Education : Your skills

Education courses vary in content and depth but will generally equip students with knowledge of some of the following areas:

• educational issues;
• theories of learning;
• equality and diversity;
• education policy and practice;
• comparative studies of educational institutions in the UK and elsewhere;
• creativity and education;
• understanding of education in social, political and economic contexts.

Studying education allows you to develop a broad range of skills that are highly regarded by employers. In particular there are opportunities to develop some of the following transferable skills:

• communication skills - presenting effective oral and written arguments;
• information, communication and technology skills (ICT) - using and often applying skills in word processing, databases, internet communications, information retrieval and online research;
• numeracy skills - interpreting and presenting relevant numerical information;
• working with others - as a result of developing interpersonal skills, planning skills and teamwork;
• self-management skills - reflecting on, managing and planning your own time, improving your own learning and performance;
• analytical skills - being able to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and identify problems and solutions.

If your course includes training for qualified teacher status (QTS), you will also develop the skills and knowledge you will need when teaching in a classroom, and which comply with national standards set by the Department for Education . These include planning, monitoring and assessing pupils’ work, and classroom performance and management. You will develop a professional development profile which demonstrates your progress and achievements in a reflective practitioner style.

Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. Take a look at job application advice for some useful tips.