This document lists descriptions of generic skills / personal attributes that are useful to consider in personal and professional development.  It also describes some general competencies and offers some thoughts on how to create opportunities to achieve competence with a bias towards computer science & IT students.  It is based on advice given by Career Destinations at the University of Southampton and other universitie

Dickens, Kate

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Opportunities for achieving competence in personal attributes for personal & professional development  Audit of personal attributes for personal & professional development - University of Southampton 2013 - Page 1  Skill name Description General competencies Opportunities to achieve competence Written communication skills Communicates effectively through writing with a range of audiences formally and informally through a variety of different techniques and media Technical reports, CV, project reports, Powerpoint  or Prezi presentations, essays, dissertations, blog posts, Twitter & other social media Developing an argument in a logical way;  Some ways that you might practice your written communication skills:  Start you own blog and try different writing styles  publicity materials for voluntary organisation  letter to raise sponsorship for an event    write for or be a sub-editor for the Wessex Scene Verbal communication skills Communicates effectively verbally with a range of audiences formally and informally adapting style to different audiences. Speaking different languages; helping others to tell you what they need (coaching style of questioning); interview skills and practice Some ways that you might practice your verbal communication skills:  UoS Career Destinations interview skills workshops & mock telephone interview sessions  Volunteer locally with the elderly, disabled or other community groups  Become a mentor or a ‘study buddy’ Presentation skills Understands how to convey information effectively for the target audience. Can develop an argument in a logical way; arrange data / material in a clear, logical & structured manner Public speaking, debating, Powerpoint or Prezi presentations, PetchaKutcha presentations Some ways that you might practice your presentation skills:  Join UoS Debating Society  Join a ‘speaking club’ eg local Toastmaster International club – Hamwic Speakers in Southampton Interpersonal communication Uses a ‘coaching’ style of communication which focuses on rapport-building, active listening skills and effective questioning techniques to help others to tell you what they need Mentoring / coaching / counselling skills training; customer service training; volunteering training; UoS intern training Some ways you might practice interpersonal communication:  work experience eg market research, telesales, bar work Opportunities for achieving competence in personal attributes for personal & professional development  Audit of personal attributes for personal & professional development - University of Southampton 2013 - Page 2   course or hall rep  Students’ Union work  Nightline  Being a mentor – eg in local schools Teamwork Employers always look for team players and in interviews and application forms they will look for strong examples of when you performed well in a team.  There are different roles within a team that it is just as important that you can evidence as much as team leadership. Demonstrates co-operation / collaboration; helping to solve problems; respecting / empathising / supporting others Group project work; jobs; placements; internships Some ways in which you might practice your teamwork skills:  Opting for group project work  Duke of Edinburgh award  Team sports / outdoor pursuits  Part-time job or internship Computer & digital literacy Demonstrates management of online identities and understands how to keep personal information safe.  Understands how to use social media tools to find, evaluate, utilise, share and create content  Some ways that you might practice your computer & digital literacy skills:  Become a UoS Digital Champion  Use social media to help advertise an event  Create a personal blog or website to support career development Planning & organisation Demonstrates planning & organisation skills through time management; setting objectives – goals for self and others; delegating tasks; prioritising own workload; being methodical; arranging data / information logically; managing projects;  Time management planning; project planning; submitting assignments on time; keeping to budget Some ways you might practice your planning & organisation skills:  Managing and prioritising your personal workload  Project work  Revision timetable  Organising sporting, social or charity events  Arranging travel itinerary  STEP placement Adaptability & flexibility Adaptability is the skill of anticipating and responding to changing  Some ways you might practice adaptability and flexibility: Opportunities for achieving competence in personal attributes for personal & professional development  Audit of personal attributes for personal & professional development - University of Southampton 2013 - Page 3  circumstances and coping effectively with the transition.  