Confidence BuildingRecognising Your Skills

Recap:Past Present FutureHappened Now Could happen

Positive things You can You can do aim for

Small steps?? Bigger steps??

Yes OR No??

I have a tendency underestimate myself I find it difficult to determine my skills I don’t like talking about my skills I am not sure what skills would be useful for

confidence I get skills and attributes mixed up

What is the difference??

Confidence Buildingand your skills

Activity:

Think back to the list of (bigger) things you might do to enhance confidence

What skills / personal attributes will help?Maybe relate to getting a job?

What are the typical skills

Skills include: Communication Teamwork Numeracy Problem solving I.T. Organisational skills

Personal Qualities include: Willing to learn Motivated Honest Hard working Friendly Reliable

You don’t need ALL of these do you?

The STARIs all about identifying your skills & attributes

Situation: Something you were involved with that had a positive

outcome. Task:

Something you did to deal with the situation. Action:

Particular actions involved in carrying out the task. Result:

The outcomes that resulted from your actions.

STAR Example

Situation: Walked the Pennine Way (2010) with friends Task: To get from point to point safely and on time Action(s):

Research and then plan start / stop places / dates Decide on equipment / get it all ready Learn map reading / how to use a compass Book Youth Hostels Walk and ensure our safety ……

Result: Arrived safe and well and proud …. What skills are evident?????

The STAR Activity

Use the STAR activity to identify a: Situation, Task, Set of Activities, Result,

that illustrates a set of skills/ attributes that you are proud of.

The STARand your skills

Will someone volunteer an example?

Note: Different situations help identify different skills Using the STAR is quite difficult

You need to practice and keep tryingDon’t give up It is valuable as we will see later

STARAnother Example

Situation: Introduce infection control monitoring within a hospital

Task: To raise standards

Actions: Go on a course Join an infection control team Act as a link person Create a training schedule Train various groups Monitor events Keep records Feedback results

Results: Improved standards and awareness

Why the STAR is useful

Helps us: Identify our skills

Things we may not realise we have Justify our identification

Provides hard evidence of attainment of a skill Think more positively about ourselves

I’m proud of having this skills Create a CV

Formal job application

Confidenceand your skills

Activity: As fast as you can:

List as many of your own skills as you canList as many of your personal attributes as you can

Conclusion

Are you clearer about your own skills?

Would you like help with a CV?

Any Questions

The CVCurriculum Vitae

What is a CV?

The CVCurriculum Vitae

What is a CV? A summary of useful (to an employer) things about you What things?

Who you are Contact details Educational Background Work experience SKILLS (pertinent to the job) Interests Referees

Employers and the CV

Employers know what they want What skills / attributes they are looking for

Look carefully at the job as specified

Who they will interviewSelecting from CVs

What skills / attributes are they looking for?

Can you remember?

Skills include: Communication Teamwork Numeracy Problem solving I.T. Organisational skills

Personal Qualities include: Willing to learn Motivated Honest Hard working Friendly Reliable

Writing a CV

Two types: Traditional Skill based SEE THE TWO EXAMPLES

Some tips: 2 pages only Well structured / clear headings Neat layout No spelling mistakes Must relate to job / show yourself to best

The STAR and the CV

How can the STAR help you to create a skills based CV?

The Covering Letter

Often accompanies the CV Tips:

Address to a particular person NOT Dear Sir or Madam

Keep to one page Neat and no spelling mistakes About 3 / 4 paragraphs State:

The job you are applying for (where advertised) Why you are interested Key skills that you have (and draw attention to your CV)

Your address The dateEmployers address

The Job Reference (Title /Code)Dear Mr Hind

I am applying for the post of XXXX, as advertised in the XXX, on May 2nd 2011.

I am particularly interested in this post because it provides an opportunity to xxxxxxx.

I know that your company invests well in its staff and I am very keen to participate in activities such as xxxxxI am a very hard working person with a variety of skills appropriate to the post. For example I can xxxxx. See my CV for additional information.I hope that you find my skills and experience interesting and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours Sincerely xxxx