Plan Skills Development

Objectives
In this Learning guide, learners will be exposed to the processes involved in researching and obtaining a
job. They will explore a variety of career objectives in order to prepare for a future vocation, identify
their career interests through online surveys, research careers compatible with their career interests. They
will also create a jobs database, gather information to create an employment resume, practice
interviewing and role-playing skills, and develop a career portfolio.
 Key terms

I. Plan is system for achieving objective or a method of doing something that is worked out in advance.
Planning can be also defined as the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining
tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals
[Link] is something that you can know as a result of learning e.g. business awareness, skills
development act.
III. Behavior is the way you do something e.g. results-oriented
IV. Skills are something that you can do as a result of learning e.g. problem solving Ensuring that the
organization has the right people in the right place is a key to business success. It is an ability to
do something well, usually gained through training or experience or it is the performance a person
does to meet the satisfaction of the customer.
V. Developments are objectives that you have identified to enable you to meet the learning and
development needs identified at the skills analysis stage
 Concepts
Determination of the skill:-
Speed Quality Presentation
Value of the skill/ Skillness = ability +training + experience
Difference between skill and talent
Skill can not be achieved without a conducive environment
Attitudes & culture of the company & the person also matters in achieving the skill
Skillness varies with the environment of the workplace
SKILLS
Lab and Analytical Skills Career Development Skills Computer Skills
Teaching Skills Interpersonal skills Leadership Skills
Communication Skills Teamwork Skills Interpersonal Skills
Management Skills Analytical Skills Personal Attributes
Introduction
Defining competencies of plan skills development
It is the knowledge, skills and behavioral attributes required to perform a job to an acceptable standard. It
can be defined as the skills, knowledge, and behaviors critical to the success of the employee and to the
organization. A great deal of value can be derived from reviewing best practices, however, it is important

