Wessel as a Young Professional Leisure Manager
The Researcher
There are two important factors that needs to be recognized of this skill: 1. How to use SPSS, data analysis and reporting data are skills that I acquired over the past three years working as an assistant analyst for Miles Research. Therefore I had a huge advantage at the NHTV. 2. How to write a critical and detailed research proposal I learned at school. On forehand I did not realize that writing a sufficient proposal, it costs a lot of time. In the end a great proposal was created with the feedback of an expert in the field.
I am mainly interested in quantitative research, this is what I have told my research teacher, and therefore he was more than happy to help me to the next level. He tought me how a discussion chapter in a research report should looklike. What in the end helped me to up my game at Miles Research.
The Imagineer
This is the skill where I can express most of my creativity. As mentioned above I also like the method of how an imagineering report is structured. Thus, I would like to highlight two important aspects of this skill. 1. I noticed that when writing the second imagineering project, evertything could be connected easily. Important effective meetings were held taking the target group and client's perspective into consideration. Which had led to the desired result to win the IMA Awards, because we had the most suitable & feasible concept.
2. I would like to highlight the DCLivingLab conference. Basically our team used the same method that we use at the NHTV, since the leader of our project group studied social innovation at the NHTV. However, working in another environment with international people has taught me the following things:
- To work from my own vision, norms and values, however to always take into account others perspectives and backgrounds. In a group of six students, there were only two Dutch students.
- To create and design an interactive 'imagineeringlike' presentation for the Reverse Mission delegation. The audience was hooked to our story during the entire presentation.
The Operational Manager
My last project was perfect when you relate it to the other reports, I had a 10.
I am always good with seeing the connection in numbers and calculations, when it comes to my financial skills. The statements and financial ratios are easy for me. I also talked with my supervisor about this. Therefore, I decided to focus more about mastering enterprising aspect (running a business) and the decision making process withing a company. Why does a CEO have to make certain decisions, in order to be more effective or efficient.
Another important point is that during this project I learned how to expect the unexpected when you run a business which is totally relying on visitors, such as the image of the business and experiences of the visitors plays an important role.
However I do see an improvement when looking at the Human Resource skill. It is something that I do not like to do often, but I do see that when I am running a business that it is necessary to have. When your staff/volunteers are happy and satisfied, the image of your company will increase incredably.
Lastly, I learned how to think about the benefits of cooperations. What I mean by that is that when running a business it is important to forge cooperations, such as sponsors. Maybe you decide to merge or take-over another company or decide to start a joint venture. Especially, here you needed to constanly keep in mind; What's in it for you? is there a value fit? and what would be the benefits for both parties.
The Project Manager
This skill is the main skill that I will develop during my internship.
Also here, I need to distinguish two important aspects regarding project manager. 1. Over the last two years I acquired knowledge about how to structure a project plan and more important the content of all the deliberables (Experienced Focussed Tender + Project Plan). This including the feedback of the supervisor together formed the foundation of my volunteering job at 'De Poort'. 2. I had put the skills I gained at NHTV to practise when I together with a partner had to set up systems for an event organization in a local youth center. We had to write plans like, a small project plan with concepts and themes for umcoming year, a script, scenario, risk analysis, and a network of partners.
The very first music event we organized was a success. In a relatively small village we managed to attract 75 visitors who were all super positive and excited, because students were organizing something again in their village.
To conclude, this skill could still use some finetuning, as I havent wrote a entire project management report in another environment than school. Thus, this is something that I will focus and explore more when I am in the U.S.
The Marketeer
This skill is the secundary skill that I will develop during my internship.
At the VLNetwork, I will be taught the skills of an online marketeer especially aimed at social media, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Additionally I will write pressreleases and represent the VLNetwork at other events.
As for the marketing skill; over the last few years I have learned how to conduct a proper internal, external and demand analysis which are the most important analysis for marketing. It is important to know what your target group is, what their needs are, to look at competitors and to have a clear image of the company that hired you.
After that it is important to brainstorm about the chosen strategy on how to 'solve' the issue of for instance, brand awareness or an increased market share.
Important for me is to take this knowledge and apply that to a real life client. I am planning to ask the oweners of my latest project to conduct a research and in the end to develop a marketing plan to give them advice on how to spend their marketing budget.
The Enterprising Director
Out of all the previous skills, I believe that this skill needs the most finetuning. This skill is about starting up a process of strategic collaborations between different stakeholders, and supervising it fro man experience and busienss perspective which could lead to innovative concrete products, projects or a completely new commercial organization.
Previous year we had a theoretical course about Leisure Direction, how to shape this cooperation, to see who the various stakeholders are regarding strategic development options, whether it is feasible and supported by a certain stakeholder
This year we roleplayed a stakeholder meeting for a possible strategic development in the city of Rotterdam which was quite usefull. I received a number of unique insights in the stakeholder I played and insights in the overall strategic option. Additionally, we are conducting a research with the Embassy for Creative Affairs as client on how to enhance the high-tech community in Rotterdam. In this project we also learned how to shape cooperations, to gain an insight into the stakeholders of this specific target group, the see what the different strategic options would be and in the end see if it is feasible and supported by all the relevant stakehodlers.
To conclude, this might be one of the competencies I will work on in my fourth year.
The most inspiring and interesting course I experienced in my student career, is Imagineering. Before the NHTV, I already acquired knowledge of imagineering, because I studied at the Fontys (CE IEMES) for one year. Back then I found the subject very vague and I could not gasp the idea of imagineering. Personally, I think that the course was not explained well. However I now feel that I can really dive into the course, and I appreciate the way of working. First, you dive into your subject via an analysis on different levels. After that you go to the creative sessions where sky is the limit, and from there you formulate a product, concept, sustainable events.
On the other hand, if I had to pick a project where I learned the most about myself and about the specific skill, it would be last years' project of Operational Management. Since I already had acquired the necessary financial skills, I could focus more on myself and learn about the decision making process of how to be a great entrepeneur.
