Assignment Cover Sheet

Centre name University of Malawi – Management Development Centre

Learner name Roy Mauluka

ABE membership number 654593

Unit Name Employability and Self Development

Word count 3,222

Learner Statement

All work that learners submit as part of the ABE assessment requirements must be expressed in their
own words and incorporate their own judgements. Direct quotations from the published or
unpublished work of others, including that of tutors or employers, must be appropriately referenced.
Authors of images used in reports and audio-visual presentations must be acknowledged.

By checking this box, I [Roy Mauluka] am confirming that the work I am submitting is my own
and I have acknowledged ALL the sources of reference I have used in constructing my
assignment.

Date:

For ABE use only

ABE 2nd mark

ABE mark (if applicable)

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Organizational Summary: Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company specializing in consumer
electronics, software and online services headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States.
Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totalling US$365.8 billion in 2021) and, as of June
2022, is the world's biggest company by market capitalization, the fourth-largest personal computer
vendor by unit sales and second-largest mobile phone manufacturer.
It is one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Meta,
and Microsoft.
Apple was founded as Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve
Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to develop and sell Wozniak's Apple I personal computer.
It was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc. in 1977 and the company's next
computer, the Apple II, became a best seller and one of the first mass-produced microcomputers.
Apple went public in 1980 to instant financial success.
Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion in August 2018, then
$2 trillion in August 2020, and most recently $3 trillion in January 2022. The company receives
criticism regarding the labour practices of its contractors, its environmental practices, and its business
ethics, including anti-competitive practices and materials sourcing. Nevertheless, the company has a large
following and enjoys a high level of brand loyalty. It is ranked as one of the world's most valuable brands.
Since the technology industry is among one of the biggest and most competitive industries in the whole
world, Apple definitely has some major competition.
Some of Apple’s biggest competitors are, Samsung, Microsoft, Huawei, HP, Dell, Google, Amazon, IBM and
the list goes on.
(Wikipedia, 2022)
(276 Words)

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Table of contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….4

Attitudes and behaviors expected by employers in the modern workplace…………………………….5

Personal profile ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

My Curriculum Vitae ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

Letter of application……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...11

Where I meet the requirements of the role of enterprise financing inside sales executive…….12

How Apple might different screening techniques during the selection process to assess my
skillset……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….13

How I would prepare for the interview for my chosen role and the need for documents I would take with
me………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...14

How I will use feedback from the interview and, assuming I am successful, the probationary period in the
role to improve my workplace performance……………………………………………………………………….…16

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Reference list……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..… 18

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Introduction

In the past, one only needed to have qualifications and technical experience to get a job. The world has
changed and for you to secure a job these days you will need to possess more than just qualifications and
technical experience but also employability and self-development skills.

In this assignment I will highlight and explain some of the behaviours and attitudes that employers are now
expecting in the modern workplace.

I will prepare a relevant profile of myself for business-focused social media platforms such as LinkedIn, I
will also prepare a CV for the job opportunity and with it an accompanying letter of application the role of
enterprise financing inside sales executive at Apple Inc.

I will also assess my skillset against the requirements of the role and explain where I meet the
requirements and how Apple Inc. might use different screening techniques during the selection process to
assess my skillset.

I will also explain how I will prepare for the interview for the role of enterprise financing inside sales
executive and the need for any documents that I would take to the interview

I will then explain how I will use feedback from the interview and, assuming I am successful, the
probationary period in the role to improve my workplace performance.

(213 Words)

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Attitudes and behaviors expected by employers in the modern workplace.

Attitude is “the way that you think and feel about somebody/something” (attitude,2022). Whilst behaviour
is “the way in which someone conducts oneself” (Behaviour,2022).

Here are some of the attitudes and behaviours that employers expect from employees in the modern
workplace:

1. Having a positive attitude

Even though it’s really hard to always stay positive in the workplace due to work related pressures,
it helps to focus on the parts of the job that you enjoy. Positivity is a virus that spreads rapidly and
affects everyone around you therefore creating a happy atmosphere and boosting the office morale
which can lead to increased productivity, this will impress the employers very much and that is a
good thing.

2. Being Punctual
Proper time management is an attractive trait in an employee as it shows the employer that you
are committed to the job. Indeed, it is impossible to always be on time and employers understand
this but nonetheless they still expect you to make an effort to be punctual 95% of the time and
when you do they might even award you for it.

3. Meeting Deadlines
Another thing that requires one to have proper time management skills.
Employees are the workforce of the organization and the work they do is what makes the
organization, so being able to consistently meet your deadlines will not only give you a piece of
mind but it will also help the organization achieve its goals, deliver its services more efficiently, stay
on schedule and keep its clients satisfied.

