Professional Communications

Skills in English

ENG 300 A
ENG 300 B
ENG 300 C ktürk
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Intro to ENG 300: What is it about?
 Help students prepare for internship and job applications.

 Documentation (CV, cover letter, online applications)

 Interview preparation (anticipating questions, research,

question types & purpose, structuring an answer)

 Reflecting on your own skills and strengths

 Communication with ourselves as well as others

How can we have good communication
skills?

 https://www.menti.com/6d1yw1rh4f
 The voting code 95 90 68 0 
How can we improve our communication
with ourselves?

 Firstly,
 Student: How should we treat others?
 R. Maharsi: There are no ‘others’?
The Shadow:
Secondly,
 How would you feel if somebody told you:
“You are stupid, a loser!”
“You have no discipline, again you’ve wasted hours
online”

 How does your inner critic talk to you?

 Carl Rogers says. “The curious paradox is that when I
accept myself just as I am, then I can change”:
‘Self-compassion’
The ultimate goal:
Jung & Fakhry:
 Until you make the unconscious
conscious, it will direct your life and you
will call it fate.”

 https://medium.com/the-mission/why-life-
is-a-mirror-reflecting-your-inner-world-
a7ad344be6c0
Questions (Millenials)
 What are the problems of millenials in work life?
 What are the reasons for these problems?
 What are the solutions Simon Sinek suggests?
 Do you agree with what he says (since his
research is based on the students in the US) ?
What are you expected to do?
 Be professional, responsible adults

 Attend class and be on time

 Be prepared and participate fully

 Organise your time, your workload and anticipate

problems

 Meet all deadlines- no extensions will be given

 Make good use of what’s available on our Su Course

 What can you expect?
 I am available to help if you come by during office hours
or at other times we arrange on an individual basis.

 I am happy to give (additional) feedback to any

assignment

 If you need help, just ask, but do so in time –i.e. not a

few hours before a deadline

 I respond to emails as quickly as possible – but I am

usually not online after 5 pm or on weekends.
Assessment

 Participation 10%
 Quiz 15%
 Interview 30%
 Portfolio 45%
Course Participation (10%)

 Based on attendance, participation and preparation

 If absent due to illness, must present medical report

Group Interview (30%)

 Last two-three weeks of the course

 In groups of 3- 4 students
 Consists of 3 parts:
 1: Individual self-introduction;
 2: Individual short answers;
 3: Group task discussion
Portfolio (45%)
More details about tasks will be released as you go along,
but it is important to know that

A)you’ll need to submit certain assignments by certain

deadlines throughout the semester (softcopy)

B) you should keep all written work, including drafts,

assessed tasks, reading responses, and reflection tasks

You can receive feedback on your portfolio tasks by

arranging one to one meetings with me.
In a nutshell

 What is important if you want to do well in ENG

300?
 Pre-class survey
Questions to get started
Please make brief notes of your answers to the questions on your handouts

1. Do you have any work experience? Work at SU? Internship? working in the holidays, just
to make a little money or to get an idea about work life… If yes, briefly jot down what it was.

2. List the skills you think the job market (in general) values these days? Or choose a
certain field if you like, and list skills for that field…

3.Do you have an idea about the kind of job you want to do when you graduate? If yes
a) what is it?
b) why do you want that kind of a job?

4. Are there any skills that are especially important for a potential dream job of yours?
a) Which one(s)?
b) Do you think you already have (some of) those skills?
Skills
 https://journals.openedition.org/poldev/1802
Skills valued by the market /
employers
 In your groups
a) Brainstorm a list of skills you think are in
demand
b) Rank them from most significant (sought
after) to least

Feedback to class
Skills you say are important:
Soft ? Hard ? Transferable?
 Also : Self-Management Skills, eg
empathy, work ethic, responsibility,
reliability, time management

Hard and soft skills are both eg

categories of computer skills,
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS analytical skills
Technical
know how –
not the
priority?!
 Top skills in demand in 2019
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/04/the-30-most-in-demand-skills-in-2019-according-to- linkedin-.html
Soft skills Hard skills

1. Cloud Computing
1. Creativity
2. Artificial Intelligence
2. Persuasion
3. Analytical Reasoning
3. Collaboration
4. People Management
4. Adaptability
5. UX Design
5. Time Management
How can we express our skills?
 choose 1 of the skills mentioned before and in a
couple of sentences convince your group members
that you are good at it. Take turns.

 Volunteer?
 How convincing was it?

 How about «I’m a great leader», “I am good at

problem solving” or «I’m a very creative person»…?
 The Language of Transferable Skills
 Achieved Acquired Acted Adapted Addressed Administered Advertised
Advised Analysed Answered Applied Arranged Assessed Assisted Attained
Audited Authored
 Briefed Budgeted
 Calculated Checked Clarified Classified Coached Collaborated Compared
Conducted Consulted Contributed Cooperated Coordinated Created
Critiqued
 Debated Defined Delegated Delivered Designed Devised Diagnosed
Directed Determined Drafted
 Edited Eliminated Enabled Ensured Established Estimated Evaluated
Examined Expedited Explained Explored Expressed
 Facilitated Financed Fixed Formulated
 Generated Guided …
Active verbs-indicate positive action
a t d o they Specific and clear
Wh
NB: “learned”, “developed”, “improved” are
have in
o m m o n? NOT great verbs to use-use ACTION
c
VERBS to emphasise what you DID
All in past tense-describe what you did
 Categorizing Action Words
A. What were some of the important skills ?
Communication Interpersonal Leadership Analytical Problem solving/ Creativity Organisation
/ Team work critical thinking

B. From your lists*, identify verbs that represent the skill you’re
assigned
C. (In groups) make notes of skills + verbs
D. Notice any words that didn’t go into any of these categories?
*Action Words to Describe Functional Skills
Identifying Your Transferable Skills -
CIP Key Courses
 Write the name of your CIP  Choose one of the key
 Using the verbs handout, list courses you have taken
the skills you used for your  Identify 3 transferable skills
CIP project you gained in that course
 Be specific, give examples  NOT what you learned, but
where possible what you DID with the
 Be brief; use bullet points content (in other words, how
did you have to demonstrate
your understanding and skills
to your professor?)
Or some other experience you have where you did some of the actions
from our list…. What was it?
By doing the previous two tasks you’ve actually done part of what Rosita Smith suggests as…

Easy Steps to Identify Your Transferable Skills

Now that you know what transferable skills are, let’s put together a list of your transferable skills.

Step 1. Make a list of every job title you’ve ever held

(part-time, full-time and internships), along with volunteer,sports and other affiliations since starting
college. (Be sure to record officer positions and other leadership roles).

Step 2. Using your transcript, list the classes in your major field of study along with foundation courses.
Include electives that may be related to your employment interests.

Step 3. For each job title, campus activity and class you’ve just recorded, write a sentence and then
underline the action taken. (Avoid stating that you learned or gained experience in any skill. Instead,
present your skill more directly as a verifiable qualification.) “While working for Jones Engineering, I
performed 3D modeling and drafting.” NOT “While working for Jones Engineering, I gained experience
in 3D modeling and drafting.” “As a member of the Caribbean Students Association, I developed and
coordinated the marketing of club events“ NOT “As a member of the Caribbean Students Association, I
learned
how to market events.”

Step 4. Make a list of the skills/experiences you’ve identified for future reference during your job
search.

(the text is available in SU COURSE - RESOURCES – Skills language – Action Verbs)

For next week
Bring your
CV (create / revise based on guidelines on SU COURSE
– Resources – CVs)
action verbs lists & categories
notes to “YOUR” transferable skills task

to the first class of the week