MA Reflective Evaluation

My Reflective Analysis Journey

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(hurnandhurn.com, 2020) (wayfair.co.uk, 2020)

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N ATA L I E L O R D

Fashion Today

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Sowing the seed: My Background

Kolb’s Reflective Model (1984)

4-5 6-7 8-11 12-13

Stem beneath the soil: Self-reflection

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SWOT Analysis

16 17 18 20-21 23-24 25

Creative CV Portfolio

Work Personality Creative Problem Solving Technical Skills Time Management Organisation

Mumford & Honey: Typology of Learners Images: vectorstock.com, 2020. dlpng.com, 2020. flowercoloringpage.blogspot.com, 2013. webcomicms.net, 2020.

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Finding my roots: Stepping out of my comfort zone Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) Communication Teamwork & Leadership

28 30-32 33-34 35-36

Pick of the bunch: Job Role analysis

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Changing seasons: My 5 year future

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Bibliography

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Appendices

52 Images: vectorstock.com, 2020.

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1 (vectorstock.com, 2020)

Introduction

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CONTENTS

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Osterman and Kottkamp (1993:19) describe reflective practice, “as a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of selfawareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development.�

(House Beautiful, 2019)

INTRODUCTION (etsy.com, 2020)

In this assignment, I will reflect on my journey throughout my Fashion Buying and Merchandising Management MA as I progress to become a buyer. By developing my skills and attributes, I will improve my employability by learning from past experiences. To do this, I will be using theoretical models to process thoughts and feelings and challenge personal behaviours; recognising areas of growth.

Using a SWOT analysis and academic personality tests will give me an insight into where I need to progress, whilst analysing my strengths, which will support why I think I am suited to a buyer position.

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(Miller, 2015)

FASHION TODAY The McKinsey Global Fashion Index predicts that the fashion industry will continue to grow 3-4% in 2020; with consumer shifts focusing on sustainability and social media (State of Fashion report, 2020). As an industry that is constantly changing, retailers are having to move with the times; adopting an omnichannel experience and improved transparency for consumers. Although Brexit uncertainty meant

shoppers were avoiding big buys in 2019, the UK economy has picked up, with retailers planning for post-Brexit. REPL chairman, Mike Callender, told FashionUnited (2020), “what’s really going to affect retail, even on a global scale, are the trade negotiations.”

However, with a global pandemic caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the fashion industry must prepare for losses.

(Rice, 2019)

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There are many things that plants need for their growth.

Similarly, many things that I need to develop to become a buyer. Using this analogy, I will reference how I started when I began my MA; how a plant begins as a seed, my self-reflection; what is beneath the surface of the plant, and finally, how I need to step out of my comfort zone to develop as a professional; the roots which help a plant grow. To conclude, I will change through the seasons, as I develop my skills and become suited to a buyer role.

(avis-de-deces.net, 2020)

SOWING THE SEED: MY BACKGROUND 4

5

6 7

CREATIVE CV

thesalenetwork.co.uk, 2019

smylies.com, 2019

Halifax Courier, 2018

theprintrunner.co.uk, 2019

thesalenetwork.co.uk, 2019

JOURNALISM DISSERTATION WORK 76%

8 Final mark:

PORTFOLIO

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JOURNALISM MAGAZINE MODULE WORK

Final mark: 65%

10 11

When I started my MA, I was unsure about the path I wanted to take; buying or merchandising. Having no fashion industry experience, it was vital I took advantage of university resources, for

example, attending guest lecturers from both career paths. Similarly, I have had the opportunity to communicate with an industry mentor; a buying assistant for a fast-fashion company. The perspective from industry experts helped guide my decision to become a buyer.

As Van Hoek et al (2011) quotes Bloom (1956), for postgraduate students, a guest lecturer means moving from basic educational goals of knowledge and understanding, to higher levels of analysis and (Walmart, 2020) evaluation. Insights from industry is an essential part of understanding how theory works in practice (Hoek et al, 2011). Not only has this allowed me to gain an insight into what this role entails, but I was able to visualise the environment I could see myself working in.

