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Many universities now provide the opportunity for students to participate in career and personal development planning. This is excellent preparation for job/career applications as it enables you to consider the skills, strengths and abilities that you possess and have developed that are required by employers. If you have not had the opportunity to undertake this then take the time to do a careful review or self-assessment of what it is you have been doing and the skills you have acquired. This will make it easier for you to demonstrate a match with the employers' requirements. Before attempting an application form or CV, your self-review should analyse every aspect of your life and experience in terms of the skills you possess. This process is made simpler if you consider the key events in your life so far:
• academic achievements;
• responsibilities - past/present;
• course projects/dissertations;
• learning outcomes;
• work experience;
• voluntary work;
• extracurricular (clubs, societies).

Consider each activity in terms of the skills developed and list them. What exactly did you have to do? Work in a team? Communicate verbally or in writing? Lead or manage a group or project? Deal with the public? Solve a problem? Adapt to another culture, perhaps using another language?

Once you have mapped your thoughts on paper you can develop and organise them into a clear profile of your skills and achievements. This will help you to provide the necessary evidence to meet the employer's requirements.

If you find yourself short of ideas when undertaking these activities try this as an example of considering your personal skills.

Advising individuals	Counselling people
Arranging social events	Delegating responsibility
Calculating numerical data	Dispensing information
Checking for Accuracy	Drafting Reports
Classifying records	Editing documents
Coaching individuals	Handling customers' complaints
Compiling figures	Inspecting
Constructing buildings	Interpreting data
Co-ordinating Events	Interviewing People
Corresponding with Customers	Managing Staff
Mediating between People	Maintaining Records
Motivating others	Recording data
Operating equipment	Repairing mechanical equipment
Organising People and Work	Reviewing
Persuading others	Running meetings
Planning agendas	Selling products
Preparing Charts or Diagrams	Serving the Public
Programming microcomputers	Setting up demonstrations
Promoting events	Speaking in public
Protecting property	Supervising staff
Raising funds	Teaching
	Using Computers

 

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You will achieve most success with your applications if you have thought through which careers might offer you greatest fulfilment, matching your skills, interests and motivation. There are many attractive or fashionable careers (eg media, banking, publishing), which seem glamorous, well paid or unusual. However, are they right for you?

Consider the following:
• Which skills and abilities do you most enjoy using?
• Do you prefer to work with people - the general public, individual clients or in a team?
• How important are high earnings?
• What about security?
• Do you want a career that requires you to be mobile, or do you prefer to remain based in the same place?
• Is your subject important in choosing a career?

These are the kinds of questions that help you understand your needs in work. There is plenty of information available in your careers service to help you answer them and identify your requirements in work. Important among these is Prospects Planner. This is a computerised guidance system that will enable you to match your personal profile against a database of over 400 occupations, suggesting which will fit your interests, motivations, degree subject etc. If you take the time and trouble to assess yourself in this way before you make any applications you should make better career choices, save some valuable time and effort and be more successful.