Key Characteristics of the Automotive Industry
The target industry that the author wants to develop their future in is the automotive industry in the UK. The automotive industry holds a significant part in the economy of the UK. The turnover of the industry was worth over £78.9 billion in 2019 and there are more than 30 manufacturers of vehicles within the UK (SMMT, 2020). With further development in technology, the automotive industry holds a bright future for various professionals, such as engineers, finance managers, salespersons, rental agents, technicians, etc. Besides the opportunities, the industry faces numerous challenges as well, such as emission issues, disruptions in the supply chain, massive layoffs, change in consumer behavior due to the introduction of ‘green vehicles’, etc. An aspiring graduate aiming to be a part of the industry must have prominent knowledge of the opportunities and challenges within the industry before joining the industry.
The UK automotive industry generates a high economic value on an annual basis. It is one of the top employers in the UK with 156,400 workers employed directly in manufacturing roles (SMMT, 2021). The individuals involved within the sector have a diverse set of skills. Though specialists and engineers play a key role within the industry, a wide range of skill sets is required in the areas of marketing, finance, and sales. In the latter roles, business school graduates can also find career growth (Bettsworth & Davies, 2016). The workforce within the UK based automotive industry is considered to be one of the most productive in the sector (Bettsworth & Davies, 2016). The automotive industry in the UK also has a good university and industry collaboration and also has a flexible labor market (ONS, 2017). In terms of Motorsports, the UK is also a global home to Formula 1, creating diverse employment opportunities for individuals as well in the area (ONS, 2017). There is also a heavy collaboration between the mainstream automotive sector in the UK and the motorsport sector. These sectors are managed by the Automotive Council (ONE, 2017). Other professional bodies related to the sector are Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for International Trade, Motorcycle Industry Association, Motorsport Industry Association, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. These societies, unions, and bodies exist for the purpose of furthering the interests of the automotive sector of the UK (Automotive Council, n.d.).
The sector offers a diverse range of opportunities to graduates. There are around 3000 companies involved in the automotive sector of the UK (Automotive Council, 2022). These companies comprise of luxury automotive companies, such as Rolls Royce and Bentley as well as construction equipment makers, such as JCB (Automotive Council, 2022). European Union nationals are also frequently employed within the sector in the domains of production staff, engineers, and senior management (ONS, 2017). Thus, opportunities are not simply limited to citizens residing within the UK. Under the guidance and direction of the Automotive Council, the government has also established the Automotive Industrial Partnership for Skills for determining the critical workforce skills required within the sector. Besides technical aspects, such as designing and engineering, other categories of the workforce are also required within the sector. An example is that of quality managers that have a strong impact within the industry as top quality products and being able to meet industrial standards are important for every automotive company (Automotive Council, 2022). Product planning managers are also a fundamental and core role within the industry as model and investment cycles within the industry tend to last for a period of six to seven years. The area of work requires technical knowledge as well as marketing and sales experience (Automotive Council, 2022). While productive activities are significant within the industry, financial activities and management are equally crucial to ensure the organizations within the industry remain profitable (Carmo et al., 2019). Financial activities, such as shareholder structure, shareholder acquisition, the origin of top management, dividend payments, distribution of employee salaries, etc. have a high impact on the profitability of the company (Carmo et al., 2019). These areas require management by qualified professionals who can create relevant strategies for the profitability of the companies within the sector.
Key Challenges Faced in the Industry
The Covid-19 pandemic has also transformed the strategies deployed by the various companies within the industry. The pandemic resulted in the adoption of new remote work norms and regulations causing a disruption within the industry (Hoeft, 2021). Top management initiatives were required for creating strategies that could help ensure the strategies of the companies could be evolved and ‘agile’ working mechanisms could be adopted throughout the organization (Hoeft, 2021). Strategic agility is a business tool and requires management experience in order to be enforced successfully (Hoeft, 2021). These instances have reflected the importance of non-technical roles within the automotive industry.
