3 What learning experiences have I had?

Most people would agree that work experience is very important when considering future career directions, but it’s easy to take yourself for granted and not recognise the wide range of capabilities that you have developed throughout your life. For example, what hobbies do you have or have you had in the past? Not everyone can turn their hobby into a career – although a growing number of people are doing just that – but the activities you do in your spare time could help you to demonstrate capabilities that can be useful in the workplace.

Skills in verbal and written communication, numeracy, information technology, time management and fluency in a foreign language are all examples of skills (and you can probably think of many more) that can be developed through leisure activities or formal and informal study and then used in the workplace. These are usually called ‘transferable skills’ and are often acquired through experience. You don’t necessarily need to have a formal qualification, just some evidence to demonstrate that you have them.

You will have learned a huge amount through your work (paid or unpaid), leisure and study experiences by noticing how you feel about different tasks, or how well you perform particular activities compared to other people. You may also have learned from others, either through formal appraisal and assessment or from informal comments and reactions.

The next activity helps you to focus on your work and non-work experience, and will be useful when writing a CV and preparing for interviews.