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Audit
This resource is written for students
Why Graduate, Academic and Employability Skills Matter
Study and Self Management Skills
Managing yourself helps you to control your life and career in ways which suit you. Many graduatelevel 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.
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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. Store
feedback 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: https://eportfolio.port.ac.uk/
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.
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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.
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This resource is written for students
Study and Self Management Skills
Why are Study and Self Management Skills important?
Managing yourself helps you to control your life and career in ways which suit you. Many graduatelevel 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 in bold. 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
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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
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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
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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
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I can secure the best conditions and opportunities for my own learning
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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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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:
1. “Tell me about the time you had to adopt a new approach or style to accomplish a task. How
did you manage the transition?”
2. “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.”
3. “How do you decide whether a task has gone well or not and what would you do differently
next time?”
4. “What do you do to ensure you are up to date in your speciality?”
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5. “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
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This resource is written for students
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
What aspects of Critical Thinking and Reflective Skills can I develop?
The aspects of this skill that your course will develop are shown below in bold. 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 evaluate information, sources, opinions and options
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I can identify questions to answer and problems to resolve
I am confident with information in different media (oral, written, tactile, visual, etc);
I can source additional information
I think critically and logically
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I think critically when reading, writing, listening and speaking
I ask questions to extend my thinking
I think reflectively and imaginatively
I use logical deductive skills
I recognise logical conflicts in arguments
I consider compatibility and equivalence between issues and arguments
I analyse and construct arguments, assumptions, decisions and explanations
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I question my own assumptions
I can separate belief and logic from each other
I use language well and accurately
I support my conclusions with reasoned arguments and evidence
I seek advice and support when I need it
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I review my own performance and identify implications for my professional practice
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I look at what I have done objectively
I deal positively with praise, setbacks and criticism
I can see the implications of my activities
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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Critical Thinking and Reflective Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your critical
thinking and reflective skills could be useful include:
1. “How would you present an unusual idea to your peers?”
2. “Give me an example of you thinking laterally about how to sort out an issue”
3. “Should we use tried or untried approaches when faced with challenging targets?
4. “How important to you is learning from your mistakes? Tell me how you did it and the effect it
had.”
5. “Reflect on a situation in which you had to adjust to developments over which you had no
control
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Notes and action points on critical thinking and reflective skills
Ways in which my course is developing my critical thinking and reflective skills
How well developed are my critical thinking and reflective skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my critical thinking and reflective skills
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This resource is written for students
Problem Solving and Creativity Skills
Why are Problem Solving and Creativity Skills important?
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 mind.
What aspects of Problem Solving and Creativity Skills can I develop?
The aspects of this skill that your course will develop are shown below in bold. 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 define and analyse the nature of problems
I am confident and flexible in identifying and defining complex problems (individually and in
groups)
I can identify and prioritise inventive, creative and effective ways to solve problems
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I use lateral thinking
I make original connections between ideas
I can link my own and others’ ideas
I question my own assumptions and ways of working
I use my initiative, creativity and logical reasoning
I am persistent and explore alternative ways of working
I can adapt my ideas as circumstances change
I have clarity of judgement and can provide a supporting rationale
I can secure appropriate means to solve a problem
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I follow things through
I can review my progress objectively
I act appropriately on outcomes
I will seek advice and support when I need it
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I justify approaches used to solve a problem
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I can assesses myself and identify my opportunities and achievements
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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Problem Solving and Creativity Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your problem
solving and creativity skills could be useful include:
1. “Tell me about a time when you had to be creative and flexible in relating to others.”
2. “Think about a problem that you have solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the
outcome? Were you satisfied with it?”
3. “Have you worked on a problem without supervision? What did you achieve? How creative was
your solution?”
4. "Think about a time when you missed a deadline. What caused the problem? What did you do?
What was the outcome?"
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Notes and action points on critical thinking skills
Ways in which my course is developing my critical thinking skills
How well developed are my critical thinking skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my critical thinking skills
16
This resource is written for students
Writing Skills
Why are Writing Skills important?
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
What aspects of Writing Skills can I develop?
The aspects of this skill that your course will develop are shown below in bold. 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 match sources of information and writing styles to audiences and purposes
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I communicate persuasively and logically
I write for appropriate disciplines
I write clearly and coherently
I match language, format and structure to the audience it is intended for
I apply high standards of accuracy, attribution and non-plagiarism
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I acknowledge sources and the work of others
I can transcribe sources accurately and professionally
I use grammar punctuation and spelling correctly to express myself
I use a variety of sources appropriate to the task
I review my written work
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I proofread, edit and revise my written work
I critically assess my work and match it to the original brief
I identify improvements and carry them through
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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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Writing Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your writing skills
could be useful include:
1. “Consider a time when you had to use your writing skills in order to get a point across. What
did you do? What was difficult? What was easy? What was the result?”
