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When thinking about your career development there are several key aspects of yourself that you should be able to identify and articulate which will help with your career exploration. These include areas like your skills, strengths, personality and experience.
This is not always easy to think about. We would like to suggest some activities that can get you started with your 'self exploration'– participating in these activities can often act as a reminder of who you are, what you can offer. Saying things about ourselves can sometimes be hard – the resources below make it easier for you.
Knowledge of ‘you’ can help you think about career options in the widest sense but also help with the practical things like doing a CV or applying for a job.
Why not try these activities below to help you explore your strengths and personality in more detail - this might confirm what you already know about yourself or may throw up a few surprises as well!
- Check out your personal strengths with My World of Work
- What makes your personality BUZZ?
- 16 Personality Test
- Personal Strengths Inventory
Kick start your future
What are 'Employability' Skills?
What are 'Employability' Skills?
When you apply for work, employers are keen to see evidence of your skills, knowledge and personality attributes. Although every application you make will be unique, there are some common things that employers look for in applicants, and these are commonly referred to as 'employability skills', 'employability attributes' or 'transferrable skills'.
Employability skills are generally understood to include things like:
- Self management
- Team working
- Business and customer awareness
- Problem solving
- Communication and literacy
- Application of numeracy
- Application of information technology
(CBI, 2009)
What are the top 10 skills that'll get you a job when you graduate?
Graduate Attributes
Graduate Attributes
Using graduate attributes can help shine a spotlight on the sometimes hidden skills developed through learning and participating in the life of the university.
The five UHI attributes are:
- academic skills
- self-management
- social awareness
- communication
- interpersonal skills