One of the key challenges faced within the automotive industry is the shortage of skills and knowledge within the available labor (Kamin et al., 2013). A strong collaboration between the automotive industry and educational institutions is necessary to ensure the workforce produced for the industry is well-qualified and can successfully contribute to further development of the industry. For this purpose, the Automotive Council has been created to ensure a strong collaboration between educational institutions and the automotive industry of the UK can be ensured and strategies for the development of the appropriate skillsets can be implemented for the future graduates (ONS, 2017). Companies also tend to avoid the hiring of graduated due to changing aspirations of fresh graduates. While the graduates receive the appropriate training and experience within the company, the graduate may aspire to gain other experiences after becoming fully functional (CARA, 2021). This results in wastage of resources of the company as well as the sector in its entirety (CARA, 2021).
The primary product of the industry, namely vehicles, is also experiencing immense transitions. Examples are a switch in the ecological transition and a shift toward electric vehicles as well as digital transitions within the vehicles (CARA, 2021). Technical knowledge and understanding of these transitions are also necessary for graduates as well as individuals currently working within the industry. Schools as well as the training programs within the sector need to train the employees within the sector for being prepared for the various changes and transformations taking place within the sector, particularly with respect to a shift towards sustainable development and production of eco-friendly vehicles (CARA, 2021).
Another challenge posed within the industry is by that of digitalization. Advanced technologies and analytical tools have created a risk for 47% of the labor within the industry (ILO, 2021). Low-skilled activities that are not particularly necessary may also be automated despite the threat to technical skills within the industry (ILO, 2021). However, sustainable organizations may be able to ensure inclusive growth for the workers through promoting innovation and creating decent work outcomes as a result (ILO, 2021). However, this may not be the case for all organizations and therefore workers must create a strong social dialogue through the help of workers’ organizations and the process of collective bargaining (ILO, 2021). While skill-adopting may be helpful for high-skilled workers in remaining employable within the industry, administrative and executive level workers may find an extremely low demand for their roles in the future of the automotive industry (ILO, 2021). Thus, individuals that may not have industry specific technical expertise and knowledge may not remain employable within the industry in the near future. This will pose a major challenge for a number of roles, such as data entry clerks, auditors, accountants, general managers, business services managers, administration managers, operations managers, administrative secretaries, etc. (ILO, 2021). However, sales and marketing professionals, supply chain professionals, and innovation professionals may hold a strong grasp within the sector in the near future as well (ILO, 2021).
Developing job rotational opportunities within the industry is also difficult for companies due to the extremely different skills required for each role within the industry. Each area tends to require varying technical skills in distinct areas, such as engineering, designing and management. However, the development of talent may require the need for providing job rotational talent and skills development programs within the industry (Doucette et al., 2020). Thus, while the industry offers a range of opportunities for growth, a multitude of challenges are also present for individuals aiming to join the industry or maintain their employment within the industry.
Conclusion
The automotive industry is profitable but has a number of risks for individuals wanting to develop a professional career within the industry. In conclusion, the automotive industry’s primary challenge is the possibility of the digitalization of a number of tasks. This may be helpful for employees that are highly skilled, but creates a risk of unemployment for employees who do not have the requisite skillset for adapting to the potential new requirements of the industry that is currently undergoing a digital and environmental revolution. While non-technical roles may still be required within the industry, they would need business related specializations, such as product marketing and sales expertise.
The automotive industry within the UK is one of the most profitable industries in the UK’s economy and also provides various employment opportunities in both technical as well as non-technical roles. Due to my personal fascination with automobiles since a young age, I want to develop a career within the industry as a sales and marketing manager. The role requires a number of skills and expertise, especially within the automotive industry that has a focus on the sales of an extremely technical product. Some of the tests taken by me were the Big Five Personality Traits, the Myers-Briggs Types Indicator, Leadership Legacy Assessment Test, and the predictive index test. These tests were crucial in identifying my strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. They provided a deep insight into my personality and the areas that I need to develop for the furtherance of my career aspirations in the automobile industry.
