Assessing your skills

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Welcome to Assessing Your Skills one of the series of Futures workbooks, which help students choose and prepare for their careers. Like the other workbooks in the series you can dip in and out doing the exercises which are most relevant to you. You might want to include the exercises or the output in your personal development plan or e-portfolio.

The aim of this workbook is to help you to clarify or identify your skills as a first step toward choosing work that really suits you. It can also help you in the preparation stage of compiling a CV, in preparation for job interviews and for other occasions when you may want or need to analyse your skills.

Contents

WHAT SKILLS AND APTITUDES DO YOU HAVE? 3

SKILLS AUDIT 4

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE EXERCISES 10

EIGHT INTELLIGENCES. 17

WHAT SKILLS GRADUATE RECRUITERS WANT 23

pulling it all together 32

When you have completed the exercises in this workbook, you are advised to move on to the next one: Your Personality and Values. Completing all the exercises in both workbooks will help you clarify or gain a broad view of yourself.

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ASSESSING YOUR SKILLS

Later in this workbook you will be asked to complete some skill analysis questionnaires, but the starting point for any skills audit is with you and what you think.

What skills and aptitudes do you have?

So, what do you think are your main skills and aptitudes? Think about three specific areas at this stage: academic; interest related; work related (if applicable). What are you good at?

Academic: related to education and training; subjects or areas you feel are your strongest

Interests: related to your interests away from education or paid work Work: related to any past or current work experience (if applicable).

Write in the spaces below, an example has been given for each.

Academic Interests Work

e.g. Analysing data published in journals

e.g. Organising events: five a side football matches

e.g. Talking to customers

1. Using quotes in my work to back up an argument

1. Good organisational skills for social events with friends.

1. Good with money and numbers

2. Good at talking to customers

3. Good at manual labour

4. Good at working with machinery

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SECTION 1: FIRST THINGS FIRST

This next exercise takes the process of skill analysis a step further.

Below is a list of specific skills. There are two parts to the exercise:

1. First, look down the list of skills that follow and and mark in red against up to 10 you feel are your strongest at this point in time.

2. When you have done that go back over the same list and make up to ten in green next to skills you feel you want or need to develop or learn in the future.

(P) Teaching, coaching, mentoring or training others

(P) Organising people

(D) Examining, observing, surveying; having an eye for detail and accuracy

(D) Managing money, budgeting

(D) Researching, gathering information

(I) Designing things or events

(P) Leading or directing others

(D) Analysing, sorting or sifting through information

(T) Keeping physically fit

(D) Organising or classifying data

(T) Using machine tools, e.g. power tools

(T) Handling things with precision and speed (can include racket sports)

(T) Building, constructing, repairing things

(D) Diagnosing, looking for problems

(D) Making catalogues or lists e.g. compiling an inventory or list of items

(D) Following instructions, diagrams, blueprints

(I) Improvising and adapting (for example, when things don’t go to plan)

(I) Creating, innovating, seeing alternatives to situations

(P) Motivating people

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SECTION 2: SKILLS AUDIT

(D) Problem solving generally

(I) Developing other peoples ideas; helping them be more creative

(T) Hand-eye co-ordination, e.g. fast computer games; racket sports

(D) Reviewing, evaluating

(I) Working creatively with spaces, shapes or faces

(P) Performing in a group, on stage, in public etc. (can include presentations)

(P) Giving credit to others, showing appreciation

(P) Listening to others

(I) Sizing up a situation or person quickly and accurately

(T) Manual dexterity (using your hands)

(D) Memorising numbers or other information

(T) Developing your physical strength & stamina

(P) Taking first moves in relationships, i.e. to talk to strangers

(T) Fixing, repairing things

(P) Helping others

(T) Assembling things (you learn quickly how to put material things together)