4. Turning mistakes into lessons

Human almost always make mistakes and it is therefore expected by employers that at a certain
point an employee is bound to make a mistake and when you do make a mistake they also expect
you to learn from that experience. Learning from a mistake will help you avoid making that same
mistake and put you in a position to also help others in the organization from committing the same
mistake thus making the employers happy.

5. Effective communication
Communication is key in all sorts of organizations, big or small.
Employers expect their employees to communicate their needs, ideas and opinions thoroughly. An
employee needs to develop verbal and written skills to help the better communicate with anyone
in the organization
6. Helping others
Employers understand that workplaces can sometimes be competitive but they also very much
value an employee that can put the competition aside and help fellow colleagues in various
situations.

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 7. Taking Initiative.
Employers appreciate employees that take charge and stay ahead of certain situations as this shows
them that during times of emergency things will be handled professionally (Miller,2022).

8. Honesty
Being honest is an attractive trait in an employee for employers because it shows them that you
can be trusted as an employee to always tell the truth (Foster,2022).

9. Being innovative
Being innovative in a workplace will always have the employers happy as this lets them know that
you are truly an achievement for the organisation and they did right in hiring you.

10. Being able to work alone but also being a team player
Employers admire employees that can do their work alone and with minimal supervision, but they
also love it when an employee can get along with other team members and work as one system.

(562 Words)

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PERSONAL PROFILE

Roy Mauluka

HEADLINE:

Business Management Student | ABE | UNIMA

PERSONAL DETAILS:

Age: 22

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Student

Email Address: roymauluka@gmail.com

Mobile Number(s): +265888999156, +265999860981

Physical Address: Harry Mauluka Escom Limited P.O Box 147 Salima

ABOUT:

I was born and raised in Blantyre, Malawi, went to Naperi Primary school and then moved around a bit in
secondary school till I finally settled at Henry Henderson Institute secondary school where I sat for my
MSCE examinations in 2017.

In 2019 I fell in love with the art of web design and development and through multiple online sources I
managed to gain the required knowledge to start designing m my own websites.

After a while I found myself going further than just web development to computer programming, and I can
now say that I am a competent web and computer programmer.

I am now studying Business Management because I believe my skills are important and I need to equip
myself with the proper knowledge to better manage them.

Work Experience:

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 i. Marketing intern at Telecommunications network Malawi from January 2020 to May 2021.
ii. Computer information systems analyst at Sparc Systems from June 2021 to September 2021
Education and work experience:
i. Malawi school certificate of education (MSCE)
ii. Association of business executives diploma in business management

LinkedIn group:
ABE level 4 students group

(225 Words)

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My Curriculum Vitae
Roy Mauluka
roymauluka@gmail.com ∙ +26588899156

Career Objective

Looking for a position that could build on my skills and provide me an ample scope for growth and contribute
to the organization’s goal’s by effectively using my conceptual skills and knowledge.

Academic Background
1. Diploma in Business Management.
Institution: Malawi Business and Applied Sciences, Malawi Development Centre (Blantyre Campus).

Dates: 2019 – 2022.

2. Malawi school Certificate of Education.

Institution: HHI Secondary School (MSCE).

Dates: 2016 to 2017.

3. Junior Certificate of Education (JCE).

Institution: HHI Secondary School.

Dates: 2013 to 2014.

Employment History
1. TNM (Intern) [January 2020 – May 2021]
 Marketing Intern
Duties:
 Social Media Marketing
 Trends and analysis
 Advert Banner Designing
2. Sparc Systems [June 2021 – September 2021]
 Computer Information systems
Duties:
 Cloud Activity Architecture Engineer (CAAE)
 Database Administration

Technical Skills
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Programming languages: C, C++, Python.

Web development: HTML, CSS, WORDPRESS.

Operating Systems: Windows, Linux

MS Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook.

Graphics designing: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe illustrator, Adobe After effects, Blender.

Personal Qualities

 Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

 Ability to work under pressure
 Ability to work as an individual and in teams.
 Ability to work under minimal supervision.
 Result driven.

Selective Interests
 Technology.
 Politics.
 Sports.
 Writing
Awards and Responsibilities
 Gold Medal in High School Marathon
 Malawi Music Award (2019)
 Writers Profession award (2021)
 Head Prefect in high school
References
Mr. Hilary Lodzanyama, Manager of MUBAS Design Studio, Malawi University of Business Applied
Sciences, Email: karthickbism@yahoo.com, Cell: +265983690335.
Mr. Francis Masi, CEO – Beta Solutions Malawi, P.O. BOX 1254, Blantyre, Email:
kamwendoy@masm.mw , Cell: +265999879123.