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Figure 1: Kolb’s Model of Reflection (1984)

KOLB’S MODEL OF REFLECTION (1984)

Although I previously had a strong interest in fashion, I lacked industry knowledge and understanding of career opportunities within buying and merchandising. Using Kolb’s (1984) model of reflection (Figure 1), I can interpret the influences behind my decision to progress in a future role as a Buying Admin Assistant. Kolb (1984), defined experimental learning as “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience.”

Experience, observe and feel

Plan for future actions, formulate new understanding and ways to behave

The learning cycle of experiences (Dwyer, 2012: 597)

As a result, listening to industry professionals allowed me to recognise areas for career development. I reviewed my notes and realised basic Excel skills is an ability employer’s look for. Alongside this, it helped me with preparation for job applications and interviews. Fry (2018) states that “a key part of the

Reflection, analyse the experience

Find meaning, generalise and make sense from the experience

interview process is preparation – researching the company, position, preparing pertinent questions and being ready to sprinkle your knowledge into the conversation.” In the future, I will attend networking events and more industry talks, to gain an insight into various company’s expectations and my suitability.

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THE STEM BENEATH THE SOIL: SELFREFLECTION

(etsy.com, 2020)

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WORK PERSONALITY TEST

SWOT ANALYSIS (2007) states, “once we have reviewed our life/career line, developed a personal SWOT analysis and are clear on what we want to achieve, we can then start to set objectives and key goals.”

Weaknesses

• MA Degree in Buying and Merchandising • Bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Journalism • Knowledge in marketing; SEO, HTML coding, WordPress, Elementor, Shopify and Magento • Creative • Research skills: WGSN • Organisation skills • Team worker • Strong writing skills • Proficient in using InDesign

• No industry experience in a buying role • Lack of knowledge using Excel • Need to develop connections via LinkedIn

Opportunities

Threats

• Careers resources: EDITED training, industry SWOT analysis and presentations • Assignments to reflect industry briefs: reflects wider business and different business cultures • Access to WGSN database • Networking Events • Industry talks • Access to LinkedIn Learning via University library database

• Strong competition in the buying industry • Job opportunities are a distance from home

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have taken a work personality test (appendix 5). Answering a series of questions, the programme calculated my personality traits, which in turn, identified my qualities.

EXTRAVERSION

• Less outgoing • Comfortable in my own company • Introvert

AGREEABLENESS

• Enjoy a good team atmosphere • Avoid arguments and differences of opinion • Optimistic view of others

EMOTIONAL STABILITY

Key findings

Strengths

Although a SWOT analysis allows me to understand steps to further develop my employability skills, it may be limited as it does not provide solutions and reflects only my opinion. To assist with this, I

Work Personality traits

Figure 2: SWOT Analysis

To reflect and analyse my skills to date, I created a SWOT analysis framework, shown in Figure 2. This analyses my skills, both internally and externally in relation to a BAA role. As Mark Thomas

• Prone to stress and pressure • Vulnerable to moods

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

• Tidy, proficient and highly organised • Efficient at tasks and meeting deadlines

OPENNESS

• Enjoy a measure of change, variety and new experiences • Also appreciate stability and take comfort in routine

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MA MODULE: PLANNING

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

(ohwondercalligraphy, 2018)

During my BA Journalism degree, I learnt how to use Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. As shown in my portfolio, I created two magazines, which required me to be proficient in Adobe software to achieve high marks. This has further developed during my MA degree; using Adobe InDesign to create layouts and range plans for my assignments.

Combined with Photoshop, I have created a diverse portfolio of work.

A creative domain can also be exercised through innovation. During my MA, I have demonstrated innovative range plans using Adobe Illustrator to create flat designs of garments.

Having previously never used Illustrator, I struggled in this

MA MODULE: PRODUCT

area when completing my planning module. Drawing garments using illustrator may not be part of a BAA role; however, to develop my own skillset, being proficient in illustrator will give me an advantage. As Karpova et al (2013) state, in the global and highly competitive fashion industry creativity is important. Regardless of the primary job focus, creativity, and especially creative problem solving, is essential in fashion business (Karpova et al, 2013). To develop this, I have taken the LinkedIn Learning course ‘Illustrator for Fashion Design: Drawing Flats’. This demonstrated how to draw basic garment designs. In the future, I could develop this both in industry and by taking the advanced version of the LinkedIn Learning course.

