Study Skills for Higher Education: Suggestions and Key Skills for Career Development

This report discusses suggestions for career development, including a skills audit, gaining experience online, making your own experience, and connecting with peers. It also identifies 8 key skills for students to develop within a university setting, including adaptability, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, time management, and technology skills. The report emphasizes the importance of these skills in the workplace.

STUDY SKILLS FOR
HIGHER
EDUCATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Choosing four suggestions mentioned above & discussing them in more details:.................1
2. Personal experience: Are you happy with your CV Why/why not? ......................................3
PART 2............................................................................................................................................4
Eight skills that helps students to develop within university setting and their importance at
work place...................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
References:.....................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
It has been determined that skills are most significant aspect for every individuals as
skills enable individuals to perform something difficult or challenging. By improving study skill,
individual can learn how to develop their career based on higher education experience. Therefore
this report is going to discuss few suggestion based on given article. Apart from this, respective
report will identify 8 significant skill that students need to improve in order to perform better
within workplace.
PART 1
1. Choosing four suggestions mentioned above & discussing them in more details:
It has been identified that career development is most significant process for an
individual. Curriculum Vitae is that document which contain courses of experience and life
carried by individuals (Aldulaimi, 2018). CV also contain the workplace and academic history of
a person. It highlight the candidate's performance. Thus, CV has been considered as major reason
that why individual is selected, however in order to improve the CV, there are few suggestion,
mentioned below:
Start with a skills audit
For individuals, skills are most crucial element as it enable individual to develop their
career. Along with this, it also make them capable for the employment worlds. Therefore, all
individuals must analyse their key skill that they carry & also need to apply for the job position
as per the key skills or abilities that they carry ( Wilson, 2018) It has been analysed that, in
employment world, sometime, organisations demand for such candidates who carry a valuable
experience & skills. Process of the skill audit mainly examine the key skills or abilities carried
by the individuals & analysing key improvement area in which individual need to pay more
attention (Brown, 2018).
The skill audit inform regarding market requirements. For instance, if organisations
require the marketing skill then individuals should analyse if their skill fit with respective job
position. By auditing own skill, employees become more confident and examining of the weak
area allow the individuals to improve their quality. Career expertise share their experience by
highlighting significance of maintaining skill in CV, it is not merely enable the individuals to get
jobs, but also help them in exploring a continuous development in the world of employment.
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Get experience online
It has been identified that on digital and online platform flow of the education & priceless
information remain continuous. People can learn & grow their career with the online support &
inclusion of the E-learning content. Getting an experience through online is a procedure of
analysing the online career opportunities that means people get jobs virtually as they has
knowledge of using the online sites. Mostly organisations prefer those candidates who has an
experience of online work, they work as an intern, but have capability to explore the online
career opportunities (Chowdhury and Nizam, 2018).
When individuals get an experience online then it improve quality of their CV that means
they can make better their ability in order to become most suitable for the organisational
requirements. The online sources & other source of the information helps by proving a detailed
information regarding career path way that means people can analyse the development process
through digital learning procedure. Several employer or organisation demand for the candidates
who have an experience in the online world such as experience in these digital world improve
CV of candidate, remote working condition, employer consider such candidates who carry a
valuable experience in market.
Make your own experience:
The experience has been considered as most valuable assets within world of the
employment. Individual that has an experience of many years, is capable to capture a respected
and valuable job position (Cottrell, 2019). In order to improve the CV, individuals should gain
own experience. In this, individuals may faces certain challenge when gaining own experience.
But it also provide two big advantages- improve experience and a continuous development in
career. Thus, when facing the challenges, then individual learn how to tackle critical situation
and it improve quality of their CV.
Connect with peers:
Individuals should stay connected with their peer as they carry valuable experience and
help individual in becoming capable for job market. Peers train the individual and enable them to
bring improvement in their career & experience. Individual should connect themselves with the
peers as this connection may allow the individual to become more skilled in workplace. Along
with this, Peers pay more attention on providing experience and knowledge to the individual.
