Hannelie du Plessis-Walker

Email: h.duplessis@coventry.ac.uk

You must have completed a full sandwich year placement

You have to be enrolled on your third year of studies

You have to be willing to experiment with yourself

You have to be willing to be part of an ALS

And more importantly, you have to be willing to do what is asked of you

And above all, engage and enjoy the process!!

ALS = Action Learning Sets

Find out

Start connecting the DOTS

Explore your Personal Vision (so get homework out please)

Explore options, start researching DESTINATIONS™

Researchers in the field of career development identified what they call the DOTS model when considering career planning

To join up the dots it is recommended that

You start at the S Then you go to O Followed by D And ending in T

BUT WHY???

S = self awareness

O = opportunity awareness

D = decision making

T = transition

Self awareness

Who are you?

What is your vision ?

What do employers want?

That is where this module may help……

Personal visioning… is to think about a desired future and gaining a clear picture in your mind of this future

Visions can be powerful in creating change in your life

Activity to follow so get out your homework……the picture from session one

For homework you had to think of a metaphor for your future life, this can be a journey, a home, a country, a piece of art, anything you like!

Now TAKE IT OUT and show your ALS, and have a laugh (5 minutes max) (look at comments left online)

Look at your friends METAPHOR (picture) and tell them what you think it tells you about their hopes and/or fears and/or predictions (20 minutes) (discuss comments left)

Then again look at it yourself and ask yourself what it is saying about you?

Make a list and WORK ON IT!!! (at home)

For portfolio

……. is to tie in with your final output:

Reflection on your own qualities and professionalism and identification of your own future learning, personal development and career development needs

To move from one point of life to another, we need to reflect, and to successfully reflect we need to:

Make time to reflect

Have something to reflect on

Have a medium to capture our reflection

Have skills in reflection

Be honest

And give and receive feedback

aLL

All jobs

Possible jobs

Desirable jobs***

All jobs = whole of the labour market, so now you need to narrow it down to what you want

Possible jobs = next step is to consider which jobs could you potentially apply for given you education, training and experiences

Desirable jobs = those ones you ideally wish to have, and what do you need to do to make this possible

SO WHAT CAN YOU OFFER IN RETURN????

Cognitive skills

Problem-solving & decision-making skills

Research and investigative skills

Information and communication technology skills

Numeracy and quantitative skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Team-working skills

Personal management skills

Learning skills

Self-awareness

And many more……

From newspaper adverts:

‘graduates who are ambitious, motivated, good communicators and able to work to deadlines’

‘a rigorous approach to work matched by highly developed communication and interpersonal skills’

‘a strategic thinker…an excellent communicator with strong networking and negotiating skills’

‘competency in a range of business planning issues, excellent writing skills and experience of giving presentations’

‘strong leadership skills, excellent communication and organisation skills, an ability to resolve complex problems and personal resilience and stamina’

See yourself as a product

Watch the market

Develop yourself continuously

Be prepared to change

Have you heard about this?

A theory by Bryon, et al. (1998) in becoming even more creative, also a tool called ‘creative emergence’

Very simple but can become surprisingly powerful

HOW TO? Start waking a little earlier, and write three A4 pages continually, just write, anything, about study, work, to do lists, anything, sort of a brain dump

Don’t re-read, don’t show anyone, just put it away

It is claimed that the act of writing creates a safe psychological space

Helps clearing the ‘chaos’, clear goal forming, aspirations emerge from the chaos

Expect no instant results…….will free up time at work/studies and free up a great deal of energy

Opportunity awareness

What are your choices?

What do you know about these choices?

Where do I find out about them? Etc.

This for next week with your ALS!

But start thinking……

Graduate job

Starting up on you own

Voluntary work (gap year)

Post graduate education

Professional training

Research

Check out the University of Reading software, DESTINATIONS™

http://www.rdg.ac.uk/destinations-demo/

Full access available via ELP3 pages, CU students only

Check out the Prospects website,

Prospects.ac.uk - Graduate Jobs, Postgrad Study, Graduate Career Information / Advisory Service

NOW

See next slide to remind you of what to collect over time!

Evaluating the industry sector of your placement (e.g. Own activity session 3)

Evaluating the nature of the organisation, including nature of products/services (e.g. Own activity session 3)

Your perception of the sector’s (or host organisation’s) key characteristics and trends (e.g. Own activity session 3)

Potential career opportunities in the sector (can also include future placements) (e.g. Own activity session 3)

Reference to the qualities and professionalism needed by a graduate entering graduate employment with the host organisation (or similar organisation) (e.g. Activity 2 session 3)

Reflection on your own qualities and professionalism and identification of your own future learning, personal development and career development needs (e.g. Activity session 2)