. . .

YOU as you are now

You should aim to spend a total of four hours working on the activities suggested in this
part of the YOU Plan.

1.1 YOU Now – Your skills and what you aim to get from Tomorrow’s Managers (TM)

It’s no secret that graduate employers expect you to have a range of skills and personal
qualities in addition to the good degree you are aiming for.

Although different employers will require different skills, it’s fair to expect their ‘wish-list’
to include skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and taking initiative.

Therefore you will need to ensure that you have the right blend of skills and that you are
able to evidence them (eg: give examples where you have demonstrated such skills).

Activity One – Skills analysis

Using the Skills analysis overleaf, identify the skills and personal qualities you already
have. List these skills/qualities in the Strengths column. Then identify your areas for
development and any skills gaps that you have. List these in the Weaknesses column).

In the box entitled ‘Evidence of Strengths’, list examples when you have demonstrated
the skills and/or qualities mentioned in the Strengths column. Take around 10 minutes to
complete this activity.

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 Tomorrow’s Managers Skill Analysis

Examples

What are your current strengths relating to personal and career development? Reflect upon:

 skills and skills gaps,

 qualities,
 work experience or lack of,
 qualifications.
Strengths Weaknesses

Extremely good IT skills Being a debater

Work experience Procrastination
Intuitive
Team player

Evidence of Strengths

Use this section to provide examples (evidence) of how you demonstrated your strengths listed
above. For example:

‘I demonstrated interpersonal skills by communicating effectively to staff and visitors during

voluntary work at a conservation centre.’

I have used computers from a young age and have an over average ability with most
software, hardware and operating systems. A practical example of this would be that I have
built every computer I’ve used since the age of 14.

I worked part time throughout college and then full time in my gap year at a busy McDonald’s
service station. This experience was fairly grounding, but has given me invaluable tertiary
sector experience from the ground up, which could come in handy working in the business
environment.

I have played a number of team sports over the years including cricket, football and rugby. I
played rugby for 6 years as part of the pack of forwards, which involves working as a team of
eight to secure the ball around the breakdowns in play.

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Activity Two – Personal objectives

What do you want to get out of TM? Based on your Skills Analysis, list three personal
objectives that you should be able to check progress on after completing the
programme. These might be addressing your weaknesses (as mentioned in your Skills
Analysis earlier), finding out more about a particular management career, building up
skills evidence for your CV or simply trying out something new. Come up with your own
TM objectives and list them below. Take around 5 minutes to complete this activity.

Building up my CV to become a more favourable applicant.

To gain an insight into what non-academic skills companies are looking for.

To gain more of an insight into the business environment.

1.2 YOU, the potential manager

Most students have met managers at one time or another. This may be in your part-time
or vacation job when you have reported to one (or even covered for one), it may be as a
consumer or service user, or it may be through friends or relatives in management
positions.

Activity Three – Management skills

From your knowledge or experience of managers list their typical range of

duties/responsibilities in the first column of the table below. These may include, for
example, checking and improving quality or implementing changes in work processes.
Try to use your own examples based on your experience. Take around 5 minutes to
complete this activity.

Then list the key skills managers are likely to need to carry out the duties you listed in the
first column. Some skills may be needed for most, or all, of the duties you listed. Take
around 5 minutes to complete this activity.

Managers’ typical duties/responsibilities Skills needed

Motivating Staff Enthusiasm / Drive
Ensuring Quality Team Building
Improving / Optimizing Work Positive Attitude
Ordering / Stocking Up Understanding of the Business
Ensuring Profits Knowledge of Finance

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1.3 YOU and career planning

This part is divided into two sections: Finding Out About Yourself and Finding Out About
the Opportunities. Both are important and you may already have worked on them as
part of your career planning.

When completing the activities it is up to you to decide where you need to concentrate
your efforts and how to use the resources we signpost you to. The suggested time
allocations for each activity can be adjusted accordingly, but we suggest you spend
around three hours working on them in total.

1.3.1 Finding out about yourself

Activity Four - What factors affect your career choice?

Think about the things that will influence the career you decide to enter. Some factors
will be positive; some will restrict your choices. Jot them down below. Take around 5
minutes to brainstorm your ideas.

