TEM404 Work Related Learning Assignment Sample

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Introduction

Tourism and events management is a thriving and competitive sector in which people are faced with learning the new trends in the market and extending the contact database necessary to be constantly employed. This action plan targets using LinkedIn in career progression, developing an individual PDP for graduate-level roles, and conducting a thematic review of recruitment practices for graduate and non-graduate positions in the sector. Further, customer relationship skills will be illustrated as critical to the career's success since they improve the delivery of compelling services within the TES sector. For students navigating these complex career development concepts, help with assignment writing provides essential support to structure arguments and achieve academic excellence.

This action plan offers clear steps toward career development and personal and professional advancement through social networks, assessment of employers’ expectations of employees, and stressing the importance of job portability. Utilizing such elements, this document will provide the necessary knowledge and tools to be adopted by tourism and events management professionals to succeed in the highly competitive environment of the contemporary market.

LinkedIn as a Tool for Career Development

LinkedIn has become a valuable tool for career advancement, especially in fields such as tourism and events management, where opportunities for networking, visibility and training are fashionable (Funprime Technology, 2024). LinkedIn allows professionals to network with their industry counterparts, remain informed of the latest innovative ideas, or search for career opportunities that meet their objectives.

One of the key values of LinkedIn is its capability to deliver information regarding the latest trends to the user’s fingertips (Kahless, 2024). The modern tourism and events industry is characterized by constant skill and competency requirements shifts due to sustainability, digital marketing approaches, and post-COVID-19 recovery (Kozlowski and Ilgen, 2019). People can follow the leading key players in the field, industry opinion leaders, and tags of publications, and it is crucial for acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills constantly depending on the market trends.

It also acts as a professional social networking platform to interact with professionals from employers, mentors, classmates and peers (Shabur and Siddiki, 2024). Engaging in building such a network welcomes partnership opportunities, sharing knowledge and setting up mentorship. For example, while event planners and tourism managers can offer practical information on demanding tasks and future requirements in the field, participating student alumni from similar study programs may uncover specific career opportunities.

In addition, LinkedIn has a job search that is filterable by industry. However, users can have full access to vacancies at different levels, including graduate entry (Ansari and Khan, 2020). The jobs are matched to the user profiles within the platform through a recommendation system, which makes job searches more effective. For instance, job seekers seeking an event coordinator or tourism consultant position must exploit LinkedIn's job alert and application tracking system (Liu et al., 2022).

Aside from job searching, LinkedIn Learning comprises a range of courses to improve industry-relevant competencies. For tourism and events professionals, courses on areas of interest, including customer service, digital event planning, and project management, are easy to come across (Keiper, 2023). These resources enable users to close a perceived skill gap and be relevant for a given job.

Some examples of LinkedIn's positive effects are also brought from reality. For instance, many people in the events industry have reported getting jobs by following relevant companies, tagging executives directly and applying for a job on the website (Buhalis et al., 2023). Hence, recruiters also search for talents with an active online presence; therefore, a professional appearance should be created on the website.

Personal Development Plan (PDP)

Thus, anyone must have a guide to integrate their general working plan with the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to be competent in their working areas. Thus, there is a need to develop a thematic PDP geared toward graduates’ job opportunities in the rapidly growing tourist and event management field that demands flexibility and professional knowledge (Joksimovic et al., 2023). This section briefly summarises the PDP of selected graduate roles in the industry with upcoming goals, a timeline, and resources such as LinkedIn.

The identified graduate occupations include Event Coordinator, Tourism Marketing Specialist, and Sustainable Tourism Consultant. The event Coordinator position entails event planning, implementation, financial control, and client relationships (Oklobdzija, 2018). A typical job of a tourism marketing specialist includes marketing travel destinations, creating marketing communication and campaign programs, and assessing market opportunities. On the other hand, a sustainable tourism consultant deals with environmental conservation issues in the tourism business and embraces sustainable measures (Sanden and Vries, 2018). Promoting Diversion: Each of the above roles demands a package of skills and expertise, which this PDP will support.

Skills-building, networking, and obtaining experience are the most important for these positions. Specialised knowledge, including efficiency in using event planning and management tools, including Eventbrite, marketing analytics, and sustainable tourism management, guided by the global sustainable tourism criteria (Ammirato et al., 2021). This knowledge will be developed by enrolling in LinkedIn courses in event management, Digital marketing and sustainable tourism (Van Winkle and Bueddefeld, 2022). Passing at least three certifications within the next six months will guarantee the preparation for these positions.

Another component of the PDP is networking, which involves professional interaction with other workers. Networking encourages sharing ideas and is a gateway to job offers when constructing a good network (Scolere et al., 2018). This will be accomplished by establishing professional connection on the linked-in platforms focusing on professionals in tourism and events. Posting the profile on social sites, joining a group like ‘Tourism and Hospitality Professionals’, and participating in the group will improve the profile’s visibility and create value engagements (Ryan, 2022). The goal of developing twenty new connections over the next ninety days is also serviceable but more concrete.

Practical knowledge needs internship or volunteer work, as externships are referred to to get experience (Chen, 2023). Challenges: To get acquainted with real-life scenarios, it is helpful to apply for part-time jobs or internships at event management companies or on tourism and travel boards. LinkedIn job search will help select the right opportunity, while the aim will be to apply for more than five organizations within the next one and a half months (Alderwick et al., 2021).