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TECHNICAL SKILLS

(Walmart, 2020)

“Buyers, merchandisers and other retail professionals use EDITED to understand what is happening in the market in real time, for example what products are out there and what prices they’re available at.”

MATHS

EXCEL

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Ratios, percentages, margin calculations and currency exchanges.

In previous modules, organisation and planning, I have used Excel to Autosum calculations. However, I need to explore advanced formulas such as V Look Up’s and Pivot Tables.

Resources

TREND ANALYSIS

The table below, demonstrates the actions I will take to develop my technical skills.

With no experience using Edited, I plan to develop this skill by taking the online course delivered by the university.

This will provide me with basic skills to use the programme and the option to develop further to an advanced skillset.

EDITED’s information will also support my research for final assignments.

Using the retail data analysis programme EDITED, to support competition shop reports, trend analysis and innovation.

Skills to develop

In the fashion industry, WGSN is an essential tool for trend analysis and has supported my MA assignments in the product and planning modules. As I progress as a buyer, I understand I will also use the retail data programme EDITED. Cited by Harris (2017), Julia Fowler, CEO and co-founder of Edited, stated “Buyers, merchandisers and other retail professionals use EDITED to understand what is happening in the market in real time, for example what products are out there and what prices they’re available at.” Buyers must also be familiar with basic maths and excel skills. Having

ACTION PLAN

taken the maths test provided (appendix 9), I am confident I can execute the basic requirements to be a BAA. However, in order for me to be quick with mental arithmetic I will need to continue practicing in areas commonly used in the industry.

To keep track of the numerical data and inventory, a BAA will also use Excel, and should be familiar with the formulas in the program (Yu, 2019: online).

Objectives

One of my personal strengths mentioned in the SWOT analysis, is research skills. Throughout my studies in Journalism, gathering information was a key component to writing news stories, features and finding potential interviewees. As a copywriter, I also researched different businesses specialism, using Google Analytics and SEMrush for SEO purposes.

Math’s resources provided for the MA modules will allow me to practice the skills needed to calculate the estimated prices of garment components and cost of sourcing products.

Numerical reasoning tests are also found online. To practice, I will use the Graduates First website during my time as a student.

Using LinkedIn Learning, I have completed courses on ‘Excel: PivotTables for Beginners’ and ‘Learning Excel 2019’, which has provided me with the basic programme knowledge. As I have found LinkedIn Learning a useful tool to further my skills, I will continue to use the platform for development.

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Throughout my education, I have worked in part-time retail jobs, reflected in my CV (appendix 2). In order for me to complete assignments whilst earning money, I needed to consider my time management. Reflecting on experiences during my studies, I have always accepted overtime and sacrificed focusing time on university work. This relates to one of my traits in the work personality audit; agreeableness. As I am likely to avoid conflict, I will agree to working more hours to evade upsetting other people. King (2019) states, “Being a constant people pleaser can disrupt your belief system by undercutting your selfesteem, causing feelings

(beardsanddaisies.co.uk, 2020)

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(decorlovin.com, 2019)

TIME MANAGEMENT of guilt, making you evade conflict and weakening your confidence.”

Going forward I am going to ensure I use communication, with clarity and confidence, to say no. By expressing politely to my employer that I have other priorities, it is likely to avoid conflict.

King (2019) explains that being strong under pressure will break the habit of being a peoplepleaser, stating “if you can resist caving in the first time you face pressure, it will never be more intense or difficult than that.” This way, I can express I would still like to work overtime in the future, when it is suitable for me.

“Being a constant people pleaser can disrupt your belief system by undercutting your self-esteem, causing feelings of guilt, making you evade conflict and weakening your confidence.”

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Figure 3: The Pickle Jar Theory

pebbles, rocks and water, the metaphorical objects represent everyday jobs, shown in figure 3.

By recognising a few high priority tasks (rocks), smaller, general daily tasks (pebbles), routine tasks (sand) and filling in the gaps with personal time (water), the jar will fit all elements and help devise tasks efficiently.

Rocks: The

Figure 4: BAA Roles

Jobs we’re confronted with every day, such as follow-ups and the important , urgent emails.

Sand:

Represents phone calls, less important emails, social media and any other small routine elements.

