module 02 skills assessment - carleton mycareer · pdf fileidentify critical skills and...

Module 02 Skills Assessment

Module Outline 1. Introduction to Skills Assessment 2. Job Search Plan 3. Key Definitions in Skills Assessment 4. Skills Transfer 5. Tasks and Skills 6. Forms of Assessment 7. Conclusion

E-mail Please consult the course outline for your Co-op Student Advisor’s contact information

MODULE 2: SKILLS ASSESSMENT 2

Introduction Welcome to Module 2. This module is focused on identifying and assessing your skills and transferring them from one context to another so you can feel marketable and competent for the new professional roles that are available through co-op. Module Overview In this module, you will learn how to:

Identify the four-stages of the job search plan; Define and identify different types of skills; Define and apply skills transfer to real-life situations; Differentiate skills from tasks; Assess your skills; Identify critical skills and qualities employers seek; and Develop accomplishment statements.

Goals and Learning Outcomes In this module, you will achieve the following:

Understanding the importance of skills assessment in the job search process.

Recognizing the benefits of skills assessments. Identifying your skills through a personal skills assessment. Learning how to showcase these skills using accomplishment based statements that integrate previous experiences.

Learning the top skills required in your field of study and how to market these skills appropriately.

Linking previous activities to transferable skills. Learning the concept of skills transfer and how to market what you’ve learned from past experiences (e.g. school, projects and extracurricular activities) during your co-op job search.

1. Introduction to Skills Assessment


A personal skills assessment can be accessed from the Resources tab in Module 2 (on cuLearn). This form will allow you to gain a comprehensive understanding of your academic and non-academic skills.

What is a skills assessment? A skills assessment is an integral part of career planning, effective cover letter/resume development and interview preparation. It is the awareness of and the ability to market the skills you have attained as a result of your academic studies. Past employment and volunteer work will serve you well as you apply for your first and subsequent co-op positions.


Job Search Plan Model

Adapted from: Peter Fiske : Putting Your Degree to Work : Practical Career Strategies for Scientists, December 2008

The pyramid (above) represents a model of the job search plan which suggests that a successful job search encompasses of four main steps. This process is not linear but rather dynamic with movement occurring back and forth amongst the four (4) stages. The process begins with self-assessment which focuses on knowing who you are, what goals you would like to achieve, and what you have to offer an employer. The second stage of the model is exploration of relevant industries and occupations. The co-op office provides extensive support at this stage by providing students with access to a sample of what's available in their respective industries. As part of your personal career development, you also play a key role in determining what options, jobs, careers and industries best suit your skills.

2. Job Search Plan


The third stage, focusing, involves targeting the industry or industries and companies that are appealing to you through various networking strategies. The final stage is the mechanics of finding work including the development of targeted resumes and interview skills. Both the third and final stages will be explored further in modules 3, 4, and 5. Self-assessment, or stage one (1) of this model, is the foundation for the rest of the job search process. It is an intentional process that you go through to gain a better understanding of yourself. There are three (3) elements of the self-assessment process:

1. Interests 2. Skills; and 3. Values

Although all three (3) elements are crucial to the job search process; in this module, you will focus on assessing your skills and transferring them from one context to another – a process that can prove challenging for many co-op students.


There are two (2) types of skills that will be discussed in this module:

1. Knowledge based skills; and 2. Transferable skills

Knowledge Based Skills Knowledge based skills are acquired through education, training and job experience. They are essentially the facts and lessons learned or acquired in either a formal or informal context. Example: Gaining knowledge of CAD, AutoCAD, Java or specific statistical analyses such as regression To gain a sense of these skills, think about what kind of academic course or vocations training you have done or are currently doing.

Transferable Skills Transferable skills are skills that have been acquired during any activity such as jobs, classes, projects, hobbies, and sports. These skills can be transferable and applicable to what you want to do in your co-op job. Examples: Writing, data entry, project management and research These skills don't necessarily have to be acquired in a formal situation. Employers want to know what your transferable skills are because this will convince them you have the skill required to do the job. Because you will be seeking your first co-op work term, you might be applying for positions that are entirely different from what you’ve done in your past work. To make yourself more marketable, it is therefore crucial that you reflect on, identify and market your relevant transferable skills along with your relevant knowledge based skills.

