title slide 1 Welcomehome Re-entry workshop title slide 2 Professional & future benefits re-entry workshop significance 1 What’s in it for significanc significance 2 What do employers want from significanc ? you significance 3 What do employers want from Placement-specific expertise. ‘Soft skills’ & personal traits. Developing ‘career stories.’ Cross-cultural skills. Building your portfolio. significanc Study abroad-stand significance to stand out out Less than 5% of students study abroad. Employers may not realise how important study abroad is. significanc Sell the effect, not just the fact. Placement specific expertise Courses (unavailable in Australia?). Professional experience (internship). Language skills. Destination-specific expertise. Cohort-specific expertise (peers). expertise worksheet ‘Soft skills’ & personal traits Employer-ranked top 5 skills in applicants verbal communication skills strong work ethic teamwork skills analytic skills soft skills initiative Source: Job Outlook 2011, National Association of Colleges and Employers. ‘Soft skills’ & personal traits Employer-ranked skills in applicants (#6-10) problem-solving skills written communication skills interpersonal skills (computer skills) soft skills flexibility/adaptability Source: Job Outlook 2011, National Association of Colleges and Employers. ‘Soft skills’ & personal traits ‘Adaptable’ - ‘resourceful’ - ‘versatile’ - ‘problem solver’ - ‘respectful’ - ‘handle stress’ ‘courageous’ - ‘self-starter’ - ‘tenacious’ ‘observant’ - ‘adventurous’ - ‘sense of humour’ ‘goal oriented’ - ‘self-reliant’ - ‘enthusiastic’ ‘appreciate differences in people’ - ‘resilient’ soft skills worksheet Developing career stories Prepare in advance. Focus on success & learning. De-emphasise frustrations, failures or bizarre. Concrete examples! story-telling Cross-cultural Cross-cultural skills 1 skills ‘accustomed to navigating cultural difference’ ‘able to accommodate local norms’ - ‘aware of my own culture’ - ‘savvy’ - ‘tolerate ambiguity’ ‘negotiate well’ - ‘versatile communication skills’ - ‘tolerant’ - ‘open-minded’ - ‘can establish rapport’ - ‘cosmopolitan’ cross- worksheet Cross-cultural skills Cross-cultural skills descriptors • • • • • Deal creatively with ambiguity & change. Interacting comfortably with different values & perspectives. Better at learning from experiences. Applying information in new or broader contexts. Identifying new problems & alternatives. Take moderate risks & confront unfamiliar situations. Act diplomatically & build relations—in real & virtual worlds. cross- Adapted from Gardner, Gross & Steglitz (2008) Unpacking Your Study Abroad Experience:Critical Reflection for Workplace Competencies, and Marie-Louise Hansson, 'The Global Business Person: What is the Secret for Success' How to talk about your experience... portfolio building How to talk about Portfolio - résumé your experience... Education Bachelor of Communication & Media Studies, Murdoch University (Expected completion Nov 2011) Concentrations in Journalism and Screen Production INTERNATIONAL and CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE Danish School of Media and Journalism, Denmark Photojournalism • Conducted research into visual story telling using new media technologies. • Compiled a report for presentation to industry picture agency “Scanpix.” • Presented a seminar on “Women in the Media” events conducted in Western Australia to Danish academics and students. • Additional skills acquired : Digital magazine production Designed a PowerPoint presentation in Danish Industry liaison and business development Cross-cultural communication skills your worksheet Example by Alexandra Haaxman, Murdoch University How to talk about Portfolio - cover letter your experience... Provide an opening statement that introduces your experience. Mention the name of the program where you studied. Clearly articulate what you learned from the experience and how this will help you in the position you are applying for. cover letter Example by Alexandra Haaxman, Murdoch University How to talk about Portfolio - overview yourself... 1 paragraph, 1 sentence, 1 word Show, don’t tell (or avoiding adjectives)... Differentiate... Get ‘testimonials’... ‘Easy to read is hard to write.’ portfolio HowPortfolio to talk -talking about yourself... about self Reflect on the “why” questions. Why did you choose to study abroad? Why & how did you choose your study location? What do you think you got out of your study abroad experience? Illustrate competencies employers seek with examples: •Creatively solve problems, apply familiar concepts in unfamiliar situations. •Contribute to an ethnically diverse team. •Take personal risks & act independently. •Be flexible & adapt to rapidly changing situations. the worksheet Text by Alexandra Haaxman, Murdoch University How to talk about Elevator speech 1 yourself... Who you are? What do you want to do? What’s your motivation? Your interest in the other person. Differentiation. Your hook, passion or mission. worksheet ‘elevator speech’ How to talk about Elevator speech 2 yourself... Refining your talk Cut out long words, jargon... Strip out unnecessary parts. 90-100 words. Practise! worksheet ‘elevator speech’ Developing career stories Prepare in advance - talk these out. Don’t accentuate your own foreignness! Don’t make your whole interview about study abroad. Story- Closing slide Thank you! Re-entry workshop Professionalisation re-entry workshop The Bringing the Learning Home Team: Greg Downey (Macquarie), Tonia Gray (Wollongong) & Jan Gothard (Murdoch). The BLTH Students at all three institutions. Thanks also to Alexandra Haaxman, Linda Butcher, Astrid Baumgardner, Innes Ireland & Joanna Rosenzweig. Credits Bringing the Learning Home: Professionalisation Workshop Slideshow by Greg Downey, Tonia Gray & Jan Gothard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at ozstudentsabroad.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://ozstudentsabroad.com/teachers/. license