Page 1 of 18
to bear in mind that an organization has to determine the competencies that fit with its specific business
strategies and culture.
Thus it provides a way to accomplish all tasks and organization’s strategy including the following
It can help individuals to focus on those things that are going to make the biggest difference for
the business.
It also clarifies what the organization needs from its employees in order to achieve a competitive
advantage.
Competency based approach have generally made a conscious effort to identify the skills,
abilities, and types of workers they need to achieve their goals. It contributes for employees likely
to have a greater sense of job satisfaction, as expectations & for delivering against expectations,
experiences and personality, etc.
It is helps to define exactly what the job entails in terms of its outputs before determining the
attributes required for successful performance
Competencies help to describe an aspect of an individual’s ability to perform their job as they
focus on behaviors relevant to job performance.
Competencies express performance criteria in a way that is more understandable to non-HR
employees’
Competency based system of performance criteria makes easier to manage and to integrate into
the organization.
Competencies should form the foundation not only for the definition of the performance
contributions (i.e. job/performance descriptions), but also for the processes associated with
measuring and managing performance.
Therefore skills planning are about setting goals for human resource development, developing
strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to enable us to achieve those human resource development
goals. It is central to the improvement of our overall skills levels. It is a need to know what skills require
and develop strategies, tasks and schedules to ensure that building those skills.
Similarly, we need to know what training is needed in order to deliver on our Integrated Development
Plan objectives to answer the central question by submitting your Workplace Skills Plan. The skills
planning process is distilled into the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) that is the key strategic planning
document relating to workplace training, career path, and employment equity.
Purpose skills development
 To improve the quality of life of workers, their prospects of work and labor mobility
 To improve productivity in the workplace and the
 competitiveness of employers
 To promote self-employment
 To improve the delivery of social services
 To increase the levels of investment in education and training in the labor market and
 To improve the return on that investment
Goals of the skills development
To develop the skills of the workforce
Page 2 of 18
 – to improve the quality of life of workers, their prospects of work and labor mobility;
– to improve productivity in the workplace and the competitiveness of employers;
– to promote self-employment; and
– to improve the delivery of social services;
To increase the levels of investment in education and training in the labor market and to
improve the return on that investment;
To encourage employers –
– To use the workplace as an active learning environment;
– To provide employees with the opportunities to acquire new skills;
– To provide opportunities for new entrants to the labor market to gain work experience;
– To employ persons who find it difficult to be employed.
1. Seek advice on future career directions.
A career is a set of work choices representing what you do for a living. Before you begin the hunt for a
job, there are two critical issues you have to look at:
 What kinds of jobs are out there that you could do?
 Which of these you would be happy and successful doing?
Identify jobs that interest you and enable you to use your skills on a daily basis with consideration of
your personal career goals and your value to have career success or job satisfaction
 Career Success = Skills + Interests
 Job satisfaction= Skills +Values +Interests
You may have a very definite idea about a career you would like to follow or, like many other people,
you are far from sure. Often you will choose a job you know something about just because you are
not aware of the full range of possibilities.
1.1 Identify your career path by survey career opportunities
It is identifying possible industries and possible jobs over your working life that helps to develop a set of
skills and qualifications which can be used for advancing your personal career goals to have career
success or job satisfaction.
Some of activities that may require accomplishing in identifying possible industries and possible jobs over your
working are;
preparing well in advance
following all the rules
finding the correct mental attitude
Possessing any relevant qualifications.
Identify realistic career opportunities.
Determine developmental needs by comparing current skills and strengths with those needed for your
career choice using various tools. Two best tools;
 Networking - connecting to people with useful information
 Informational interview - inside information on career choices
Identify realistic career opportunities.
One good starting point is to identify an industry that appeals to you first. If your parents own a
farm, your likely industry will be Primary Industry, unless you really want to get away from the farm.
If your family has a family business of any kind, you may want to go into that business. But even then,
Page 3 of 18
 there are lots of potential roles within a business and you may not be interested in them all. For most of
us, we have no real idea what the options are unless we get some help finding our way around the
work world.
Look around you. How many people do you know who love the work they do? You can love the work
you do if you take the time to research the work world and your own likes and dislikes. Often you
cannot tell by the name of a job whether it will be a suitable career for you. It is much easier to do a little
research into a profession before you start, rather than change your course mid track. Keeping your
options open and doing a little investigation can save you a lot of hassle in the future and help you get
right career for you.
Career resources
 Science’s Next Wave o Informational interview
 Professional Societies  Mentor
 Personal Interactions  Websites
o Casual interactions  Seminars
 Books
The concept of job clusters is the general job categories that are useful for job-seekers. These, can be
complete using two career investigations. The first will be a general overview, and the second will be an
in-depth study. A general overview career investigation provides resource that will assist in obtaining
summary information about each of the careers that they will be describing in their charts. But in-depth
study is structured to proceed from a general overview of their career interests, to a much more detailed,
in-depth analysis of what they are interested in for their future career.
Therefore, this requires that learners further investigate a specific career interest. They will match
possible major fields of study (for their chosen career) with educational institutions that will support the
educational training required. In order to make the enormous task of career exploration more manageable,
it’s important to think of over-all employment opportunities as jobs that fall into general ‘clusters’ or
categories.
A ‘cluster’ can be defined as a group of occupations related to a particular industry or field. Whenever a
job-seeker searches for employment, they have to narrow down the search by selecting an area, ‘cluster,’
or sub-category of similar skills, educational background, and responsibilities
For example, here’s one typical listing of 14 major career ‘clusters’ that appear on one job website. Specific jobs
are then located within or assigned to each of these ‘clusters.’
1. Agriculture and Natural Resources 9. Manufacturing and Processing
2. Art, Media and Communications 10. Marketing, Sales and Promotion
3. Building and Construction 11. Mechanical Repair and Precision
4. Business, Management and Finance Crafts
5. Educational Services 12. Personal and Commercial Services
6. Engineering, Science and Technologies 13. Protective Services
7. Health Services 14. Transportation
8. Legal, Social and Recreation Services

Page 4 of 18
1.2 Develop your personal work goals and priorities:

