Week 4 - Workshop Notes

Week 4 Workshop Details

  • Course: BUSM2543 Developing Professionally
  • Teachers / Mentors: Dr Yakub Karagoz (Mon 4:30pm, Thurs 4:30pm); Dr Meg Colasante (Weds 10:30am, 2:30pm)
  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Upcoming Events

  • Week 5 – EY Commercial Awareness
  • Week 6 – Evening Industry Mentor/Networking event
  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Group Mentoring and Networking

  • Disciplines: Business, Finance, Accounting, Commerce, HR, InfoSystems, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, and related industries
  • Registration links:
    • Wednesday 27 August, 5:30–7:30pm, RMIT City Campus — Register: bit.ly/3Hfi6wM
    • Thursday 28 August, 5:30–7:30pm, RMIT City Campus — Register: bit.ly/3UhyM9S

The Evolving Landscape of Work – Adapting to Change

  • Week 4 Overview: Canvas video introducing key concepts, readings, and resources for Week 4
  • Reading/example: schematic support for an overview of the ‘Peak human potential’ (Swinburne, 2019) report
  • Core idea: It’s not a static picture; industries can shift along a scale as technology and society evolve
  • In disrupted industries: digital literacy is not optional, it’s fundamental
  • In less disrupted industries: being digitally skilled can set you apart in your field
  • Example: an engineer who can also use AI-driven design tools will be more competitive
  • Note: We will return to this paper…

Keeping an eye on… Signs from industry, insights from reports

  • Focus: signs from industry and insights from reports to stay informed
  • Organisation credit: RMIT UNIVERSITY | CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Where do you tune in? (How do you find out about local and global issues?)

  • (a) Switch to Mentimeter – Word Cloud: Enter your sources, one at a time
  • (b) White board groups – List options; note how many in group use each
  • Task: Think about where you get your news and information from; identify your sources
  • Follow teacher instructions for options (a) or (b)

What other sources might help to inform you?

  • (a) Mentimeter – Word Cloud: Enter your sources, one at a time
  • (b) White board groups – Add the new sources you identify
  • Look at the word cloud or white board list; consider other options; think about sources used by relatives, friends, or colleagues
  • Follow teacher instructions for options (a) or (b)

Reading: Swinburne University of Technology (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report, p. 4

  • Critical reading: check author and date details (2019)

Australian workers (Swinburne, 2019) – Key findings

  • Australians are (were) fearful of both: the threat digital technologies pose to their job, and the rate of change
  • More than half expect their job to change to some extent in the subsequent five years
  • Australians are (were) more concerned about job insecurity arising from digital technologies than about the economy
  • Australians are (were) not Luddites and do not fear the technology itself
  • They have a level-headed appreciation of the benefits of digital technologies
  • They signal a willingness to prepare now for the approaching future but may lack the confidence to do so
  • Source: Swinburne University of Technology (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report, p.13 (2019)
  • Note: Older detail can be useful if looked at critically for trends

Reading: Swinburne (2019) – Start thinking about change tracking

  • Start thinking about: How will you know what has changed since? How will you keep informed?
  • Source: Swinburne (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report, p.4

Understanding the Disruption Spectrum

  • The Power of Human Competencies: Skills like collaboration, empathy, creativity, and problem-solving remain valuable across the spectrum; these are difficult to automate and act as career safeguards
  • AI can analyse data, but it can’t inspire a team or build client trust in the same way a human can
  • Lifelong Learning Mindset: Expect to retrain and upskill multiple times in your career; be curious and proactive in learning about new tools, platforms, and ways of working; graduation is not the end of your education—it's the beginning of a career-long learning journey
  • Building Experience and a Portfolio: Use internships, projects, and volunteering to develop both technical and human skills
  • Resilience and Personal Brand: Career paths are less linear; expect changes and pivots; build a personal story around adaptability, problem-solving, and continuous growth
  • Keeping informed requires thinking about wider contexts

How Different Generations Engage with Digital Technology

  • Baby Boomers (1946–1964): Likely more fearful due to limited exposure; high concern over job insecurity near retirement; may appreciate digital benefits but could lack confidence in adapting
  • Generation X (1965–1980): Experienced both pre- and post-digital eras; mixed feelings; concern about job security but generally more adaptable; pace of change may be challenging
  • Millennials (1981–1996): Grew up with digital evolution; generally less fearful of technology itself; focus on leveraging tech for career growth; still wary of rapid changes; confident in tech benefits but may face workplace structure challenges
  • Generation Z (1997–2010): Digital natives; less fearful of technology but highly aware of its impact on job markets; strong adaptability; proactive on tech-driven opportunities
  • Generation Alpha (2010–2024): Too young for direct workforce involvement but will grow up fully immersed in digital tech; expected to be highly confident and innovative yet may face unforeseen challenges due to rapid advancements
  • Purpose: This analysis frames how each generation might perceive/respond to digital transformations in the workforce, based on historical context and familiarity with technology
  • Keeping informed requires thinking about wider contexts

