Why Graduate, Academic and Employability Skills Matter

Audit

This resource is written for students

Study and Self ManagementSkills

To achieve a top class degree you have to be organised, cope with competing pressures, study effectively and efficiently and monitor your progress to ensure you are on-track for a good degree. This is why your University course will provide opportunities to develop this skill.

Notes and action points on study and self management skills

Critical Thinking and Reflective Skills

High academic achievers and influential and effective workers are insightful. They use their reflective and critical thinking skills to look objectively at what they are doing and whether they can do things differently. Changing what you do and how you do it, learning from your mistakes, questioning your assumptions, challenging yourself to think differently, making new connections between theory and practice, all help you to achieve challenging goals and targets more quickly with less effort.

Organisations benefit when employees realistically and objectively analyse their own strengths and weaknesses. These employees can be relied upon to set themselves achievable goals because they think through the options, look for the best ways of working and deliver what they promise

Notes and action points on critical thinking and reflective skills

Problem Solving and Creativity Skills

Success in your University studies and later in the workplace requires you to be able to solve problems effectively and efficiently. Many of the more challenging problems demand the most creative solutions, so an ability to think differently and imaginatively about problems and to see new ways of solving them will help you resolve them more quickly and permanently.

Organisations have problems to solve all the time. Employers want graduates to bring these skills to the workplace. Thinking creatively opens up new possibilities. It allows you to identify better ways of doing things. It gives you innovative tools to work with. Developing and applying creative solutions to testing problems usually require a blend of skills and employers value a graduate’s ability to mix problem -solving techniques with creative thinking to sort issues. Standards rise in organisations when employees solve problems with an open, critical and inquisitive min

Notes and action points on problem solving and creativity skills

Writing Skills

The importance of being able to communicate in writing is obvious. Succeeding in your academic studies and at work requires you to be able to write in different ways for different audiences. You will not achieve a good degree or hold down a graduate job if you can’t write accurate English. Examiners will not mark scripts they cannot read or understand, and employers will expect you to be able to use general and technical English.

Accurately expressing yourself in writing is a basic skill and the foundation of effective workplace communications. Paying good wages to a poor communicator is a waste of money for an organisation and they won’t do it. Poor writing skills lead to organisational inefficiencies. In the longer term an inability to express yourself clearly and accurately will hinder your career

Notes and action points on writing skills

Oral Skills

An ability to express yourself accurately is a core part of being effective in what you do. An inability to communicate with individuals will compromise your studies and your working life. The capacity to use different forms of language accurately and to communicate your ideas with clarity and colour ensures you can influence others. A capacity to adjust what you say and how you say it enables you to interact with different individuals and audiences – a flexibility which employers value highly

Notes and action points on oral skills

Reading Skills

Your studies require that you can read, understand and interpret different sources and styles of writing. Graduate level reading skills demand that you can read and assimilate complex ideas. The process of studying will not happen without highly developed reading skills. The ability to read and understand diverse styles of writing is particularly valued by employers as your skills can be widely applied to their business. Your capacity to express yourself more accurately orally and in writing increases with reading

Notes and action points on reading skills

IT,Information and Numeracy Skills

Many graduate–level jobs use information technology skills. You will struggle to carry out your academic work and build a rewarding career if you are unable to use information technology or develop the skills to operate specialist computer-based equipment. Many organisations use the Internet to manage their businesses.

Numeracy skills are fundamental to being effective. Managing aspects of your university life and developing rewarding careers demand good numeracy skills. Employers consider numeracy skills to be a basic competence. Too few students have the numeracy skills employers need and many employers struggle to recruit suitably numerate graduates

Notes and action points on information on IT, information and numeracy skills

Research Skills

Studying effectively at degree-level requires that you are good at research. You have to find and use information, so a capacity to critically source, record, analyse and interpret large amounts of information is critical. An ability to set information in context requires sophisticated research skills

Organisations have to evaluate issues and a range of research skills ensures a full and accurate assessment of the issues involved. Research skills which enable you to evaluate and balance information will be useful in solving problems within organisations.

Notes and action points on research skills

Teamwork Skills

All organisations use teams. Your studies here will involve you in working with others in teams. Your working life will involve teams. Many graduates work in teams soon after appointment, and the most successful individuals adapt their teamwork skills to cope with very challenging situations. Employers want team players. Working confidently, co-operatively and flexibly as a member of a team is a highly valued graduate skill. Accommodating the expertise, motivations and behaviours of other team members and still remaining focused on what the team is tasked with doing is a crucial job skill.
Notes and action points on teamwork skills

Leadership Skills

Aspects of your University studies will require you to direct the work of others. Having the skills to organise others and get the most from them is critical. Many graduates take on leadership roles in organisations quite soon after appointment. Many employers want graduates to assume responsibility early and good leadership skills can help you progress. Recognising the leadership skills of groups you lead will ensure you get the most from colleagues with whom you work. It will make your life easier.

Notes and action points on leadership skills

This resource is written for students

What is an ePortfolio?

An eportfolio supports your development. It’s a tool to store and manage all your development issues.

It’s a private place to amass evidence of your achievements and developments, a place to reflect on what you have achieved, a space to develop goals, to write and monitor plans as well as somewhere to organise your career search, job applications and CVs.