BAA admin tasks

Fit sessions Competitive shop reports

Emails and phone calls

ORGANISATION

Pebbles:

high priority tasks that must get done.

Placing purchase orders Maintaining the critical path

(plantura.garden, 2020)

A technique to help me improve my time management skills is the Pickle Jar Theory. As a BAA, I will need to manage multiple tasks (figure 4), whilst establishing a work and home life balance. The theory demonstrates an effective way of managing daily priorities and plan tasks with time to spare (Ansari, 2019: online). Using sand,

Being organised is vital for professional practice, and effective time management is an important skill that all professionals need to continue to work on (Bassot, 2016:10).

Although I have struggled to balance work and university, the restricted time to complete assignments has required me to be organised. According to my work personality audit (appendix

Water :

Personal and family time. (indiamart.com, 2020)

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5), I am likely to be efficient at tasks, meeting deadlines and working at a steady and even pace.

Similarly, I scored high at planning and organising in the situational judgement test (appendix 6).

Going forward, applying the Pickle Jar theory will enable me to manage my time more efficiently and create a structure I can follow when completing tasks in the workplace.

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CUSTOMER CENTRED

94-97 • Demonstrates empathy to customers • Listens and asks questions

DELIVERING RESULTS

69-84 • Meets targets and delivers on objectives

PLANNING AND ORGANISING

98-99 • Structures work to ensure tasks are better managed and prioritised

LEADING INNOVATING

Score and description

Situation Judgement Traits

SOLVING PROBLEMS

94-97 • Methodical and logical approach • Efficient and effective

TYPOLOGY OF LEARNERS In order to develop my skills, I needed to pinpoint my learning preferences so that I am in a better position to select learning experiences that suit my style (mint-hr.com, 2020: online). To do this, I took the Mumford and Honey Learning Style assessment (appendix 4), revised

85-93 • Inspires and guides others to develop and achieve organisational goals 94-97 • Looks to improve methods more efficiently acknowledging time and cost

WORKING WITH COLLEAGUES

85-93 • Works with others to achieve goals

COMMUNICATING

7-15 • Communicates clearly and concisely

INFLUENCING AND PERSUADING

MUMFORD & HONEY from Kolb’s learning cycle. Using four categories, the test identified the learning process that will be most beneficial to my growth. Reflecting on my results, it is evident I learn best from observing and thinking; known as a Reflector.

“These people learn by observing and thinking about what happened. They may avoid leaping in and prefer to watch from the side-lines. Prefer to stand back and view experiences from a number of different perspectives, collecting data and taking the time to work towards an appropriate conclusion” (Mint-hr.com, 2020: online).

85-93 • Influences others to own way of thinking

(anselandivy.com, 2020)

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FINDING MY ROOTS: STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

(vectorstock.com, 2020)

GIBBS REFLECTIVE CYCLE (1988) In 1988, Kolb’s model was developed

by Graham Gibbs, who examined reflective practice further by improving understanding and analysing feelings on a deeper level. During my MA degree, I have had to tackle a fear of speaking in front of people, by presenting my work

EVALUATION My voice was shaky, and I had a dry mouth. Once I stuttered, I was unable to execute the rest of the presentation confidently, as I lost my train of thought. Thomas (2009) explains how stressful experiences activate the autonomic nervous system in your body, which then activates other subsystems; increasing heart rate and depth of breathing. Consequently, anxiety, tremors in the voice and mouth dryness are experienced. As a result, my presentation was completed notably under the time limit of 10 minutes.

in modules; product and professional practice. Using Gibb’s Reflective Cycle (1988), I am able to reflect on my experience during the professional practice presentation and produce an action plan to prevent feeling anxious in the future.

ANALYSIS Esposito (2009) explains how welcoming feelings of fear and anxiety rather than resist them, will ease these feelings more quickly. A method she refers to, to cope with the fear of public speaking, is meditation. This can be as simple as slowly breathing in and out before having to conduct a presentation, training the mind to better adapt to stress, as well as enhance personal growth. By acknowledging this approach, I can ensure I breathe regularly when speaking.

This will allow me to talk clearly and pace my presentation.

DESCRIPTION An academic presentation for the first assignment of the professional practice module. This was spoken in front of 2 assessors.

