In one of our recent CPiC lectures we looked at the skills we possess and the skills we feel like we need to improve, especially if we want to work in a professional environment in the future. I did find this lecture useful because it was about applying creative abilities into a job in the art industry. It was also nice to know what other students thought of me after taking part in the group activity.
Before this lecture I wasn’t so sure on the difference between skills, aptitudes and characteristics. Now, I am much more confident between the three. I learnt that a skill is the learned activity to carry out a task with pre-determined results often given within a certain amount of time / energy. An example of this could be learning to drive. An aptitude is a natural ability to do something. An example for this could be a child with an aptitude for painting and drawing. A characteristic is a feature of quality belonging typically to a person, place or thing.
This skills map shows different categories, containing many different skills which are all required in a professional work environment. Before studying the mind map, I looked at what I thought were the most important professional attributes. These were
- Leadership skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem solving skills
- Self-motivation
- Efficient
- Detail oriented
- The ability to prioritise
- Team player
- Reliable
- Ability to multitask
I have highlighted the skills I feel
like I already possess (pink) and the skills I felt like I needed to improve upon
(green). I found this part quite difficult and I didn’t quite understand what
some of the terms meant e.g. ‘Classifying and synthesizing’. As I mentioned, we
took part in a group activity which was very useful but at the same time I feel
like it became more challenging as others thought I had skills which I didn’t
think I had, so then I thought about examples and experiences to ensure that
the skill was highlighted in the correct color for me – pink or green?
From having a general look at the map, it seems to be that ‘Co-operating’ is an area where my skills are rather good as I believe I have good listening skills, I can give or accept constructive criticism, I can support others, motivate others and I can present a positive personal image. Other skills I have highlighted in pink include ‘attention to quality’ and ‘working on your own initiative’ which are particularly useful to have whilst studying an art degree. I feel like ‘Creativity’ is one of my main strengths and I’ve always wondered why some people are able to generate loads of ideas super fast and think creatively, whilst others seem to struggle to do so?
‘’The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas’’ – Linus Pauling.
I have used green on the skills which I think could be better, it’s not that I’m really bad at them. For example, speaking in front of an audience is something I’d always found difficult at school. I was able to do it; I just wasn’t very confident at it. I found that I knew the information, and what I want to say I just became nervous and slightly hesitant.
My ICT skills aren’t fantastic but I know what I need to know. I can use my E-mails, Word, Publisher, PowerPoint and Excel with confidence. In comparison to others, my IT skills are bad – I wish I knew how to use photoshop, for example. My telephone skills could easily be improved – I think it’s because we don’t use the telephone in an education environment or in a professional practice, but I’m presuming over the next few years we will begin to use the telephone more in a professional manner as we start to get jobs. We communicate with our teachers, lecturers and fellow students in person. I think some of the skills will come more naturally as we get older and more mature.
I found this ‘skills map’ analysis exercise very useful in order for me to improve. If I was to do this exercise again I would definitely have a third color, where I would highlight the skills I wasn’t 100% sure about. Most of the skills could’ve been either pink or green and I found it challenging to distinguish between the two because a lot of the time it would change, depending on the circumstances.
From having a general look at the map, it seems to be that ‘Co-operating’ is an area where my skills are rather good as I believe I have good listening skills, I can give or accept constructive criticism, I can support others, motivate others and I can present a positive personal image. Other skills I have highlighted in pink include ‘attention to quality’ and ‘working on your own initiative’ which are particularly useful to have whilst studying an art degree. I feel like ‘Creativity’ is one of my main strengths and I’ve always wondered why some people are able to generate loads of ideas super fast and think creatively, whilst others seem to struggle to do so?
‘’The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas’’ – Linus Pauling.
I have used green on the skills which I think could be better, it’s not that I’m really bad at them. For example, speaking in front of an audience is something I’d always found difficult at school. I was able to do it; I just wasn’t very confident at it. I found that I knew the information, and what I want to say I just became nervous and slightly hesitant.
My ICT skills aren’t fantastic but I know what I need to know. I can use my E-mails, Word, Publisher, PowerPoint and Excel with confidence. In comparison to others, my IT skills are bad – I wish I knew how to use photoshop, for example. My telephone skills could easily be improved – I think it’s because we don’t use the telephone in an education environment or in a professional practice, but I’m presuming over the next few years we will begin to use the telephone more in a professional manner as we start to get jobs. We communicate with our teachers, lecturers and fellow students in person. I think some of the skills will come more naturally as we get older and more mature.
I found this ‘skills map’ analysis exercise very useful in order for me to improve. If I was to do this exercise again I would definitely have a third color, where I would highlight the skills I wasn’t 100% sure about. Most of the skills could’ve been either pink or green and I found it challenging to distinguish between the two because a lot of the time it would change, depending on the circumstances.
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