Think of an eportfolio as an electronic diary. Bring in video, files, RSS feeds, photos, etc. Submit a page from your eportfolio to your tutor outlining issues for discussion at your next tutorial. Storefeedback on your skills and job applications. Scan in your academic certificates or references.

Add some free writing about you and what you have achieved and tag it so you can organise your eportfolio in ways which work for you. Keep it personal or share parts of it with tutors, prospective employers or friends. Set up groups with friends to share ideas. Customise it and take it with you when you leave. Link your eportfolio to your Facebook or Twitter page. It’s all about you, so use it in any way you want.

You can use any software to act as an eportfolio. If you want to use the university’s eportfolio you can access it through your Moodle account:

How do I use it?

Goals

At the start of each academic year we suggest that you set your study, work and life goals.

Choose your goals carefully. Make sure they are realistic and each one helps you move forward. Don’t be too ambitious at the outset. You can always add new or more challenging goals later. Reaching a goal is a thrilling experience and motivates you to do more, so set achievable goals. That’s not the same as easy goals. The goals you set can be a mixture of short term goals (e.g. this semester, next semester) as well as longer term goals (next year, after graduation).

So that you can monitor your progress towards achieving your goals, you should keep a record of them in your ePortfolio.

Plans

Now that you have identified your work, life and study goals for the forthcoming academic year the next step is to think how you are going to achieve them. Be realistic about the time and effort you can devote to achieving your goals. Don’t overload yourself. Think thorough what you need.

For each of your identified goals, create a simple action plan that outlines what needs to happen, when it will happen and how it will happen.

Employability Skills

This section explores the ten Graduate, Academic and Employability skills set out in Curriculum 2012. The resources can be used with students on a skill-by-skill basis. It includes advice on developing and recording these skills, as well as how employers might ask job applicants about their skills. Some content is available to students and staff through the ePDP site in Moodle.

This resource is written for students

Study and Self ManagementSkills

Why are Study and Self Management Skills important?

Managing yourself helps you to control your life and career in ways which suit you. Many graduate-level jobs have a degree of independence and autonomy, and require graduates to plan and manage their own work schedules, monitor progress towards targets, and reflect on what has been achieved.
To achieve a top class degree you have to be organised, cope with competing pressures, study effectively and efficiently and monitor your progress to ensure you are on-track for a good degree. This is why your University course will provide opportunities to develop this skill.

What aspects of Study and Self Management Skills can I develop?

The aspects of this skill that your course will develop are shown below inbold. There are other aspects of this skill you may develop while you study, live and work here which employers also value. These are not bold in the list. If you know other aspects, collect evidence of them.

I can set goals and adopt flexible approaches to achieving them

I generate clear and measurable ideas and goals
I can apply my initiative, commitment and perseverance to activities I undertake
I can adopt a flexible approach
I build and maintain relationships with others to help me

I can manage my time, resources and tasks

I can manage time and resources and prioritise tasks
I show initiative and enterprise in managing tasks
I can manage emotions
I anticipate and negotiate well
I take and manage risks appropriately
I show flexibility when priorities change

I can address problems, feedback and progress issues effectively

I can review progress and act on feedback
I respond positively to changed priorities and adapt to new situations
I seek advice and support when needed

I can secure the best conditions and opportunities for my own learning

I can evaluate and monitor my own performance
I can identify progress towards my goals
I seek out appropriate challenges and responsibilities
I deal with competing pressures well
I reflect on the progress I have made in achieving goals, and evaluates what I have learned
I know how to learn and can secure the best conditions to do so

How can I develop and record these skills?

All academic and tutorial activities are structured to support development of your skills. How a course develops your skills will vary. It may be the way you learn, or how your course and its assignments are structured. It could be through the tutorial system and the skills you use working with your tutor.

To help you improve skills quickly there will be opportunities to practise and receive feedback on them. Be sure to ask for feedback from all your lecturers on your skill development and review progress regularly with your personal tutor. Record your development in your portfolio.

The skills you use to manage your academic studies are the same ones you use to manage your life. Look for opportunities to develop skills in all parts of your life. Your part-time job, recreational interests, sports clubs, committee work, leisure activities, work placement, vacation work can convince an employer that you have the skills they want.
Keep a record of what you do and the skills you used. Note how you used skills in new situations, whether you applied them at an unusually high level, or used them in new, unfamiliar or testing conditions.

You can store evidence and track your achievements inan eportfolio.You can bring all skills together in aGAE Grid.Use it to review your progress in all the skill areas. Detail your successes and concerns, and identify where you need help. Discuss your needs with your personal tutor and put a plan in place to develop the skills you need.Finally, tell prospective employers about the skills you have. They will be interested

How might employers ask me about my Study and Self Management Skills?

This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your study and self management skills could help you include:

“Tell me about the time you had to adopt a new approach or style to accomplish a task. How did you manage the transition?”
“What do you do when priorities change quickly? Give me an example of how you managed the situation and the outcome that resulted from your actions.”
“How do you decide whether a task has gone well or not and what would you do differently next time?”
“What do you do to ensure you are up to date in your speciality?”
“How do you ensure that deadlines you are given are met? How do you know?

Notes and action points on study and self management skills
Ways in which my course is developing my study and self management skills
How well developed are my study and self management skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my study and self management skills

This resource is written for students

Critical Thinking and Reflective Skills

What aspects of Critical Thinking and Reflective Skills can I develop?