3. What is a Skill?


Definition Skills transfer is the process of using prior knowledge in new situations or learning to apply in new contexts or ways. The National Research Council defines skills transfer as the ultimate goal of learning which is to use information for a wide set of purposes so that the learning will transfer to new contexts. A critical aspect of the skills assessment and subsequent job search process is your ability to recognize prior knowledge and learning as relevant. Your attitude about yourself and your feelings about the relevance of what you have done can greatly impact your potential for accessing your transferable skills. Scenario: Near Transfer

A student with a Java programming academic background is seeking a Java programming opportunity.

If you received an A+ in a Java programming course and you understand all the principles, it is likely that you will do well with programming at a job that requires these skills. This is because the skills you are executing on the job are very similar to the ones that were used to complete assignments, projects and exams in your programming course. It is easy to see the similarities between the two situations and thus transfer your programming skills. You are essentially executing the same skill, just in a different context. On the other hand, it is more difficult to transfer skills when the situations appear to be different or far from each other.

4. What is Skills Transfer?


To enhance that transfer, we need to be more aware of the similarities that may exist between seemingly different situations in order to help mobilize "what we know" and "can do" in the new context.

Scenario: Far Transfer

A student with a Java programming academic background is seeking a Java programming opportunity in technical product marketing and client support.

In the case of this scenario, a Java programmer is trying to find a co-op job in product marketing and support. What are the challenges this student might face in marketing themselves as competent within the field of technical product marketing and client support? The student has three (3) challenges:

1. Looking more deeply at the similarities between the two jobs to make them appear closer, thereby actively transferring skills.

2. Breaking down the programming tasks into basic skills (problem

solving, accuracy and attention to detail, project management, communication) to make transfer to marketing and support more evident.

3. Seeing how programming knowledge and skills can translate to

effective marketing and support skills and communicating this knowledge to a potential employer.


Criteria for Awareness and Skills Transfer There are three (3) skills required to become aware and actively engaged.

1

REVIEW Examining what skills you possess and connecting new information to past knowledge

2 REFLECTION Consistently monitoring, reflecting on and evaluating your thoughts about your skills and abilities

3 DELIBERATION Becoming intentional, deliberate and strategic about what skills you want to market

Skill Application Based on the criteria, for far transfer to occur it’s important to actively process:

• What components of skills can transfer from one context to another; • When it’s appropriate to transfer skills and when it’s not appropriate; • How to aptly capitalize on transfer skills; and • What purpose skill transfer serves in various contexts.

This step is crucial in co-op. You will be using this knowledge: • As you market your transferable skills; • As you showcase your skills during interviews; • As you market your skills during the networking process; and • As you solve problems and set goals while on your co-op work-term.

With practice and by actively looking for generalities between situations, you will develop these strategies to help you gain more value from your past experience.


Tasks vs. Skills

Exercise The following exercise will test your understanding of tasks and skills and how they differentiate from one another.

Match each example (left) with its appropriate term (right).

1. Copyediting technical documents 2. Ability to initiate/manage teams and

projects 3. An office clerk seeking an entry-level

accounting position 4. Illustrating storyboards for pre-production

a) Tasks

b) Skills

To support your ability to adequately market your skills, in addition to being aware of near and far transfer, it is vital that you understand the differences between skills and tasks and know which tend to transfer more easily in specific circumstances and why. Skills are an acquired capacity to achieve pre-determined outcomes and can be mastered with practice. A task is a concrete or tangible piece of work that is undertaken or attempted. So in what circumstance would you use each? Skills are used when you have limited experiences and are able to highlight transferable skills. Meanwhile, tasks are works that have been undertaken previously and are used when a position requires similar task execution.

5. Tasks and Skills


Scenario: Ashar

Ashar has completed three (3) co-op work terms in Aerospace Engineering and has over a year of experience with 2D drafting and 3D modeling including the use of AutoCAD and Pro/ENGINEER. He is now considering applying for a position with a large aerospace company for a fourth co-op work term. This position requires a seasoned Aerospace Engineering student who has had previous experience drafting, modeling and using engineering software. Using the information about skills and tasks, would it be more effective for Ashar's cover letter and resume to list transferable skills or tasks previously completed?