Briones et al (2021) – Reading note

  • 2021 Peer-reviewed articles are a good source (though publication may take time)
  • A Module 2 Reading

Employers’ Preference on Employability Skills of Business Management and Accounting Graduates (Briones et al, 2021)

  • Listed skills include: Formal Qualification (e.g., Accounting); Analytical Skills; Technology Skills; Communication Skills; Interpersonal Skills; Problem Solving Skills; Capacity for Innovation; Leadership; Organisational and Commercial Awareness; Management Skills
  • Year: 2021

TOP 3 employability skills? (Briones et al, 2021)

  • Prompt: Guess the TOP 3 employability skills that employers prefer?

LEAST 3 employability skills? (Briones et al, 2021)

  • Prompt: Guess the LEAST 3 employability skills that employers prefer? (still desired, just not as much)

Accounting Employers’ Preference on Employability Skills of Graduates (Briones et al, 2021)

  • Formal Accounting Qualification; Analytical Skills; Technology Skills; Communication Skills; Interpersonal Skills; Problem Solving Skills; Capacity for Innovation; Leadership; Organisational and Commercial Awareness; Management Skills
  • Year: 2021

What is Commercial Awareness? (with a link forward to Week 5, EY incursion)

  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Next Week: EY Incursion Preview

  • EY representatives will ask each class: What is Commercial Awareness? (Week 5 Overview page is open now for an intro video)

Early comments from the floor – What is Commercial Awareness?

  • Context: Discussion prompt during class; reference: RMIT University

How can being commercially aware help you to understand a particular industry?

  • Focus: Understanding industry threats and opportunities
  • Assessment 2: Industry
  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Assessment 2: Industry – Useful for industry analysis?

  • Key areas:
    • Risk Awareness (geopolitics, global disruptions, regulatory changes) extRiskfactorsext{Risk factors}
    • Knowledge of Economic Factors (Inflation, CPI, interest rates) extEconomicfactorsext{Economic factors}
    • Local & Global Perspectives (trade dynamics, incidences, cultural differences) extperspectivesext{perspectives}
    • Recognising Industry Competition (emerging strategies, market positioning) extcompetitionext{competition}
    • Awareness of Market Trends (Tech, consumer behaviour, industrial trends) extmarkettrendsext{market trends}
    • Sensitivity to Customer Needs (changing expectations, preferences) extcustomerneedsext{customer needs}
    • Other?

National databases for Assessment 2

  • Question: Which national databases might you use to help determine the industry for Assessment 2 and to find out more detail about the industry?
  • Action: Check credible online sources for industry listings; Canvas Week 4 in-class resources; click on one of the shared examples in Canvas

Commercial awareness for company analysis

  • How being commercially aware helps you understand a company/organisation, including what it might be like to work there
  • Assessment 2: Company
  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Assessment 2: Industry awareness useful for company analysis?

  • Key considerations:
    • Understanding business operations (how different departments work)
    • Reputational factors (cautionary stories in the news)
    • Working culture (industry magazine reports or company website)
    • Recognising Company Competition (emerging strategies, market positioning)
    • Awareness of Market Trends (Tech, consumer behaviour, industrial trends) extmarkettrendsext{market trends}
    • Sensitivity to Customer Needs (changing expectations, preferences)
    • Other?
  • Rubric excerpt (C2 CR): A targeted internal examination incorporates several relevant factors of the company’s structure, culture, leadership, and at least one factor of the company’s mission, values, strategy, or strategic intent. Useful description of how potential changes may affect an opportunity for the company or may impact senior leaders.

Information sources for Assessment 2 – choosing a company

  • Guidance: Always use the main company source (typically their website)
  • Also use sources not authored by the company to gain a different perspective

Keeping an eye on… technology trends

  • Focus: what’s happening with technology and industry expert perspectives
  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Pace of development in Numbers

  • AI progress narrative:
    • Tells a simple but powerful story about AI: it’s getting much smarter, faster, and cheaper!
    • GPQA Diamond score (test of reasoning ability) ext{GPQA score}
    • Horizontal axis: cost to run a million tokens, i.e., 10^6 tokens
    • The blue line shows frontier of AI performance over the last 18 months
    • GPT-4 in mid-2023 scored under 0.4;early2025modelslikeGeminiscorearound; early 2025 models like Gemini score around0.75 (nearly PhD level)
    • Cost has collapsed by 99.7 ext{%}$$
  • Takeaway: Powerful AI tools that once cost a fortune are now available for cents; the biggest barrier is learning how to use them well; tools you’ll be using in two years might not exist yet

