Help with developing your skills

At the Career Zone we run over twenty different workshops and webinars to help you develop your employability skills and prepare you for the graduate job market. You can attend these sessions as stand-alone sessions or as part of the Exeter Award and Exeter Leaders Award.

Skill sessions are 1.5-2 hour long interactive workshops designed to help you develop the skills required in the graduate job market.

Sessions include: 

• Time and Stress Management
• Personal Resilience
• Online Networking Skills
• Persuading, Influencing and Negotiating Skills
• Assertiveness and Understanding Behaviour
• Presentation Skills
• Problem Solving
• Understanding Team Dynamics
• Managing People
• Leadership Skills
• Project Management
• Strategic Thinking
• Interview Techniques
• LinkedIn Lab
• Finding an Internship or Work Experience

Click here for a full list. 

Developing Resilience

While it can be exciting to plan and start your future career, we do know this can also be quite stressful and overwhelming. The following resources in My Career Zone Digital provide some advice about dealing with things when they don’t go as planned, developing resilience, developing a healthy work life balance, dealing with challenging issues at work and career wellbeing. 

• My Career Zone Digital Wellbeing Resources
• My Career Zone Digital Stress Resources
• Balancing work and life
• Coping with challenges and change
• Developing resilience
• Career Wellbeing Online Programme
• Personal Resilience

There are also online assessments:

• Personal resilience assessment
• Stress Management assessment
• Emotional Control assessment

Free Courses:

• Build Personal Resilience
• Positive Psychology
• Resilience Skills
• Adaptability & Resilience

You may also be interested in

• Developing Emotional Intelligence
• Managing relationships
• Looking for inspiration
• Developing self awareness
• Being More Productive

Specific resources that may be of interest include:

• Resilience Explained
• 6 tips to build resilience
• The importance of assertiveness
• What is mindfulness?

Current students can access a wellbeing toolkit provided by Wellbeing Services which has resources to help develop resilience skills. 

If you want to talk to someone...

• If you are a current student or graduate and you're feeling stressed about your career talking to one of our Careers Consultants can help. Contact the Career Zone to arrange an appointment.
• Current students can also contact Wellbeing Services who offer a range of services to support your mental and physical health. 
• Nightline is a confidential and anonymous listening service, run by trained student volunteers for Exeter students.

If you would like to develop your Digital and Coding Skills, as well as general digital competency, take a look at the following resources:

• Forage - Gain insights into a range of different tech companies with the Virtual Experience programmes at Forage. 
• Find more resources in relation to digital skills and coding by visiting My Career Zone Digital.
• Career Zone Podcast - Relevant podcast episodes include: The Importance of Digital and Coding Skills and In conversation with a video games entrepreneur. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
• Internal skill sessions - Sessions include Online Networking and Project Management. For a full list of events and to book your place visit Handshake.
• Alumni Profiles - Click here to find out how coding skills have helped University of Exeter Alumni, Jared Wilson-Aggarwal. 
• Employment Sector Information -  Jobs are available not only for computer science and engineering graduates but to all graduates who have an interest in technology. Visit the IT sector page and Prospects to find out more.
• Videos - Claire Barrett, a Director at APIsFirst, reflects on her previous experiences of working with students reflecting on IT roles and the availability of new roles in this sector.
• Visit the Digital Hub (online or in The Forum).
• My Career Zone Digial - Understanding new technologies and e-hireability.
• Linkedin Lab - learn how to use Linkedin effectively.
• Sign up for Grand Challenges.

What makes a good video? When aiming to create a good video, you will be looking to produce something that has a clear message, engages the viewer and is of good quality. The top tips on this resource aim to help you consider these important elements when planning, capturing and editing a video. 

What are Leadership Skills? These skills include: Project Management, Decision Making, Strategic Thinking, Change Management, Vision.

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Resilience quiz - Find out how resilient you are and how you can develop this in the future
• Identify your leadership style
• Explore employers’ views on leadership
• Sign up for one of our Career Zone workshops on: Leadership Skills, Managing People, and Project Management.
  
