Work out your competencies akk 20.03.2013
Transcript of Work out your competencies akk 20.03.2013
Work out your competencies-professional as well as personal
Work out your competencies
•Working definitions and examples
•Ways of identifying and conveying your qualifications and various competencies
•What are employers looking for?
• Experience – spotting your personal competencies
• Your sales pitch – how to brand yourself to a future employer, networking
• Your CVs – highlighting your (key) competencies
• Your first job in Denmark – planning ahead
• Qualifications or competencies?
Qualifications and competencies - distinction
• Qualifications:
Abilities acquired through a learning process, e.g. formal education – university degree
• Competencies:Qualifications used in practice
• Moreover, competencies are contextual
• Something you possess and are able to apply in specific work settings in order to meet the requirements, solve the problem… - Because you know and do something using previous experiences as well as specific knowledge gleaned from your studies etc.
Definition of competencies by OECD
• ”The demonstrated – and individual – ability to apply know-how, qualifications and knowledge in order to act in familiar or altered working conditions”
OECD – oecd.org (my translation)
General or generic academic competencies
• Examples? Name a few that would describe you
Generic academic competencies – examples
• Overview, perspective• Research• Project management, project work and coordination• Innovative thinking• Analysis and structure• IT• Critical approach• Communication and presentation• Selling ideas, projects, concepts • Meeting deadlines - time and resource management• Lifelong learning • And more…
Specific professional competencies - examples
• Proficient at conflict management• Highly skilled to give advice on international legislation..• Very knowledgeable on EU and security policies• Proven ability to work independently and as a team member• Concise communicator • Efficient and precise case handling • Ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving
work environment• And many more…
Personal competencies - examples
• Sense of humour• Empathy• Decisive, able to act promptly• Perseverance and flexibility• Tolerant – open-minded• Quality-conscious, Result-oriented • Curious, Proactive• Polite, Loyal• Awareness of your personal knowledge, skills and attitudes• Interpersonal + intercultural communication skills• And many more
• Never simply list your competencies – ”document” them, refer to the (work) context in question – and do so succinctly
Your competencies – 4 components
• Knowledge – you must know how to …• Ability or functional skill – you must be able to
carry out, do …• Motivation – you must be motivated to …• Personality – you must have what it takes to…
(Kompetencerådet 1999)
Comprehensive list and targeted CVs
• Your comprehensive list should never be sent to employersYour personal document – an inventory of sorts
• A comprehensive list of everything you have done (paid work, voluntary work, fieldwork, university studies, internships, exchange studies, spare time/hobbies, travels abroad)
• Organise your qualifications and competencies – headlines
• From this list – targeted CVs - skills-based (functional) CV- chronological CV
- or a combination of the two (also recommended)
Cont.:
• Key competencies – your unique selling points - usually 2 to 4, maybe more
• Results – big and small
• Profile – 5-7 lines of prose – write a concise presentation of what you offer the employer – may vary depending on the job in question. Leave out details, highlights only.
• Adjust your targeted CV – and perhaps your profile – in order to reflect the competencies
required for the job you apply for.
• Never exaggerate, don’t be too humble – be realistic and to the point
• Let your friends, family etc. read your CV - inputs and additions
Your CV
• In groups - using your CVs
Explore and discuss your competencies (professional, personal)
What should/could be explained in further detail?What may be left out?
15 minutes per person
Academic jobs
• InterResource, AU Career• Guidance and career advice from AAK • Jobbank.dk - Jobs in English• Work in Denmark.dk• Your network, your network’s network• LinkedIn and other social media