2. “We often have to produce documents with similar content for different audiences. How do we
ensure we produce the right kind of document for each audience?”
3. “How would you write a technical note to a non-technical manager?"
4. “What checks do you put in place to ensure your written work is correct?"
5. ”Tell me about your final year dissertation. How did you select the ways in which you would
present the data and your conclusions?”
6. “Look at this text. It’s written for a layperson. Tell me what you would change and why”
7. “What are your top tips for writing a PowerPoint slide presentation?”
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Notes and action points on writing skills
Ways in which my course is developing my writing skills
How well developed are my writing skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my writing skills
19
This resource is written for students
Oral Skills
Why are Oral Skills important?
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.
What aspects of Oral Skills can I develop?
The aspects of this skill that your course will develop are shown below in bold. 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 match my communication style and content to the audience it is intended for
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I put forward my own point of view using appropriate language and vocabulary
I can clarify and confirm audience understanding of what I am saying
I use formal and informal language appropriately
I engage, debate and negotiate with others
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I listen to and responds appropriately to others
I communicate effectively in familiar, formal and informal contexts
I can communicate professionally with individuals, groups and peers
I use arguments, debating and negotiating skills appropriate to the context
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.
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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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Oral Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your oral skills
could be useful include:
1. “What have you done recently to improve your verbal skills?”
2. “Tell me about a time when your oral communication skills were particularly effective with an
un-responsive audience. What was different in making it effective?”
3. ”How strong would you consider your communication skills to be? How do you know?”
4. “Recall a time when you had to use your verbal reasoning skills to get a point across. How did
you do it? Did it work?”
5. “How do you introduce yourself in social gatherings, or new or different situations?"
6. “How do you build rapport with someone and make them feel comfortable?
Notes and action points on oral skills
Ways in which my course is developing my oral skills
How well developed are my oral skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my oral skills
21
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This resource is written for students
Reading Skills
Why are Reading Skills important?
Success in your studies requires 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.
What aspects of Reading Skills can I develop?
The aspects of this skill that your course will develop are shown below in bold. 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 match my reading styles to sources, contexts and purposes
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I can select and use different types of texts for different purposes
I can draw information and ideas from different sources and texts
I can use match strategies to texts for different purposes
I apply critical reading and note-taking skills
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I can decode written word in variety of contexts
I can read critically and summarise what I have read succinctly
I transcribe meaning accurately from sources I use
I have a range of reading skills: skimming, scanning, predicting, speed reading, close reading
and assimilation
I can identify points of view, implicit meaning and bias accurately
I can read and make notes at the same time
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.
23
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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Reading Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your reading skills
could be useful include:
1.
“How do you ensure you have captured the key information from written information
presented to you?”
2. “Tell me about an impressive report you have read and what you thought its strengths were
due to”
3. “How have you improved your reading skills over the last year?”
4. “As a reader of scientific publications, what are your top tips to technical authors if they want
to get their message across?
Notes and action points on reading skills
Ways in which my course is developing my reading skills
How well developed are my reading skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my reading skills
24
This resource is written for students
IT, Information and Numeracy Skills
Why are IT, Information and Numeracy Skills important?
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
What aspects of IT, Information and Numeracy Skills can I develop?
I can match technology to a context
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I use technology appropriately to produce solutions to problems and develop myself
I can use a range of IT-based approaches and packages
I can match my numeracy skills to tasks
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I can use numbers to represent situations and problems
I can apply appropriate mathematical procedures to data and information
I can examine patterns and relationships in numerical information
I can interpret numbers presented in results and solutions
I can draws conclusions from numbers-based information
I consider the appropriateness and accuracy of results by evaluating the meaning of numbers
I can communicate the meaning of numbers to others in appropriate ways
I can use the internet effectively and courteously
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.
25
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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 IT, Information and Numeracy Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your IT,
information and numeracy skills could be useful include:
1. “How do you identify your skill in using modern technology?"
2. “What do you do to ensure you have access to the latest technology in your field?"
3. “How do you keep your information technology skills up-to-date?”
4. “Why do think some people don’t like working with numbers”
5. “Tell me about a presentation you have done which required data to be communicated. What
did you do and what was the outcome?”
Notes and action points on IT, information and numeracy skills
Ways in which my course is developing my IT, information and numeracy skills
How well developed are my IT, information and numeracy skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my IT, information and numeracy skills
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This resource is written for students
Research Skills
Why are Research Skills important?
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
What aspects of Research Skills can I develop?