(I) Drama, acting, role-playing

(P) Conveying warmth and caring

(P) Selling, negotiating, persuading

(I) Working creatively with colours

(P) Showing interest in other people

(T) Using hand tools to make, service or repair things

(I) Composing music

(D) Using a computer

(P) Helping other people to learn, change or develop

(I) Conveying feelings or ideas through art or graphics

(T) Finding out how mechanical or electrical things work

(I) Writing creatively or imaginatively

(T) Developing quick physical reactions, e.g. sport; driving etc

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(D) Manipulating numbers rapidly in mental arithmetic

(T) Developing muscular co-ordination or physical stamina

(I) Having insight, using intuition (e.g. you are good at guessing accurately what others are thinking or feeling)

(P) Showing sensitivity to other people's feelings

(D) Reading for facts

(I) Reading for ideas

(T) Manoeuvring vehicle or other objects accurately in tight spaces

(I) Shaping things or materials to look good

Is there anything missing from the list above? If you feel anything specific and important to you is missing from the above list, write it in the space below. If not, continue the next stage of this exercise on the following page.

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CURRENT SKILLS

Now look again at the skills you ticked and list them in rank order of importance or interest to you in the grid below. You will notice that each of the skills you picked out had a letter, either D I T or P attached to them. Make a note of the letter attached to each skill in the left hand box of the grid below.

Letter (DITP)

Skill Description

TKeeping physically fit

DManaging money

T

Handling things with precision and speed (can include racket sports)

TBuilding, constructing, repairing

D Following instructions, diagrams, blueprints

T Using machine tools, e.g. power tools

T Manual dexterity (using your hands)

P Listening to others

TDeveloping your physical strength and stamina

TDeveloping quick physical reactions, e.g. sport; driving etc

What do the letters DITP represent? See next page.

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YOUR SKILLS AUDIT RESULT

Some questions to ask:

Do all your skills listed fall into one or two main groups, or is there a reasonable spread across the four categories?

The results suggest that Things is by far the most choice. This shows that I have a clear interest in practical and technical matters. This also shows that I like to work with my hands or involving solving technical problems.

The next most popular result was Data which shows that I have an interest in organisation, administration, information and being in situations involving attention to clerical and organisational activity.

Are any categories missing from your profile? If so, why?no

The first three or four ranked skills tend to be the most significant. Is there a common thread or element between these?

They are mainly in the things bracket. Most jobs combine more than one skill; can you think of any types of

work that combine the skills you have listed? If you can’t, then don’t worry.

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DITP?

Data:an interest in organisation, administration, information and being in situations involving attention to these issues; can suggest an interest in clerical and organisational activity.

Ideas:an interest in creative activity and applying original ideas or solutions to problems or situations; suggests an interest in using your own ideas in an independent way.

Things:an interest in practical and technical matters; an interest in working with your hands, or involving solving technical problems.

People:an interest in working with people in some sphere, but particularly in a supportive, advisory or caring way.

There are more exercises to do in this workbook and in Futures book ‘Your Personality and Values’ that might suggest an answer to this question.

FUTURE SKILLS

Now look again at the skills you picked out in green. List them in the grid below in rank order of importance or interest to you to develop in the future, along with action plan notes on why you want to learn the skill in question, plus how and when you will do this.

Skills to learn or develop in the future

Why you want to learn the skill

How I intend to do this When I intend to do this

1.Teaching, coaching, mentoring or training others

I feel this will be good in business and in everyday life.

I intend to do this by playing in a rugby team. In the trainings sessions there will be team exercises which I would be able to teach others in the drills etc.

August at the start of the season

2.Reading for ideas

To get a better idea of what type of thing is could do or use in my work

Use the sources available and do my own research

For all uni work

3. Having insight, using intuition (e.g. you are good at guessing accurately what others are thinking or feeling)

I think this will help me in everyday life in business

Be seeing how people react in different situation in such as in university life

While at university

4. Writing creatively or imaginatively

This would be useful to keep the reader interested in my work

Using ideas from different people that have done similar things

While writing for my essay Nov 27

5. Helping other people to learn, change or develop

I feel this will be good in business and in everyday life.

