Key Skill Areas

What skills do I need for the workplace? Where can I get them?

Communication Skills

a. Verbal Communication/Presentation skills
Sources include:

Contributing to small group (tutorial and seminar) discussions
Giving a tutorial, seminar or conference presentation
Involvement in public speaking groups, debating clubs, political associations; chairing meetings
Contributing to public forum discussions
Participating in exercises where you are required to provide feedback to other students' work or to their tutorial presentations.

b. Written Communication Skills
Sources include:

Producing essays, project reports, thesis, presentations at conferences
Subject-specific appropriate terminology developed over time as you develop your subject knowledge competence
Report-writing skills, may also be developed in the workplace
Use of numerical and statistical information by preparing and using flow charts, maps, graphs, tables,etc

c. Computer Skills
Sources include:

Using word processing/spreadsheets/power point/database software to present essays, tutorials, theses, and to support oral presentations
Integrating IT tools into your research/work by making use of (or creating) databases and spreadsheets (e.g. using SPSS for statistical analysis of research data)
Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Using e-mail for communicating information or to send documents, or to establish mailing lists
Using the internet to retrieve information (e.g. using WWW to get details of university topic materials and by undertaking simple or complex WWW searches for research)
Using the library's on-line catalogues or other electronic resources (e.g. data bases such as Ovid, FirstSearch or Lexis Nexis) for research purposes.

a. Teamwork and Cooperation
Sources include:

Participating in small groups (tutorials, workshops) and in group work and group projects (at University, in extra curricular activity, the workplace or the community)
Being involved in activities where consensus is sought (making decisions with others) or where members' values require clarification (where members have/may have different value assumptions).
Undertaking the facilitating role in tutorials/meetings in which you participate.

b. Management/Leadership and Supervisory skills
Sources include:

Being a project leader or research team leader
Undertaking a leadership position of a social, sporting or community group
Being employed in a supervisory position at work
Being a student representative on University committees
Involvement in group projects or negotiation exercises
Management of family finances, of social/sporting/community group or business finances (e.g. as Treasurer)
Networking/making new contacts at conferences, meetings.

c. Flexibility and a Culturally Diverse Perspective
Sources include:

Working in groups
Studying topics with a global perspective, which provide some understanding of how the world works economically, culturally, and ecologically
Participating in multi-disciplinary teams or in tutorials associated with cross-disciplinary topics
Being involved in exercises/situations that involve exchanges between people from different cultures, language groups, regions, and social backgrounds
Travelling.

a. Have the capacity to work with minimal supervision
Sources include:

Undertaking thesis/assignments/individual project research
Active participation in the opportunities for learning offered through topics you undertake
Work place roles.

b. Manage Time Effectively
Sources include:

c. Adaptability/Capacity to cope with change
Sources include:

Undertaking study/activities to enable changes in career direction
Taking advantage of any available opportunities to learn new skills or procedures (including in-house training in your place of employment)
Taking advantage of learning opportunities in work placements
Coping with unusual or new approaches to teaching and learning (e.g. WebCT)
Dealing appropriately with different kinds of advice about strategies for essay writing, poster-presentation or citing.

a. Analytical/Problem Solving skills
Sources include:

Writing essays, answering assigned questions
Undertaking analytical laboratory work
Active participation in workshops oriented to problem posing, solving, and reporting
Contributing to group research tasks, 'brain-storming' or cause and effect diagramming activities and the like.

b. Ability to Acquire and Use Relevant Information
Sources include:

Conducting literature reviews and doing library-based research. including electronic
Preparing and conducting interviews, questionnaires, surveys or fieldwork
Participating in tutorial discussions or focus group discussions
Preparing essays, tutorial papers or theses
Converting data obtained into graphical or visual information.

c. Capacity to Make Decisions
Sources include:

Being involved in University committees, voting at meetings
Choosing which topics suit your chosen career trajectory
Making judgements about moral/humanitarian issues in an essay, poster, talk or thesis.

d. Ability to Think Creatively
Sources include:

Considering thoughtfully those new ideas/concepts/theories in your subject area to which you are introduced
Being involved in brain storming activities or focus group discussions
Undertaking independent research
Completing assignments to a high standard.

e. Competence in Chosen Field
Sources include:

Good results, completion of assignments and courses, active participation in classes
Relevant work experience (either as course requirement or from own iniative)
Active reading of the literature in your subject area
Membership of professional organisations
Developing recommendations arising from research project or thesis research
Undertaking fieldwork, case studies and simulation exercises.

From Hay, I. 2000, Transferable Skills Portfolio, Flinders University (online), Available: http://www.ssn.flinders.edu.au/skills/ (2001).