Introduction to-employability-skills for musicians & SWOT analysis

Editor's Notes

• #4: Knowledge and abilities relating to a particular job. Every job will need knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform in the role. You will need to think about your skills and demonstrate evidence of how you have the require skills. The ability to identify suitable job opportunities. When you see descriptions of jobs that interest you, pay close attention to the skills the employer wants. Self-presentation for applications and interviews. Once you’ve identified the job you want, you need to be able to demonstrate employability skills and present them in different ways. This could include: CV, interview technique, experiences of how you have developed new skills. Academics It will certainly unlock doors – in other words it will make you eligible to apply for jobs that specify certain academic requirements. But, however, good your academics are it is likely you will be competing for the job with a high number of other candidates who are equally as academically qualified. Once your academics have unlocked the door, you need the right skills, attributes and knowledge to successfully secure the job. In parallel with your academics, you should aim to develop key skills that will help you in your future career. The skills you should consider developing are those that reflect your own abilities, personality and interests, as these will aide your choice of career. External factors such as the job market and personal circumstances. External factors such as supply and demand in the labour market. Your personal circumstances can affect your ability to seek opportunities i.e. Individual life, financial constraints, caring responsibilities, ability to relocate – be realistic!
• #5: Employability skills can also be known as transferrable skills (because skills developed in one area of your life can be transferred to other areas), or competencies or personal skills. In the context of your development and career planning, they are called career management skills.
• #6: Talk through some of the ones that flash up on the screen and why they are important These skills are all transferable, which means that they are useful in a wide range of jobs and are not specific to just one job or field. So even if you don't have a lot of job-specific skills, you may already have transferable skills that you can use to sell yourself to employers.
• #7: Talk through some of the skills employers are looking for… Written Communication - Able to express yourself clearly in writing. Verbal Communication – Able to express your ideas clearly and confidently in speech. Flexibility - Adapt successfully to changing situations and environments. Commercial Awareness – General knowledge of business, business experiences or work experience, and, specifically, an understanding of the sector. Teamwork - Work confidently within a group. Planning and Organising - Able to plan activities and carry them through effectively. Investigating, Analysing – Gather information systematically to establish facts and principles. Drive – Determination to get things done. Constantly look for better ways of doing things. Initiative / Self management – Able to act on imitative, identify opportunities and proactive in putting forward ideas and solutions. Time Management – Manage time effectively, prioritising tasks and able to work to deadlines. Numeracy- Able to carry out arithmetic operations/understand data. Self Awareness – Awareness of achievements, abilities and areas of development. Professionalism – Pays care and attention to quality of their work.
• #8: Explain what a SWOT analysis is..
• #9: Show the students the example SWOT analysis. Optional activity Ask students to consider their current skill level and complete the SWOT template after the session. You may have already started the process if you have a record of achievement / progress report. Strengths What advantages do you have that others don't have (for example, skills, certifications, or education)? What do you do better than anyone else? What personal resources can you access? What do other people see as your strengths? Which of your achievements are you most proud of? What values do you believe in that others fail to exhibit? Consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around you. And don't be modest or shy – be as objective as you can. And if you have any difficulty with this, write down a list of your personal characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths Think about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if you're a great mathematician and the people around you are also great at math, then this is not likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be a necessity. Weaknesses What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them? What will the people around you see as your weaknesses? Are you completely confident in your education and skills training? If not, where are you weakest? What are your negative behaviours (for example, are you often late, are you disorganised, do you have a short temper, or are you poor at handling stress?) Again, consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around you. Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Be realistic – it's best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible Opportunities What opportunities have you considered? What could you improve in your weaknesses area? How can you take advantage of the strengths you have? What changes do you need to make to in your life to improve? Threats What obstacles do you currently face with your studies? Are any of your peers competing with you for projects or roles? Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats? Performing this analysis will often provide key information – it can point out what needs to be done and put problems into perspective.
• #10: Encourage students to complete the SWOT exercise. A personal SWOT analysis is a look at you and your life. It will help you identify where you need to improve, and more importantly allows you to identify your internal strengths that you can capitalise on to seize your opportunities and deal with any external threats. For this reason, it is an important step in personal goal setting – a step that shouldn’t be overlooked.
