Faheem Sumra
My Reflection
A. The improvement on the ePortfolio you submitted in your 1st year (Variation One) Since completing the ePortfolio submitted in the 1st year many improvements have been made to this ePorfolio. I must say it has been an exciting experience being at Southampton Solent University and creating different strands of work since the 1st year. When I looked back at the work produced in the 1st year it was easy to see that changes were needed to be made in order for a more professional page which people could then be able to view and learn a lot about me from just looking through this. In order to make these improvements much thought was put in to how these improvements will be made and what aspects of the ePortfolio will be improved. Starting off with these improvements I thought it was important to update and take out anything which wasn’t relevant to me. The work produced by myself in the last two years has been updated onto the page and this will be able to show how I have progressed over the years while being at Southampton Solent University. One example of this was having a “6 month reflection”, as this was done in the 1st year there was no other option but to write about the time that I have been on this course however now that I’m in my third and final year I am able to write about the actual 3 year reflection which then perspective employers may be able to look and find out information about my time at University. I believe this alone is a big improvement as it shows what kind of work I have done, what I have learnt and what I am looking to do with my future. Moving on from this another improvement from the 1st year ePortfolio to the 3rd years is adding a CV. On the 1st year ePortfolio there was no actual link for a CV page however on the actual page itself there was elements of a CV such as interests, skills, education history etc. Moving on to the updated ePortfolio page an actual link was put in to ensure that people can have a look at the whole CV instead of just aspects of it. I believe putting the actual CV on the page is much more beneficial to me as I am an Architectural Technologist and the CV shows the design side to me as if I just kept it the same as the 1st year it would just be plain and simple. Moreover including the addition of the CV to the new ePortfolio there is also a covering letter which is only an example however it shows what I am able to bring to a company etc. In addition to this and making improvements to the ePortfolio a huge factor is adding my own work to the page. Before making any changes to the page there was only work from the 1st year which could be seen to anyone viewing the page however after making the changes not only work from second year but also third year has been added on to the page and can be viewed by any employers or general public who desire to view my page. I believe this is important to do this as if an employer was to look at my ePortfolio knowing that I had completed my three years at University and there was still only work from the 1st year on there it could make them think about the type of person they are looking at in terms of not keeping myself updated and professional. After making changes to the page there are now workloads from all three years which may be able to show how I have progressed throughout the years in terms of my skills and ability in this field. There are different fields of work which can be viewed from CAD and Revit to written assignments and group projects.
Faheem Sumra
My Reflection
B. Your personal marketing strategy (Variation One) From the group assignment I have learnt that the use of marketing can be very beneficial to you as if this is done in the right way it can lead you to standing out and a future employer to choose you over someone else. When looking into personal marketing strategies and looking to get yourself known in the construction industry there are a number of different of ways this can be done. One of the methods used by me was the use of social networks particularly being Linked in. Linked in is a business oriented social networking service which is used for professional networking. This was a very beneficial tool to me as it helped me search for different construction companies who are local to me and the companies who are recruiting. Within using this app there are many important factors to keep in mind such as keeping your profile professional, friendly and readable so that employers will want to keep reading and be keen on knowing more about you. In addition to the use of social networking another marketing strategy for yourself is the use of marketing in your CVs and interviews. Creating a CV can be a major tool which can help you get very far in your career, just by an employer looking at this one page can make them realise a lot about you and who you are. In regards to this it is important that when you apply for a job you should first do research on the company and then you can change your CV/covering letter towards that actual company. The final approach to marketing strategy will be to keep in touch with my fellow colleagues and friends from my time at university because one to one meetings is much more beneficial to talking over social media or by phone etc. Keeping in touch will help me to see how we have changed and if they can benefit me in terms of helping me with my career and vice versa.
Faheem Sumra
My Reflection
C. Your experience of team-working and leadership interactions completing the group assignment for this unit. (Both Variations) When we was assigned into our teams for this group assignment I knew since the first day how important it is for team work and cooperation to take place in order for a successful group project. My experience of team-working throughout completing the group assignment was that I learned how crucial it is to get along with your team mates and always stay in touch up until the last day of presentation. In addition to this throughout our group assignment many meetings were kept throughout set dates which were agreed upon by all members of the team, to me this is a very important factor as without these meetings we wouldn’t have worked as well as a team and wouldn’t have been as successful as we were. Each member of the group had a different aspect to learn and find out about which meant that it was important to communicate with each other not only in person or in the classroom but also throughout the tea room discussion which was set up on the Solent my course page. Throughout the group assignment some problems did occur such as team members unsure being unsure of what to do and what they were being asked to do within the brief and changes of the brief. To overcome this situation we got together as a team and spoke about the brief and made sure everyone was sure of what was being asked of them. Moving onto leadership interactions there wasn’t a actual proposed or clear leader upon completing this assignment, it was more of a group effort however each person in the group did have their own say towards the assignment brief which was set and how we was going to come across it in order to overcome the problems. In conclusion to this I would say that I have learned a lot not only just by this one course or this one year but throughout my time at being at this university. I believe it is essential to work in teams and for there to be a leader who can put you on the road to success. Everything that has been learnt by me in the last three years from knowledge to skills to being independent will be carried into my future and hopefully I can pursue these skills where ever I next go.