So far you have started to put the work world under a microscope. Now let's have a deeper look at who
you are so you can identify the kind of work that will suit you. Each person has a unique personality
and way of looking at the world they live in. In order to see where your place in the world is, some self-
assessment is necessary and that will help you choose a career that is right for you.
Personality: - Somebody's set of characteristics: the totality of somebody's attitudes, interests,
behavioral patterns, emotional responses, social roles, and other individual traits that endure
over long periods of time.
Many people find it difficult to put themselves under the microscope and it can feel uncomfortable.
At best we let others; parents, teachers, partners, tell us who we are in their eyes - and that is often
very uncomfortable, but we rarely take the effort to check what they say and work it out for
ourselves..
Self-assessment of skills
In order to make an informed decision, learners must assess their career interests and discover who they
are. An understanding of self will help them to evaluate the best educational options and career
alternatives suited to them.
There are many ways to assess your personality and formal psychological testing systems are available
should you wish to explore them . Sometimes how we see ourselves and how others see us can be quite
different. Our own sense of our abilities is usually either over-estimated (we are too confident) or
under-estimated (we are not confident enough). If we continue to over or under estimate our abilities
we ensure that the workplace we have joined will become a place of frustration and stress.
Evaluate your personal values, skills, and interests.
Identify your strengths and areas that need improvement.
Get feedback from lab associates, friends, spouse, and parents.
I. What are you interested in?
Assessing Career Interests could be done learners self-assess their career interests and styles based on two
prominent theories:
 The Birkman Method and Holland’s Theory
 Learners describe their “ideal” or “dream” job based on their self-assessments
Evaluate your personal values & interests are a situation that you determine the following as you will be
interested.
 Industry type  permanent or casual (agency)
 Full-time or part-time  internal or external (to the organization)
 9 to 5 or shift work
Thus learners will be introduced to a variety of self-assessments. They will evaluate their career styles
and interests, first through various theories, then by on-line self-assessments, and finally by self-
evaluation.
Future career success and happiness depends on the understanding of one’s self assessment. Choosing a career that
makes one feel fulfilled and happy depends on matching oneself with the best employment opportunities available.
A good first step for learners to determine their career goals is to assess their own career interests.
However, both caution and remind learners that these assessments are only a guide toward steering them
Page 5 of 18
in a career direction where their current interests seem to be directed. It is advisable to take several
interest assessments and compare the results. It is also recommended that they speak with career
guidance counselors who can also help assess their interests and interpret the results. Trusting “gut”
feelings and disregarding information is also important if a result doesn’t “feel” right. However Learners
should be aware that no single evaluative test should be trusted or wholeheartedly accepted as completely
reliable.
If learners entered the workforce today, they can expect to have at least four or five career changes during
their working life. The ever-changing advancements in technology will require them to continually
upgrade their skills and knowledge. Assessing their skills and interests according to various theories,
methods, or systems, will assist them in determining their future options and choices. Self-assessment is
like a road map - helpful to indicate the kinds of work styles, environments and occupations that most
clearly match or are the best fit for a job-seeker.
II. Developing Personal Goals
It is thinking about what you want in life, about how you are going to get there, about work
that fit in with your life plan and personal goals. It may also considering promotion and
responsibility in your work or you may value pleasure and home and friends more highly
than your job. Most likely, you want to lead a full life and spend all your time in a
meaningful way. And you want to be good at your job and for the experience to be rewarding.
Developing Personal Goals is a valuable exercise in which you sit down and work out that is
what you want to achieve from work and in your personal life. Thus first identifying your
personal goals, you can develop a long-term game plan to achieve them. By working out what you
want, you'll also be able to strike a balance between home and work that's right for you.
Set and Prioritize Goals
Long Term Goals – D.R.I.V.E
– Directional Moves you toward your mission
– Reasonable Are practical and obtainable
– Inspiring Challenging and affects you positively
– Visible Able to measure, easy to visualize
– Eventual Will be fulfilled at a future time
Short Term Goals – S.M.A.R.T
– Specific The Goal achieves a specific result Increases Chances of success
– Measurable Able to determine the Goal is achieved
– Attainable Within capabilities of business
– Rewarding Profitable and self-satisfying
– Timed Have a deadline
III. Identifying personal skills
People seek to acquire a variety of skills. They work in different parts of the organization or move to
different organizations to acquire desired skills to be entrepreneurial. It would be great to think that our
ability to tell a joke, play football or tap dance would be enough of a skill in the average workplace
to ensure a wonderful career. Of course if these are the careers you are pursuing, then these are not
only recreational skills but the work ones as well.

