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Develop the skills and attributes that employers value
A skill is the ability to perform a task well. It is usually
developed over time through training or experience. A skill can
be used to do work in many jobs or it can be used in learning.
The best way to assess your skills and abilities is to consider
the situations in which you have demonstrated or applied them.
Some of the areas of life experience that you may want to consider
include:
- Academic experience and results
- Work experience – paid and unpaid
- Extra curricular involvement
These three areas are ones most typically examined by employers
when they recruit graduates. This is because they usually provide
an employer with the best evidence of the skills they value and
all employers are looking for the
Balanced Graduate.
Other ways in which you can further understand and evaluate your
skills and abilities is by discussing them with friends, colleagues
and family members.
Your objective:
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To understand the definitions of each of these skills and attributes
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To think of some specific examples from your past or present
life experience, in which you have demonstrated or applied
these skills and attributes
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To recognise any areas of strength, areas for improvement and gaps
in experience
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To evaluate how your skills and personal attributes might be of
assistance to you in the workplace and in different occupations
Employability Skills
According to research conducted by the Department of Education,
Science and Training and the Australian National Training Authority
(DEST, ANTA March 2002), the most common skills sought by employers
are:
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Communication
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Convey information in both verbal and written formats as
appropriate for the needs of the target audience.
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Interpersonal
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Develop a rapport with others and form working relationships,
listen effectively, manage conflict, understand human motivation,
understand and respect cultural difference and have a global
focus on interpersonal skills.
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Teamwork
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Work in groups towards a combined effort.
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Leadership
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Influence, supervise, direct and motivate others to achieve a
recognised objective.
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Problem solving
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Understand and deal with difficult questions or things,
apply logic or reasoning to review information, identify
problems, their causes, evaluate options and select the
best solution.
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Initiative and enterprise
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Act without prompting, readiness to be energetic and
inventive and contribute to innovative outcomes
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Planning and organising
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Coordinate and give orderly structure to things or tasks.
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Self management
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Cope with, prioritise and meet one's own work and personal
commitments, have clear personal goals and strategies and
measure performance in regards to these goals, be pro-active
in career planning, time management and setting challenges,
show personal and professional restraint and seek balance
in all life aspects, including health and fitness.
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Accuracy
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Be precise and correct in approach to tasks, have an eye for detail.
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Ability to learn
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Acquire additional new knowledge or skills via study,
experience or through teaching or training.
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Flexibility
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Vary or adjust ones approach or style according to situational
demands, welcome and manage change.
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Creativity
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Originate or imagine new ideas, methods, or products.
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The most common personal attributes sought by employers are:
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Loyalty
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Sense of humour
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Commitment
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Commonsense
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Honesty/Integrity
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Ability to deal with pressure
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Enthusiasm
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Motivation
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Reliability
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Adaptability
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Personal presentation
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Flexibility
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Continued Reflection
Meaningful reflection takes practice. As you are continually learning
and experiencing new things in life, it is therefore important to
continually reflect on your skills and attributes that are likely
to change over time. On a regular basis, try to make some time to
think about your progress. At first, you may need to guide your
reflection with questions such as these:
- What did I learn today?
- What did I do well?
- What am I confused about?
- What do I need help with?
- What do I want to know more about?
- What am I going to work on improving next?
Remember that in order to succeed you need
to be proactive - you are in charge of your
own career. It is important that you use
your time at UNSW to enhance your awareness
of the changing world of work and yourself,
to generate your own career options and to
manage your own personal development
throughout all stages of life.
So try to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible in order
to improve your skills and abilities as a starting point.
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