SMILE
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Unit 12: Preparing for placement

What do you aim to achieve?

Work Culture

To maximise your understanding of how organisations work and the relative benefits of different work cultures. Click on the grey box below for some examples:

Some activities to help you understand work cultures which you can carry out in the workplace
  • Understand the way the organisation works, for example, how decisions are made.
  • Make the most of the experience (you might not get another chance!).
  • Take precautions! think about health and insurance.
  • Learn how to fit in, you could develop an appropriate sense of humour.
  • Try something new - take risks or embark on a new venture.
  • Be sensitive to cultural differences in the work place.
  • Stay positive, have a good time and enjoy yourself.
  • Develop a professional approach - accountable, disciplined, responsible and punctual.
  • Be prepared to volunteer, get involved in other projects and opportunities.
  • Learn how to manage the boss.
  • Gain a sense of the politics - note who holds the power.
  • Learn to make sound judgements about work and colleagues

People Skills

To gain a broad range of people, team, and client skills, whilst maximising the learning from individuals in a variety of work situations. Click on the grey box below for some examples:

Some workplace activities to help develop your people skills
  • Develop a network of useful contacts. Meet lots of people and make new friends.
  • Learn to delegate.
  • Improve team working skills.
  • Improve communication skills, such as giving presentations and listening.
  • Improve interpersonal skills, such as your ability to interact with a wider range of people.
  • Develop an ability to lead others, for example, manage people in a team.
  • Learn to deal with colleagues, including the difficult ones.
  • Develop persuasion skills.
  • Develop effective negotiation skills.
  • Learn to accept and apply criticism.
  • Develop assertiveness.
  • Recognise group dynamics and team roles

Creative Commons License
SMILE - Preparing for Placement by Leeds Metropolitan University Employability Office, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/metoffice/employability/resources/learning_objects/workexperience/index.htm.