By first of all knowing the ins and outs of the work. I have tort my brother how to help on the building site and using the tool.

Dec 18

6.Selling, negotiating, persuading

This is a very important skill needed in business so I think it is important to learn this skill

By working I have already worked selling to customers so I know a little bit about it but I feel

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they could be improved.7. Taking first moves in

relationships, i.e. to talk to strangers

I think this is important because being shy myself I feel that I miss out on a few things and I would like to change that.

By coming to university miles away from home I have been forced to interact with strangers and make friends so I think I have improved this

Sep 28

8.Sizing up a situation or person quickly and accurately

This is a very important skill in business and everyday life because you will know whether to trust or do business with the person

I think the best way to do this is by getting experience by going into different situation so I will be able to to have a rough idea of the situations that might happen

Sep 28

9.Performing in a group, on stage, in public etc. (can include presentations)

This is important in business and in everyday life because then you can get your opinion across if you have the confidence to be able to do this.

I have to do presentation for different modules in university so I will have to do this and the more I do it the more confident I will be come at it

Sep 28

10.Leading or directing others

This is important in business and in everyday life because then you can get your opinion across if you have the confidence to be able to do this.

This will be done by doing group work in university modules. I have done this I sports marketing module for the poster presentation assessment

Sep 28

If you need advice about ways you might learn or develop these skills, visit the Careers Service, you can contact them via www.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers, or look at Skills For Learning http://skillsforlearning.leedsmet.ac.uk/

In this section we take another step in the process to consider the idea of multiple intelligence and skills.

Intelligence can be defined as the ability of a person to reason.

Intelligence and skill are two separate concepts, although clearly there is a relationship between them. We tend to want to display and apply our intelligence in tangible ways – often through developing and using skills.

Intelligence tests have traditionally been constructed around four main ability areas:

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SECTION 3: MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE SKILLS

http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers

1. Numerical

2. Linguistic

3. Spatial

4. Logical/reasoning (which draws largely from the other three areas)

However, Howard Gardner, Professor of Education, Harvard University, has argued that we reason in a set of particular ways and that we can identify eight different sets of intelligences.

Gardner’s ideas will be elaborated later, but first complete the questionnaire that starts on the next page.

There are 80 questions. In most questions you will be asked to what extent you agree with the statement presented to you, in terms of your own experiences.

You can respond from 1 to 5 to each of them.

1 is the lowest response, usually implying a negative reaction/no experience/no interest

5 is the highest response, usually implying a very positive reaction/response or interest

Work fairly quickly through the questions and tick the response that is closest to your feelings on the question or statement presented.

codeQuestions 1 2 3 4 5

MAs a child, to what extent did you have a liking for music/music classes?

KIn school, to what extent did you enjoy sports/gym classes more than other classes?

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LAs a child, to what extent did you easily learn maths, such as addition, multiplication, etc.?

SAs a child, to what extent did you often build or make things out of available material?

WTo what extent do you enjoy games involving words, or the sounds of words?

PTo what extent have you had friendships that have lasted for a long time?

ITo what extent do you have a clear sense of who you are and want you want out of life?

NTo what extent is it easy for you to understand and care for animals?

MTo what extent can you play a musical instrument?

KAs a teenager, to what extent did you regularly play sports or engage in gym activities?

LIn school, to what extent did you ever have a particular interest in maths?

SAs a teenager or adult, to what extent did you enjoy getting involved in art and/or design?

WTo what extent have you ever written, outside of school, a story, poetry or a song?

PTo what extent are you good at solving conflicts at work, home or elsewhere?

ITo what extent are you aware of your feelings and able to control your moods?

NTo what extent have you ever studied wildlife in your own time, outside of formal school or college study?

MTo what extent do you have a good voice for singing, either alone or with others?

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KTo what extent are you good at things that require hand/eye coordination, e.g. juggling?