Page 6 of 18
 Generally speaking however, the term 'personal skills' refers to the intangible skills that these
recreational skills show. For example if you tell a good joke it could be that you are a great
communicator and that you bring a sense of humour and fun to the workplace. Or if you play football, it
could be that you are a good team player, have a great sense of discipline, fair play or physical stamina.
These personal skills then show what kind of person you are and how you may relate to the whole
organization. A prospective employer will take this into consideration particularly when they have more
than one applicant with the professional skills suitable for the position.
The personal skills I bring to my workplace
 Adaptability  Excellence  Motivation  Research ability
 Ask for help  Flexibility  Numeracy  Self confidence
 Can do’ attitude  Focused  Openness to ideas  Sense of humour
 Commitment  Follow through  Organisational skills  Solutions orientated
 Communicator  Honest  Patience  Team player
 Complete tasks  Initiative  Persistence  Understanding of
 Computing skills  Innovation  Personal responsibility business practice
 Creativity/flair  Inspire others  Problem solver  Willingness
 Critical thinking  Literacy skills  Project management
 Customer service  Listening skills  Quick learner
 Enthusiasm  Leadership skills  Reliable
Iv. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
Knowing about you is one of the key factors in effective career choice and planning. We are all
individuals and have different balances of skills, interests and motivations that will influence our career
choice. You need to start by identifying the most important of these for you and considering the impact
they will have on your career choice. The more you understand about your own strengths and skills, the
easier it will be to think through your career aims, decide on what you want to do immediately after
graduation, and then make applications
1.3 Discuss future work/career directions with appropriate people and identify
additional skills requirements
When choosing a career you have to cut the suit to fit the cloth, but it's amazing what the options really
are when you start looking. You've just completed a lot of self analysis, and now it is time to get expert
help. If you are a job seeker who has never worked, you may find it difficult to pay for this help, so you
need to know where you can get it free of charge.
Careers Counselors
Most schools and staffs have their own careers or guidance counsellors who are specially trained to help
you decide on subjects and a career path. Careers counselors have all the latest and greatest career
information at their fingertips and can offer advice on a multitude of careers and what you need to do to
get into them. They have local knowledge and contacts to set you up with some work experience in a field
you want to try out. Make sure you also keep your eyes open around school or college for other
opportunities to find out about your options, such as careers seminars and training expos.
Work Experience
Another great way to find people to talk to you about your choices is to do some work experience in a
relevant field. You will get to see how other people doing the job are faring and will get some first hand
advice as to how you should approach the job. Again, if you are at any kind of college, their careers
office should be able to help you arrange work experience. If not, you may have to find employers in
Page 7 of 18
 your field of interest and call them direct, although expect a few difficulties with this as the people who
answer phones may not be able to put you onto the people who could discuss work experience with you.
In other words, make a list of at least five prospects before you start ringing, and then ring them all in turn
until you get a "yes". Don't get disheartened at the first knock-back
1.4Take into account personal values and attitudes regarding work and business, in
planning future work/career directions
You've done a lot of research to this point: you've looked at jobs, you've looked at yourself, and you've
looked at jobs again but with more information about yourself at hand. So by now you should have
short-listed a few options. Now you are going to look at yourself yet again, but at a deeper level.
Today studies have found that the elements of job satisfaction is highly depend on our values that can
be more important than skills or salary when it comes to an employee staying in the job they have
chosen for themselves. One in eight job searchers interviewed stated that a conflict in values (either
the boss' or the company's) was the main reason they left their employment.
values might include;
 Family / Community / Environment
 Personal Values
 Team Values
o Family – Partners - Key Employees
o Reluctant Partners are not as Productive.
 Values in common
 Reconcile Differences
Value what I have in workplace
 Creativity  Mobility of the workplace  Low-moderate stress levels
 Skills development  Working in the field  Physical activity in the
 Variety in tasks  Travel (interstate or workplace
 Challenge in tasks overseas)  Working with people you
 Indoors  People contact get along with
 Outdoors  Managing others  Environmentally conscious
 Doing work others see as  Not having to work in workplace
important leisure hours  Morally sustainable work
 Helping others  Not having to work split practices
 High earnings shifts
Identifying Values / Needs could be about
 What Kind of Life do you want to lead?
o Pressure – Laid Back – Own Boss – Competitive
 Being Successful to you Means?
o Security – Size – Profit – Spare Time?
 What do I consider financially important?
o Low Debt and Risk – Simple Living – Getting Rich?
 What Kind of Work Environment do I want?
o Indoors – Work with People – Crops?
1.5 Identify additional skills required and determine appropriate method/s to acquire
these skills
Page 8 of 18
 So, have you reached a decision on what you want to do? If you have made a decision, you now need
to research that decision to ensure you can achieve it. If you have not made a decision, you still have
to research your range of options to see if they are achievable. Once you've done the hard yards and
decided on a career direction, you next have to plan how you're going to get there. For example, you
might plan to do a course at university, followed by several years of full-time employment before
undertaking a post-graduate degree in a specialist area. Your plan needs to cover how you're going
to get to university or other type of college if you don't yet have the pre-requisites or grades required
for the course you want to do, and how you're going to support yourself while you're there.
You must be prepared to be flexible. You might find you get the opportunity to live and travel overseas,
meaning a change of plan. Or, as you get older and experience new things, you might want to change
your career direction in line with your new interests. Remember, changing your mind is perfectly OK.
The earlier in life you make these changes, the longer you have to steer in your new direction
Anywhere in the world, employers are looking for the same kinds of things from applicants: the skills,
background, and ability to do the job. Another concern of learners as they look ahead is how to properly
prepare educationally for a specific job interest. For example, a budding archaeologist may wish to know
more about courses, major areas of study, level of education, types of degree programs, and training
requirements that would be necessary to prepare for a career in that field. Likewise, a current interest in
being a physical education coach prompts the question: what do I need to know now to help me become a
better informed and educated person as I seek a rewarding career in coaching?

