Personal development planning and career planning.

Louise Frith Curriculum and Educational Developer

Nicola UrquhartEmployability Adviser, Careers and Employability Service.

What is PDP?

• ‘A structured and supported process to develop students' capacity to reflect on their learning and achievement’ (Dearing, 1997)

What skills are you developing?

• Communication skills

• Interpersonal skills & team work

• IT skills

• Decision making skills

• Independent working

• Critical thinking

• Research skills

• Reflective learning techniques

How can I reflect on my learning and experiences?

SMART

Specific Is your goal well-defined? Avoid setting unclear or vague objectives; instead be as precise as possible.

Measurable Be clear how will you know when you have achieved your goal. Using numbers, dates and times is one way to represent clear objectives.

Attainable Setting yourself impossible goals will only end in disappointment. Make your goals challenging, but realistic

Relevant Try and step back and get an overview of all the different areas of your life: Academic, Personal and Career. Consider how relevant each objective is to the overall picture.

Time-bound Set a time scale for completion of each goal. Even if you have to review this as you progress, it will help to keep you motivated.

Journal: Action plan

Cognitive housekeeping

academic work

volunteering

lectures

reading

paid work travel

musicExtra curricular

seminars

Critical incidents

Benefits of PDP and reflective learning

• “It makes you think about what you’re doing and how other people see your work.”

• “It has enabled me to plan better and organise my thoughts. It gives you the time to say what you truly feel about a particular project or experience.”

• “Writing a reflective journal has enabled me to channel my thoughts further, I have been motivated to break-out of the usual mould and really think about ways in which my actions could lead to more success.”

Page 8

What helps you get work in the arts industry?

• Watch interview with Kingston University graduate, Anna. How many times are the following terms mentioned? http://

www.kingstonfutures.com/index.php/page/story

Terms Times mentioned

Internship

Free lance

Networking

Contacts

CV/covering letter

Volunteering

Part-time

How you can use MyFolio to enhance your employability. • Record your thoughts, feelings and

reactions when carrying out a task – Did you enjoy doing it? https://myfolio.kent.ac.uk/myfolio/

• Use MyFolio as a space to reflect on your values – what is important to you salary, status, working hours, location etc?

• Use MyFolio to learn to write reflectively. Record what you have learned, activities undertaken, what would you do differently next time?

Cont. Using MyFolio to enhance employability.

• Complete the Action Plan section. If you write a plan down you are more likely to do it. Be aware of deadlines many are earlier than you think!

• Consider how you could use the portfolio section to showcase your talents and enhance your on-line presence (Use of journals).

• Record what you have learnt at university, employers are interested in more than just the class of your degree.

• https://myfolio.kent.ac.uk/myfolio/view/view.php?id=6102

What I will cover during this 15 minute session following on from Louise.

• How personal development planning (pdp) can help you to become an effective career planner and enhance your employability.

• How to make a good career decision.

What employers say…

• "Few students are able to articulate what they have gained from their experience in higher education." ( Association of Graduate Recruiters, 1995)

Steps to making a good career decision.

• Knowing yourself - looking at your skills, values and personality - Analysing where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

• Exploring opportunities Gathering information on the opportunities open to you.

• Taking action.

Often students spend

• Lots of time on opportunity awareness gathering information.

• Lots of time trying to implement the decision.

• Not enough time on personal development planning and self awareness.

Careers and Employability Service.

• www.kent.ac.uk/ces Telephone: 01227 823299 Email: careerhelp@kent.ac.uk

• Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 including vacations

• Drop-in times (no appointment needed): 10.30 to 12.30 & 2 to 5 pm

• Undertake the Careers Employability Module on Moodle

Speak to an Adviser:

• Quick query, drop in and speak to an Adviser 10.30am -12.30pm and 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday.

• E mail @careerhelp and an Adviser will respond to your query.

• You can also book a longer career guidance appointment over the phone or pop in.

Useful contacts

• Careers and Employability Service website www.kent.ac.uk/careers

• Choosing a career http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesmedia.htm

• I want to work in http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sitesmedia.htm

• Vacancy database http://www.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html

• Guardian Jobs (arts and heritage)

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/arts-and-heritage/

• Museum Association jobs site

http://www.museumsassociation.org/careers

Any questions?