• Take part in one of the Professional Pathways, Green Consultants or Grand Challenges/Challenges Online
• Become a committee member of a society
• Become a Peer Leader or Peer Mentor for your discipline.
• Is there something you want to change at the University? Or a project you think you could work on with an academic? Take a look at how you could progress these ideas with Students as Change Agents or Students as Partners
• Undertake the Exeter Leaders Award to develop and reflect on your role as a leader
• Resilience for student leaders webinar recording
• Learn more about delegation, resolving conflict, and motivating others with the Career Zone podcast: How to motivate others, Resolving conflicts in the workplace, and The Importance of Delegation Skills

What are Reflective Skills? Reflective skills include: Resilience, self-awareness, personal and professional development, Time and Stress Management, Learning from Failure

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Use Profiling for Success to understand your learning style and personality type
• Take the Career Zone Digital assessment on strengths
• Join one of the Career Zone workshops on Time & Stress Management or Personal Resilience.
• Visit Study Zone Digital for tips on reflective writing in academic contexts
• Use reflective skills to improve your work experience: create SMART objectives before you start, monitor your progress and reflect on your learning once the experience is complete. 
  
• Use the Career Mentor Scheme – identify your knowledge gaps or aims and reflect on how your mentor helps you respond to them
• Complete the Exeter Award – an opportunity to develop your skills and reflect on your personal development
• Complete the  Exeter Leaders Award – a key part of the Leaders Award is your ability to reflect on your role as a leader and opportunity to develop your skills

What are Global Citizenship competencies include: Intercultural Awareness, Sustainability Awareness, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awareness

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Explore Goinglobal – are you thinking of studying or working abroad? Do you want to find out what it is like to work in a particular country? It’s all here!
• Explore the different elements of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity for job hunters
• Attend employer talks and find out more about their Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity policies
• Join an Intercultural Communication workshop. Find out more about studying at an international university and the skills to help you thrive in an international workplace
• Check out the Global Leader Programmes on the Go Abroad webpage. Past programmes have included: Online Global Leaders - Thriving Online with Petrus Communications, United Nations - Online Global Leaders, EAIE Conference Gothenburg, Pagoda Summer Skills Session, WACE Global Challenge, and Common Purpose Global Leadership Forum

What are Business Skills include: Project Management, Commercial Awareness, Professionalism, Commitment, Financial and Economic know-how, Analytical

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Set up a LinkedIn account and follow organisations or groups you’re interested in.
• Find out what associations or professional bodies operate in your sector of choice. Many offer free student memberships and you can find out more about the sector and opportunities.Explore different career sectors and how to find work in particular areas.
• Join a Career Zone workshop on Joining the Workplace, Project Management or Strategic Thinking.
• Go to a  Careers Fair (and make sure you check out our Prepare for the Fair resource too) and find out about the range of opportunities on offer.
• Attend an employer event and ask what key business skills their organisation is looking for in graduates or students applying for internships and placements.
• Use  Ask An Alum to find out more about an organisation you are looking to apply to.
• Attend a Linkedin Lab to find out how you can use Linkedin to enhance your commercial awareness and business skills.
• Complete the Green Consultants Programme or one of the Professional Pathways.
• Take a position of responsibility in a society to develop your project management skills.
• Participate in Grand Challenges, working in a new team to deliver a project under time constraints.
• Undertake work experience to apply your knowledge in a professional environment. Take time to reflect on your experience – what did you learn? What might you do differently?

What are Interpersonal Skills include: Team player, Tact and Diplomacy, Relationship Management, Negotiation Skills,Collaboration, Customer Focus, Assertiveness.