From studying business I already know roughly what career choice to consider. My
strengths lie heavily with the written word and as such I want to have a job that allows
me to be creative such as advertising or marketing. Similarly I know my weaknesses lie
more towards the financial side of business, primarily because I took four humanities at
sixth form.

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 Now look at the chart below. Does the list provide any more ideas about the factors
which might affect your career decision-making?
Friends
Opinions Skills
Family Responsibilities

Ambitions
Debt

Self-image and Confidence

Mobility

Fears and Doubts

University or College status

Degree Result Factors affecting your

Career Choice

Experiences of Life and Work Personality

Areas of Knowledge
Partner /Relationships

Availability of Financial Support

Networks and Contacts

Abilities
Interests

Other Personal Factors Values and Beliefs

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Activity Five – Now refine what factors affect your career choice

List below the three main factors you think will influence your career choice.

1. Interests, a passion for reading and creative writing / creating.

2. Abilities, strength in writing, aforementioned weakness with financial numeracy.

3. Degree result, achieving a first or a 2.1 to become desirable to employees.

Take around 5 minutes to complete this activity.

Activity Six - Other things you need to know about yourself

Check the list below to get an idea about other aspects of your make-up that are likely to
affect your career choice. Understanding these should help you make the right career
decisions; they will also be explored by graduate recruiters in application forms,
interviews and assessment centres.

Spend around 15 minutes making notes about yourself in the right-hand column. Include
doodles, mind-maps or sketches if it helps you to generate ideas and clarify your thinking.

Past experience NOTES

This can include previous employment, Working at McDonald’s part time and then full time
your educational experience and the over a period of 3 years.
Liked – Working in a team, sociability offered by
things you have done during your leisure
other young colleges, the autonomy created by being
time. Try listing the experiences and what
given jobs of higher importance and responsibility,
you liked and disliked about them. Can you such as the stores delivery or crew training.
spot any consistent themes? Disliked – The constant pressure, speed and demand
of the retail sector, especially over a 9 hour shift.
Dealing with and being berated by angry members of
the public

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 Doing a two week work experience at Trend, a
company specialising in environmental heating
systems for businesses.
Liked – Working with electronics in a semi-
independent fashion.
Disliked – More administrative tasks like data
inputting.

Constant Like Of: Independence, creativity,

responsibility,
Constant Dislike of: Dealing with complaints, menial
or uninteresting administrative tasks.

Interests: creative role, independence, flexible work

Interests and values environment, responsibility and delegation of work to
From your experience can you identify any all employees.
consistent interests in the activities you
enjoy, the roles you play or the things that
are important to you? Try drawing up a
checklist of important career criteria (e.g.
status, community involvement, workplace
settings) and defining what YOU mean by
the criteria you choose.

Clear Expression
Abilities and aptitudes Intuitive
Unlike skills (which we can learn) these are Thinker/planner as opposed to someone who relies
things that tend to come naturally (e.g. on senses or perceptions
Strong debater
using words or numbers). They may well
Good communicator
have already influenced your choice of
education and the things you enjoy doing.
Try listing them and thinking how they
might connect to career options.

Work best on my own or in a small team where I am

Personality or personal style able to get my views across. Mainly excel at creating,
The way you approach tasks may reflect leading, planning/strategising.
your personality and skills. How would
you (and others) describe the way you do
things and the way you best work?

Resources to help you find out about yourself and the options available

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 Resource What it does Using it

Prospects Planner Helps you assess your Access via www.prospects.ac.uk then ‘Jobs
computer guidance skills and career and work experience’ then ‘What Jobs Would
programme interests; generates Suit Me?’ Takes up to 30 minutes to
job ideas complete.

Career Planning Student Development Access via www.le.ac.uk/studentdevelopment

web page explores Then click on ‘Develop your career…More’,
different aspects of then ‘Career planning’
career choice

Activity Seven – Checking out the resources

Spend some time checking out the above, looking at what they offer and which would be
most useful for you. Talk to other students who have used them and then use one of the
resources to generate job ideas. Spend at least 60 minutes on this activity.