Points of Consideration: As the employer, would you want to know that he has experience with 2D drafting and 3D modeling, the use of AutoCAD and Pro/ENGINEER (tasks) or that he has the knowledge of 2D drafting and 3D modeling and the use of AutoCAD and Pro/ENGINEER (skills) based on his academic studies? Response: Focus on tasks Rationale: Given that the student is moving to a context that’s quite similar to the work that he has done in the past, it is likely more advantageous for him to discuss the tasks performed during his previous co-op placements. Therefore, there would be no need to break down those tasks


Scenario: Bryn

Bryn, a second-year accounting student is applying for a Junior Accountant position in an accounting firm. Her previous work experience only includes three (3) years working as a waitress, cashier, and hostess at a small family-owned restaurant. Using the information about skills and tasks, would it be more effective for Bryn's cover letter and resume to list transferable skills or tasks previously completed as a waitress, cashier and hostess?

Points of Consideration: From the perspective of an employer, would you want to know that she has experience greeting patrons, presenting menus, making menu recommendations, taking and relaying order to kitchen staff, answering questions regarding food and beverage and operating cash registers and computers to record and accept payments? Response: Focus on transferable skills Rationale: Given that the student is moving to a context (i.e. an accounting firm) that is quite different from her current place of employment (i.e. restaurant), it is more advantageous for her to market the skills that would be transferable from her previous place of employment. She would not be focused on the task of seating and serving guests but rather on the aspects of the job that required that she use her numerical skills (e.g. calculating the total payments received at the end of work shift and reconcile with total sales, handling large quantities of cash with accuracy). To build on these transferable skills further and to make a case that she has solid accounting skills, Bryn may also consider may also consider marketing some of the skills acquired through her academic studies; for example:


• Examining accounting records to prepare financial statements (e.g. balance sheets, statements of income, cash flow statement)

• Gaining knowledge of QuickBooks • Understanding business ethics and Generally Accepted Accounting

Principles (GAAP) • Writing journal entries • Understanding financial statements and general ledgers

Bryn’s Diagram

The Venn diagram (above) assesses Bryn's transferable skills based on her previous work experiences and current application for the Junior Accountant position. Bryn might want to focus on her communication skills that were acquired through being a waitress. If there were tasks she undertook as a waitress that required her to use her ability to be accurate and show attention to detail, she should also highlight these skills, such as being responsible for receiving inventory


orders on a monthly basis and completing multiple tracking logs with accuracy and efficiency. Although being a waitress and being an accountant requires some skill sets that are quite different, they also have skills that are shared. The diagram's center reveals the transferable skills that Bryn would be able to market. An employer in an accounting firm will be able to recognize that Bryn possesses the skills necessary for the Junior Accountant position. In this case, the student is applying her experience from working in a restaurant setting to working in an accounting firm. Although there are few opportunities for task transfer, there are lots of opportunities for skills transfer. Therefore, it would be best if Bryn highlighted her transferable skills such as clear communication, effective listening, and attention to detail. This way, the employer will be able to better see what skills Bryn can bring from past and seemingly unrelated experiences to a new environment.


Self Evaluation A self evaluation of an individual's capabilities or competencies requires extensive introspection which is the act of observing or looking within to examine one's mental processes. This introspective process includes looking closely at past and current experiences and accomplishments to guide the way your skills are marketed in the future.

Conducting a skills assessment is an excellent way to distill some of your past experiences and cognitively process your skills and their transferability from one context to another. This will provide you with lots of information about the skills and knowledge including their application in both near and far transfer.

A sample skills assessment can be accessed from the Resources tab in Module 2 (on cuLearn). This assessment will not be evaluated, but please take a moment to complete it to support your own self reflection and knowledge which will be instrumental in the job search process.

6. Forms of Assessment


Employability Skills As you are reflecting on your own skills, to help you think about what's important to an employer, please consider that the Conference Board of Canada defines employability skills as the critical skills you need in the workplace. These skills include communication, problem solving, positive attitudes and behaviors, adaptability, working with others, science, technology, and mathematical skills. These skills are essential for entering, staying and progressing in the world of work and are divided into three broad categories:

(1) Fundamental skills (e.g. Communication, critical thinking, problem solving, etc.)