Being adaptable requires you to fit into a new environment quickly and easily  Year abroad / independent travel  Working part-time whilst studying  Successfully changing courses  Combining study with family commitments  Shift working at short notice Programming skills Develops software, to meet a specification, using a high-level programming language and a suitable software engineering methodology. Knowledge of programming principles (Variables, Sequence, Selection, Iteration, Input/Output), Object-Oriented Programming (Classes, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Encapsulation), Modelling the real world, Use of development environments and IDEs, Reading code, Commenting code Some ways you might practice your programming skills are:  Contributing to open source software projects  Internship or part-time job at a software development company  Answering programming questions on StackOverflow Problem solving Applies creative thinking to develop new ideas or appropriate solutions for any problem  Some ways you might practice your problem solving skills:  Creative solutions to coursework problems  Leisure activities such as chess, logic games, computing, role-playing  Overcoming obstacles to achieve an ambition  Look for alternative ways of doing things Decision making Decision making is a process which involves analysing a problem, researching the options, weighing up the pros and cons, and reaching a logical conclusion.  You may need to be creative in your approach, and it may be appropriate to take advice from others  Some ways you might practice your decision making skills:  Explore the many videos available on youtube on decision making  Find a mentor to help you to build on your decision making skills Opportunities for achieving competence in personal attributes for personal & professional development  Audit of personal attributes for personal & professional development - University of Southampton 2013 - Page 4   UoS Career Destinations workshop on The Deloitte e-tray (inbox) exercise Initiative Initiative is the ability to be resourceful and to introduce a new course of action.  It requires you to be resilient, tenacious and determined.  You will need to be able to demonstrate that you can think for yourself and take action when necessary  Some ways you might practice initiative:  Attend employer presentations and speak to them about improving your skills  Suggesting changes to your course as a student rep  Getting relevant work experience  Starting your own business eg through Fish on Toast  Creating a website  Coping well in a sudden crisis  Volunteering experience Commercial awareness Demonstrates knowledge about the current issues facing the market sector that interests you; having an understanding of the workplace – what are the risks, how is customer satisfaction and loyalty built, how important is innovation? Ability to present a business case; ability to view events and circumstances from a business perspective  Some ways you might practice commercial awareness:  Reading financial press eg The Economist, the FT & other quality newspapers – especially tracking a company or industry that interests you  Listen to ACCA Commercial Awareness podcasts  Join UoS Entrepreneurs Fish on Toast  Join UoS Enactus social enterprise programme  Search for business blogs or sector oriented blogs eg Robert Peston, Stephanomics & FT.com blogs Networking Demonstrates an understanding that networking is about reciprocity (give and take) and the need to prepare an  Some ways you might practice your networking skills:  Attend careers fairs and Opportunities for achieving competence in personal attributes for personal & professional development  Audit of personal attributes for personal & professional development - University of Southampton 2013 - Page 5  ‘elevator pitch’ which is a description of yourself that you can deliver in under 30 seconds employer presentations and speak to people there  Attend other networking events  Being genuinely interested in everybody new that you meet  Join LinkedIn Negotiating Negotiation skills involve being able to bring about agreement on a course of action through discussion, in order to achieve mutually beneficial results.  Your skills of persuasion would influence a positive outcome.  In order to negotiate effectively you will need to communicate with impact and listen to the other parties’ objectives  Some ways you might practice your negotiating skills:  Explore the many videos on youtube on negotiating skills  Group work  Student representative negotiating change Leadership Demonstrates leadership and self-management skills through motivating others; resolving conflict; evaluating strengths & weaknesses; readiness to accept responsibility including for mistakes / wrong decisions; learning from and giving constructive criticism / feedback / reflective learning; being in positions of trust; perseverance  Some ways you might practice your leadership skills:  Apply for supervisory roles in part-time jobs  Stand for election as committee member in a club or society  Lead a team eg in UoS Enactus programme  Organise a special trip for you & friends / family  Bibliography 1. Career Destinations, University of Southampton website 2. Careers Service, Royal Holloway University of London website 3. Careers Service, The University of Manchester website 

Opportunities for Achieving Competence in Personal Attributes for Personal & Professional Developments

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