AI and GenAI tools for the trade

  • What is used in your discipline now will likely change after graduation
  • Disciplines represented: Accounting, Finance, Other disciplines, Info Systems / Data Science, Logistics / Supply Chain, Financial Planning, Marketing, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship, Management

ATN Symposium – Generative AI: Graduate Skills and Employability

  • Date: 21 March 2025
  • Keynote: Michelle Perugini, UniSA 2025

ATN Symposium – Generative AI content

  • Keynote messages:
    • AI won't replace you, but someone who uses AI better might!
    • Understanding AI biases
    • Ethical AI decision-making
    • Knowing how to use AI tools
    • Evaluating AI-generated content critically
    • statistic: 75% of workers already use AI in their day-to-day

How industries are using GenAI – Examples

  • Marketing teams use AI for content creation (e.g., PowerPoint speaking notes)
  • Web developers use AI-assisted programming tools to create or fix code
  • Context: University of Enterprise South Australia Hub

Panellist insights

  • Jane Adams (Commonwealth Bank of Australia) – emphasis on leveraging AI in business contexts; upskilling needs
  • Justin Trudeau quote: “The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.” (Davos/Trudeau reference) – need to upskill; responsibility of workplace to upskill staff, and students to learn how to use AI

Panellist: Amina Crooks (Accenture)

  • Message: Businesspeople need AI skills, including in B2B contexts; everyone will need to use AI; importance of learning how to use it and augment ourselves with it
  • Complementary skills: problem solving, critical thinking; bridging technology to life; change management processes; have some experience with AI, trial things, expect some failures, and be prepared to talk about growth from this journey

Technical v. Behavioural Skills

  • Discussion frame: Some might say hard vs soft; discipline vs human/transferable/employability
  • Core idea: The position you apply for will require a range of both skill types
  • CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Technical vs Behavioural Skill Set – Examples

  • Technical skills examples: preparing financial statements; analytical skills; autonomous work; software capability
  • Behavioural skills examples: industry knowledge; emotional intelligence; flexibility; interpersonal skills; software development; foreign language; statistical analysis; design; critical thinking; computer operation; teamwork; business acumen; commercial awareness; problem solving; time management; active listening; cultural intelligence; leadership; communication; adaptability; negotiation; social media marketing; distribution management; financial reporting; bookkeeping; professional development of staff; business management
  • Note: Some argue the balance is situational: “Arguably in between (or ‘it depends’)”; more human/behavioural skills vs more technical skills

Choose a PD to look at from seek.com – Skill requirements

  • Example job ads spanning: Toyota Australia 2026 Graduate Program (Management, Supply Chain, HR, Business Finance, etc.), FMH Group, HR Administrator, Beleza School Uniforms, Junior Supply Chain Officer, Electrical Merchandising, Marketing roles

Job ad analysis – Report back

  • Activity: Analyze provided job ads to extract the technical vs behavioural/human skills employers expect
  • Purpose: Demonstrate usefulness of job ads as a source for understanding current employer needs and guiding your skill development for Assessment 2
  • Action: Nominate one group member to present to the class

Assessment 1 – Last chance consultation time

  • Context: Assessment 1 decking/consultation window
  • Note: Department: RMIT UNIVERSITY; CRICOS provider number: 00122A | RTO Code: 3046

Assessment 1: Self-awareness analysis

  • Structure:
    • Cover page
    • Part A: Reflection on skill-assessment survey (400–450 words)
    • Part B: Evaluation of Professional development feedback (including S-W-A-G analysis) (400–450 words)
    • Part C: Overview of your work and life views (150–200 words)
    • References (not included in word count)
    • Appendix A: Results of the skill-assessment survey (not included in word count)
    • Appendix B: Tabled professional development feedback data (not included in word count)
  • Note: At least part of this completed in dedicated class time; Consultation Time: Final chance to ask questions

Next… Next week, Week 5 – EY incursion

  • Message: EY representatives will ask each class: What is Commercial Awareness?
  • Week 5 Overview page is open now for an intro video on this

Closing reminder

  • Assessment 1 is due Friday of this week: 13-Aug-25

Appendix: Key citations and notes

  • Swinburne University of Technology (2019) Peak human potential: preparing Australia’s workforce for the digital future. National survey Report
  • Briones et al (2021) – Employability skills studies
  • Swinburne Swinburne (2019) p.4, p.13 references
  • GPQA and AI progress references (Gemini, GPT-4 comparisons)
  • GenAI symposium content and industry insights
  • EY incursion context for Week 5