FEELINGS

CONCLUSION

I was proud I built up the confidence to present work I had prepared. However, as an introvert, I am not used to speaking in front of people. This builds up anxiety, as I often fear something may go wrong.

Take advantage of experiences such as the assessment centre, to practice performing a presentation in front of a group. As I did not attend the assessment centre, I did not have the opportunity to experience a reallife employment scenario. This was due to feeling anxious about doing the presentation in front of a group of people.

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COMMUNICATION

(thelovelydrawer.com, 2017)

(Walmart, 2020)

ACTION PLAN In the future, I could practice the meditation techniques, demonstrated by Esposito (2009). I have also used LinkedIn Learning as a platform to provide me with methods to work on my fear of public speaking and build my confidence. The course ‘Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking’ demonstrates how preparation will allow me to feel more confident, for example, finding more opportunities to speak and rehearsing presentations in front of people who will provide feedback. As I learn best as a Reflector, I understand I will find myself in learning situations I am not suited; by spending time developing the learning styles I benefit from less, I can maximize my learning gain in all learning environments (Rolfe and Cheek, 2012).

As philosopher-poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson stated “all great speakers were bad speakers first.”

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Whilst studying Journalism, I believe my communication skills significantly improved.

I contacted potential interviewees on a regular basis, conducting interviews over the phone and face-to-face. During my career as a copywriter, I also communicated with colleagues, clients and managers to complete projects, demonstrating effective communication in the workplace.

This is supported by my extraversion results in my SJT (appendix 6). As a BAA, I need to ensure I share my thoughts and make a significant contribution. I understand I will also need to build relationships with stakeholders to negotiate prices, and whilst doing so, be assertive and confident.

(sfgirlbybay.com, 2015)

However, as an introvert, communicating to a large group and initiating conversation can be challenging. I am often overshadowed by larger characters and do not have the confidence to speak up during lectures.

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TEAMWORK & LEADERSHIP In industry, increasing competition, consolidation, and innovation create pressures for skill diversity, high levels of expertise, rapid response, and adaptability. Teams enable these characteristics (Kozlowski and Ilgen, 2006: online).

Figure 5: Mehrabian’s Communication theory (1971)

7%: words

38%: tone, intonation and volume

(loveproperty.com, 2020)

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FORMING

STORMING

NORMING

PERFORMING

How we worked as a team

55%: body language

When completing the first assignment during my MA, teamwork was

Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development

Mehrabian’s Communication theory (1971) in figure 5, demonstrates how communication can also be exhibited non-verbally.

This suggests words are only a fraction of how we communicate. Therefore, to be effective and persuasive, it is essential to complement words with the right tone and voice, and the appropriate body language (Belludi, 2008: online). Recognising this, in the future I will use non-verbal communication techniques to execute positive first impressions during networking events. Approaching potential industry employers, I can demonstrate I have a keen interest in working for their company, by planning questions beforehand to aid my communication. I will also use LinkedIn to connect with buyers working at organisations I aspire to work at in the future.

By interacting online, I will gain an insight into their roles and show I am interested in fashion business by engaging with posts.

required to execute a case study on the company, Very. To reflect how we evolved and establish how effectively we worked together, Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development (1965) offers an insight into how groups proceed through four general stages of development, showing the link between group relationships and task focus (appendix 7).

Shared our backgrounds and established our project goals. My background in InDesign lead to the decision I completed the creative work.

No-one demonstrated leadership skills and there was a lack of communication with who was researching which area. This led to unfair allocation of jobs, with individuals carrying more workload than others.

I took on a leadership role and established a line of communication on social media, alongside a google drive. This allowed us to share our work with each other and communicate when anyone was struggling.

Everyone assisted each other with their work and we cohesively created a project with contributions from everyone.

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Figure 6: Edward De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats (1985)

BLUE HAT Thinking about thinking.

What thinking is needed?

Organizing the thinking.

Planning for action.

CREATIVITY

PROCESS

EDWARD DE BONO’S 6 THINKING HATS (1985)

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RED HAT Intuition, hunches, gut instinct.

My feelings right now.

Feelings can change.

No reasons are given.

BENEFITS

Information and data.

Neutral and objective.

