Employability: A Process more than a Product

In a quest to be employable, students and to a large extent international students neglect the process of employability in favour of the short term gain of finding employment. This article puts forward an argument in favour of the taken for granted issues that may largely be neglected, but are important if students are to be employable, both on a short term to a long term basis.

Transferable skills have gained currency over the years especially as higher education expands rapidly. The expansion of student numbers has created a very competitive environment in the job market, not only for permanent jobs but also for part time jobs. As international students, our expectation and desire is to be able to be competitive and gain the part time jobs while we study or secure permanent ones upon completion of our studies. However, without paying attention to developing our transferable skills, the task will be more difficult. These are skills which can assist us to be effective in almost every job, no matter its status, and one can literally transfer them from one job to the other. Adaptability, interpersonal skills, communication, teamwork and independence are but some of the critical transferable skills one will need to develop and continually nurture. Can we adapt to a different organisation and its culture; are we interpersonally competent to effectively function in an entirely different environment, not only for the customers or clients of the organisation, but also within a team of colleagues? Can we effectively communicate, not only verbally but also written? Seemingly minor things like committing to listening, more than one speaks? The ability to be independent in mind while recognising the importance of teamwork in advancing organisational goals, is almost universal to employers.

Recognising the importance of transferable skills has to be accompanied by a desire on our part to find opportunities, however mundane, to develop them. A lot is already being said and will continue to be emphasised about the importance of students to involve themselves in organisations and clubs, both within the university and outside and actively participate. Immediately after I settled in Glasgow, I began actively seeking ways I could participate in activities or projects that interested me. I volunteered my time for the University Careers Service, where I had opportunities to further develop my teamwork skills in a multicultural context with students from all continents. My communication skills were to be further developed in joining a student travelling organisation, the International Student Society.

As much as participating non-academically enhances development of transferable skills, being active academically in ones course also boosts ones transferable skills. I can immediately remember a conscious effort not to stick to one group of students in group work, whether in self-initiated group work or sanctioned in a course. Opportunities abound academically to develop our transferable skills.  One further conscious effort I took was to take advantage of conferences and seminars that were open to students, and not only attend but participate. It is however also important to recognise that possession of transferable skills enhances ones chances of securing employment, not only during study but also beyond.

As much as we desire to secure employment, part time or full time, during or after completion of studies, harnessing our transferable skills is a long term investment, hence my description of it as process. Part of this process is readying for and adapting to the labour market, including in our home country, because it is a reality for some of us international students. What better way than to edge forward and be vigilant to the trends, development and needs of our home country labour market. However we may opt to move forward in our quest to be employable, a healthy introspection would make the employability process either in Scotland and UK, home country or anywhere one chooses, easier. This involves identifying why you need employment in the first place and what your goals are. A consideration of these issues is likely to spark another question of the implications of your choices on your studies, and socially. The National Union of Students (NUS) has found in a study that students who work primarily to maintain their daily needs are highly likely to work during term time at a great cost to their studies and social life. They also found that students who work to maintain a social life and a lifestyle are likely to work during vacations and to no major impact on their studies. The detailed findings of the study can be found here, http://www.nus.org.uk/PageFiles/4017/NUS_StudentExperienceReport.pdf. The introspection, also an on-going process will require an honest assessment of skills repertoire, and how ones goals fit in with ones skills. The juncture, at which the goals and skills intersect, is an entry point in a lifelong journey of developing and nurturing ones transferable skills.

It is important to pay attention to the issues raised here, and they are continually emphasised in different forms and forums because they are key to not only surviving the contemporary labour market, but also being competitive. Carrying expectations without careful analysis or simply responding to reality is not only unhelpful but a waste of the boundless opportunities that exist to harness ones employability and reap the maximum benefit from ones Glasgow University experience.

Donah Letlhogonolo Lekwati

Postgraduate student, MSc Educational Studies

What is a PhD like – a student’s perspective

I am now in the final year of my PhD in biomedical research here at the University of Glasgow and I have found it a very rewarding experience. Of course, you need to work hard and every year the graduate school expects PhD students to hand in reports, present posters and attend skills courses. And in my particular field, as most projects are experimental and lab-based, you are expected to show up and work in the lab every day. So there is not a lot of room for a part time job, for example.

But there is a large network of PhD and Master’s students and I have found the community and support very enjoyable and helpful. Every project has good times and bad times, but in most cases it is worth fighting through setbacks, you will learn a lot.

My grad school (Institute for Biomedical and Life Sciences) is very well organised and all students receive as much guidance as they want. The annual deadlines, reports and meetings with course coordinators ensure that problems are dealt with and the students are encouraged and supported so they can complete the project in 3 to 4 years.

So if you are considering a PhD in Life Sciences, I can only recommend it. If you are a little curious, willing to learn and to “get stuck in” to a project, this might be the right choice for you. And you don’t need a lot of experience, in the lab for example, this is what the PhD is for and it is incredible what you learn along the way.

Daniela Tonn, 3rd year PhD IBLS

Try Studying in Groups

Study groups are an excellent way to make your revision more sociable and help you to stay motivated. They are small circles of students dedicated to mutual learning throughout the academic year.

What is the point?

The concept might sound geeky, but they will make learning easier and more fun. The advantages of being in a study group are:

- You can learn material better while presenting it to other people
- It is easier to listen to your friends’ presentations than to cover every topic on your own
- Compare notes with your friends’ and fill in gaps
- Ask questions if you did not have courage at the lecture
- Study groups allow you to gain motivation to work more systematically
- You can exchange journal articles and references
- Study groups make revision less boring and more sociable 

What to do?

There are many ways to organise a study group. You may decide to revise for exams, discuss books and articles, or simply go through the lecture content with your friends. During a meeting you may want to give and listen to presentations, solve excersises and answer sample exam questions, create diagrams or simply discuss a topic. It is also up to you how often do you meet. From my experience, it is best to meet once a week for two hours, but it is heavily dependent on the course you study.

How to keep it alive?

If you decide to set up a study group, it is important to make sure it will survive. It is people who make up the group, so ensure that you ask those colleagues who will contribute positively. Gather friends who are motivated and will prepare for meetings. It is better to have too few people than too many: try not to exceed six.

It is also wise to keep it organised. Decide on the topics to cover on each meeting in advance and take turns at giving talks or preparing materials. This way you will make the most out of your group and gain more motivation to learn.

Anna Dzieciol, 3rd year Psychology