REFLECTIVE DIARY 3

I was in my last year of Fashion Marketing and Branding at Nottingham Trent University when I was offered job experiences, which changed my perspective about fashion and its learning. These activities have allowed me to apply classroom theory to real-world situations. These internships were created to connect the academic and professional worlds by offering a glimpse and in-depth look into the fashion industry. It was done to connect the two worlds and I felt cautious joy and early expectation as I entered Chanel's marketing department for my internship. I recorded this feeling in my first reflective notebook entry and because of my responsibilities, I needed to use the skills and information I gained in school. This area includes arranging popular things, gathering consumer photographs, and studying upcoming fashion trends. This was a hands-on opportunity to apply concepts from Digital Marketing and Communication and Marketing Strategy and Insight to a well-known fashion company's daily operation, I thought this is going to be the highlight of my portfolio.

The ever-changing nature of the industry was one of my many important lessons from my job. Lots of useful information was learnt and due to the high pace of the fashion industry, my journal entries show the troubles and flexibility needed to handle it (Maruyama and Inoue, 2023). Because fashion moves faster than other industries and this job taught me about the fluidity and unpredictability that textbooks cannot always capture. This description underlined the need to understand customer behaviour in real time and keep up with changing trends. The journal entries reveal how people collaborate in the workplace, adding intrigue. I am glad for the chance to work with specialists with varied perspectives and experiences (Mumford and Dikilitaş, 2020). The notebook recorded occasions when team members needed to communicate and collaborate more to complete tasks. These collaborative experiences helped me understand the organization's dynamics and develop my interpersonal skills, expanding my skill set.  The reflective diary records both triumphs and challenges throughout the placement. Documenting these challenges shows the learning curve accurately and, more importantly, fosters resilience and adaptation. Documenting these problems achieves both goals and these two roles matter (Maruyama and Inoue, 2023).

In the reflective journal, the practical application of technical skills from training is often discussed and the diary entries show how theoretical knowledge is seamlessly integrated with practical expertise, whether using decision-making and critical thinking to create captivating presentations or data analysis methods to gain valuable insights. This integration is crucial to my growth since it shows how the academic programme fits the organization's needs. I think this integration crucial for numerous reasons as communication and patience, which I had written about in my reflection, took on new meaning in my working life (Jeanes, 2021). I stated my technical capabilities, but they were additional aptitudes. The journal may be used to explain how these soft skills helped navigate workplace dynamics, promote collaboration, and create a healthy and productive workplace. In my last year of under graduation, these job internships are helping me better my academic performance. The reflective diary documents a short work experience, useful lessons, personal growth, and future goals (Colomer et al., 2020).