What do I know?

What do I need to find out?

How will i get the information I need?

CAUTIONS

FACTS

WHITE HAT

FEELINGS

As I build on my leadership skills,

I understand power and authority are important attributes, as they provide the opportunity to influence an organisation (Chauhan, 2016). Using Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats theory (1985), I recognise I was focused on a Red Hat approach during the group work, as I considered how others could react emotionally.

Going forward, I need to have a balance of the 6 hats in figure 6, as whilst other people’s feelings are important, as a leader I need to be tougher and more resilient. Dr. Kaushal Chauhan (2016: 9) states, “too much power may corrupt a leader, but the absence of power can be equally destructive.” Although I may not be in a leadership role as a BAA, leadership characteristics will need to be demonstrated to show I am capable of progressing to a senior buyer.

(Botanique Workshop, 2020)

In the ‘Storming’ stage of Tuckman’s theory, decisions needed to be made to organise how we would complete the assignment. This was a struggle as individuals in the group did not demonstrate leadership characteristics. As a result, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and lead during the ‘Norming’ stage.

According to Belbin’s Group Role Methodology Questionnaire (1995), modified by Sandy MacIver (appendix 8), when reviewing the roles, I mostly represented behaviours of a Realizer. This relates back to my SJT (appendix 6), where I scored high at solving problems: using a methodical and logical approach to solve issues in an efficient and effective manner.

GREEN HAT Ideas, alternatives, possibilities.

Solutions to black hat problems.

YELLOW HAT Positives, plus points.

Why an idea is useful.

Logical reasons are given.

BLACK HAT Difficulties, weaknesses, dangers.

Spotting the risks.

Logical reasons are given.

Images: reddit.com, 2012. Rump, 2019

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JOB ROLE ANALYSIS

(Calabrese, 2020)

By analysing a job specification, I will position myself and acknowledge the requirements a brand look for in a potential employee. As I desire to work at ASOS in the future, I have chosen their BAA job specification, alongside a senior role as a buyer for one of their brands.

ASOS Buyers Admin Assistant Job Specification (Workday, 2020: online)

Maintain the Critical Path and make sure your suppliers meet each key date so the product runs on time Raise purchase orders and manage this throughout the product lifecycle Manage and keep track of hundreds of product samples (throughout fits, development, shoots, sign off meetings etc.)

Work closely with various teams daily including: Merchandising, Design, Garment Technology, Production, PR, and your Brands/Suppliers

• Analysed the critical path through my assignments; researching how a range would be feasible in the marketplace.

• Strong communication skills: reflected in my work personality audit • Time management skills to ensure deadlines are met: work personality test indicates I am likely to be efficient at tasks and meeting deadlines.

• Developed garment ideas for a chosen brand and built consumer profiles to reflect brand’s values and business strategy • Advanced an idea further by bringing in the costing of manufacturing a garment in purchasing assignment • Copywriter role: Responsibility of communicating with clients through regular email updates, whilst using organisation skills to complete weekly schedules to complete my work efficiently

• No experience in raising purchase orders: would benefit from getting experience in this area.

• Strong understanding of the product lifecycle demonstrated through product range creations in assignments.

• 62% of the ASOS customer base is aged 18-34, appealing to its core consumers through affordable prices and latest must-have fashion (Brophy, 2018: online). As an ASOS consumer myself, I am confident I have a clear vision of who the ASOS consumer is

• No current experience: would benefit from getting experience in this area.

• Organisation skills to keep track of samples: demonstrated in my work personality results and reflected in my SJT; indicating I manage and prioritise effectively.

• Communicated with different teams across varied specialisms in copywriter role, to create and complete websites.

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• Demonstrated I can communicate in a team as a copywriter • Customer Centred is a key trait I excel in, reflected in my SJT. This is proven during my part-time work (CV: appendix 2); communicating effectively with both customers and management

Support your buying team with product development that is customer focussed and aligns with the wider business strategy, with relevant attention to commercialism, costing and innovation Overall deliver amazing administrative support to the team to ensure everything runs smoothly Lives and breathes upcoming fashion trends and is passionate about product Understands who the ASOS customer is Is super organised, able to use initiative and to work in a highpressured environment Able to communicate clearly and effectively to all levels Has a sense of humour!