LTo what extent are you curious about why or how things work?

STo what extent can you design & make the best use of space around you?

WHow effective are you at bargaining or making a deal with people?

PTo what extent do you feel you easily understand the feelings, wishes or needs of others?

ITo what extent do you plan and work hard towards personal goals (home or work)?

NTo what extent are you good at observing & learning about nature & the natural world?

MTo what extent do you have music on to aid work, study or relaxation?

KTo what extent are you good at doing precision craft related work with your hands?

LTo what extent are you good at designing systems for dealing with work related issues?

SHow easily can you work out how to put together or assemble something, e.g. self-assembly furniture?

WTo what extent when others disagree are you easily able to say what you think or feel?

PTo what extent do you enjoy working with others in groups or teams?

ITo what extent do you know and understand your own motivations?

NTo what extent are you interested in natural or life sciences?

MTo what extent can you identify the sound of different musical instruments?

KTo what extent do you remember best what you have done (compared to seen or heard?)

LTo what extent do you enjoy mental tests or puzzles?

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STo what extent do you have a good sense of direction?

WTo what extent do you learn best by discussion with others?

PTo what extent for social life do you generally prefer parties/group activity?

ITo what extent have you a sense of your own strengths and weaknesses?

NTo what extent do you have a strong & active interest in environmental issues?

MTo what extent can you remember tunes or rhythm in music?

KTo what extent do you like to think through problems while engaged in physical pursuits, such as walking or running?

LTo what extent do you like to categorize, group or organise things?

STo what extent do you find that films, slides & videos are particularly significant in helping you learn?

WTo what extent do you enjoy speaking formally in public?

PTo what extent are you an easy person to get to know?

ITo what extent do you get angry or badly frustrated when you fail or things go wrong for you?

NTo what extent would you enjoy working in some form of environment/nature related career?

MTo what extent can you easily identify composers by just listening to the music?

KTo what extent can you concentrate & sit still for long periods?

LTo what extent are you interested in science or solving science related problems?

STo what extent are you good at judging spaces and distances between things?

WTo what extent are you good at explaining things logically to others?

PTo what extent would you consider yourself to be a person who easily takes good advice from others?


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ITo what extent do you prefer to think through your own problems, rather than seek advice from others?

NTo what extent are you informed about global environmental issues?

MTo what extent is music important in your life?

KTo what extent do you prefer physical leisure activity to non-physical?

LTo what extent do you take a systematic, step-by-step approach to solving problems?

STo what extent are you creative in a visual way, e.g. art/photography/design etc?

WTo what extent are you a convincing speaker?

PTo what extent do you consider yourself to be a sociable person?

ITo what extent is thinking problems out alone more important than talking them out with others?

NTo what extent do you relax and unwind outdoors?

MTo what extent do you discuss or listen to music in the company of others?

KTo what extent do you enjoy physical movement as a form of relaxation?

LTo what extent do you always look for a logical explanation of things?

STo what extent are you observant & see things others do not notice?

WTo what extent are you good at verbally explaining things to other people?

PTo what extent can you take the lead in discussion with groups of people?

ITo what extent do you look for unique or unusual ways to solve personal problems or achieve personal goals?

NTo what extent can you identify the differences between plants?

MDo you have a strong liking for the sound of certain instruments or groups?

KTo what extent do you enjoy any form of travel, even bus and train journeys?


LTo what extent are you good at budgeting with money?

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STo what extent can you visualize how things look from different perspectives?

WTo what extent do you enjoy expressing your ideas in writing?

PTo what extent can you make people feel comfortable and at ease with you or each other?

ITo what extent do you like to do things by yourself?

NTo what extent are you concerned with environmental issues?

Now you can begin scoring your responses. First, add up the total score allocated to questions in each of the eight recurring code categories. The maximum score possible for any of the eight categories is 50.

Write the total scores for each category in the spaces below.

