Applying for part time diploma courses is not something you automatically decide on. After all, you don’t want to end up depleting your SkillsFuture $500 on a crappy course. It requires assessing the current skills that you have, discovering skills that you have developed but are not aware of, and developing new ones to keep you upgraded at your job.
In order to perform a good skills self-assessment, get a pen and paper for jotting down notes and then ask yourself the following questions...
“What knowledge/skills do I have right now?”
First of all, think about what knowledge and skills you have been using that are enabling you to effectively perform your job. This does not include whatever skills you have learned throughout the years in school. Jot down all of these skills and rank them according to importance. If one skill has not been upgraded in some time, you might want to consider taking a training course.
“Did I develop additional skills while on the job?”
The next step is to examine how you have been performing at your job. Unless you look closely at your current skills, you wouldn’t realize that you have developed other useful skills as an offshoot. For example, if you are in the field of products and services, you may already be aware that you are good in explaining to suppliers and clients the various offerings of your company. What you don’t know is that in the process of communicating with various people in the supply chain, you have developed excellent negotiation skills which have enabled you to secure lucrative deals for your company. These offshoot skills increase your value to your employer, and it is important to hone them further by getting yourself an education.
“What do I want out of my job?”
Once you have your list of skills, determine what exactly you want out of your job. Obviously, everyone wants to get promoted and get a higher salary. You might also want to consider how satisfied you are at your job. Do you find yourself stuck at your desk all day, but deep inside you want to communicate with clients? Do you want to put greater input into improving the work environment for all? Perhaps there are unfair conditions in your company which you know you can change if you possess the skills to initiate such changes? Make a list of all the things you want changed or done in the future and rank them based on your personal priorities.
“Can you tell me more about myself?”
A part of self-assessment is knowing how your bosses and co-workers view your job performance. Get their feedback, both positive and negative. Ask for advice on how you can improve and what courses you can take.
Use the knowledge you have gained in your self-assessment to narrow down your choices of part time courses.
