Title: Jennifer Reay Careers Adviser j'reaylondonmet'ac'uk Career Development
1Jennifer ReayCareers Adviserj.reay_at_londonmet.ac.
ukCareer Development Employment
ServiceDepartment of Student Services
2Careers sessions
- Intro to CDES identifying your skills and
attributes - Writing CVs
- Writing covering letters
- Job search strategies
3Objectives
- By the end of this session, you will
- be aware of the range of services available to
LMU under/graduates from CDES - be able to identify key transferable skills and
attributes which employers look for in graduates - identify your own transferable and specialist
skills - know how to enhance your skills
4Career Development Employment Service
(www.londonmet.ac.uk/career)
- Quick careers queries (drop-in)
- Careers guidance interviews
- E-guidance (www.londonmet.ac.uk/careers/e-guidance
) - CVs, application forms, covering letters
- Workshops and employer presentations
- Take-away and reference information
- Volunteering (http//reach.londonmet.ac.uk)
- Job vacancies Employment Service on line
(www.londonmet.ac.uk/careers/employment)
5How to get in touch
- Student Services, 1st Floor, Tower Building
- Open 9-6pm
- Drop-in 12-3pm, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri term-time
- Wed. 12 - 3pm phone to book on the day
- Careers guidance interviews contact one of the
- careers advisers direct via Student
Services in - person or tel. 020 7133 2094
- E guidance
- www.londonmet.ac.uk/careers/e-guidance
- Website www.londonmet.ac.uk/careers
- E mail careers.studentservices_at_londonmet.ac.uk
6Skills and Employability
7Why bother with skills?
- know what employers are looking for
- match yourself against the job requirements
- know what you have to offer
- able to promote yourself
- self-confidence
- identify skills gaps and plan how to fill them
8Employability
- The most recent labour market information
- appears to provide evidence that a degree on
- its own, without accompanying work
- experience, evidence of achievement and
- transferable skills, is not enough. This is true
- especially against a backdrop of increasing
- participation in Higher Education..
- Prospects website, 2003
9Decision-Making Module
- Task 9
- Identify the employability skills and attributes
you have used in carrying out this project. For
each skill you identify, provide brief evidence
of how youve applied it in the project.
10Skills and Attributes
- A skill is..
- an ability to do something that has been
learned and developed to the point where it can
be applied effectively and competently e.g.
presentation IT - An attribute is ..an aspect of a persons
character or personality e.g. honesty, reliable
11Skills exercise using graduate job adverts
12Identifying skills in job ads.
- Read the details of the two jobs
- Identify the skills (transferable and specialist)
and the attributes that the employers are looking
for.
13What are Employers Looking For? Transferable
Skills
- Team work
- Leadership
- Initiative
- Problem solving
- Communication skills (oral and written)
- IT
- Self-awareness
- Interpersonal
- Numeracy
- Business awareness
14Specialist Skills
- Mathematical
- IT technical
- Analytical
- Problem-solving
- Practical
- Designing and implementing projects
15Attributes commonly sought by employers
- Motivated/self-starter
- Flexible
- Adaptable
- Reliable
- Personable
- Goal orientated
- Maturity
- Balanced outlook
- Common sense
- Awareness of other people
- Enthusiasm
16Meeting skill and attribute requirements
- Understanding the skill or attribute why needed
in the job role? - What evidence do you have for it?
- How can you acquire new and further develop
skills and attributes?
17Understanding the skill team working
- Working co-operatively towards a common goal
- Helping out, covering for colleagues
- Contributing your own ideas effectively
- Listening to others
- Taking a share of the responsibility
- Being assertive
- Learning from and giving constructive criticism
and positive feedback
18Evidence of a skill team working
- Academic group projects/assignments
- Work
- Voluntary work
- Other activities (e.g. sport, Student Union
societies/clubs)
19Developing skills - getting more experience
- At university temp. work e.g. Welcome Team
clubs societies, Students Union activities - Your course especially group projects
- Paid work
- A work placement (Employability Unit)
- Voluntary work (http//reach.londonmet.ac.uk)
- Other interests and activities
20Key to Success
- Developing self-awareness strengths and
weaknesses - Being able to identify your transferable and
specialist skills and personal attributes - Gaining experience (and evidence) to develop
additional skills - Learning how to communicate your skills to
employers via the application process - CV with covering letter
- Application form
- Interview and selection process
21Skills exercise what are my skills?
22Conclusions
- You will already have many skills and abilities
that employers will value - You will further develop these and learn
additional ones whilst at university - Work experience and/or volunteering are vital to
enhancing your employability - Learning how to communicate your abilities to
employers is essential - Use the resources that the University provides to
get ahead in the job market
23Action plan?
- Think hard about things you do and how you do
them identify skills and attributes - Psychometric tests
- Prospects Planner www.prospects.ac.uk
- Careers interview
- Self evaluation exercises handouts on-line
careers reference books in Student Services