Why are you here?

	Why are you here?
home	These quick reference guides deal with three main aspects of being at university: Studying and getting a degree Expanding your horizons Getting the key skills which employers expect graduates to have. This page focuses on expanding your horizons and gaining key employability skills.
	Expanding your horizons Scope Your time at University gives you enormous scope to expand your horizons. You will be very lucky indeed if you ever again find such opportunities to: make friends and build up networks of contacts learn about yourself and other people take part in sports further all kinds of interests, from aikido to Wessex Films develop the skills for which employers will pay you highly as a graduate, as well as to study the subject which you have chosen to read here. Strategy To get the most from what is on offer you will need a strategy. Day One may seem terribly early to start thinking about what you'll do when you graduate. But you need to give it a bit of thought now. At the start of your final term it'll be too late to discover that the employer you want to work for expects graduates to have a portfolio of Key skills which you haven't built up because you spent all your time in the bar or the library.
	Key skills The premium rates which employers pay graduates show how important they consider Key skills to be. Almost all major employers expect very similar key skills: Intellectual skills ability to learn decision making critical analysis planning and organising management of change problem analysis and problem solving self management and time management. Inter-personal skills group work and team work oral and written communication negotiating. Other skills Information & Communication Technology foreign languages numeracy commercial awareness.
	Key skills at the University of Southampton The University of Southampton has stated that key skills must be 'an essential element in all new programmes of study' introduced since 1998. So some courses make explicit mention of the key skills which your tutors expect you to acquire. Even if you take such courses, you won't find any which help you develop all the skills. You will need to take responsibility for picking up most of them as you go through University. What will you do when you graduate? It's an uncomfortable fact that few graduates are employed solely to use their degree discipline. Unless you become an engineer, health worker, lawyer, researcher or teacher, your employer might not be very interested in what you've read at Southampton University - only in the fact that you were here. That doesn't mean you can ignore your academic work - your employer will respect a good class of degree, so a 2.1 is much better than a Third. Your course will give you the opportunity to develop and practise several of the key skills which your employer wants. Acquiring key skills at University Ability to learn You can learn this on your course, from this website, from other suggested websites and from books. Group and team work This is rarely required in any course, where it tends to be everyone for her or himself. Student-led tutorials and team projects can give you opportunities to develop this skill. Decision making This is involved in all aspects of Higher Education from your choice of University and Course, to your Final Year Project and Career. It's important to be able to explain and justify your choices. Critical analysis Many courses are designed to develop your skill at cutting through the waffle and discovering the true substance of an article, book or idea. Reading, note-taking, critical analysis of texts and preparing essays are key to this. See also: Making notes Planning essays Planning & organising A crucial part of being a successful student. See also: Time Management Management of change Although it's an important aspect of coming to university, it's not so obvious a skill as Time Management, and you will need to think of examples that you can quote when a prospective employer wants to hear about them. Oral and written communication Oral: taking part in tutorials. Written: essays and dissertations. By the way, it may cheer you to know that university will probably be the last place where you'll have write essays for people who know more about the topic than you do: after this, you will generally be the expert. Problem analysis and problem solving Again, it's an important aspect of coming to university, but it's not so obvious a skill as Time Management, and you will need to think of examples that you can quote when a prospective employer wants to hear about them. Self management and time management Handing in essays and assignments on time Balancing all the conflicting demands on your time. See also: Time Management ICT (Information and Communication Technology) On just about every course you will need to submit your essays typed. It makes enormous sense to word-process them on a computer using a programme such as: Word, WordPerfect or AmiPro. Then print them out. Once you've learned how to do that, you should work to fill any gaps in these areas: Email the Internet presentations (such as PowerPoint) spreadsheets (such as Excel). Foreign languages If these are not part of your course, it is well worth contacting the Language Centre to see about getting some extra tuition. Numeracy An essential part of some courses. If your course does not require it, you may need to practise. Negotiating A skill which you may need when dealing with the landlord or flat-mates, but which doesn't normally get much exercise at university. Commercial awareness Not normally required on university courses.
	Where to acquire key skills University life offers many opportunities for gaining Key skills. Here are four suggestions: Students' Union The Students' Union runs a training and development programme called Student Focus, which is aimed in particular at students who have been elected as course representatives, or who are actively involved in the Students' Union, for example in clubs and societies or as elected officers. Contact the Student Advice and Information Centre. Special projects On some courses you get to spend a year away from the University, working abroad, or on placement. On others you have to research and write up a major project. These are all golden opportunities to develop your portfolio of skills. Housing You will probably spend a couple of years living in rented accommodation. Tasks like bargaining with the landlord and your flat-mates over rent and sorting out the cleaning rota may just seem like chores to be endured. But in fact they are opportunities for you to practise negotiating skills, organising people and managing change. Part-time jobs You are quite likely to take on part-time work during term, and almost certain to take a job during the vacations. Often these jobs will be menial, exactly the type you're here to avoid doing when you graduate! But even the humblest job gives you practice at Key Skills: dealing with members of the public handling money dealing with several tasks at once time-keeping negotiating with customers and other members of staff. See the Careers Service website > return to the list of quick-reference guides
	last updated on October 16, 2008 contact details and credits all resources © University of Southampton