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During pandemic, individuals were connected with their peers where their peers has shared
experience & allow the individual to improve or make more effective their level of skills.
2. Personal experience: Are you happy with your CV Why/why not?
It has been identified that CV play a significant role in the process of career development.
Is an individuals has excellent CV then there are more chances to get a high position within
organisations. As per my opinion, CV is most valuable assets that should be carried by all
individuals it not merely enable them to get a job but also help in improving their lifestyle. I have
the work experience that impact and improve quality of my CV, due to which I am happy with
my CV. However, I am also seeking few better development and growth opportunities that
enable me to explore my abilities in new areas. According to me, my CV is perfect, I need to
bring some improvement so that it can provide me some better growth and career opportunities.
My CV carry all the expectation or requirements but still I need to explore some new skill
so that it can improve quality of my CV. I am very happy and satisfy for the skills or abilities
that I carry because it bring more better career opportunities for me. However, for this, I need to
take some training session so that my knowledge can be enhanced. This practices will help me in
becoming more effective in market of job. By using my personal experience I can explore
different area of the development and allow me to be effective within the employment world.
Currently, I am concerning with gaining the experience in workplace that push my limits to be
more better. Therefore, in order to improve my skills and grow career, I have to add few skill in
my CV that will impact my career development.
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PART 2
Eight skills that helps students to develop within university setting and their importance at
work place
It has been identified that today's job market is different from previous time. Before some
years, no one knew that the robotics and artificial intelligence would be a rapid or fast growing
career option for the students (Cottrell, 2020). Hence, there is a need to train the students with
abilities or skill to adopt to the future needs has become more significant than ever before. It is at
the intermediate level that the student can be taught few key skill or abilities that will enable
them to adopt changes and new circumstances in future. Therefore, there are various key skill,
that student's must learn at university. Few of these skills are mentioned below:
 Adaptability skill- It means an ability to be flexible & adjust to the changing factors,
environment or conditions. Being adaptable has been considered as highly valued skill
within workplace. In university, students should practices in order to become adoptable,
who can adjust in any kind of the environment as this quality enable the students to adjust
to the changes in surrounding. Being adaptable means, they can respond very quickly to
any changing ideas, expectations trends, responsibilities and other process. For students,
being adaptable is significant for in future when working on the projects, formulating
strategies & implementing various approaches in order to meet goals. Thus, by showing
the adaptability skill, students can reveal that how motivated they are to try the new
things & learn another skills ( Dawson, 2018). It has been identified that being adoptable
for the students is very essential for a number of the reasons as more adoptable students
are, more productive they will be overall. It is significant because bing able to mange or
handle the change within an ease free up the time students individual might have
normally spent being stressed out when new challenge or difficulty presented itself.
Along with this, it is also important as it showcase individual's ability to be resourceful,
display their leadership skill and many more.
 Communication skill- Art of the communication is most significant skill for the
student's success. Communication is defines as an exchange of the information or
message in such a way or manner that information is effectively understood.
Communication skill normally include two way path, which is receiving & sending.
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Communication can be mainly two types- oral & written communication. In written
communication, students need to learn about formal & informal letters,message and
emails. Whereas in oral communication, students must be able to communicate
effectively (Hailikari, Katajavuori and Asikainen, 2021). As it has been identified that in
workplace, communication play a significant role. Therefore students must have an
excellent communication skill and they need to work on improving their communication
skill more. If students have an effective communication skill, then they can influence
other in workplace, that help them ion attaining their goals. By having a good
communication skill, they can provide clarity & direction to others in organisations.
Along with this this skill will foster a trust with the others as their ability to listen others
very attentively will create a trust and relation with the others. Thus, every students
should bring improvement in their communication skill as it will help them in boosting
their career in future.
