Developing Professional Skills Year 2 Computer Networks Skills Awareness Workshop Andrea Duncan, PDP Coordinator

Aims to help you: Identify and explain evidence of skills important for professional roles in computing Become more aware of individual strengths and qualities, including contribution to teams Improve ability to present yourself to others eg CVs and interviews Improve ability to reflect and take stock of academic learning and other experiences

Personal/professional development: processes of reflection & planning. Formal or informal activities Looking back and looking forwards Writing down thoughts, ideas, feelings, hopes Thinking about what went well…or didn’t go so well Setting new goals and making things happen Links directly to CPD eg professional registration with BCS

Everyone is doing it.... All students in UK strongly encouraged to use PDP processes Common practice in the workplace - for ongoing professional development UN support outlined on NILE ( PDP tab) linked to tutorials and/or to core modules on your course NUPAD web pages and MyPAD e-portfolio to help you …..but it’s YOUR responsibility!

PDP supports both STUDY and EMPLOYABILITY It is a two-way process……. Looking Back… Reviewing progress Evaluating performance Reflecting on learning experiences Looking Forward….. Defining goals and objectives Targeting any gaps Action plans

Academic Experience…thinking it through Thinking about skills you are using and developing Reflecting on strengths & how to fill any gaps Practising translating skills into language for work contexts Taking action on comments for improvement eg attending skills workshops/Centre for Academic Practice Attending tutorials & using PDP tools 6

Your best example of teamworking…?

Articulating your skills orally…… In pairs ask each other the question: ‘Give an example of how you contributed to the work of a team. What challenges did you face, and how did you address them?’ Switch roles and repeat Consider what went well; think about how you could improve your evidence.

Group tasks….. Setting personal and shared goals Interpersonal skills Managing meetings and tasks Time management Problem-solving Presentation skills Keeping records – minutes Evaluating work of others (peer marking) Reflective skills What specific contribution might you make to your team project……How might you help your team work more effectively?

PDP for your future success: becoming (& staying) employable Employability? - any job? graduate job? career promotion? beat recession? own business? Work-based experience essential - need skills gained from studies AND part-time / voluntary /vacation activities Understand how your learning can transfer to new situations Have a clear view of who you are becoming, & what you can offer – essential for effective applications

What employers look for in selection - for placement/graduate applicants Evidence of specific skills Examples you can describe Experience gained in different situations Enthusiasm knowing what you want and why To gather this evidence form applicants employers use application forms, CVs and interview processes. As time goes on and you apply for higher level and more competitive opportunities the selection gets tougher and more sophisticated. 11

You need more than a degree …. making your experience count The majority of employers are interested in any experience you have: the trick is to be able to show what you have learnt and how you have developed. ‘I’m looking for graduates with good communication skills, and the ability to work in a team. I like to see initiative, particularly when it involves problem-solving. Time management, organisation and business awareness are invaluable’ Make your experience relevant Increase your chances by standing out from the crowd!

Application forms - how will you answer these….? Give an example of a problem you have had to solve. How did you go about it? Describe a situation which demonstrates your ability to deal with difficult people? What do you consider to be your most important achievement and why? Give an example of how you have worked successfully in a team. The part of the form employers are most interested in - they want to know, for example, not just about the problem and its solution, but more importantly the process you went through, and any initiative & creativity you displayed

Build up your store of individual ‘mini-stories’ academic project (team/individual) research task part-time/vacation job voluntary project family responsibility student activity travel experience organising role personal challenge

What is reflection…….. Making sense Standing back Repetition Deeper honesty Weighing up Clarity Understanding Making judgments

PDP as a continuous process - on work experience …and everything

Getting the most from work-based experiences knowledge of organisation’s structure and systems keeping notes on learning experiences looking out for opportunities to learn new skills responding to change & coping with pressure thinking & reflecting on skills and personal qualities developed 17

The art of translation… The art of translation…..translating your experiences into CV/interview language The SO WHAT? EXERCISE: Task/responsibility/achievement: so what?....I developed skills in…….. so what?....specific EVIDENCE statements which demonstrate that these skills and aptitudes could be applied elsewhere. Ideally these should be linked to the job/person requirements of the opportunity (to show how they can add value for the organisation)

MyPAD : e-portfolio space on NILE Your personal storage space to track your development, thoughts and plans Use blogs and wikis to build your profile Suggestions to help you get started - content and presentation up to you Link to other useful/interesting web resources Use to track progress with study topics, on-line discussions, work-based learning Potential resource for CVs, applications, interviews, promotion…..

Why should you bother to write things down? it’s easy to forget the detail of our feelings and reactions to particular tasks putting into words what we have learnt /need to learn often makes it clearer future employers are interested in detailed examples, even negative experiences a good habit to develop for career progression in the workplace Reflective notes can be short and sharp!

Finding out more……