(272 Words)

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Letter of application
Roy Mauluka
Blantyre, Malawi
Blantyre, Southern region

Oct. 19, 2022

Dan Ryan
Recruiting Manager
Apple Inc.
One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014
Cupertino, California, 90011

Dear Dan Ryan,

I'm writing to express my interest in the position of Enterprise Financing Inside Sales Executive at Apple Inc.
I found out about the open position as I was scouring your website for vacancies looking for one that might
suit me and that’s when I found this one. I believe my team management and social skills coupled with my
ABE Business Management diploma make me an ideal fit for this job.

I am a single man from Blantyre, Malawi aged 22 and If hired I would be a great addition to the team as I
am a result driven person with excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work
under pressure, plus the ability to work as an individual and in teams and I also have the ability to work
under minimal supervision.

I obtained my Malawi School Certificate of Education in 2016 at the Henry Henderson Institute (HHI)
secondary school in Blantyre and from then, I got interested in technology and its applications and began
self-teaching myself web programming and designing. In 2019 I began freelance work as a web designer
and I ended up doing very well for myself, and in January 2020 I started working at Telekom networks
Malawi (TNM) as a marketing intern where I handled social media marketing, researched and analysed
trends and also designed advert banners. I finished my internship at TNM in May 2021 and got a job at
Sparc systems in June 2021 where I was a cloud activity architecture engineer and a database
administrator. In 2022 I began studying business management at Malawi university of business and applied
science management development centre and that is where I obtained my diploma.

I chose to apply here because I believe that this company is in line with my core belief that technology is
the future and as this company is one of the leading technologically innovative companies in the world and
my favourite of all of them, the choice to apply was not hard to make. I have also attached my CV to this
letter and I’m really looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Roy Mauluka

(387 Words)
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Where I meet the requirements of the role of enterprise financing inside sales executive.

The job position has specified a couple of requirements it needs all applicants to meet if there are to be
considered for the role, here is an overview of how and where I meet the requirements:

i. Proven initiative - The job position has asked that all applicants have the attribute of initiative,
and I can testify that I am a person who not only takes initiative when needs be but I am also a
responsible individual.

ii. Strong, Persuasive telephone and online presentation skills - The job position has asked that all
applicants have Strong, Persuasive telephone and online presentation skills and during my term
as a marketing intern where I had to also take on roles of telemarketing and often had to make
online interviews. I developed these skills during my term as a marketing intern.

iii. Available to travel a minimum of 10% within assigned territory -This would not be hard for me
as I already love to travel and I can also multitask.

iv. Communication skills - I have great communication skills that will enable me to interact with
different members of my team and adequately train sales operatives.

v. Highly energetic and focused – the job description said one would need to be energetic and be
able to maintain focus and being a 22-year-old man I can safely say that is not a problem, as I
regularly exercise and that allows me to have lots of energy and focus.

(257 Words)

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How Apple might different screening techniques during the selection process to assess my skillset.

Organisations often use different screening tests during recruitment and selection processes in order to
filter out the unsuitable applicants (Foster 2017, p.38). As a way of trying to eliminate the unsuitable
applicants during the selection process, Apple might use the following screening techniques to assess my
skillset:

i. Personality tests – these are tests that can be used to assess my character in order to predict
the probability of me performing my job in a certain way (Foster 2017, p.38). some personality
tests usually have lie detecting scales to make sure that I am being genuine in my answers.
Personality tests are tested by giving the candidate a list of questions or statements in which a
candidate must reply to in the most honest way possible.

ii. Aptitude tests – these tests test my ability to do specific job tasks in different conditions. These
tests have multiple choice questions where there is only one correct answer, after finishing your
test, it is then marked and scored and compared against other candidates who have taken a
similar test.

iii. Interviews – this is when the recruiters assess me as a candidate personally through telephone
or face to face interviews. Interviews are a major way in which recruiters can gauge a person’s
mannerisms and confidence.

iv. Assessment centres – assessment centres are spaces that recruiters create during the selection
and recruitment process to observe how candidates perform in a variety of situations which are
modelled on real work situations (Foster 2017, p. 39).

(261 Words)

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How I would prepare for the interview for my chosen role and the need for documents I would take with
me.

Here is how I would prepare for the interview my chosen role:

i. Have adequate rest the day before the interview

- This is very crucial as this might very well keep me from dozing off or coming off as tired
towards the interviewers which is an unattractive trait, they might interpret this as a lack of
enthusiasm for the job.

ii. Organize my attire, documents and needed materials a couple of days before the day of the
interview
- Arriving late to an interview is not a good sign, and one way of making sure that you are on time
for an interview is getting prepared for the interview a couple of days before and by this I mean;
choosing what to wear and setting it aside, arranging all the different documents and materials I
will need for the interview in a way that I will be able to access them quickly and efficiently
when they are required.

iii. Organize my travel and accommodation before the day of the interview
- I would have to arrange all travel arrangements and sort out all accommodation matters if need
be so that when they day arrives; I should be ready.

iv. Research the company.