 Team work- It is key skill that every student must possess as being able to work with
others ensure a grand success at every phase of life. Therefore every students must put
WE before |. Organisation success mainly depend on planned and coordinated efforts of
all individuals of the organisation. Students must learn how to work in a team so that in
future they can collaborate with other in order to attain the organisational goals, success
and profit (Ibrahim, Masran and Rahim, 2020). As without joint efforts, companies will
not be able to sell profit and sales, therefore at university, students should understand that
how it is significant to work with the others. When working in a team, then students learn
that how to listen to the coach and leader to perform their roles. Along with this, they also
learn how to confidently & respectfully express their opinion & ideas in a group setting.
Thus all these practices will help them in their future career as within workplace,
teamwork has been considered as most important. By working together individual can
attain their goals efficient. Apart from this, it also increase the learning opportunities
because individual can acquire more abilities or skill that they did not have form an
experienced employees.
 Critical thinking & problem solving skill- It is another crucial skill that students need
to learn. critical thinking & problem solving is defined as an ability to examine &
evaluate na dafter it finally arrive at the logical solution to any issue or problem. It is key
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skill for success of the students. When students become able to think in critical manner,
then they become able to absorb different idea or solution for different areas & finally
deduce most appropriate alternative or option. Companies are now looking for such
candidates who has a high power of critical thinking to head different department in
organisations (Landry, 2019). When it comes about finding a quick solution to the
unforeseen issue or problem, then critical thinking has been considered as most
significant. Whether, it is an issue or problem in college, school or workplace ability of
critical thinking & problem solving skill are required in order to tackle the critical
situations. By having this skill, students will become more imaginative & they can
explore all possibilities & scenarios in critical situation. This skill encourage individuals
to experiment & innovate, it also develop a collective knowledge base that individuals
have about different ways to attain & create some specific outcomes.
 Time management skill- It is most important skill for the students as it allow them to
work efficiently. Ability of the time management is especially required nowadays, as in
this competitive world, it is very challenging & tough to manage the workload. Therefore
students must learn that how to efficiently manage the completing work in shortest time
to work smarter (Middendorf, 2018). It has been analysed that time management is most
crucial & required skill for every student as effectiveness of this skill provide
opportunities to students to be successful in attaining their gaols at the academic and
organisational level as well. Ability of time management have potential to provide the
successor among students as it allow them to complete their task timely. If students have
an effective time management skill, then they can perform between in their future career
as time management is most significant ability to work on a reputed and senior position.
As a dedicated employees within workplace, individuals are expected to provide work
with the standardised quality. With a proper utilisation of the time & prioritization of
different task, individual can easily provide a quality work. Thus, students should know
how to prioritise the task as it will help them in focusing on significant task by keeping
them in highest priority that enable them to work on them with full focus and attention.
 Technology skill- It is very essential for the students that they work on their adaptability
skill as nowadays, companies uses the modern and latest technology to expand their
global presence. For this, organization look for the individual who has a great knowledge
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about the technology and use of the innovate technology. Therefore students must have
this skill, as by developing the technological skill, students can move silently ahead of
their competition (Virtanen and Tynjälä, 2018). Students who are now honing their
technological ability sets are gaining benefit over their peers. A shift in the way
company's functions is visible, from the artificial intelligence to the machine learning, &
knowledge about technology will allow the student in thriving this competitive world.
Along with this, technological skill also allow the students in increasing collaboration &
prevent the future technological issues. For instance, as web has become very
sophisticated, learning the programming skills and few coding will be beneficial because
knowledge of all this has become very significant for the organisation (Richards and
Pilcher, 2020). Therefore, students must have an understanding about fundamental of the
CMS, CSM, HTML and JavaScript as it will enable the students to work effectively with
their IT & web teams. Knowledge of the technology is also very beneficial for the
students as through this, students can display their abilities or skill & interact with the
possible employers via social network and other smart application. Students will have a
great understanding or knowledge of how to use the technology within organisation of
they have use it within classroom. Thus, it is recommanded that universities must enrol
their students in a significant IT training course now so that they can perform better in in
future.
 Decision making skill - Decision making has been defined as a process of selecting or
deciding a specific course of the action at the time of any uncertainty. It has been
considered as a cognitive procedure that means, it include mental power of an individual.
