After work experience

Auditing your skills

You want to choose a career that enables you to do what you are good at. Critical to this is identifying where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Equally, employers are very precise and demanding in terms of competencies and skills that they expect you to possess and expect you to be able to articulate and demonstrate these skills. The completion of the following exercise will enable you to identify and record the skills, attributes and knowledge you already possess from your recent work experience. This will help you to bear these in mind when:

  • Considering careers that might suit you
  • Thinking about the skills you need to develop
  • Articulating these skills in the recruitment process

Bear in mind that you will have developed skills from a variety of experiences, not only your recent work experience. Also consider your degree study and research, part time or summer work, voluntary work, student activities and even social interactions.

Reflecting upon your experiences, rate yourself,using the following table, on a scale of 1-5 with regard to each skill below (5 being the most confident and 1 the least). These skills are many of the core ones that might be required by graduate employers.

There may, of course, be other skills you possess or wish to possess. Add these to this list as you feel appropriate. This process is for you, so make it relevant.

Auditing my skills
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Oral Communication /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Make presentations that communicate information, ideas and arguments effectively to a variety of audiences, such as to large and small groups, and in formal and informal situations.
Chose a format and language appropriate to different audiences, including subject-specific and general audiences.
Design and use appropriate visual aids to enhance the quality of a presentation, such as PowerPoint slides, handouts, posters, web pages and models.
Actively and constructively participate in discussion groups.
Listen effectively to others and adapt my communication accordingly.
Adapt my communication style to the needs of specific individuals.
Establish effective rapport with people I have not previously met or
worked with.
Skill
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Written Communication /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Produce a variety of written material in different formats and lengths, and for different purposes (e.g. an essay, laboratory report, case summary, abstract, student journal article, dissertation).
Write in a language that is appropriate to different audiences, including specialist and general audiences, with clarity in the composition, and appropriate language.
Critically review my own written work to ensure that its structure and length is appropriate and that my ideas are clearly expressed.
Communicate ideas and arguments effectively in writing.
Use grammar and spelling accurately.
Cite my sources appropriately.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Team-working /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Work with other team members to identify, distribute and undertake the tasks necessary to complete a project.
Identify and work with the strengths and weaknesses of individual team members.
Communicate effectively with other team members to ensure the effective operation of the team.
Deal sensitively with dissent and disagreement.
Work with individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Adapt quickly to working in a new team environment.
Evaluate my contribution and that of other team members to the completion of a project.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Problem solving /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Analyse a problem in order to identify its essential elements.
Apply my existing knowledge of a subject to a problem.
Generate and evaluate a range of strategies to address a problem.
Design a solution to a problem.
Determine what new information and resources are required in order to solve a problem and demonstrate an ability to research or find these.
Implement a planned solution that addresses a problem.
Evaluate an already implemented solution and reflect upon what has been accomplished.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Research skills /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Identify and develop a research question or hypothesis.
Construct a range of strategies and methods for answering research questions or testing hypotheses, as appropriate to a subject.
Locate, review and evaluate information and data on a research topic.
Reference different kinds of information to their correct sources, appropriately to a subject.
Use ethical guidelines for research.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Taking responsibility /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Identify how I learn best, and the strengths and weaknesses of my individual approach to learning.
Plan my learning activities and how to improve the effectiveness of my learning, including revision for examinations and preparation of coursework.
Organise myself and my time.
Accept feedback in a positive manner and act appropriately upon it.
Reflect on my experiences of learning, and analyse and evaluate those experiences so that I can to improve my approach to learning.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Information handling skills /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Recognise a need for relevant information.
Distinguish ways in which an information ‘gap’ may be addressed.
Construct strategies for locating that information.
Locate and access the information.
Compare and evaluate information obtained from different sources.
Organise, apply and communicate information to others in ways that are appropriate to the situation.
Synthesise and build upon existing information.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Information technology /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Use online search tools well (e.g. intute.ac.uk and advanced searches in Google).
Access information from closed (e.g. virtual learning environment) and open web sources including library catalogues. I can save Web addresses and downloaded files.
Store files securely, print, copy and upload them (e.g. as an assignment or an attachment to a message in an online text discussion).
Use a virtual learning environment (e.g. KLE discussion boards and access module resources) and email for communication with tutors and other students
Produce electronic documents and slides in appropriate formats (e.g. Rich Text Format, simple text, PowerPoint, Prezi).
Input data into statistical or spreadsheet software (e.g. Excel), perform basic calculations and create appropriate charts.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Numerical skills /
Rating
/ Evidence and Rationale
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have rated it the way you have.
Use numbers to support an idea or argument (e.g. calculate a percentage, ratio or fraction; present an increase or decrease; and use appropriate units of measurement).
Use appropriate charts and graphs to display numerical data effectively.
Draw appropriate conclusions from tables of numbers and from charts.
Calculate and use simple descriptive statistics
(e.g. mean, median, mode, range, inter-quartile range, standard deviation).