• Regularly use WGSN to identify upcoming trends in support of assignment range plans • Follow publications such as Drapers and Business of Fashion on social media platforms, allowing me to keep up with the fashion business at all times • Creation of own products in assignments and detail of research shows passion for product • Scored high for conscientiousness in work personality test, demonstrating I am tidy, proficient and highly organised: reflected through managing university work and parttime job • Worked under pressure in copywriter role to meet deadlines and publish websites

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ASOS Buyer for Collusion Brand Job Specification (Workday, 2020: online)

(Calabrese, 2020)

Formulate a buy now wear now collection for the gen Z age demographic, taking into consideration Collusions customer muses.

Deliver department KPI’s to drive out profit.

• Executing a SWOT analysis will allow me to analyse the risks and opportunities of trading

• I will learn about the ASOS brand in depth as a BAA, gaining an understanding of Collusion’s and ASOS’s competitors • Execute competition shop reports to review Collusion’s product strategy

Trading effectively, always looking at risk and opportunities maximizing commercial opportunities.

Sourcing product in the UK and globally, delivering a suitable offer to achieve sales and profit plans and in turn, a consistently high customer experience.

Keeping up to date with global both on-line and bricks and mortar competitor activity, reviewing product strategy in light of competitor activity/initiatives.

• Working as a BAA I will work to progress to an assistant buyer role and then to a Buyer’s position

• Understanding the ASOS consumer as a BAA, I will be familiar with the Collusion brand. Therefore, I will be able to combine my knowledge and innovation to create new collections

• Shown commercial aptitude by applying industry knowledge from my research on WGSN, in my assignments • In a BAA role I will understand how the industry and business works and apply this as a buyer

• As a BAA I will learn about ASOS’s KPI’s and be able to take this knowledge as I progress into a buyer role

• By developing my communication skills, my confidence will improve when negotiating with suppliers • As a BAA, I will shadow senior colleagues and learn how they source product

• Building relationships with colleagues and suppliers as a BAA will give me the confidence to communicate and work with a different team as a buyer • Work personality results (appendix 5) reflect how I thrive in smaller organisations that depend on cooperation and teamwork

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Previous experience as a working as a Buyer with Womenswear and Menswear experience

Demonstration of a commercial aptitude

Able to effectively prioritise workload

Excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, effectively and appropriately with colleagues, suppliers and others at all levels.

Confident and highly motivated

• Using the Pickle Jar Theory • Understanding the workload and priorities as a BAA, I will be able to prioritise my workload as a buyer • Confident in using my own initiative to complete tasks as a copywriter • Progressing from BAA to buyer, I will be highly motivated in learning how to improve my industry skills • My experience in industry will improve my confidence to execute tasks efficiently

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MY 5 YEAR FUTURE From my reflective practice, I have acknowledged my areas for development which will help me advance into the next step of my career.

Using reflective model’s, I was able to explore my past experiences, whilst using the results from my work personality test to inform how I may act as a professional.

Not only did I identify my strengths, but I also analysed my weaknesses with a SWOT analysis to assist me on

(etsy.com, 2020)

(decorlovin.com, 2019)

CHANGING SEASONS

Overall, over the next 5 years I aim too: Develop greater industry knowledge

Be proficient in Excel and Edited Be confident in my communication skills and public speaking

my personal development.

Applying this to a BAA job role gave me perspective on how I may apply my skills and qualities in the industry and what I need to do now in order to meet the requirements I may not fill. Personally, I have found the process of reflection beneficial, as I have identified qualities I was unaware of, and was able to build an action plan on how to improve these to become a BAA.

Have a professional network using LinkedIn Progress from BAA to Buyers Assistant in a brand I love!