Thus Seek opportunities to develop your skills on future career directions may includes
 Identify long-term career options and the tools necessary to succeed
 Identify short-term needs for improving current performance
 Develop clearer sense of expectations
 Set milestones along the way to achieving specific objectives
2. CONDUCT SELF-ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS WITH ASSISTANCE
Training classes can be an important way to develop your skills and knowledge. Consider other approaches
as well including mentoring, cross-training, coaching, stretch assignments, leading a project team, serving
on a committee, becoming involved in a professional association, attending conferences, computer-based
training, lists ervs, books, and academic degree programs.
2.1 Identify work, life and study experiences relating to business
Do you need funds or time to attend a training class, conference, or participate in an academic degree program?
Would it help to discuss/review this plan with your supervisor or mentor?
Review your future career direction through:
study
working environment
career-planning agencies
Life experiences.
What are your skills and life experiences?
• Qualifications:
– secondary school
– tertiary education

Page 9 of 18
 – trade or paraprofessional education
• Experiences:
– paid employment
– voluntary employment & life
2.2Assess current skills, knowledge and attitudes against a checklist of relevant
competencies
Once job profiles and skills have been developed, the compilation of the WSP requires the determination
of skill priorities. Identifying skills priorities involves conducting a skills gap audit or Assess current
skills, knowledge and attitudes against checklist of relevant competencies. The results of the audit will
form the basis for Individual development plans. A skills checklist is a process for measuring and
recording the skills of an individual or group. The main purpose of conducting a skills Assess against
checklist is to identify the skills and knowledge that the organization requires, as well as the skills and
knowledge that the organization currently has.
Skills Assess against checklist audits are conducted to determine training needs within an organization in
order for that organization to improve its skills and knowledge. Skills audits are also completed in the
event of restructuring or redeployment. It is difficult to know exactly where each person will be deployed
during a period of restructuring: a skills audit can provide accurate and relevant information as to where
people’s current level of competence lies so that appropriate development plans and deployment plans
can be implemented.
A skills audit gathers more information than current qualifications levels. It identifies the skills matrices
for the organization and then delves into what the current competencies are of each individual against this
predefined set of skills required to fulfill a specific role.
The following should be checked when developing a skills checklist

Skills needed are explained in detail

List skills not tasks
Check for duplication
Use sub-headings e.g. Communication, financial, etc
The tense is the same throughout
Core skills are stated in the same way when used in more than one matrix
Terminology has been used consistently b/n all generic skills matrices and titles matrices
Core skills or titles relate specifically to that role
Appropriate level of the skills or title documented e.g. Simple, intermediate, complex
core skills for a function have been included, e.g. For financial secretary that these correlate
With what you have for the generic skills or titles for secretaries or admin roles
Internal consistency between all matrices
The following should be checked when developing a Unit Standards titles checklist

