ICE - Development Opportunities - Communication skills

USE THIS PAGE TO COMPLETE COLUMNS 4, 5 AND 6 OF YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

College Opportunities

Your course will provide you with the chance to practice your communication skills so make the most of the following opportunities:

• Giving presentations
• Participating in tutorial discussions
• Undertaking written projects
• Taking an essay based Humanities Course

Also, try to get involved in committee work as this can give you the opportunity to express your views in front of others and present to a group:

• Contact your Departmental/Divisional administrator for information about staff/student committees.
• Try the Students' Union website for information about club and society committees.
• Consider becoming involved in your Faculty student union.

Finally, Ann Shearer, the College's Writing Fellow, can advice you on how to improve your writing skills. She is in College on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and you can phone Anna Hikel on extension 46002 at any time to make an appointment.

Employer Opportunities

Employers are keen to ensure that students leave university with good communication skills and so encourage students to participate in a number of activities:

Activity	Where to find further information
Mock Interview Sessions	Careers Service Notice Boards and Publications
Employer Led Workshops	"Career Choice" booklet from Careers Service
Internships/ Company Placements	"Internships Directory" from Careers Service
Company Placements	Shell Step Placements

Work Experience Opportunities

Probably the most effective way of improving and demonstrating your communication skills is to work with members of the public. Think about doing a summer job, or student exchange projects abroad. Voluntary work with children also offers an excellent chance to test your communication skills.  Any of the following websites is a good starting point for finding out about the opportunities available, as is the Careers Service itself, which holds lots of literature and reference books on this subject.

Working Abroad/ Exchanges

Bunac - worldwide working adventures
Camp America - holiday camp work
Technical Exchange - exchanges students for practical experience relevant to their studies
AIESEC - worldwide exchanges
CIEE - international education exchanges

Voluntary/ Charity Work

Student Volunteering UK - UK national organisation of local volunteering groups.
Voluntary Jobs - extensive list of voluntary, charity and conservation organisations’ websites
CSV organisation UK - UK charity for volunteering, education and training

Working with Children

Pimlico Connection - tutoring in local schools.
Kith with Kids - participate in activities, projects or organisational support for fundraising
Students Partnership Worldwide - voluntary work in Africa and Asia

General Careers websites often post details of vacancies for summer or part time jobs as well:

Prospects

Imperial College Careers Service

North West Students and Graduates Online

Work-experience.org

Short Course Opportunities

If you are looking for some communication theory as well as practice, there are a number of short courses available on writing skills or communication; some are professional management type courses, whilst others may lead to qualifications. Take a look at the following websites for more information:

Floodlight

World of Training

You could also try contacting local adult education colleges in your area.

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