Pathways Career Development Programme – open for next cohort

We are taking the names and details of those that would like to start the next Pathways Programme, starting in the New Year.

Pathways is a Career Development Programme with the aim to provide colleagues within professional services departments the opportunity to increase their self-awareness, learn and develop new skills and create knowledge so that they can define their career pathways.

The next session of the Pathways programme will be delivered through a blended approach using staff training Moodle for the eLearning modules and MS Teams.

Below are the details of the programme

Programme aims & benefits

The programme aims to prepare individuals who wish to define their career aspirations as they may be at a crossroads and unclear how to make the next steps.  The programme and facilitation is designed to support and help participants to:

  • Identify strengths and development opportunities
  • Understand what they want from their career including one to one Career Coaching
  • Identify opportunities to assist in achieving the identified career pathway
  • Provide practical skills in CV writing, applying for roles and attending interviews

The programme will also bring benefit to the wider university by providing attendees greater connections from other areas.

 Content

  • Introduction
    • Motivational factors
    • Strengths and Development Needs
    • Enhancers and inhibitors
    • Learning styles
    • Signposting opportunities
    • Development Goals – Personal pathway exploring interests and career aspirations
  • One to One Career Coaching – opportunity to have one to one with a career coach to start to define the participant’s Pathway
  • CV Writing
    • Purpose of a CV
    • What to include, what not to include
    • Personal statements
    • Promoting yourself – Online
  • Making the Application
    • Identifying transferrable skills
    • Providing examples of essential criteria/skills
  • Interview Skills
    • What to expect and how to prepare
    • Giving a good interview
    • Personal presence
    • Structuring answers and questions
  • Putting it into practice
    • Mock interview and feedback

Key underpinning principles

The key underpinning principles of the programme

Self-Awareness: Those who know their strengths and development opportunities, leading to high self-awareness leads to humility rather than overconfidence. Self-awareness is a predictor of overall success. To know where you want to go and to understand strengths and weaknesses self-awareness is required

Personal responsibility: Taking conscious control of your responses to the events and circumstances in your life. You are responsible for yourself, whether you like it or not. What you do with your life and what you have done already is up to you. You are nevertheless responsible for how you think, act, and feel in response to those things. Your career pathway is an area where you need to take responsibility

Programme Commitments

The programme consists of workshops where the participants’ full commitment will be critical to the programme’s overall success and to ensure the full benefits for the participant. Once a person is confirmed on the programme, detailed joining instructions to explain how the programme is delivered via Moodle and MS Teams will be issued.

Next Steps

If you feel this programme would support your current career situation, please send an email to Loretta Finch, outlining the reasons why this would benefit you, please ensure that your line manager supports your request to join the next cohort by copying them into the email you send to Loretta.  

The closing date for applications is Friday 26 November 2021 – there are 10 spaces available.

Please note this programme is open to all professional services staff members, including those that are on a fixed-term contract.

Contact Loretta Finch via MS Teams or email l.finch@kent.ac.uk