 Potential Unit Standards used should clearly link with the skills checklist
 Far fewer standards titles than skills
 Draft Unit Standards that you have been identified are available
 Be realistic
 Outcomes lead to constant refinement and updating of the matrices.
Page 10 of 18
  Moves forward, each phase will possibly bring changes to checklist, as new or overlooked skills.
 Outcomes are identified.
A gap analysis is the outcome of the skills audit process. The information that is obtained will enable the
organization to compile a comprehensive and meaningful training needs analysis. Information that is
provided through the skills audit can be used for the following:
 training and development to individuals to cater for the skill gaps
 internal employee selection: ensure that the correct person is deployed in each position
 external recruitment and selection
 performance management
 succession planning
The benefits of conducting a skills checklist include:
Improved skills and knowledge.
Lower training and development costs because development efforts are more focused.
Information that can be used for purposes such as internal employee selection and placement.
Increased productivity as people are better matched to their positions.
The results of a skills audit can be reported for each division to show individual and divisional
competency
Gaps against competency needs.
2.3Discuss results of self-assessment with trainer or assessor
It is important to analyze the way we learn best before devising the learning strategy/action plan to
achieve our goals. Self-analysis and appraisal is important to develop our personal profile and to analyze
our preferred learning styles. However this is not necessarily easy for a number of reasons.
I. First, it can be hard to understand ourselves and ‘see ourselves as others see us.’
II. Second, reflecting on skills and competences is not something that engineers are necessarily
trained to do.
III. Third, as the pace of life continues to increase, it is not easy to find time for self-analysis and
reflection.
Mentoring is one way of overcoming these problems. A mentor is someone who can advise and guide
you in your career. He or she has a number of roles – as an appraiser, a supporter, a communicator and a
motivator. The relationship therefore is different from that between a superior and his/her subordinate,
and it is unlikely that a manager can carry out these functions. A good mentor has coaching skills, is
trustworthy, respected and is free from major distractions either within or outside the workplace.
It is recommended that we carry out this reflective evaluation both during and at the end of any task or
learning we might undertake. One way of encouraging reflective practice in our professional life is to
keep a reflective diary or log.
2.4 Identify further skills development needs
For many people in further and higher education, professional development is synonymous with short
courses or with post-graduate qualifications. However, professional development is more than training or
continuing education - increasingly it is recognized that learning also occurs in the work-place, as an
integral part of working. Work-based learning focuses on solving real world problems. The time and
effort invested in the learning are immediately rewarded through completing the task in hand and the
usefulness of such learning, together with the short-term nature of the rewards, improves the motivation
Page 11 of 18
 to learn. These are strong, compelling reasons for professional development skills, but there are many
more! A better informed and more sophisticated public is demanding a higher duty of care and level of
service from professionals.
 Linked to this is the increasing risk of claims for negligence from professionals deemed to have
‘failed’ in their duty or given poor advice.
 Within organizations, modern quality management systems demand that qualified people are in place
to make decisions.
This document defines professional development skills as the ability of the learner, fluently and without
external direction, to:
Audit and assess what they already know and can do
Work out, at a level of detail that will differ from individual to individual, a career and a learning
Development plan
integrate, into their learning, acknowledgement of their need for continuing personal development
in the private as well as the professional realms
Understand the qualities of different kinds of knowledge, skills and competences and understand
how the different kinds of knowledge inter-relate and reinforce each other
Reflect upon their knowledge, establishing links between different kinds of knowledge, and
formulating relevant theoretical constructs to explain it.
Conduct research into elements of professional knowledge, practice and competence that lie
within the context of their work, in pursuit of solutions to ‘problems of the day’, personal
professional development, and (more generally) the development of their profession
There are many ways to categorize learning styles, but the simplest places learners into one or more of
three categories:
I. Visual; those who learn best through their eyes and what they see and read. The ideal learning
approaches in this case will involve studying magazines and books and learning online.
II. Auditory; those who learn best by hearing things, either on tape or in discussion. Dialogue and
discussion is important to their learning process. The ideal learning environment is the
classroom, but discussions with colleagues and audio tapes can also be useful.
III. Kinesthetic/Tactile – those who learn best by ‘doing’, such as taking their own notes or participating
in demonstrations and hands-on projects. Ideal structure: magazine and online learning;
classroom that encourages participation.
Professional development therefore covers a wide range of learning situations:
Private study and reading
Attending conferences and seminars Conversation and discussions with others
Preparing papers and presentations Courses and distance learning
Committee work Researching the solution to problems
Collaborative work with colleagues Working with others outside the organization