• #11: Think of sports clubs, teams or any societies you may have been involved in, or are currently involved in. Being part of a team e.g. Football, netball, cricket shows that you: Are actively part of team, showing you can work as part of team. You will have learnt a great deal about teamwork from these experiences. Being part of a team can also develop your communication skills- communication is a key part of a successful team. This is no different in sport or at work! You have made a commitment to play matches / attend training regularly, showing you are able to manage your time. You may also help out in organising training sessions, or transport to matches which has developed your organisational skills. You may have also developed your leadership skills- this may apply if you have a position of responsibility e.g. Captain or not. Think of an example where things weren’t going well- you may have taken on responsibility, motivated others and helped your team.
• #12: Any work experience you may have done, be it paid or voluntary would have helped you develop skills. For example you may have: Developed your communication skills, whether they are verbal or written. Working on a restaurant as a waiter, in a shop or in a call centre for example requires communication with customers- taking orders, helping with queries. You may have developed your problem solving skills. Think about a challenging situation you may have been in at work (or if not at work, more generally, in school etc). How did you deal with the situation? For example, a customer may have been unhappy with the quality of the food or wanted to return an item they bought. No matter how big or small the problem, you may have helped deal with the situation and ultimately developed your problem solving skills. At work being able to work in a team is very important. If you have been part of a team while at work, think of examples of when you may have developed your teamwork skills. For example, did one of your colleagues call in sick at late notice leaving you short staffed? Having had experience of working you would have developed your time management skills, both in making the commitment to get to work on time for example and to manage your time during the day. You may have been given a deadline to meet or a target to achieve by a certain time. This also links to planning and organising- planning the activities you need to do to meet your deadlines.
• #13: Run through each point drawing on what you have discussed throughout the session.
• #14: What employers look for in a job candidate Can you do the job? Do you have the necessary abilities, skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications? How soon can you become productive? Are you a fast learner? Are you able to work unsupervised, use your initiative and work confidently under pressure? Will your work be accurate and high-quality? Are you organised and able to achieve goals? Are you motivated? Are you motivated, and do your goals benefit the company? Will you work for the best interests of the organisation? Are you dependable (i.e. reliable and trustworthy)? Do you fit with the organisation? Do you have a good attitude? Does your presentation and appearance represent the company well? Are you a team player? Do you get on well with others? (The employer wants someone who won't create problems among other workers.) It is your responsibility to provide employers with the best information to help them make a quality hiring decision. If you consider all the needs listed above, you will increase your chances of getting a job offer.
• #15: Get actively involved in school life – The best thing you can do at school to make yourself attractive to employers is to enjoy your time! Employers will look at your academics, but also for students who have been proactive and got involved in sport, volunteering, etc. Develop personal skills – Students who get involved in sport or volunteering have more opportunity to use and develop new skills like communication, organisational and other similar skills. Build up your work experience – All work experience is relevant as it helps you develop confidence and those much needed employability skills! Find out about the careers open to you – Choosing a career involves more than just finding out what is possible for you to do. You also need to think about what you want from your career, your skills and abilities. Research careers that interest you – The website is a good starting point. Shall we add NAS, ICAEW etc? Attend employer / career talks – They are a good way of starting you career planning. Prepare and keep your CV updated – Start to prepare your CV, you will have new things to put on your CV, if you get involved! This will save you effort and time in the future and help you start thinking seriously about job applications. Practice filling our application forms – Most employers require you to complete an application form demonstrating the competencies they are looking for. If you start to practise and think about your employability skills now, it will save you time when it comes to apply for a ‘real ‘job.
• #16: Encourage students to reflect on all you have talked about and consider the areas they need to develop.
• #17: Explain this is the end of the session and remind the students of what they need to do next. Find out about the careers open to you Do your research – speak to your career advisor, visit employer website and National Apprenticeship website for opportunities. Research the skills and abilities you need for the role. Assess your own employability skill level Consider how employable you are. Complete a SWOT analysis of your own skill level and look for opportunities to improve any areas of development. Start to develop personal skills Students who get involved in extracurricular activities have lots of opportunities to use and develop skills which are valuable for your CV.