M

32

K

39

L

34

S

37

W

29

P

35

I

34

N

37

Next, rank your scores, with the highest at the top, in the column below.

Code

1 K 39

2 N 37

3 S 37

4 P 35

5 L 34

6 I 34

7 M 32

8 W 29

The eight intelligence areas identified by Gardner are:

Code Type of Intelligence

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W Linguistic

L Mathematical/Logical

S Visual/Spatial

K (Kinesthetic) Bodily/Physical

M Musical

P Interpersonal (Social)

I Intrapersonal (Inner)

N Environment/Nature related

Gardner has claimed that the eight intelligences rarely operate independently; they combine and overlap. Most of us therefore have some aptitude in all eight areas, although we tend to incline more, or are interested in, at least one of them. In graduate work you may be required to display intelligence in almost all of these ways; however over the next few pages are descriptions of the eight which can help you decide which you want to focus on throughout your career.

THE EIGHT INTELLIGENCES:

Remember, most of us will have some aptitude or interest in some aspects of all of these. But it is likely that you are particularly inclined to at least one of these eight intelligences.

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LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE:

The ability to use language in an advanced way.

You are likely to be tuned-in to the meanings, power, rhythms and influence of words.

You are likely to be interested and proficient in one or more of:

Learning languages

Verbal arguments/debating

Crosswords, word puzzles

Letter/report writing

Form filling

Research

Creative writing

Giving clear explanations

Giving instructions

Essay writing

Careers:

There are very few careers that will not involve the use of words!

However, what we are emphasising here is an advanced application of this skill in the work place.

Authors, actors, advertisers, journalists, poets and politicians are obvious examples of people with linguistic intelligence and who have decided to apply this skill in particular ways.

Other relevant careers include publishing, library & information services, teaching, translating, sales, public relations and marketing.

LOGICAL/MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE

The ability to reason and calculate, to think things through in a logical, systematic and quantifiable manner.

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It also involves the ability to detect patterns and make connections between different phenomena or activities and to understand relationships between actions. It involves both inductive and deductive reasoning skills and a critical-creative approach to problem solving.

You are likely to be interested in one or more of:

Budgeting Accounts Planning Calculating Strategy Logic Estimating quantities Managing/planning time Mathematics Statistics Computing

Careers:These are the kinds of skills highly developed in economists, accountants and all numerical related careers, members of the legal profession, plus engineers, computer programmers and scientists.

ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE

The ability to recognise and categorise flora and faunaand other features or elements of the natural world.

You are likely to be significantly interested in one or more of: Biology Ecology Horticulture/gardening Wildlife/nature Environment/conservation Animals/animal welfare

Careers:

Farmers, botanists, horticulturists, conservationists, biologists, environmentalists, environment campaigners and animal welfare workers would all apply this intelligence.

VISUAL-SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE:

The ability to visualize a creative result in relation to physical space and/or animate or inanimate forms.

It includes the ability to think inthree-dimensional ways and to convert these ideas into some form of tangible creative form.

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It also includes the ability to work with a rangeof tools or resources to produce a finished object.

But you also use this skill if you have a good sense of direction and the relationship of objects to space and distance.


Art & design in all forms, including photography

Visual planning

Creative activities involving material objects

Crafts

Decoration

Body & hair care

Imagery: use of mental imagery for all creative or observational activities

Careers:

Architects, artists, designers, photographers, beauty therapists, hairdressers and strategic planners have all decided to apply this skill; but it is also required of pilots, navigators, professional drivers and surveyors.

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BODILY/PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE:

The ability to use and synchronise your body deftly, skilfully or creatively to make things, or solve physically related problems; to test yourself against others physically; or to present ideas, moods and emotions.


Sport Dance Athletics Manual & craft work of all kinds Walking/outdoor pursuits Remedial physical work, e.g. massage

Careers:

This ability is most obviously displayed in athletic pursuits, dancing, acting, crafts, building and construction, medical/physical remedial careers and a wide range of outdoor-manual jobs.

MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE:

The ability to make or compose music, sing well, keep rhythm, or understand and appreciate music.

It can also involve being sensitive to the nuance, emotion or mood expressed by or related to sounds.

It can also connect with a particular interest you may have in audio or audio/visual forms of communication.

Careers:

It is a skill applied obviously by musicians, composers, recording & sound engineers and others with a related interest in sound and especially music.

Speech and hearing therapists are also likely to have an interest in this particular intelligence.

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INTERPERSONAL (Social) INTELLIGENCE

It is concerned with the capacity and ability to understand the motivations and actions of others. It is applied in an ability to work effectively with others, to relate well to other people and help others develop.

This is a vital human intelligence displayed by proficient teachers, facilitators, therapists, politicians, religious leaders and sales people.


Team work/group work Leading others Mentoring others Managing/supervising others Helping others with problems Teaching/training others

…and the wide range of socially oriented jobs that connect with this skill.

INTRAPERSONAL (Inner) INTELLIGENCE

This involves the ability for self-analysis and reflection, including honestly assessing one's accomplishments, reviewing own behaviour and innermost feelings, making realistic plans and setting clear goals.


Planning your own time Understanding your own or other people’s feelings &

moods Understanding other people’s motives or behaviour Setting personal goals Keeping a personal diary or journal Creative writing Looking for wider connections between things that happen

Careers:

This ability is increasingly relevant and necessary in many jobs involving close interaction, supervision or observation of others, and reflection on self and the motives of others, and particularly so in the case of counsellors, psychologists, writers and artists.

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligences are often closely related.

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YOUR MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE RESULT

Some questions to ask yourself.

Can you think of future work opportunities that allow you to combine intelligences you are particularly drawn to?

Are there other intelligences you feel Gardner has neglected in his overall categorisation? If so, what other intelligences should have been included?

Is there a connection between this result and the results from the two previous exercises?

Take a moment to write down your thoughts here:

There is a clear connection between these results and the VARK results which suggest that I prefer the kinaesthetic work and learning.

This would suggest that I am best at having bodily/ physical intelligence. This would lead to different career opportunities such as athletic pursuits, dancing, acting, crafts, building and construction, medical/physical remedial careers and a wide range of outdoor-manual jobs.

I have already been heavily involved in the building and construction industry and outdoor manual jobs such as farm work.

The exercises so far have focused on your own perceptions of your skills.

But what skills are employers looking for from graduates today? This is the subject of the next section.

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SECTION 4: WHAT SKILLS DO GRADUATE RECRUITERS WANT?

In the previous exercise you reflected on which skills you wanted to develop in the future. However, it is important to bear in mind the skills most employers seek of graduates today.

In 2008 over 334,890 people graduated from first degree courses in the UK. This figure is set to rise. 189,415 of these graduates had first or upper second class honours degrees, (source: HESA). Because of this employers use the fact that you have a degree, and a degree at a particular level as only the starting point in recruitment. Most employers recruit based on core skills. Employers’ surveys consistently find that graduate recruiters require the same core skills, regardless of career area. The skills most often cited by employers are: communication, team working, problem solving and numerical ability. Employers also call these ‘competencies’ and these are the things they recruit against. So whilst most employers will ask for a minimum standard of degree classification and other qualifications, they differentiate between applicants by looking at these core skills.

For example:

IBM (UK) state they look for: “foundational competencies, which complement our values and identify the skills you'll need to succeed. These include teamwork, adaptability, drive to achieve, creative problem solving and first class communication skills”

McDonalds state applicants need to: “be confident in approaching and dealing with diverse groups of people. Friendly, courteous and helpful behaviour will come naturally to you and you’ll work well as part of a team. Effective communication skills such as attentive listening, face-to-face verbal communication and eye contact are a must. You’ll also need to understand the importance of maintaining high standards of quality and service as well as cleanliness. The ability to maintain high energy levels whilst working both efficiently and productively is essential”.

