What we can do for you and your program
Career Management Skills (CMS)
CMS, or the Career Management Skills, are a set of practical, knowledge based abilities that are developed in students which better positions them for their initial entry into and ongoing endurance within the world of work as a professional in their chosen career field. Seminal research by Law and Watts (1977) identified four elements or stages (the DOTS model) an individual needs to master for ongoing successful career management:
- D: Decision Learning
- O: Opportunity Awareness
- T: Transition Learning
- S: Self Awareness
UniSA's Career Services distils the four stages into three - generally linked to students' first, second and third years of study:
- Knowing one's self ('Where am I now?': values, interests, etc.)
- Exploring options and deciding what to do ('Where do I want to get to?': career options; labour market; knowledge, skills and attributes required)
- Taking action ('How do I get there?': networking; finding the jobs; application process - resumes, cover letter, selection criteria; interview skills).
Career Services has mapped these against the Australian Blueprint of Career Development which is soon to be introduced as the National Standard of Competencies for career development across Australia.
At each stage, material is delivered in program in the form of lectures and tutorials, supported by out of program activities such as: weekly resume writing workshops; one-on-one career consultations; targeted, weekly emails to student groups containing labour market information, annual Career Expo; annual International Student Expos; on campus Employer forums.
Material covered in curriculum is specifically aligned to curriculum content and takes into account any requirements of the lecturer. Career Services has listed examples of both program and course level initiatives; see Examples of best practice and Academic Staff Testimonials for more information.
Why include CMS in your program/course?
The value of CMS to students is self evident but there are numerous reasons as to why CMS and indeed Career Services can be of value to you, your course and/or your program. Here are a few.
Career Management Skills:
- Aligns curriculum to the world of work/ future career for students.
- Enhances graduate outcomes which in turn assists with program/course review continuation of the program/course.
- Provides 'whole of picture' approach to the program/potential career.
- Enables an ability to make closer links with employers - important for both students and lecturer.
- Can reinforce aspects of the curriculum (e.g. professional practice, practical skills writing, oral presentation).
- Assists with fulfilling 'Graduate Qualities' requirements of the curriculum.
- Provides a link with Career Services and therefore better access to work environment, employer, labour market information and resources.
- Provides an avenue for individual academics' professional, specialist and expertise input into another area of teaching/student learning.
- Team teaching opportunity with a Careers Adviser.
- Complies with University-wide Careers Strategy.