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1.3.2 Finding out about the opportunities

Most graduates enter one of the following broad options:

Option Notes

Employment  Market researcher

 Advertising account planner
 Advertising copywriter
 Media buyer
 Marketing executive

Further study (usually at postgraduate MA/MSc in Marketing

level)

Employment and study combined

Taking time out (e.g. to travel, to do

volunteering)

Activity Eight – Evaluating your options

How do you feel about the different options? Use the Notes column to jot down your
initial thoughts e.g. what you think are the pros and cons of each option. If you are
satisfied that you have already considered the options move on to check the resources
listed below. Take around 5 minutes to complete this activity.

Resource Where to find it

Prospects – ‘Your degree, what next?’ See www.prospects.ac.uk

Select ‘Careers Advice’, then ‘Standing out’, then
‘Your degree, what next?’
Prospects - ‘Options with your Subject’ See www.prospects.ac.uk
Select ‘Careers Advice’, then ‘Options With Your
Subject’
Prospects – ‘Industry insights’ Available at www.prospects.ac.uk
See ‘Jobs and work experience’, then ‘Industry
insights’
Prospects – ‘Types of jobs’ See www.prospects.ac.uk Select ‘Jobs and Work

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 experience, then ‘Types of jobs’
Prospects – ‘Job sectors’ See www.prospects.ac.uk Select ‘Job sectors’

Activity Nine – Postgraduate study. Why do it?

List your main reasons for considering this option. Take around 5 minutes to complete
this activity.

 To gain specialised knowledge in a field.

 To demonstrate capability of advanced study to employees.

 To appeal more to employees.

If your main reason is to postpone entry to the job market you could be heading in the
wrong direction. Try to be clear about the benefits of further study for you in career
terms or in developing your subject knowledge.

Postgraduate study – what are the options?

In broad terms they can be summarised as follows:

Course type Example Funding options

Taught courses including MA/MSc in Marketing UK/EU and International

Masters or Postgraduate student scholarships
Diploma
MBA loans
combining study with work
Research courses including
Masters, MPhil and PhD

Activity Ten – Postgraduate study. Finding out more

Use the resources listed below to research one example of a taught postgraduate and
research course that might interest you. Also find out about the funding that might be
available. Note your findings in the table above. Spend up to 45 minutes on this activity.

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Sources of information on postgraduate study

Resource Comments

Prospects - ‘Postgraduate Study’ www.prospects.ac.uk

See ‘Postgraduate Study’ section.
Prospects Postgrad Funding Guide Same as above
Prospects Postgrad Directories Same as above
Student Development Website www.le.ac.uk/studentdevelopment
See ‘Develop your career’, then ‘Plan
your future,’ and then ‘Further study.’

Taking time out – options and issues

As with postgraduate study, it is important to be clear about your reasons for considering
this option. Think about how you would explain these to an employer on an application
form or at interview.

Option Advantages Disadvantages

Independent/self-organised travel Break between work and Often reflects badly with
or work overseas study. employees if you go from
Gain another language. university and then travel
Gain independence. before finding work.

Overseas work or travel through an Structured programme Less independence then

exchange programme (eg CIEE, provides stability. self organized trip.
BUNAC)

Voluntary work in UK (e.g. CSV) Altruism is often attractive Unpaid, living expenses,
to employees. more debt.

Mixed time out portfolio (e.g. part- Gain both education and Could become quite over
time work, voluntary work, part- work experience bearing with the stress of
time study) two different priorities.

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Activity Eleven – Taking time out - pros and cons

Use the resource list on the next page to work out some of the advantages and
disadvantages of the various time out options. Note your thoughts down in the table
above. Spend around 20 minutes on this activity.

Sources of information on taking time out

Resource Notes

Prospects – ‘Gap year’ www.prospects.ac.uk See ‘Student life,’

then see ‘Gap year’
Student Development websites www.le.ac.uk/studentdevelopment - See
‘Develop your career,’ then search ‘A-Z’ for
‘Gap year’

What can I actually do with my degree?

In fact over 40% of all graduate jobs are estimated to be open to graduates from ‘any
discipline’. Despite this, certain degrees are seen as appropriate for some graduate
careers, either directly related or because the degree is considered useful.

