Welcome to Module 1, Finding your best fit. This module is designed to help you match yourself to jobs and a career that will make you satisfied, motivated and keep you interested. As you work through this module, you will find links to activities that will help you consolidate your understanding.
By the end of this module you should be able articulate what skills are your strengths and what attributes make you unique. You will also analyse jobs and workplaces and shortlist those that you think are a good match.Most importantly, you will start collecting evidence of what you can do and what you offer an employer, as that is vital for preparing applications later on. You can begin this process by using the eportfolio function on DSO.
You need to know about yourself in terms of your skills, values, personality, attributes and interests, so that when you apply for jobs and attend interviews you can speak confidently about why the workplace and job would be a good match for both you and the employer. As you will see from this slide there are a number of recommended activities to complete to help guide you in your self awareness. You are acquiring many skills whilst completing your university studies, course specific and generic, both of which are valued by prospective employers. Generic skills such as teamwork and communication can also be developed in your part time employment or other extracurricular activities such as participation in a sports team. Recognising your unique strengths and challenges within your personality and those within other people makes for more productive working relationships. Aligning your values which may relate to; salary, promotion or self development opportunities with the organisation's values, enhances career satisfaction. Consider what your are passionate about and what interests you as they are good indicators of what you might enjoy within a job.
So what generic skills do employers look for in successful candidates? From the table you can see it is consistently communication, problem solving, teamwork, technical and leadership skills. Employers look for attributes or positive attitudes which demonstrate your motivation and passion in activities you undertake. Employers do take a holistic look at their candidates and besides their academic results look for work experiences and engagement in other activities.
At university there are many opportunities to further develop your skills and attributes alongside your course such as Study Aboard, work placements, internships and vacation work. Faculty peer mentoring programs, PASS and the Duke of Edinburgh Award provide a different environment and context to demonstrate and strengthen your skill set. The eportfolio on DSO is a place where you can store evidence of your work, certificates, academic transcript and other artefacts which showcase your capabilites.
Now you are in a position where you have had time to reflect and consider what you have to offer an employer. There are many different job roles offered in your area of study. Take the time to research job position descriptions and listen to people already working in the field to see if it is a good match for you and what you seek in a career.
Write a 200 word reflection about what you now understand about yourself and the implications of this self-awareness for your choice of jobs, employers and career.