Whilst Bentley Motors UK ask that you: “have well-developed problem solving and analytical skills, possess good interpersonal skills, technical ability, initiative and the enthusiasm to achieve.”

Whilst these jobs are very different, they are asking for the same transferable core skills.

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MEASURING UP

So how strong are you in each of these areas, please note that these skills are the minimum in most advanced level jobs. These are listed in the sections that follow. Tick the column and category for each skill that applies to you. You may end up with a lot of ticks in the ‘Yes’ boxes, as many are basic skills, so that’s fine if you do.

COMMUNICATION: WRITING SKILLS

How do you rate yourself in the following writing skills? Tick the relevant column.

Yes:Confident and competent

Reasonable: Nothing special and would like to improve

No:A weak spot! Need to improve

Spell correctly

Express myself clearly and concisely in writingWrite well-structured essays, reports etcGood command of English grammarTake good notes from lectures and seminarsClear and legible handwriting

Write formal letters well

Use a wide vocabulary

Write quickly, conveying clear messages

What evidence could you give an employer who was assessing your writing competency via this interview question: “Tell me about a time when you have communicated in writing effectively” Write in the space below.

I have got a poem published in a book called poetic voyages when I was aged 9

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COMMUNICATION: VERBAL SKILLS

How do you rate yourself in the following verbal skills? Tick the relevant column.




Use the telephone effectively for business and other formal occasionsMake an audience or group pay attention to what you are sayingGive easy and fluent presentations to others in a groupGive spontaneous and quick answers to questionsUse the right words to say what you meanAsk questions in public at a lecture or other public meetingAppear relaxed when talking in publicContribute your ideas to group discussionsSpeak slowly/clearly when talking in publicWhat evidence could you give an employer who was assessing your verbal communication skills via this interview question: “Tell me about a time when you have had to overcome communication difficulties.” Write in the space below.When dealing with customers delivering eggs for my family business I would have to ask for money if it was due and sometimes they would try to leave it till the next week so I occasionally would have to be more firm in showing the need to have the money paid the week that I was expected

ABILITY TO WORK IN A TEAM

How do you rate yourself in the following social skills? Tick the relevant column.


Reasonable: Nothing special and would like to


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improveWork well with others in a teamAccept reasonable criticism from othersPersuade others to my point of viewListen to the opinion of othersMake easy conversation with people I have just metDeal effectively with conflict and argumentPut people at their easeGet on with people in authority

What evidence could you give an employer to demonstrate at least one of the skills you have ticked in the ‘yes’ column? Write in the space below.

Communication: Writing Skills

Communication: Verbal Skills

NUMERICAL SKILLS

How do you rate yourself in the following numerical skills? Tick the relevant column.




Use a calculator for all basic arithmetical purposesWork out percentagesInterpret graphs

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Example: Give an example of an occasion when you worked as part of a team. What did you do to ensure that the team worked well together?

Playing rugby is such a team orientated sport. During colts there is two age groups merging together to create one team. I was on of the main players in the team not only for my individual skills but mainly for my team work skills. I was able to fit into almost every position and fit in well with the team.

Work out averages

Interpret pie chartsDo accurate arithmetical calculations in your headUse simple equationsUse fractions in calculationsUnderstand ratios

Work with decimal numbers


ANALYTICAL/PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

How do you rate yourself in the following Analytical/Problem Solving skills? Tick the relevant column.




Grasp ideas quickly and accuratelyAssess the strengths and weaknesses of an argumentResearch and gather information

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Due to me working with money I needed to be able to accurately calculate numbers in my head.

or dataConcentrate on a task without distractionCritically evaluate evidence put to youThink logically

Summarise key issues from reportsOrganise information into logical categoriesKeep to the point in discussionsThink quickly to solve immediate problemsWhat evidence could you give an employer to demonstrate at least one of the skills you have ticked in the ‘yes’ column? Write in the space below.