Activity Twelve – Using your degree

See www.prospects.ac.uk. To view information on the careers related to your degree

course expand ‘Careers Advice’, then click on ‘Options with your subject’. Record the
‘directly-related’ and ‘degree useful’ careers on the website. What are your initial
reactions to them? Had you previously considered them? Try not to dismiss them out of
hand before finding out more about them using the resources signposted from the
website. Spend around 30 minutes on this activity.

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Careers related to your degree

Career Initial reaction/Notes

Management consultant - The idea of altering and examining business strategy does
provides objective advice, appeal to me, the outside ‘advisor’ role also means I
expertise and specialist skills with would have more flexibility in my job and more
the aim of creating value, autonomy.
maximising growth or improving
the business performance of their
clients. Consultants operate across
a variety of services and are
primarily concerned with the
strategy, structure, management
and operations of an
organisation. 

Marketing executive - develops Definitely appeals, the idea of create and implementing
marketing campaigns that stratergy, as well as product development and research.
promote a product, service or
idea. The role includes planning,
advertising, public relations,
organising events, product
development, distribution,
sponsorship and research.

Doesn’t appeal at all, lots of numeracy work and

Chartered accountant - provides uninteresting calculations.
trustworthy information about
financial records. They may be
involved in financial reporting,
audit/assurance, tax, corporate
finance or accounting systems and
processes. Generally, they play a
strategic role by providing
professional advice, aiming to
maximise profitability on behalf of
their client or employer.

Would probably involve a lot of uninteresting and

Human resources officer - potentially unpopular tasks. Would be able to do the job
develops, advises on and but wouldn’t have an interest or passion for the field.
implements policies for the

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 effective deployment of an
organisation’s human resources
(HR). The work may involve
recruitment and selection, training
and development, employee
relations and discipline, pay and
conditions, departmental
restructuring and diversity.

Advertising account executive - Does appeal, but would prefer to be creating campaigns
works for an advertising agency rather than appeasing clients.
that serves outside clients, acts as
a link between client and agency
and coordinates the client’s
campaigns.

What do graduates with your degree actually do?

There are two ways you can find out about this:

See the University of Leicester graduate destination data (Destination of Leavers from
Higher Education – DLHE) for your degree subject. Universities collect this information
annually. It presents a ‘warts and all’ summary of jobs actually entered by graduates
from your degree programme. Don’t be put off if they include non-graduate
destinations. Many of the graduates who are still in low-level jobs at the time of the
destination survey (six months after graduation) move onto graduate-level jobs at a later
stage. This information is available on the Student Development website at
www.le.ac.uk/studentdevelopment - see ‘Develop your Career,’ Search the A-Z for
‘Desinations of Leavers Survey.’

See What do Graduates Do? This annual publication summarises national destination
data for graduates in different subject areas and gives useful information on the types of
jobs entered and employment trends. This information is available on the Prospects
website at www.prospects.ac.uk – select ‘Careers Advice’ then ‘What do Graduates Do?’

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Activity Thirteen – Checking out graduate destinations

See last year’s destination data for your programme and use the table below to list the
main types of occupation entered and employers taking on graduates from your degree.
This should give you an insight into the actual opportunities available after your course.
Spend around 30 minutes on this activity.

Destination data for graduates in Management

Graduating in year 08/09

Main occupations listed Main types of employer

Business Development; Graduate Analyst Abracardabra

Chartered Accountant Harrow Council

ManagerCustomer Services Officer Lloyds Banking Group

Marketing Assistant Associated British Foods

Deutsche Bank
Personal Banking Manager
Savvides Institute
Marketing Coordinator

Well done. You have now completed Part One of the TM programme. The activities
should have given you an informed perspective on how the person you are is likely to
affect your career choice, the range of options available and the kind of opportunities
taken up by graduates from your course.

Now you should be ready to make the most of the opportunities to develop your skills
and explore management on the Tomorrow’s Managers course on 4th and 5th April. It is
essential that you bring these completed sheets with you to the course on the 4th April
as they form part of the course materials.

DON’T FORGET TO BRING THIS WITH YOU!

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