Emplselfauditversion1

LLB Professional Skills & Practice

2013/2014

LLB Professional Skills and PracticeSelf Audit of Employability

1. Introduction

As preparation for your first seminar in Professional Skills and Practice you should complete this form as an aid to self-reflection on your current level of employability. You must then bring the form to the seminar. [If there are confidential matters which you wish to note down and would not want considered at the workshop, then please note these down on a separate sheet of paper.]

2. The Employability Checklist

You should think about each of the skills listed below and how you currently “shape up”. Overall, this should give you a rough idea of how “employable” you currently are. It is important that you are as honest as possible in thinking through the skills list.

To complete the exercise, firstly think carefully about the skill in the left-hand column. Then write in the first column what you have already achieved or what you think you are good at in relation to this skill [drawing on your university and other life experiences to date.] Then in the next column note down what you think you could improve and [importantly] HOW you could improve.

LLB Professional Skills and PracticeSelf Audit of Employability : Autumn Term

SKILL HOW I AM GOOD AT THIS/WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED[as at autumn term]

WHAT I CAN IMPROVE AND HOW [as at autumn term]

1. People skills

(a) Interpersonal skills[relating to others; feeling comfortable with others; initiating and maintaining relationships.]

I have reflected this during aspect by working at Morrison’s Supermarket in a customer facing role. This showed my evidence of interacting with variety of individuals through my use of customer service experience making the customer at the heart of providing the service whilst maintaining customer’s relationships with the business and organisation.

I would like to build this type of relationship with managers and seniors. Therefore attending courses and networking events will help me to build upon my professional interaction not only with customers but with potential employers.

(b) Oral communication skills[how effectively do I speak ina group socially, in class and in other situations?]

I have demonstrated steady progress with my communication skills and evident in my current job role at Barclays where communication is extremely important in the most difficult situation. In class I am slightly reserved even though I do put in my input in class discussions this maybe down to my quiet mannerism.

I perhaps need to get out of my comfort zone and start interacting more openly. This is something I will be working on during my time in the Action Learning Sets to ensure I not only input my ideas but take to the interest of others and improve my general conversation to avoid awkward silences when there is no discussion or questions asked.

(c) Written communication skills[What is my academic background In relation to writing skills? What feedback have I had so far?]

The feedback I have achieved so far on my written communication in academic work is I can sometimes make errors which can easily be fixed. When it comes to general communication via emails and letters it is appropriate and professional.

I will be attending student services academic for success centre to ensure that I work on fixing error that I may not notice. I have used the service before and it has helped significantly with my progress so I will continue to use this service to help with my work.



(d) Teamworking skills[what experience have I had of this so far both within andoutside the University? How have I done?]

I have worked apart of teams in, academic, volunteer projects and work projects which reflected good use of team working.

However I feel I can sometimes let people take the lead when I can offer better suggestions and ideas. Therefore this is something I will work on

(e) Leadership skills[Do I consider myself a natural leader? What opportunities have I had so far to lead? When do I feel comfortable in a leadership role?]

I do feel there is traits of natural leadership that I have obtained and progressed as well developed over time. However I would like to develop this further as I like to progress on to a team leader role at work as I am one of the top advisors in the customer service department.

What is preventing me from applying for a team leader role is that I do not have the work experience or adequate evidence of taking up leadership skills. Therefore what I’m willing to is take part in course to reflect this aspect to show my potential.

2. Personal Skills

(a) Intellectual skills[problem-solving, critical analysis, synthesis of information

I possess these qualities and required to use them at work when dealing with customer enquiries and offering them the adequate service required for customer experience and satisfaction.

I sometime do get overwhelmed with information and I perhaps need to control my nerves in this particular aspect as it may prevent me from achieving my intellectual abilities and skills.

(b) Flexibility/adaptability[ability to respond easily tochange; to initiate change whennecessary; to understand work based culture]

I have evidenced this whilst working at Barclays and starting my training intensive training for two week after which I was talking to customers and dealing with their enquires. My work based culture is also evident to changes as they change a lot of procedures and ways we deal with customer service in line with changing bank regulations.

I can deal with positive change appropriately but at times it is difficult for myself to deal with negative change and can lead me off my goals and plans. Therefore I will need control my emotions when negative changes occur in order to ensure I stay focused and don’t become disheartened or be harsh on myself for changes that are not in my control or capacity.

(c) Commitment/willingness I always obtain feedback and ensure I commit to I need to learn new ideas and ways in which I can



to learn[and continue learning throughoutlife ]

dealing with compliments and criticism this is the case at university but strongly evident at work in my job role where customers can be left feeling dissatisfied and wish to raise a complaint.

reflect on my compliments and willingness to learn when I receive criticism. Therefore I will ensure I speak to my manger when issue occur whereby I need guidance ad to how to deal with particular maters when I have done everything in my capacity to avoid an issue of a complaint being raised.

(d) IT and numeracy skills[the ability to accept, learn andadapt to new technologies; make the most of technologicalopportunities]

I currently have a strong IT background by dealing with multi-tasking and using technology as a tool for extensive research.