Images: vectorstock.com, 2020.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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APPENDICES

Appendix 2: CV

Appendix 1: Reflective Planner

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Appendix 3: Cover Letter

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Appendix 4: Mumford & Honeysuckle: Typology of Learners

Appendix 6: Situational Judgement test

Appendix 5: Work Personality Results

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Appendix 7: The 4 Phases of Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory

FOCUS ON THE TASK

PERFORMING

NORMING

FORMING STORMING

RELATIONSHIP

Appendix 8: Belbin’s Group Role Methodology Questionnaire Results (1995) modified by Sandy MacIver

Appendix 9: Buying and Merchandising Numeracy Test – Apparel 54.5 + 176.0 + 7.2 (round up to the nearest whole number) = 238 844.20 – 153.75 (round up to the nearest whole number) = 691 72.16 x 17.77 (show your answer to 2 decimal places) = 1282.28 What is the next number in the sequence? 16 35 73 149 = Express 1/4 as a % = 25% Express 2/5 as a % =

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An order of trousers has been bought in a size ratio 1:2:4:3:1 over sizes 8:10:12:14 and 16.

There are 342 size 12’s on order.

How many size 16’s are there? 342/2 = 171/2 = 85.5 = 86 If 302 size 10’s are delivered, how many have been over delivered against the order? 302 – 171 = 131

A hat is planned to be on sale for 16 weeks, in 167 stores with a planned Rate of Sale of 1.2 How many would you need to buy? 1.2 x 16 x 167 = 3206 If the ROS increased by 30%, how many more would you need to buy (round up to the nearest whole number)?

A t shirt has been bought in the colour ratio of 4:6:2:1 over colours denim, white, pink and yellow. There are a total of 10,400 t shirts on order.

How many t shirts are denim?

What is the combined total of yellow and white?

If a store has sold 156 scarves in one week and it is being sold in 52 stores, what rate of sale has it achieved per store (round up to one decimal place)? 156/52 = 3 If you needed to mark up a dress with a retail price of 165, by 20%, how much would it cost now (in pounds and pence)? 165 x 0.2 = 33 + 165 = 198 A company has 42 stores. The total stock units held by the company is 7,200. What is the average number of units held by each store? 7200/42 = 171

A company’s store sales for 1 week are below: Store Week Unit Sales A 90 B 43 C 69 D 55 E 36

If each stock unit has an average retail price of 22, what is the stock value? 171 x 22 = 3762 If a store has 374 Units of stock, how many would it need to sell per week to clear all the stock over: A 3 week period? 374/3 = 124.6 = 125 A 6 week period? 374/6 = 62.3 = 62

What are the total unit sales for the week? 293 What are the average sales units for the week? 55 If E stores sales decrease by 12% what would be the new unit sales? 36 x 0.12 = 4.32, 36 – 4 = 32 If store C has 552 stock units, how many weeks cover is it holding? 552/69 = 8 If store B is supposed to have 6 weeks cover, how much stock should it be holding? 43 x 6 = 258

A Store sells 260 Units per Week, it should hold 12 weeks Stock Units.

What is its Target Stock Holding? 260 x 12 = 3120 If the Target Stock Holding Units are supposed to last 14 weeks, how many Units per Week, on average, should it be selling? 3120/14 = 222.85 = 223 If it had only 15% of its Target Stock Holding, how many Stock Units would it have? 3120 x 0.15 = 468 If it had 736 Units of its Target Stock Holding, how many more units would it require to make it up to its total? 3120 – 736 = 2384 If it had only one third of its Target Stock Holding, how many Stock Units would it have?

3120/3 = 1040

Cash margin is the difference between selling price, exclusive of VAT, minus the cost price.

The margin % is the cash margin as a % of the retail selling price, exclusive of VAT. Using the following formulae, calculate the Cash and % margin.

Cash margin = (Selling Price/1.2) – Cost Price

If one hanging garment uses 3cm of space, how many rails of 0.6m can you fill with 150 garments? 150 x 3 = 450/60 = 7.5

Margin % = (Selling Price/1.2) – Cost Price x 100 (Selling Price/1.2)

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Cost price 1.67 7.45 12.34 20.16

Selling Price 5.00 14.99 27.50 70.00

Cash Margin 2.50 5.04 10.58 38.17

Margin % 59.85% 40.36% 46.16% 65.44%

During the mid-season sale, a shirt retailing at 30 is marked down by 25% How much does it cost now (in pounds and pence)? 30 x 0.25 = 7.5, 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7.5 = 22.50 If the shirt cost price is 16, how many will a store need to sell to make a profit of 40.00 (round up to nearest number)? 40/16 = 2.5 2.5 x 2 = 5

THE END

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