I can identify a research topic
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I can link theory with my research
I can judge relevance and evaluate the value of information
I can construct and implement a research strategy
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I can set my research in a context
I work effectively, collaboratively and sensitively with others
I am aware of the implications of my decision-making
I can explore issues from different perspectives
I use reasoning and argument in appropriate ways
I can interpret data/established ideas and/or professional practice accurately
I can summarise background information and detect any gaps in knowledge and
understanding
I anticipate, take and manage risk appropriately
I ask for advice and support when needed
I can use primary and secondary research as appropriate
I can evaluate and justify my conclusions and recommendations
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I act on outcomes in appropriate ways
I can assesses myself objectively and accurately
I can identifying opportunities and my achievements
I can review my progress
I can organise, produce and disseminate finding
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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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Research Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your research
skills could be useful include
1. “When presented with several sources of evidence, how do you ensure you reach the most
appropriate conclusion?”
2. “Tell me what your research strategy for a new project would be.”
3. “Outline how you would set about interpreting information gained from your research
activities”
4. “How would you evaluate your research skills?”
5. “A member of your team has weak research skills. How would you address the problem?
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Notes and action points on research skills
Ways in which my course is developing my research skills
How well developed are my research skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my research skills
29
This resources is written for students
Teamwork skills
Why are teamwork skills important?
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.
What aspects of teamwork skills can I develop?
I can set goals and adopt collaborative approaches to achieving them
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I can interpret a team brief
I can commit to what the group has to achieve
I can encourage the commitment and engagement of fellow team members
I can allocate roles and responsibilities to team members
I can work effectively, collaboratively and sensitively
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I can work as an individual or member of a team
I am sensitive to the professional and personal interests of other team members
I take responsibility for a range of appropriate activities and tasks
I anticipate problems
I work with a range of individuals regardless of age, gender, religion, race or political
persuasion
I find ways around problems
I encourage team members to play their full part
I manage productive discussions to achieve the results expected in an efficient way
I work confidently, collaboratively, innovatively and creatively to achieve goals
I showing respect and fairness to fellow team members
I adjust my ways of working and thinking to suit individuals and circumstances
I am willing to compromise where required
I am a good listener
I delegate responsibility where required
I deal effectively with difficult individuals
I secure the resources and support needed to deliver outcomes
I use group dynamics to review progress and secure outcomes
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I collaborate with others to reach agreements and secure expected outcomes
I use my knowledge of team dynamics to deliver outcomes of a consistently high standard.
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I am accountable for my actions
I deliver outcomes on time and the standard expected
I use feedback to improve my performance
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I use constructive criticism to improve my working practices
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 in an eportfolio .You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 teamwork skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your oral skills
could be useful include:
1.
“Think about an example of how you worked effectively with others to accomplish an
important result. What did you do? What was the result?”
2.
“Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise. What was your role? What
steps did you take? What was the end result?”
3.
“Tell me about how you gained the attention and respect of other team members”
4.
“How do you work with someone who doesn’t share the same ideas as you?”
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5.
“Does it matter that you are always expected to be accountable for your actions in a team?”
6.
“How similar to your normal course work was working in a team on your placement year?”
Notes and action points on teamwork skills
Ways in which my course is developing my teamwork skills
How well developed are my teamwork skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my teamwork skills
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This resource is written for students
Leadership Skills
Why are Leadership Skills important?
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.
What aspects of Leadership Skills can I develop?
I set common goals and lead collaborative approaches to achieving them
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I use problem-solving and decision-making skills appropriately
I can motivate others and appreciate their contributions
I share information openly in the interests of the team
I can adapt my behaviour to suit different roles and situations
I empower colleagues I lead
I use the role of leader to assist, support and motivate others
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I develop my team members
I use plans and am organised and effective
I cope with competing pressures well
I act consistently
I behave with integrity
I delegate
I apply high values
I am sensitive to circumstances, belief and feelings of others
I seek advice and support when needed
I use group dynamics to review team progress and secure outcomes
I use feedback to improve my own performance and the performance of team members
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I can analyse critically the quality of my own work
I can analyse the work of others
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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 in an eportfolio. You can bring all skills together
in a GAE 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 Leadership Skills?
This will depend on the job you are applying for. Typical interview questions where your leadership
skills could be useful include:
1. “When working on a team project have you ever had an experience where there was a strong
disagreement within the group? How did you resolve it?”
2. “Tell me about a time when you worked on a team whose members did not get along”
3. “Describe a situation when you were able to build team spirit at a time of low morale”
4. “How have you recognised and rewarded a team player in the past? What was the situation?
What did you do?”
5. “What sort of leader are you? “
6. “How would your team describe your leadership skills?”
