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:
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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
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Written Communication
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Team-working
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Evidence and Rationale
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Problem solving
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.
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Research skills
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Taking responsibility
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Information handling skills
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Information technology
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.
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.
Skill-set
Add to or adapt these for your discipline and/or profile.
Numerical skills
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).
Evidence and Rationale
Rating
Give a specific example of using this skill and why you have
rated it the way you have.