Page 12 of 18
There are several methods to facilitate learning. These are just a few examples
Assignments Off the Job Opportunities
Job rotation & Stretch  Joining/leading community groups
Temporary  Trying a new skill in a volunteer organization
Committees  Giving presentations to civic groups
Work groups & Presentations On the Job Opportunities
Cross-Training  Taking on new projects or assignments
Changing functions & Shift changes  Temporary assignments
Working with new people  Assuming lead role responsibilities
Develop in Place  Improving a process or procedure
Mentoring & Individual projects
Self-Development
Perspective building & Tough challenge
 Readings/Self-study & Professional organizations
Shift in size of job
 College/University Programs & Seminars
Formal Training/ Development
Professional &Technical Start-ups
Leadership & Executive  New team & New system/service/process

3. Prepare Portfolio of Evidence

The objective this section is about;
 The different components required for a job resume (or curriculum vitae).
 They will also gather and categorize their own personal information and determine a career
objective before composing their own functional type of resume.
 Finally, they will assemble all of their job career findings from previous project exercises to
create a digital career portfolio for presentation.
A resume (or CV, short for ‘curriculum vitae’ which means “course of life” in Latin), should provide a positive,
accurate overview of a job-seeker’s experiences, qualifications, skills, interests and education. Resumes are
commonly used in North America, while CV’s are used mainly in Europe or internationally. The major difference
between a CV and a resume is its length (the standard CV is between 2 and 8 pages long where the standard
resume is between 1 and 2 pages long).
A resume is a great marketing piece to help sell oneself to a potential employer and obtain an interview.
A solid resume highlights a person’s strengths and accomplishments. All resumes must include contact
information, experience and educational background:
 Contact information: This includes name, address, phone number and email address.
 Experience: This section includes the name and address of present or past employers, positions,
responsibilities, and accomplishments.
 Education: This section includes educational background, certificates, and relevant training. It
also includes the name and address of schools, year of completion, and degrees, diplomas, and
field of study.
Page 13 of 18
3.1 Identify and discuss types of evidence required
Knowing what sort of work you would like to do is only half the battle. You then need to actually get the
job. So now you need to know how to impress an employer and stand out from other applicants.

The first step in writing a resume is to determine a career objective. [Note: Not all resumes include a
career or job objective, especially for those who are unsure about what they want to do, or for those who
will accept a variety of positions.] A career objective shows that the job-seeker has a clear focus and an
established goal. It may state the following things:
 the type of business or career area being sought
 the job title or level of position
 the major strengths being offered
There will be two career objectives. The first objective will be for a job they could apply for today.
The second objective will be for a future job. A sample is provided below:
Type of Business Career Title or Level of Career Objective or Goal and Major Strengths
Position Offered
(CURRENT) Retail Sales Clerk To obtain an entry level position in sales using my
Retail Business strengths with talking to and persuading people.
(FUTURE) Retail Manager To obtain a position as management trainee within
Retail Business the retail fashion industry.
The next step in writing a resume is to gather and organize information about one’s background and
interests. This list should include:
 job experiences and responsibilities,  education, includes training
including accomplishments  awards (if any)
 skills  interests/hobbies
 activities
Learners will gather information about themselves that is important to include in any type of resume and organize
it into a chart.
 Job Experiences
o Include full-time or part-time work, summer jobs, occasional jobs, internships, field work,
and special projects
o (List employers and dates of employment, usually the most recent first)
o Each Job Experience Should Include the Following:
 Job responsibilities
 Job accomplishments (described with action verbs)
 Skills (general)
o List and briefly describe individual strength areas (i.e., foreign language skills, team
player, etc.)
 Activities
o (Both volunteer and school-related activities, including membership or leadership
positions in clubs, organizations of all kinds, athletic teams, etc.)
 Education
o (Include high school and other educational experiences, such as training programs,
community college or summer study courses, seminars, etc.)

