphics bought by customers Australia-wide.
This role will see you:
• Working collaboratively with your fellow designers across all of apparel, as well as our amazing buyers and planners;
• researching and developing product from concept to final sign off.
• production of artwork for overseas manufacturers
• working to our Critical Path
About You
Your success in this role will be measured by your ability to ensure speed to market and product differentiation from competitors. Your background in apparel graphic design and exposure to garment drawings, textile yardages and placements will be integral to your success.
Strong working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator CS and Adobe Photoshop CS will give you the ideal background to excel in this position. Your ability to develop effective working relationships internally and externally will assist with your ability to influence and negotiate your strong understanding of market trends.
--
Using the above information, Michael feels confident he can write SECTION 2 of his assignment:
SECTION 2. Exploration of professional trends in your employment area of interest (2x Job vacancies analysed)
--
After completing Section 2 he focuses on Section 3:
SECTION 3. Your professional brand identity
He types -professional brand identity- into Google and finds quite a few resources.
Resource 1: Kunsman, T (2020) Why you need to a develop a powerful personal brand identity at work. https://everyonesocial.com/blog/personal-brand-identity/
According to Kunsman (2020) there are six reasons why you need a personal brand identity:
Showing Value. -Employees can create impressive social media profiles to showcase their ability, connections, and interest.-
Building Self-Awareness. -Personal branding allows you to show what matters to YOU. Your brand image becomes about the skills and interests you have and are interested in, not what your job or environment might have dictated. If you’re lucky, your job and your interests will intersect.- Improving Visibility. -Use social media as an opportunity to brand yourself, show professionalism, and prove a value in the industry. This visibility could result in unexpected opportunities or a professional advantage down the road.-
Establishing and Achieving Goals. -A personal brand helps determine who you are and where you are going. Your branding identity will help you consider how you define your current place and where you want to be in the near-distant future.-
Career Advancement
Increase Exposure for Your Employer
The article also the emphasises 9 ways to Develop Your Personal Brand Identity Through Social, suggesting that people with strong and well defined personal brands are more likely to access great opportunities. People with well defined brands stick in people’s minds and are the first considered when someone needs an expert in their field. This is known as top-of mind awareness. Micheal thinks that for a lot of people, when they think of fashion, Tom Ford is top of mind. Maybe one day, down the track Michael will get there. But it all begins with clear articulation of his brand identity...Michael researches how to do this and finds this article
RESOURCE 2: Wheeler, K (2021) How to Develop a Unique (& Memorable) Brand Identity in 2021.
Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/agency/develop-brand-identity
SECTION 4 HINTS and TIPS
SECTION 4. My digital assets: Justification of your choice of digital tools for your professional portfolio [approx. 250 words]
1 - Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/04/26/why-every-job-seeker-should-have-a-personalwebsite-and-what-it-should-include/?sh=2bce9ef4119e Link to the article:
In this section make sure you justify your decision. You may consider creating a table to EVALUATE the digital tools available to you, and the benefits/costs of each.
FINAL HINTS
THE ELEVATOR PITCH
An elevator pitch is a rehearsed commercial of how you sell yourself! My advice, keep it simple..
https://youtu.be/pE7DRTxr7yo
MOCK INTERVIEW
• Submit a video or script of an interview.
• You can complete this by yourself, or work with another student.
• There will be two roles
1: the interviewer asking the questions (5 to 10 questions)
2: you, the person being interviewed.
Below are links to 3 video guides on mock interviews, the first two are mock interviews, the third gives an example of questions that could be asked.
https://youtu.be/srw4r3htm4U
https://youtu.be/90enTuzVXUU
https://youtu.be/umQKkcBPL08
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