SKILLS SOUGHT BY EMPLOYERS– A SUMMARY

Information Technology Skills

Whilst IT skills aren’t often specifically requested by employers any more, this may be because there is an assumption that you are IT literate and it is no longer a differentiating factor. How do you rate yourself in the following Information Technology skills? Tick the relevant column.




Produce a smart looking report using a word processorUse the internet to search for information

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In the essay for social inclusion in structure and governance I had to organize information into logical categories of different points that I had to talk about. I had to do this because I was expected to expand on the points with information on every point so I had to keep each one separate to make it easy to collect all the relevant information together.

Send messages via emailCreate tables in a documentFind files in a computer directory/folderCopy files

Align and indent paragraphsChange page sizes and marginsInsert Headers and FootersUse PowerPoint or other presentational softwareUse data manipulation software such as SPSSManage data in an Excel file


Go back over the six skill areas and pick out the main skill or individual activities you felt you were confident and competent at. Summarise these inthe spaces below.

Now think about skills that you feel need some improvement. Summarise these in the space below and say how you will go about doing this.

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I feel confident and competent in these skills:Information technology skillsNumerical skillsAbility to work in a teamcraft workphysical work

I can use powerpoint for presentation because for my graphic product course at a level I had to use PowerPoint to compile a portfolio of all the work from research to final finished product made.

Finally, list or summarise the skills you feel that you must improve and say how and when you will do this:

This final section pulls together the results of all the exercises in this workbook. Go back over the exercises and summarise the main points or result from each.

Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3 Exercise 4An overview of the skills I have in career, academic and social.

Career- good

Skills audit for my strongest skills like keeping fit and my weaker skills like verbal communication

Deferent intelligence skills I scored most highly on the kinaesthetic then the visual and nature. I scored

Saying how you can you the skills to get a job. I scored well in most of the sections but a few like the written

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I would like to make some improvement in these skills:

Skills: How I intend to do this: When I intend to do this:

Weak spots! I must try and improve these skills:

Skills I must improve: How I intend to do this: When I intend to do this:

SECTION 5: PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

By being at university I will have to improve my communication skills because I will be with people I don’t know so I will improve it that way.

Communication skills verbal

I intend on working on this while at university. The main time this will happen is in the accommodation where I will be spending most time with people

I intend on going to the help zone with in the first semester so I will be able to get the good grades on my assignments.

I will book an appointment with the help zone to help me structure essays and other ways of writing that I will need to use for university.

Communication skills written

working physically with my hands etc

Academic- using quotes to back up a point

Social- go at organising small thing with friends like meeting up for a night out ect

lowest in the linguistic section though

communication needed to be a bit higher.

Is there a common denominator or thread running through all your responses to the exercises in the workbook? If so, what is it?

Finally, are there any particular aspects of yourself that you would really like to change or develop? If so:

What?

Why?

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I would like to improve my written skills because I feel that is a weak point.

I am good at physical kinesthetic work. I also am better at understanding thing visually

I would like to improve my written skills because university depends so heavily on written skill and even after university it is still a key skill in everyday life.

I will do extra classes to help me in this area. I have looked at books which explain how to write essays as well

How &When?

Remember that your skills are only one aspect of what matches you to a particular occupational area; you should also consider your personality and interests. The next workbook in the series can help you to do that.

Other Topics in the Series

There are several topics in the Series of Futures workbooks looking at self-assessment, job selection methods and effective communication with employers. They are available to download fromwww.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers/siteindex

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http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers/siteindex

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FurtherSelection Methods

FurtherSelection Methods

InterviewsInterviews

Job Search

Job Search

Work Experience

Work Experience

CV’s and Letters to Employers

CV’s and Letters to Employers

Decision Making and

Problem Solving

Decision Making and

Problem Solving

Your Personality and values

Your Personality and values

AssessingYour Skills

AssessingYour Skills

Job Skills

Job Skills