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Find out more about why employers value interpersonal skills.
• How customer focussed are you? Take this quick assessment to find out and consider areas for development.
• Giving feedback is a key interpersonal skill. What level are you at?
• Participate in a Career Zone workshop on Negotiation Skills, Team Skills, Assertiveness or Networking.
• Sign up for the  Exeter Award and build your network by participating in workshops.
• Gain some work experience and reflect on your role as part of a team, building connections and maintaining relationships.
• Use the Career Mentor Scheme and work with your mentor to help you develop your interpersonal skills.
• Volunteer with RAG, Exeter Student Volunteers or join another society to meet new people and collaborate in different ways.
• Create a Students as Partners project to collaborate with University staff to make change.
• Become a Peer Mentor and support others in their studies.
• Take part in Grand Challenges to apply your interpersonal skills.

What are Communication Skills include: Written Communication, Verbal Communication, Active Listening, Presentation Skills

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Find out more about why employers value communication skills and how to develop them.
• Join a society that will help improve your communication skills.
• Speak up, ask a question or share your views in your next seminar or workshop. Tips on expressing yourself can be found on My Career Zone Digital.
• Participate in a Career Zone workshop on Active Listening, Assertiveness or Presentation Skills.
• Visit the Study Zone (virtually or online) to find out about their presentation skills and academic writing support.
• Join a workshop on cover letters or application forms to find out how to communicate your skills effectively.
• Communicate your research through the Undergraduate Research Showcase.
• Apply for Career Mentor Scheme and find out about your mentor’s experience of effective communication.
• Complete the  Exeter Award as a way to articulate your personal and professional development.
• Learn key communication skills with the Career Zone podcast. Episodes include: Resolving conflicts in the workplace and Speaking publicly.

What are Human Only Skills include: Growth Mind-set, Flexible/Adaptable, Problem Solving, Creative, Innovative, Empathy, Emotional Intelligence, Initiative

To develop these skills, take a look at the following resources:

• Use your skills audit to explore skills on My Career Zone Digital, maybe complete a course in some of the areas.
• Watch Dan Goleman talk about Emotional Intelligence – how can this be part of a growth mindset?
• Develop your problem solving skills at a Career Zone workshop.
• Enhance your emotional intelligence by attending an Active Listening in Digital Environments workshop.
• Join RAG, Exeter Student Volunteers or another society to support community projects alongside your studies. This will help you develop your initiative, adaptability and emotional intelligence.
• Influence change at the University with creativity and innovation by creating a Student as Change Agents or Students as Partners project.
• Study or work abroad! This will take you out of your comfort zone.
• Take part in Grand Challenges or Challenges Online. Use creative approaches to devise solutions to global problems.
• Volunteer for Nightline and support student callers who need a listening ear.

Our online database Handshake contains placement vacancies from employers in a wide range of sectors who are specifically targeting Exeter students. 

You can also browse and ask questions in the Handshake community Q&A forum. You can edit the term in the search box to make it more specific. 

My Career Zone Digital has lots of resources, including videos, articles, and courses to help you with skills development. 

Our podcast covers a range of careers topics such as:

• The Importance of Digital and Coding Skills
• Speaking publicly
• Learning from Failure
• The Importance of Delegation Skills
• The Importance of Professionalism

Other placement related podcasts being released this term. 

The Career Mentor Scheme is a popular employability scheme which matches a student or graduate with an experienced professional, for sector insight and one-to-one careers advice and guidance, over a 6 month period. 

The Ask An Alum (Careers Q&A) is a fuss-free way to connect with University of Exeter alumni to ask careers questions. By filling in our quick and easy application form, you can be introduced to alumni working in your field of interest…whatever that may be at the time of applying. 

How to identify your skills - Learn to identify your skills with Sarah Blunt, Employability and Careers Consultant 

Presentation Skills - Join Rae Roberts, Employability and Careers Consultant for this webinar on presentation skills 

Professionalism and joining the workforce - Join Rachel Sloan for this webinar on professionalism. 

If you would like to speak with an adviser to discuss how you can develop your skills, you can book an appointment via the Live Chat icon at the bottom of this page, or you can phone us on +44(0)1392 724493. For any other enquiries please email careers@exeter.ac.uk.