What I could do is expand upon my legal research via Westlaw and Lexis training sessions in order to make research easier and convenient for academic writing especially with law essays. Another way I can do this is via starting to network on LinkedIn. My profile is basic and I have not made use of the only digital footprint presence therefore using new technology to network may potentially help me to open up doors to new opportunities.

3. Self-Reliance Skills

(a) Personal confidence[how assertive am I? What do I like and dislike about myself? How good am I atpositive thinking?]

I would consider myself very positive as I am a keen learner and therefore confident in coming across challenged I face at work and at university with problem situations and like taking ownership.

However sometimes I can let negative outcomes of situations let me down and stop me from pursuing a particular goal and take my time to get back on track. Therefore I need to control my emotions and prepare in a different way to negative outcomes by letting it motivate me and not a ‘stop – start’ journey as I been encountering recently.

(b) Self-motivation I have clear and open plans for the future as I I may need to ensure that setbacks and negative



[Am I a self-starter?To what extent do I rely on other people? How determinedam I? Do I have clear plansfor my future?]

believe every opportunity you can get cannot go to waste but go to good use. Therefore I am definitely extremely motivated as evidenced when I started my new job at Barclays which was a major progression on my career journey.

outcomes don’t hinder my self-motivation and that get back up straight away a when I face a knock back in certain situation as I feel now when I consider the self-audit that letting negative outcomes affect you in a way to stop what you doing is time wasted and it’s better to reflect upon the situation than to dwell as I have done so many time.

(c) Self-discipline[think about time-keeping;personal organisation; abilityto deal with stress; ability to prioritise]

This is one of my strengths as I am organised with my time and resources by being in full time education and managing a job at Barclays and Morrison’s. I know my limits and I can confidently say that I can prioritise and ensure that I remain organised and will keep attending my two jobs until I feel it is necessary to stop one of them.

I like having a lot on my plate therefore it can be seen as a positive or a negative attribute. What I like to do is perhaps in the future stick to one job and remain in education. However because my job at Morrisons is equally as important as the job at Barclays I decided to remain in both organisations as I have the ability to organise and handle a busy schedule but maybe drop one of the jobs when I feel I have developed and progressed enough to leave the organisation.

(d) Self-promotion[Am I comfortable promotingMyself? How good am I at networking to make usefulcontacts?]

I feel I take pride in myself but I need to work on my self-promotion especially online for instance eon LinkedIn.

Networking and building my online presence will be one of my key requirements for me to build upon my self – promotion.

LLB Professional Skills and PracticeSelf Audit of Employability: Spring Term

SKILL HOW I AM GOOD AT THIS/WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED[as at spring term]

WHAT I CAN IMPROVE AND HOW [as at spring term]

1. People skills

(a) Interpersonal skills[relating to others; feeling comfortable with others; initiating and maintaining relationships.]

I have reflected this during aspect by working at Morrison’s Supermarket in a customer facing role. This showed my evidence of interacting with variety of individuals through my use of customer service experience making the customer at the heart of providing the service whilst maintaining customer’s relationships with the business and organisation.

At Barclays I have engaged professionally with the business and higher management from b3 to b6 senior management is crucial to maintaining business relationships and progression in the working environment.

I would like to build this type of interpersonal skills with potential employers outside the organisations I have worked to expand my network and relationships with other perfessionals.

(b) Oral communication skills[how effectively do I speak ina group socially, in class and in other situations?]

I have demonstrated steady progress with my communication skills and evident in my current job role at Barclays where communication is extremely important in the most difficult situation. In class I am slightly reserved even though I do put

I will now develop and progress this by implementing these skills by making a change and introducing new ideas both in the work place and university lifestyle.



in my input in class discussions this maybe down to my quiet mannerism.

I have got out of my comfort zone and participated in many activities on campus which involved group projects such Action learnings Set, Law Careers Representative meetings, Student Research Project for employability, Mooting Society, BCU Bright Committee and participation in the Front runner Leadership course.

(c) Written communication skills[What is my academic background In relation to writing skills? What feedback have I had so far?]

The feedback I have achieved so far on my written communication in academic work is I can sometimes make errors which can easily be fixed. When it comes to general communication via emails and letters it is appropriate and professional.

I have been attending student services academic for success centre to ensure that I work on fixing error that I may not notice. I have used the service before and it has helped significantly with my progress so I will continue to use this service to help with my work.

I will now try and work towards higher level of academic writing as in my final year of the law degree I have chosen to study the module option which is the dissertation. I’m planning to improve and show my skill in this module in this piece of academic writing.

(d) Teamworking skills[what experience have I had of this so far both within andoutside the University? How

I have worked apart of teams in, academic, volunteer projects and work projects which reflected good use of team working.

I will continue to embrace and learning new ways to carry forward my team working skills for the final year of my degree and will also demonstrate an active leading role in team working at Barclays.



have I done?] I have contributed and changed a lot of ideas in group meeting in regards to projects and plans for the university student services and societies. I have also taken part in volunteer work with British Red Cross as part of the Leadership Front runner course where I had reflected my ideas of changing their campaigning and took the active leading part in the presentation.