- I would make sure that before stepping into the interview room I know everything there is to
know about the company. This will allow me to be familiar with things that the company likes or
doesn’t like and during my interview I could use this sort of information to sway the interviewer

v. Try out the company’s product or service

- This would enable me to develop a personal opinion on the company’s service and products,
and if asked about their products and services I would be able to give my honest opinion and
add in how I would help boost their service and product quality if hired. (The Muse
editors,2022)

vi. Try to find out about the interviewers if possible

- I would try to find any information available about the people to interview me so that I can get
a little knowledge about who they are and how I can impress them.

vii. Prepare questions for the interviewer

- I would prepare some questions for the interviewer to show them that I did my research on the
company, this also shows the interviewers that I am confident (Keiling, 2022).

viii. Conduct mock interviews

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 - Sometimes things sound better in our heads than they do out loud, that is why I would setup
mock interviews with the help of my friends or family to better practice and hear what sounds
good when spoken aloud. These mock interviews would also help me overcome my nerves and
anxiety so that when the day comes I’m more confident (Keiling,2022).
To any interview there is a need for certain documents that one must have with them, here are the
documents I would carry with me to the interview.
i. Proof of invitation
- This is a document that would allow me to get into the premises and past security.

ii. Identification documents

- This is a document that will let the interviewers know that I really am who I say I am.

iii. Certificates
- This includes my secondary certificate and any other certificate which has been stated on my cv.

iv. Copies of my Curriculum vitae

- Just because I already sent out my CV before the interview does not mean I should not bring
copies of my CV to the interview. These copies could prove useful if an interviewer might ask
me to hand my CV to other personnel at the interview, they could also help me remember all
the information I sent the recruiters.
(639 Words)

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How I will use feedback from the interview and, assuming I am successful, the probationary period in the
role to improve my workplace performance.

In the situation that I have been successful in my interview and have been given recruited for a
probationary period, and I have been given feedback from my interview here is how I would use the
feedback to improve my workplace performance:

i. Identify or ask for clarification on what I need to change – sometimes feedback can be
confusing and so it is better to ask for clarification on the things that did not impress the
recruiters and need working on. (Foster 2017, p. 66)

ii. Prioritise – this means taking time to identify the areas where improvement is needed. (Foster
2017, p. 66)

iii. Plan – this entails sitting down and finding time by myself to properly plan a course of action in
which I create an action plan to make the necessary changes and then consider different
options in which I can use to develop myself and learn.

iv. Get support – consult with my line manager about my personal development plan and get
insights from him or her.

v. Take action – this is where I finally apply all my plans and try to get me to change, all the while
having regular sessions with my line manager whenever possible to review my progress.

(227 Words)

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Conclusion

Employability and self-development skills are now at the forefront of helping people get jobs.

And in this assignment I have highlighted and explained some of the behaviours and attitudes that
employers are now expecting in the modern workplace.

I have prepared a relevant profile of myself for business-focused social media platforms such as LinkedIn, I
have also prepared a CV for the job opportunity and with it an accompanying letter of application the role
of enterprise financing inside sales executive at Apple Inc.

I have assessed my skillset against the requirements of the role and explained where I meet the
requirements and how Apple Inc. might use different screening techniques during the selection process to
assess my skillset.

I have also explained how I will prepare for the interview for the role of enterprise financing inside sales
executive and the need for any documents that I would take to the interview

I then explained how I will use feedback from the interview and, assuming I am successful, the
probationary period in the role to improve my workplace performance.

(179 Words)

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Reference list

Attitude. (2022), Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Available at

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/attitude?q=attitude (Accessed:30 October
2022).

Behaviour. (2022), Merriam Webster Dictionary. Available at https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/behavior (Accessed: 30 October 2022)

Foster, c. (2017), Level 4 Employability and Self Development, Surrey, association of Business Executives,
p.7, p.38, p. 39.

Miller, B. (2022). What Today’s Employers Expect from Employees. Available at [insert Link] (Accessed: 30
October 2022).

The Muse editors. (2022). How to Prepare for a Job Interview So You’ll Convince Them You’re the Right Hire.
Available at [insert Link] (Accessed: 30 October 2022)

Keiling, H. (2022) How to Prepare for an Interview in 11 Steps. Available at [insert Link] (Accessed: 30
October 2022).

Wikipedia. (2022). Apple Inc. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. (Accessed: 30 October

2022)

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