(2) Personal management skills (e.g. Flexibility and adaptability, responsibility, positivity, etc.)

(3) Teamwork skills

(e.g. Working with others, participating in projects and tasks, etc.)

A comprehensive list of employability skills as defined by the Conference Board of Canada can be accessed from the Resources tab in Module 2 (on cuLearn). This list will help you think about the skills you have that are important to an employer.


Summary of Skills Transfer

Exercise The following exercise will test your understanding of the key elements and characteristics of skills transfer.

Match each definition (left) with its appropriate term (right).

1. Moving a set of skills between seemingly unrelated contexts

2. Transferring of skills between similar contexts

a) Near Transfer

b) Far Transfer

When two contexts appear different, it's your responsibility to make the similarities clear to the employer through your cover letter, resume and interview. It is not the employer's responsibility to infer the transferability of your skills. We are all capable of transferring our skills but often do not. There are two types of skills transfer: (1) near transfer and (2) far transfer.

Near transfer refers to the transfer of skills between similar contexts.

Far transfer occurs when you move a set of skills between seemingly unrelated contexts. Far transfer is required when the contexts appear remote from each other. This is often the case with academic studies and work.


In these situations, you may be less likely to recognize the transferable foundational skills immediately, and are therefore less likely to naturally mobilize them effectively to your advantage.

Self Exercise: Skills Transfer Break down the tasks in each of the contexts (for near or far transfer) into foundational skills. Through this, you will be able to:

• make connections and identify relationships between differing contexts; and

• see what skills you have developed through your course work that may be useful on your co-op placement.

Accomplishment Statements Once you have a clear sense of your relevant skills and experiences, you need to be able to market them on your resume.

Your resume needs to clearly show accomplishments in the roles that you've previously assumed. These accomplishments are not limited to your past paid work. They can come from volunteer opportunities, your academic courses or special projects. Your accomplishment statements need to communicate how you've made a difference and the value that you brought to your previous and current roles. These are sometimes called accomplishment statements as they reflect a situation from your past or present, your actions, and the result of these actions. Accomplishment statements are not only a description of tasks but a description of the outcomes of those tasks.


The content and phrasing of these statements give a prospective employer a window into your future contributions by highlighting your past accomplishments. These statements can be used in resumes to demonstrate your skills, qualities and abilities and are also perfectly designed to help you prepare for behavior based questions posed in an interview which will become pertinent in the next module. More details on this application to the interview process will be discussed in Module 4.

Application in Resumes Accomplishment statements are varied and may include but are not limited to quantifiable terms such as percentages, numerical data, or accolades from the job. The more concrete the impact, the more marketable the job seeker will appear and the easier it will be for an employer to see that a student is a good fit for the position. Always begin with an action word! For a list of action words and other tips on writing accomplishment statements, see the categorized list provided in Module 3 (on cuLearn).


Self Assessment: Accomplishment Statements With a sense of what accomplishment statements are and how they can be used to effectively market your skills; below is a simple self-assessment which provides a list of questions you can use to explore your professional and academic accomplishments to effectively formulate accomplishment based statements.

Yes No

Did your boss or colleagues compliment you on the way you did your job?

Did you improve any internal processes or procedures?

Did you design, create or implement any new programs? Did you exceed expectations? How? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you suggest any new products that were put into effect? What was the outcome? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What skills do you possess that make you successful in your position? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Summary • Benefits of skills identification and assessment • Linking previous activities to transferable skills (i.e. moving various

skills from one context to another) • Skills transfer and how to market what you’ve learned from past

activities (e.g. school projects, extracurricular activities, etc.) • Showcasing your skills and previous experiences using

accomplishment based statements • Top skills employers seek and how to best market these skills

With the completion of this module, you may now commence the Module 2 Quiz. As a reminder, you must receive a grade 70% or higher to receive a SAT on each quiz. A SAT on all assignments and quizzes is required to obtain a SAT in COOP1000.

7. Conclusion

module 02 skills assessment - carleton mycareer · pdf fileidentify critical skills and...

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