(e) Leadership skills[Do I consider myself a natural leader? What opportunities have I had so far to lead? When do I feel comfortable in a leadership role?]

I do feel there is traits of natural leadership that I have obtained and progressed as well developed over time. However I would like to develop this further as I like to progress on to a team leader role at work as I am one of the top advisors in the customer service department.

I have taken part in Front runner leadership course at common purpose and graduated from the course which reflects my potential on taking a leadership role in the future and motivation to learn and develop.

I will continue to attend leadership and management courses and continued to be inspired by great leaders I met at the front runner course.

2. Personal Skills

(a) Intellectual skills[problem-solving, critical analysis, synthesis of information

I possess these qualities and required to use them at work when dealing with customer enquiries and offering them the adequate service required for customer experience and satisfaction.

I will continue to develop and progress these skills as required and apply them to problem scenarios and complex queries in my work life and at university. This is important especially when dealing with complaint matters in regards to a



During my Advocacy assessment I was able to control my nerves and reflect my intellectual abilities and skills. This was evident that I can analysis and answering question professionally when challenging counter views for a plea in mitigation

particular service a customer may have received and resolving it in their favour where it is appropriate.

(b) Flexibility/adaptability[ability to respond easily tochange; to initiate change whennecessary; to understand work based culture]

I have evidenced this whilst working at Barclays and starting my training intensive training for two week after which I was talking to customers and dealing with their enquires. My work based culture is also evident to changes as they change a lot of procedures and ways we deal with customer service in line with changing bank regulations.

I can deal with positive change appropriately and negative changes in order to keep focused on my goals and plans. I constantly reflect and see ways of improving situations and maintain positive progress.

I understand the core principle of work ethics and reflected this through my customer service skills at work through honest, respect and integrity.

Continue to take ownership and get recognised for my abilities of keeping up with change under time constraint limits at work and at university.

(c) Commitment/willingnessto learn[and continue learning throughoutlife ]

I always obtain feedback and ensure I commit to dealing with compliments and criticism this is the case at university but strongly evident at work in my job role where customers can be left feeling

Continue to learn and see and discuss with my manager at Barclays how I could progress and what is preventing me.



dissatisfied and wish to raise a complaint.

I always ensure I speak to my manager to keep clear of what is expected and to clarify any situation when issue occur whereby I need guidance and to how to deal with particular maters when I have done everything in my capacity to avoid an issue of a complaint being raised.

(d) IT and numeracy skills[the ability to accept, learn andadapt to new technologies; make the most of technologicalopportunities]

I currently have a strong IT background by dealing with multi-tasking and using technology as a tool for extensive research.

I have passed both my Westlaw and Lexis training sessions (basic and advance) in order to make research easier and convenient for academic writing especially with law essays. I have created my online professional presence on LinkedIn through appropriate use of the only digital footprint presence therefore using new technology to network helps me to open up doors to new opportunities

Keep up to date with the new careers blogs and applications in order to have better chances to be considered for opportunities arising in the future which may appeal to myself.

3. Self-Reliance Skills

(a) Personal confidence[how assertive am I? What do I like and dislike about

I would consider myself very positive as I am a keen learner and therefore confident in coming across challenged I face at work and at university

Refer to Student services if I require to review my note or general advice in certain specialist interviews.



myself? How good am I atpositive thinking?]

with problem situations and like taking ownership.

I attend various interviews and deal with telephone interviews in particular to get to grips and stay on track of the recruitment process which is constantly changing. I have obtained all feedback and working on improving myself through more telephone interviews and other areas of the recruitment process.

(b) Self-motivation[Am I a self-starter?To what extent do I rely on other people? How determinedam I? Do I have clear plansfor my future?]

I have clear and open plans for the future as I believe every opportunity you can get cannot go to waste but go to good use. Therefore I am definitely extremely motivated as evidenced when I started my new job at Barclays which was a major progression on my career journey.

I’m reflective and work on all feedback

Challenge myself and my motivation to see my determination and what is stopping me from going further.

(c) Self-discipline[think about time-keeping;personal organisation; abilityto deal with stress; ability to prioritise]

This is one of my strengths as I am organised with my time and resources by being in full time education and managing a job at Barclays. I know my limits and I can confidently say that I can prioritise and ensure that I remain organised. I will leave an organisation if I see no personal development or progression as to me it is important to constantly develop and working is a never ending working process.

Occasionally find I shall find relaxation time and get out the comfort zone to keep myself occupied and be open to new opportunities.



(d) Self-promotion[Am I comfortable promotingMyself? How good am I at networking to make usefulcontacts?]

I feel I take pride in myself but I need to work on my self-promotion especially online for instance on LinkedIn. This is also evident on mahara as before I did not create a profile but after using LinkedIn I can see the benefits of using on LinkedIn presence and self-promotion.

Discover other ways to make use of self-promotion.

Emplselfauditversion1

Education

people skills

interpersonal skills

skills list

e leadership skills

c written communication

b oral communication

academic work

work experience