Employability Mentoring Officer, DMU Employability and transferable skills Andy Morris Employability Mentoring Officer, DMU 19th September 2017 Title page and intro to me

Ask them to consider the question, how do you want to spend your days… Explain this and its value to them to dispel myths and engage reflection

Ask them, what is employability… field responses, challenge, confirm and encourage

‘a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy’ Professor Mantz Yorke (2004) 'Employability in Higher Education: what it is - what it is not', Higher Education Academy/ESECT Offer a well known definition, challenge this and discuss

Get them to think about how they will feel when they come to this environment. Prove they can do the job… How can they do this if they have never had the job?

Ask them what are skills, field responses and disucss

Skills are… “An ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical skills), and/or people (interpersonal skills)” The Business Dictionary Try it out Practice it Get good at it Deliberately use it Create success with it Use standard definition and then give an example based on driving a car

Qualification Qualification Knowledge Knowledge Experience Experience Job application form Role title Salary Context Tasks / duties Person spec Person Specification Essential Desirable Qualification Qualification Knowledge Knowledge Experience Experience Skills Skills Place skills in context of applications and interviews

The core skills employers look for Oral / Written communication Decision-making Self-awareness Leadership Numeracy Resilience Effective application of IT Adaptability / Flexibility Commercial awareness Independent working Team working Analysis skills Share these with the group and explain

A range of good skills you will need generally: Strong team-working skills Effective electronic communication skills Patience Passion The ability to work under instruction Resourcefulness Negotiation The ability to take initiative Ability to work flexibly Ability to prioritise tasks Effective hand written communication skills Ability to work alone Strong verbal communication skills Ability to meet deadlines Multi tasking Attention to detail Manage complex details Strong level of accuracy in one’s own work Motivating others Conflict resolving skills Report writing skills Numerical Competence Internal /external relationship building skills Empathy Ability to accept responsibility Impartiality Ability to report and record data Ability to take responsibility for making and implementing decisions The ability to work under pressure while maintaining standards of service Strong problem-solving skills Now share these emphasising the importance of knowing these… Question did they know these, ask them to compare themselves to these… Ability to give advice Trustworthy Vision Strategic thinking Planning skills Leadership skills Ability to work efficiently Time Management Representation and advocacy People Management Monitoring and evaluating skills Effective record keeping Provide support Creativity Logistics Networking Delegation skills Organisational skills

Explain using self and own path

Transferable skills are the general abilities you develop that are useful across a range of different jobs and industries. They might be role-related, technical or general. They are sometimes called generic, soft or key skills. 

Examine the job description and person specification Highlight the skills they are looking for in the ideal person Connect these to where you have used these skills previously Write down and revise examples using the ‘STAR’ method Practice talking effectively as if you were asked about your skills

‘scio te ipsum’ Explain the value of knowing yourself

What does an employable graduate possessing transferable professional skills ‘look like’ to an employer? Ask this question and gauge responses

Ability to assess situations, to select relevant criteria and make Resilient despite setbacks, barriers and challenges and able to use how they overcame such things to now apply them to their own advantage Confidence and self-presentation when asked both with good time and without warning to present oneself professionally Equally adept and willing to work independently under one’s own initiative or under the clear instruction of others in a more senior position Awareness, knowledge and ability to consciously and tactically apply own skills to a given situation Self-sufficient in evolving, adapting and flexible to changes within self, environment and industry direction Strong oral and written communication abilities including skilled application of IT and associated media Excellent proven ability to work with others in one to one and team environments Initiative, entrepreneurship and creativity, actively developing such things outside of one’s own comfort zones Skilled in the use of reflective tools and thinking in order to make sense of experiences so far and develop learning Ability to effectively use any one of a range of leadership styles dependant on assessment of the context of what is required and deploy that leadership style with confidence Ability to assess situations, to select relevant criteria and make choices based on clear assessment Share this list and highlight

vs Ask them are they proactive with their employability or reactive when there are issues that arise

Underline the importance of action. Who will do what after this talk

andy.morris@dmu.ac.uk www.dmu.ac.uk/careers Contact info and thanks to all for participation