What skills should I develop?
Oral communication:
- Presenting ideas and information clearly, concisely and convincingly to another person or group.
Written communication:
- Presenting information clearly and concisely.
- Presenting information in a logical sequence.
- Ability to combine scientific rigour with a fluent style.
- Ability to correctly reference scientific work.
- Using technology and software for effective presentation.
Organisation and planning:
- Setting objectives and priorities.
- Optimising time and making effective use of resources.
- Planning, setting milestones and meeting deadlines.
Gathering information:
- Knowing what resources are available, and how to use them.
- Evaluating sources of information critically.
- Reading flexibly and with purpose.
- Extracting key points from text and other media.
Teamwork skills:
- Working effectively as part of a team.
- Relating easily to a wide range of people.
- Giving and receiving feedback or criticism in a positive and constructive manner.
- Playing a leadership role, where appropriate.
Initiative and resourcefulness:
- Initiating action.
- Seeking out opportunities.
- Taking decisions and accepting responsibility.
- Creative thinking.
- Responding positively to difficulties.
Critical thinking:
- Assimilating information from a number of sources.
- Identifying relevant and irrelevant information.
- Presenting a critical analysis of the situation.
- Spotting muddled or misleading arguments.
Self and peer evaluation:
- Identifying your own strengths and weaknesses.
- Evaluating work against given criteria.
- Spotting mistakes and logical weaknesses.
Personal and interpersonal skills:
- Playing a full part in activities.
- Having confidence in your own abilities and judgements.
- Being able to state your position and defend it.
- Being sensitive to the ideas, attitudes and feelings of others.
Computing and IT:
- Effective use of word processing, graphics, spreadsheets, databases and other software packages.
- Programming.
- Use of internet and email.
Problem solving:
- Understanding problems and breaking them down into parts.
- Making approximations.
- Applying relevant physics and maths.
- Checking solutions.
- Coping with unfamiliar settings.
Business and enterprise:
- Generating ideas.
- Promoting yourself and your ideas.
- Finance, accounting and business plans.
- Legal issues and intellectual property.