Strong decision making ability is a valuable skill within any workplace as it employer
individuals to make the mindful choice which have best chance of leading to the
favourable outcome. Therefore, it is very essential for the students to learn the decision
making skill, as it boost their confidence that will enable them to take best decision in
future within organisations. Along with this, it will be helpful for them in becoming good
leader in organisations (Shoaib, Abdullah and Ali, 2021). If students have a good
knowledge about effective decision making in workplace, then it will help them in saving
time, allow an optimum utilisation of resources and also ensure that organisation is on
path to a long term success.
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 Creativity & innovation- As it has been identified that change is constant, therefore
being innovative and creative is most significant part of the changes. In the era of latest
technology, ideas has become obsolete in few days. Thus, it is essential to train the
students so that they become innovative and creativity in their thoughts and ideas almost
every time. Possessing the creativity skill enable the students to adopt rapidly to the every
changing environment. Innovation has been considered as practical implementation of the
thoughts and ideas so that they result in concrete & workable plan. Therefore, student
must have an ability of innovative and creative skill so that they can be up to the mark in
this competitive world (Tabuenca, Greller and Verpoorten, 2022). Future belongs to those
individual who lean more skills & then combine them in the creative ways. In order to
build the career, creativity and innovative enable the students to view the situation for a
unique perspective that help then in finding best solution. Within workplace, this skill
will allow them to create new opportunities for themselves & grow their career. By
understanding the creativity and innovation, students can determine that which areas they
need to focus on for their own progress.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that in regards to the skills and knowledge
of an individual is significant in the present era. At present, the careers are based on the skills
and talents where open a wide opportunity for the youth to develop their overall personality as
per their interest. Therefore, it is suggested to all students or individual to work on some specific
skill that required by organisation in the job market. By learning these skill, individual can get a
respectable and high-level position efficiently.
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References:
Books and Journals
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Aldulaimi, S.H., 2018. Leadership soft skills in higher education institutions. Social Science
Learning Education Journal. 3(7). pp01-08.
Brown, L.S., 2018. Soft skill development in the higher education curriculum: A case study. IUP
Journal of Soft Skills. 12(4). pp7-29.
Chowdhury, V. and Nizam, N., 2018. Religiosity, gender, and study skills. College Student
Journal. 52(3). pp315-328.
Cottrell, S., 2019. The study skills handbook. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Cottrell, S., 2020. Teaching study skills and supporting learning. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Dawson, C., 2018. 100 Activities for Teaching Study Skills. 100 Activities for Teaching Study
Skills. pp1-376.
Hailikari, T., Katajavuori, N. and Asikainen, H., 2021. Understanding procrastination: A case of
a study skills course. Social Psychology of Education. 24(2). pp589-606.
Ibrahim, N.H., Masran, M.N. and Rahim, I.N.A., 2020. Student perception toward MOOC in
study skills class. International Journal of Education and Pedagogy. 2(2). pp56-63.
Landry, M.H., 2019. The Efficacy of Teaching Independent Study Skills Within English for
Academic Purposes Programs. BC TEAL Journal. 4(1). pp1-12.
Middendorf, J.C., 2018. Increasing Retention through Math Study Skills. Western Illinois
University.
Richards, K. and Pilcher, N., 2020. Study Skills: neoliberalism’s perfect Tinkerbell. Teaching in
Higher Education. pp1-17.
Shoaib, M., Abdullah, F. and Ali, N., 2021. A research visualization of academic learning skills
among students in higher education institutions: a bibliometric evidence from 1981 to
2020. Library Philosophy and Practice. 5579. pp1-34.
Tabuenca, B., Greller, W. and Verpoorten, D., 2022. Mind the gap: smoothing the transition to
higher education fostering time management skills. Universal Access in the Information
Society. 21(2). pp367-379.
Virtanen, A. and Tynjälä, P., 2018. Factors explaining the learning of generic skills: a study of
university students’ experiences. Teaching in Higher Education.
Wilson, Y.S., 2018. Impact of Math Study Skills Co-requisite Courses on Student Success in
Pre-Calculus at an Urban Community College.
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