As per the dimensions of the Big Five Personality Traits, I have a high degree of openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, while a low percentage of extraversion and neuroticism. Getting a higher score on the trait of openness implies that one may be open to new experiences (Leutner et al., 2014). This also determines one’s ability to be open to social experiences that are crucial for marketing and management strategies (Caliskan, 2019). I also got a high score on the trait of conscientiousness implying an ability to meet schedules and deadlines easily and being able to easily complete important tasks on an urgent basis (Leutner et al., 2014). A negative trait that I scored low on was that of neuroticism indicating I am emotionally stable and do not stress easily over the little things. However, the tests also indicated that I have a low degree of extraversion. This implies that the individual may not enjoy spending excessive time around other individuals or starting conversations with persons within the social setting (Leutner et al., 2014). This serves as one of my weaknesses as I do not enjoy excessive conversations, but prefer spending time alone.
The Myers-Briggs Personality Test indicated that I have the personality type of the INFJ personality. The test indicates the individual’s behavioral and cognitive traits. These are particularly focused on the areas of extraversion versus introversion, feeling versus thinking, intuition versus sensing, and perceiving versus judging (Ramachandran et al., 2020). The INFJ personality type indicates that the individual is high in the areas of introversion, intrusion, perceiving, and judging. As already confirmed by the Big Five Personality Tests, I am highly introverted. However, as indicated by the tests, in the case of INFJs, they are still able to hold strong communications with others, and being introverted does not imply that the INFJ may struggle with social communicational skills (Ramachandran et al., 2020). Another strength of this personality type is that they are extremely creative and can engage in out-of-the-box thinking. I have experienced this during my internship experiences, wherein I was able to provide out of the box solutions during group projects and was also praised for the same by my supervisors. INFJs are also principled individuals (NERIS Analytics Limited, 2022). This implies that they are easily able to follow a personal code of conduct and ethics. I agree with this personality trait and can easily comply with rules and regulations. As per the test, some of the weaknesses of such a personality type are that they may take criticism harshly and may also fixate on perfectionism (NERIS Analytics Limited, 2022).
Another test that was undertaken was the Predictive Index Test. As per the predictive index behavioral assessment, my reference profile is that of an ‘analyzer’. While the score indicates that I have a high trait of dominance and formality, I have a low trait of extraversion and patience. As an analyzer, one is able to take data-driven decisions and have an understanding of the bigger picture (PI, 2022). However, the individual may be a perfectionist and may be skeptical of taking any form of decision that is not driven by data (PI, 2022).
I also took the Leadership Legacy Test which helps one analyze their leadership traits. As per the test, my traits are that of an ‘advocate’. This implies an ability to act rationally, logically, and be persuasive (Galford & Maruca, 2011). However, the weaknesses of the traits are that individuals with such leadership strategies may only see situations in black and white, and thus may require other forms of leadership roles within their team to be able to perceive the situation through other perspectives (Galford &Maruca, 2011).
The four psycho-assessment tests helped me gain a deep understanding of my cognitive abilities. The Big Five Personality Traits indicated that I am open to new experiences and opinions, while the Predictive Index Test indicated the need for making data driven decisions. A combination of these values can be useful within the field of sales and marketing for any industry. One may be able to easily analyze data and influence their customers when they are open to understanding the experiences and perspectives of their customers (Azzadina et al., 2012). The Myer-Briggs Personality Test also indicated that I have the INFJ personality type and am able to be creative as a result. This is a dominant trait within a sales manager and leader as it enables one to find efficient solutions to problems easily (Caza & Posner, 2019). This trait is also required within the automotive industry as providing innovative solutions will be a necessity within the future of the automotive industry that will be highly digitalized and may not require the current skill sets that workers offer and are capable of being automated (ILO, 2021). Furthermore, the Personality Index Test also indicates my ability to find solutions based on analytical data. This is necessary for being able to find rational conclusions that are based on logic and reason, rather than one’s impulsive choices (PI, 2022). The Leadership Legacy Test also indicated that I have a high ability to be persuasive. These skills are required within leadership and management roles and also indicate one’s ability to be a ‘transformational leader’ that has a deep impact on their subordinates (Hamdani, 2018). Such skills would be necessary for being able to market the upcoming new technologies and innovations within the automotive industry.
