Personal Effectiveness
Careers and Employability
What is Personal Effectiveness?
• Personal effectiveness – the personal qualities and approach to be an effective researcher (employee / person).
• What are your thoughts on this? Work in pairs or small groups to discuss this, and create a list of traits that you think are displayed by people with high levels of personal effectiveness.
The Researcher Development Framework
(Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited, 2010)
www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers-professional-development
Personal Effectiveness as Skills
• De Grande et al (2014) suggest graduate personal effectiveness is made up of the following skills:• Independence • Taking initiative • Learning ability • Stress management • Self-confidence • Flexibility • Time management • Dealing with failures
7 Principles of Personal Effectiveness
As suggested by Fuda (2014)
Mapping Yourself• Review the RDF – Personal Effectiveness
indicators and rate yourself or…
• Behavioural Indicators – Rate yourself on the questionnaire adapted from Strathclyde University
• Be aware of signs of personal ineffectiveness (P. Fuda)
Take about 10 minutes to review and reflect on your personal effectiveness
Play to your strengths• How would people who know you well
describe you? Probably not as…
A hardworking, conscientious team
player, also able to work as an individual looking
for a new challenge.
Identify your strengths
Play to your strengths
http://www.ppquarterly.org/portfolio/realise2-next-generation-strengths-assessment/
Additional resources to identify your strengths and motivationswww.targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report
www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/
www2.open.ac.uk/students/careers/
http://destinations.ucs.ac.uk/units/personality.shtml
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing,
you will be successful. Albert Schweitzer
Setting goals to improve your personal effectiveness
What do I want or need to learn/develop?
What will I do to achieve this?
What resources or support will I need?
What will my success criteria be?
Target dates for review and completion
Be specific – clearly describe what you are planning to learn Check – is this realistic but challenging?
Take account of you preferred learning style Detail the specific actions you are planning. Plan a mix of activities
The cost in time and money Whose support do you need to turn this plan into a reality? Support is often essential in making informed decisions and to motivate you to keep on target
What will you have learned (learning outcomes)? This is the measure to show that you have achieved you objectives
The date by which you plan to review your progress or achieve this part of your development plan – be realistic Small successes achieved quickly will provide motivation towards longer-term goals
Megginson, D and Whittaker, V (2007) Continuing Professional Development 2nd edition, CIPD p.65
Student Services at UCS• Careers and Employability Service
• Available up to 3 years after completion of your studies
• Support with career decision making; identifying your strengths, motivations etc.
• Support with CVs, application forms, interviews, presentations (see Graduate School for support with bids)
• Networking events, careers fairs, online Job Shop • We’re here during the holidays (not Christmas
when UCS closes)• Student Finance• Disability, Health and Wellbeing• International
Careers Advice and Events
www.prospects.ac.uk/careers.htm
www.targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice
www.reed.co.uk/career-advice
www.careers.theguardian.com/
UCS Linked In Job Club – www.tinyurl.com/UCSJClub
UCS Job Shop (vacancies) – www.tinyurl.com/UCSJobShop
Facebook /UCS Careers Service – UCSCareersService
Careers events - www.UCSstudentservices.eventbrite.co.uk
References• Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited (2010) Introducing the
Researcher Development Framework. Available at: https://www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/rdf-related/introducing-the-vitae-researcher-development-framework-rdf-to-employers-2011.pdf (Accessed: 1 April 2016).
• De Grande, H., De Boyser, K., Vandevelde, K. And Van Rossem, R. (2014) ‘From Academia to Industry: Are Doctorate Holders Ready?’, Journal of the Knowledge Economy. 5(3). DOI: 10.1007/s13132-014-0192-9
• Fuda, P. (2014) The 7 Principles of Personal Effectiveness. Available at: http://www.peterfuda.com/2014/04/28/the-7-principles-of-personal-effectiveness/ (Accessed: 1 April 2016).
• University of Strathclyde (2016) Personal Effectiveness. Available at: https://www.strath.ac.uk/careers/skills/peopleskills/personaleffectiveness/ (Accessed: 1 April 2016)
• Linley, A., Willars, J., Biswas-Diener, R. - The Strengths Book: Be Confident, Be Successful, and Enjoy Better Relationships by Realising the Best of You (2010) Capp Press
• Approved excerpt from Average to A+: Realising Strengths in Yourself and Others, by Alex Linley, published by CAPP Press (2008) www.cappeu.com/Portals/3/Files/Average_to_Aplus_Chapter_4_Strengthspotting.pdf (Accessed 15/4/2016)
• Megginson, D and Whittaker, V (2007) Continuing Professional Development 2nd edition, CIPD