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Notes and action points on leadership skills
Ways in which my course is developing my leadership skills
How well developed are my leadership skills at the present time?
How I will evidence and record my leadership skills
35
Career Management Skills
This section has resources on career management. It is drawn from well-established resources developed by the
careers team in Purple Door. The contribution of employability and career management skills to career development
are covered, as is the role of the eportfolio in evidencing skills and structuring career research activities.
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This resource is written for students
Students’ Career Skills
The skills below contribute to career activities. Evaluate your performance and transfer your career issues,
achievements and action plans to your ePortfolio. You may wish to use using a simple traffic light system to help you
identify your strengths and weaknesses. An eportfolio can be used to manage your achievements and career
development activities. A university eportfolio can be accessed through your Moodle account.
Career Skill
Self awareness
Can you:
What is its
current status
Supporting evidence and areas for further
development
Identify your skills,
interests and motivations
that might influence your
career options?
Demonstrate how your
skills, interests and
motivations might
influence your career
search?
Opportunity
Awareness
Find and understand the
career options open to
you
Identify the specific skills,
experience and qualities
required for all the
opportunities you are
interested in
Identify and research the
labour market, vacancy
information and
recruitment and selection
methods used by
employers and by course
providers
Demonstrate an
awareness of how
organisations work and
make decisions to help
you secure a job
Demonstrate an
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Transferred
to your eportfolio?
awareness of the ethical
and legal requirements of
different professions and
organisations
Demonstrate an
awareness of the global
labour market taking into
account the impact of
globalisation and your
own personal career
goals?
Decision Making
Identify the employability
skills you need to develop
further in order to
achieve your personal
career goals?
Evaluate how your
personal priorities and
constraints could affect
your career decisions?
Formulate an action plan
to achieve your career
goals?
Transition
learning
Recognise and
demonstrate what makes
an effective job or post graduate study
application?
Recognise the purpose
and understand the
process of common
selection procedures
(including interviews and
assessment centres) and
identify and prepare
yourself for accordingly?
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Personal Development Planning (PDP)
This section outlines how PDP can be used to support, structure and evidence students’ skills development. The role
of the eportfolio is covered, as are outline suggestions for ways in which a PDP programme can support
employability skills development.
39
This resource is written for students
What is Personal Development Planning (PDP)?
PDP supports you and your learning. It helps you achieve. It’s a process that you will use time and
again in your academic, career search, professional and private life. You will use PDP throughout your
time at the University to review what you have achieved and make decisions about the options open
to you.
You will use PDP again when you leave the University to find and develop your career. It will help get
the right job for you and to make the most of it.
While you are studying, PDP will make you a more effective, confident and independent learner. PDP
enables you to recognise the progress you are making, identify preferred ways of doing things and
set out what remains to be done. Knowing what you have achieved and how you achieved it allows
you to choose the right way forward by using approaches which work well for you.
PDP requires sophisticated skills. You need to gather evidence of your achievements, reflect on what
they mean for you and your aspirations and set out a realistic way of achieving them.
Progress in anything you do requires that you are clear about what you want to achieve (your goals).
Identifying realistic goals and setting out sensible ways of achieving them (your plans) will help you
develop. As you develop, new goals replace old goals; new plans replace old plans.
Tutorials are built around PDP. Tutorials are an opportunity to review your goals and plans with your
tutor, set out ways of achieving them and detail how your goals might change as you develop and
improve.
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This resource is written for students
Making Tutorials work
Tutorials are at the heart of personal development planning. It's where your personal tutor helps
you evaluate your progress, solve problems and identify opportunities.
By planning tutorials carefully you can ensure that the important issues are addressed and ways
forward found. Tutorials work best when issues for discussion are relevant, clear and all parties are
well prepared and focused on finding solutions.
Use the Tutorial Preparation Sheet to identify what you want to discuss. This could be your
assignment marks, or the ways you are being taught. It could also be the professional skills your
course develops or the study option choices you have.
Use tutorials to review other issues affecting your progress, e.g. your working life (placement
opportunities, career options, PT jobs, etc), or your personal life (balancing work demands, sport,
cultural activities, personal problems). Expect to be challenged in tutorials. You will be asked for your
ideas and solutions, so reflect deeply on issues before you go and have proposals for how problems
might be solved.
Ensure you have evidence to support your situation e.g. your academic marks for a discussion on
your academic progress, or examples of learning activities for a review of your academic activities.
Use the My Journal facility to store your thoughts, evidence and options. You can create a page to
submit to your tutor based on what you want to discuss. Tutorials are a powerful influence on your
success.
Click here for a simple document which can help you with tutorials:
http://moodle.port.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=19963
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