As per the Big Five Personality Traits, Myer-Briggs Personality Test and the Predictive Index Test, extraversion is not one of the prominent personality traits. This implies that I prefer avoiding social communication to any extent possible. Strong leaders and managers often engage in extensive communications with their subordinates and employees can be driven to work towards the organization’s goals and objectives (Meskelis & Whittington,2020). A lack of extraversion qualities may make it difficult for me to motivate my subordinates or easily lead individuals within a group towards the overall objective of the organization. As per the Myer Briggs Personality Test as well as the Predictive Index Test, I also have the trait of being a perfectionist. This can lead to fixation on small details and may lead to the individual not being able to focus on more important objectives at the time (PI, 2022). This trait may impact my ability to focus on the numerous skills required for excelling within the automotive industry. The automotive industry requires extensive skill development and expertise (Hoeft, 2021). Thus, fixating over small issues and details may make it difficult for me to easily achieve my goals within the industry. The Leadership Legacy Test also indicates that I may have the tendency to view situations in ‘black and white’, rather than being able to find a gray area within the situation. This would create the challenge of being able to find a common ground in negotiations, sales dealing, or employee conflicts. Negotiation skills are extremely crucial for sales managers as these determine the profitability of the company’s products (Caza & Posner, 2019). Thus, the tests and tools have also helped me determine my weak areas that I may need to improve upon before pursuing a career within the automotive industry.
Conclusion
The personality and psychometric tests guided me toward understanding my strengths and weaknesses. Though I have a number of strengths that are required for excelling within the automotive industry, I also possess a number of weaknesses that may create challenges in my growth as a sales and marketing personnel. Thus, I aim to work on my weaknesses to ensure they do not prevent my ability to find growth within the automotive industry, and I also aim to apply my strengths to my advantage. As an individual who is deeply analytical and rational, I will be able to easily evaluate the potential challenges within the industry and find creative solutions to such challenges. However, I may have to develop my communication skills to ensure I am able to engage in efficient communications within the domain of sales and marketing.
One of the primary areas for development is social engagement and communication. As I have scored low on the profile and trait of extraversion on the various tests, such as the Big Five Personality Traits and the Myer Briggs Personality, it is crucial to develop this trait for better communication as an individual operating within the domain of sales and marketing. Through the use of active listening and consciously making efforts to engage with other individuals, one can work on the development of their communication skills (Pina et al., 2019). Thus, I will try to use this skill for the purpose of developing my social engagement and communication skills.
As per the Myers-Briggs personality profile, I also have the trait of being a perfectionist and wanting every detail to be exactly as planned. Perfectionist concerns can often hinder one’s ability to achieve their targets and objectives easily (Madigan, 2019). To overcome this issue, I will try to set reasonable goals and also coordinate with my supervisors to ensure my goals are easily achievable. I will also set the level of priorities of tasks so that I do not delay them due to the need for wanting to achieve every detail of the task perfectly.
As per the Predictive Index Assessment, I may not be willing to make decisions that are not driven by data. This implies that I prefer taking decisions that can be easily rationalized through logic and evidence (PI, 2022). However, this may not be possible in various scenarios, wherein all the relevant data is not available. An example is in situations involving emotional intelligence. One can work on this challenge by learning to read the body language and non-verbal communications that other professionals engage in (Kotsou, 2019). This can enable one in empathizing easily with other individuals and developing an understanding of the emotional aspects of other employees.
References
Automotive Council (2022). Career Opportunities. Automotive Council UK. https://www.automotivecouncil.co.uk/uk-automotive-sector/career-opportunities/
Automotive Industry (n.d.). Partner organisations. Automotive Council UK. https://www.automotivecouncil.co.uk/what-is-the-automotive-council/partner-organisations/
Azzadina, I., Huda, A. N., & Sianipar, C. P. M. (2012). Understanding relationship between personality types, Marketing-mix factors, and purchasing decisions. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 65, 352-357.