Timeline for Achieving Goals

Graduate vs. Non-Graduate Recruitment Processes

There is a clear distinction in the nature, purpose, and expectations of recruitment and selection within graduate and non-graduate tourism and events management positions (Bennett, 2023). It is crucial to have these distinctions in mind when looking for entry points in the sector and to ensure proper expectations of the nature and demands of each selection process. It focuses on comparing graduate positions like Event Coordinator or Tourism Marketing Specialist with non-graduate positions such as Front Desk Associate or Event Assistant and how customer service skills are beneficial in the two of them (Akgunduz, Alkan and Adan Gök, 2021).

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The recruitment process of graduates in the tourism and events industry is more formal and competitive because companies look for educated individuals with the potential to lead (Seyitoğlu et al., 2022). Recruiters usually use graduate schemes or specific vacancies to find the target audience, paying attention to the candidate’s academic achievements and abilities to analyze and lead. These often comprise one or more than one step from the lot, like online applications, psychometric assessments, competency-based interviews, and last but not least, the assessment centre. For instance, in an Event Coordinator job, skills that may be tested may include organizational and time management, financial and administrative skills, and innovation based on operational events (Wolters and Brady, 2020). The CAC is meant to evaluate not only one’s technical skills but also the behavioural ones, namely communication, collaboration, and flexibility.

Conversely, graduate recruitment selection procedures usually are less complex and more specific on practical experience instead of a prospective bearing. Roles like Front Desk Associate or Event Assistant focus on service orientation and general familiarity with the organization (Munnukka, Talvitie-Lamberg and Maity, 2022). The following comprises the usual steps involved in the selection, which include application and submission of the resume, interview and, in some companies, skills tests that take a few hours. These roles appreciate working experience in customer service, handling multiple tasks simultaneously, and prior knowledge of some tools or software used in the industry more than they do education (Gerea and Herskovic, 2022). For instance, an employee at the level of front desk associate may be evaluated based on his or her performance in handling client calls and keeping a professional attitude amid pressure.

Although there are these differences, interpersonal skills, especially on the customer service front, continue to play a prominent role in graduate and non-graduate talent acquisition (Tholen, 2022). In the tourism and events industry, customer experience is significant since it determines the level of satisfaction of the clients as well as the reputation of the event. In graduate-level positions, customer service aptitudes are assessed through situational tests or during the assessment day, where the candidates conduct a mock interview and deal with customers or clients (Tholen, 2022). However, in other positions that do not require a graduate-level education, general critical thinking ability is evaluated more casually, for instance, by using role-play and behaviour-based interview questions (Seyitoğlu et al., 2022). Sceptical and hardheaded, employers trust and seek people who possess empathy, problem-solving skills, and a customer-centric perception at any level of selection.

As professional positions offer more potential for career mobility, operational jobs afford persons access to the field and base training (Munnukka, Talvitie-Lamberg and Maity, 2022). From these recruitment processes for both positions, it is clear that flexibility, good people skills, and the aptitude for performing well in change-oriented environments are characteristics very valued in this industry.

Customer Service Skills

Interpersonal skills are one of the significant factors of employability in tourism and events management as they directly impact customers’ satisfaction, the company’s image and performance (Tavitiyaman, Tsui and Ng, 2023). These skills include communication, interpersonal skills, decision-making, flexibility, and stress tolerance, which are all related to talent acquisition and identifying the best candidate or candidates. Whether hiring graduate or non-graduate employees, customer service skills are essential for employers (Tavitiyaman, Tsui and Ng, 2023).

Hiring decisions in graduate positions, such as Event Coordinator or Tourism Marketing Specialist, involves demonstrating customer service skills in the broader context of interpersonal and leadership competencies. For example, an event coordinator, the person who is responsible for coordinating an event, must be able to manage essential communication and cooperate with the client, performers, and co-workers to fulfil everyone’s needs (Nguyen, Goh and Murillo, 2021). In the same way, a Tourism Marketing Specialist may have to convince other people and tourists to choose given destinations. Therefore, customer-oriented communication is crucial. In selecting such positions, one often administers situational judgment tests or role-play to assess the candidate’s aptitude in managing customers (Nguyen, Goh and Murillo, 2021).

In non-graduate positions, such as Front Desk Associate or Event Assistant, customer service skills are the pillars of daily tasks. These positions involve direct customer contact, answering customers’ questions, addressing their concerns, and offering a pleasant service delivery experience (Ghosh and Jhamb, 2021). Using behaviourally anchored interview questions or experience simulation or even performance-based testing, employers can assess these skills within candidates because the performance measures involve practical abilities like listening skills, good communication skills, and being able to maintain a good attitude (Buhalis, Leung and Lin, 2023).

In any setting, interpersonal communication skills make a difference in delivering unique customer experiences, which is always a goal in the Tourism and Events industry (Ansari and Khan, 2020). The skills related to achieving cooperation and solving customer needs add value to the repurchase intentions, positive word-of-mouth, and favourable organizational image. Furthermore, in a competitive and highly active market, individuals with good customer service are considered valuable company members who can effectively provide helpful solutions for various issues (Akgunduz, Alkan and Adan Gök, 2021).

Conclusion

Tourism and events management careers offer various avenues which assist professionals in establishing sound careers. Consequently, people must learn how to operate in an environment characterised by intense competition and the use of commodities like LinkedIn and personal development plans, as well as understand the differences between a graduate employment plan and a non-graduate employment plan. This has identified opportunities for networking, professional growth, and job search on the LinkedIn platform, and it has presented strategies for how self and career goals can be harmonised to meet market standards. Interpersonal skills, a general insurance company’s selling proposition, have risen as a significant employment feature in graduate and non-graduate positions. These skills help improve employment opportunities for professionals and promote career advancement as the professional intersects with the client’s expectations.

References

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