Page 14 of 18
  Awards
o (List any awards received, if any. Skip if doesn’t apply)
 Interests/Hobbies
o (Choose to list four or five non-controversial items)
3.2 Develop a clear understanding of the purpose of evidence
Identifying the evidence you will need to collect and why it matters
It is surprising how much paperwork there is that can tell someone else who you are. Even if you have
never worked before, a prospective employer can tell a lot about you from these pieces of paper. Fill
out the table below on the evidences you may need.
Type of evidence Evidence I have Why I need it – what
it shows about me
Formal Education
You will need originals of your:
 School reports
You will constantly be required to copy these for job
applications, so keep them filed safely and cleanly
Informal Education
You should have evidence of any short courses
you have attended or completed.
 Personal interest courses
 Sports training (football, volleyball etc)
 Non-sporting (chess, school magazine etc)
 First aid training
 Work experience
These will tell your prospective employer that
you are motivated, interested and able to stick at
something you like doing.
Computer and other technology skills
These are important and deserve attention in their own
right. Name programs and software you have used.
Also include word processing skills, graphics software,
and spread sheeting and so on.
Referees
You should organize referees who will be able to
say good things about you. These can be previous
employers, teachers, coaches or perhaps a family
friend as long as they have a good word to say
about you.
3.3 Collect examples of evidence for portfolio
Evidence to support the fact you are who you say you are in your CV. Thus You should now collect
together all your documents relating to courses, volunteer and paid work you have done. In a folder, collect
together all of the information necessary for obtaining a job. This may include samples of work.

Page 15 of 18
III.4 Complete application for recognition of current competency and /or
personal resume with assistance
It is extremely important that learners have several classmates proofread their resume before declaring it the final
version. Potential employers are not impressed by careless spelling and grammatical errors in a resume.
A Resume Rubric is provided to help score the learners’ final resume. The rubric should be made available to the
learners before they begin writing their resume.
Complete personal resume with assistance from assessor
A resume must be simple, but impressive, and be as generic as possible so that you can use it for
any job you apply for. Employers see hundreds and possibly thousands of resumes in a year. The
purpose of a resume is not to get a job. It is to get an interview for a job. Your resume is basically
an advertisement to sell your skills to a potential employer. You need to capture their interest and it
is best to keep it short and sweet. Your resume must contain personal details, qualifications,
practical skills, and work experience.
There are two common styles or ways of organizing and presenting resume information to the reader:
chronological and functional.
 Chronological Resume: organizes experiences around jobs which are listed in reverse chronological
order. This is the most common style and is good for people with a steady work history.
 Functional Resume: organizes experiences thematically around job skills. Employment history is
rearranged to highlight areas of skills and accomplishments. This type of resume is good for
people who have not held many jobs or those who have inconsistent work histories.
With their limited job experience, high-school learners will be writing a functional resume. At the
teacher’s discretion, a learner could also write a chronological resume if they wish.
Learners should first look at samples of functional resumes. It is suggested that the teacher provide three
or four printed versions of functional resumes for learners to use as models for their own resumes. Sites
that contain sample function resumes are listed below:
Quintessential Careers: Resume Tutorial: Functional resumes
[Link] Or Functional Resume Example
[Link]
From a British career development website.
Sample Functional Resume
[Link]
(Click on the two samples of functional resumes and other information on how to construct a functional resume)
Functional Resume Outline

Page 16 of 18
 Name of Learner
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Phone Number
E-mail address

OBJECTIVE:
GENERAL SKILLS:
ACTIVITIES:
EDUCATION: Dates High School
EXPERIENCES:
AWARDS:
INTERESTS/HOBBIES:

Job Interviews
As we’ve learned, a resume should provide a potential employer with contact information and a summary of
one’s job experience and background. If a resume is effective, it should hopefully lead to a request for a job
interview. [Although not part of this project, a resume is usually sent to a potential employer with an
application cover letter that highlights and introduces one’s most attractive qualifications for a particular
position.]
An interview is a person’s chance to tell the employer what one has learned from one’s accomplishments,
and provides the opportunity to convey interest in the position and to present the skills that could be brought
to the job. An interview is also a chance to assess if the position and company are a good fit for the potential
employee.
Before an interview, the job-seeker is strongly encouraged to plan ahead, research the company, and to learn
as much as possible about the company’s types of products, competitors, locations, and future plans. Also,
interviewees should be knowledgeable about the contents of their resume, and be prepared to confidently
explain what strengths and accomplishments would be an asset to the company. The final part of
preparation for an interview is to practice answering potential questions with a friend or by rehearsing with
a videotape for playback and critiquing purposes. Below are some tips when one arrives at the interview:
 Dress appropriately  Speak in a clear and concise voice
 Be prompt  Ask for clarification if the question is unclear
 Show interest and maintain eye-contact  Appear confident
Page 17 of 18
 Send a Thank you note within a day or two

Page 18 of 18