Bettsworth, S. & Davies, P. (2016). Employers’ Views of the Jobs and Skills Required for the UK Automotive Industry. Automotive Council UK.
https://www.automotiveip.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/02/UK-Automotive-Industry-Jobs-and-Skills-Report-2.pdf
Caliskan, A. (2019). Applying the right relationship marketing strategy through big five personality traits. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 18(3), 196-215
CARA (2021). Skills: a major challenge for the automotive industry. CARA.EU. https://www.cara.eu/en/skills-a-major-challenge-for-the-automotive-industry/
Carmo, M., Neto, M. S., & Donadone, J. C. (2019). Financialization in the automotive industry: Shareholders, managers, and salaries. Journal of Economic Issues, 53(3), 841-862
Caza, A., & Posner, Z. (2019). An exploratory investigation of how grit influences the leadership practices of sales managers. Journal of Selling, 19(2), 36-45.
Doucette, R., Hensley, R., Kaas, H. & Rittstieg, M. (2020). Winning the race for talent: A road map for the automotive industry. McKinsey.
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/winning-the-race-for-talent-a-road-map-for-the-automotive-industry
Galford, R. & Maruca, R. (2011). Your Leadership Legacy Test. Tavaana.
https://tavaana.org/sites/default/files/Leadership%20Styles%20Assessment%20Test.pdf
Hamdani, M. R. (2018). Learning how to be a transformational leader through a skill-building, role-play exercise. The International Journal of Management Education, 16(1), 26-36.
Hoeft, F. (2021). The case of sales in the automotive industry during the COVID?19 pandemic. Strategic Change, 30(2), 117-125
ILO (2021). The future of work in the automotive industry: The need to invest in people’s capabilities and decent and sustainable work. International Labor Organization, TMFWAI 2021
Kamin, Y., Ahmad, A., & Cartledge, D. (2013). Student’s Perceptions on the Relevance of a Diploma in an Automotive Curriculum to the Workplace. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, 90-96
Kotsou, I., Mikolajczak, M., Heeren, A., Grégoire, J., & Leys, C. (2019). Improving emotional intelligence: A systematic review of existing work and future challenges. Emotion Review, 11(2), 151-165.
Leutner, F., Ahmetoglu, G., Akhtar, R., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2014). The relationship between the entrepreneurial personality and the Big Five personality traits. Personality and individual differences, 63, 58-63
Madigan, D. J. (2019). A meta-analysis of perfectionism and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 31(4), 967-989.
Meskelis, S., & Whittington, J. L. (2020). Driving employee engagement: how personality trait and leadership style impact the process. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(10).
NERIS Analytics Limited (2022). Strengths & Weaknesses. 16 Personalities. https://www.16personalities.com/infj-strengths-and-weaknesses
ONS (2017). Automotive Sector Report. Parliament.UK. https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/commons-committees/Exiting-the-European-Union/17-19/Sectoral-Analyses/4-Sectoral-Analyses-Automotive-Report.pdf
PI (2022). Characteristics of an Analyzer. The Predictive Index.
https://www.predictiveindex.com/reference-profile/analyzer/
Pina, L. S., Loureiro, S. M. C., Rita, P., Sarmento, E. M., Bilro, R. G., & Guerreiro, J. (2019). Analysing consumer-brand engagement through appreciative listening on social network platforms. Journal of Promotion Management, 25(3), 304-313
Ramachandran, V., Loya, A., Shah, K. P., Goyal, S., Hansoti, E. A., & Caruso, A. C. (2020). Myers-briggs Type indicator in medical Education: a narrative review and analysis. Health Professions Education, 6(1), 31-46.
SMMT (2020). UK Automotive. SMMT UK. https://www.smmt.co.uk/industry-topics/uk-automotive/
SMMT (2021). Employment. SMMT UK. https://www.smmt.co.uk/industry-topics/sustainability/employment/
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
