Introduction to Consulting Skills for Work Experience

Overview

Consulting skills are a valuable tool in students’ and graduates’ work experience portfolios. Whether you go on to be an employee of a business, freelancer, or CEO of a registered business, the ability to provide new insights, elicit and gather information, solve problems, and come up with ideas is invaluable in today's job market. 

This masterclass is designed to emphasise the importance of consulting skills for quality work experience during university and after graduating. Learners will grasp the importance of developing consulting skills and how these skills can be used in a working environment. 

Course Overview

This masterclass will cover:

• Tips to ensure a successful work experience/ internship/ placement/ part-time job, including, how to build successful professional relationships, communicate effectively, conduct yourself professionally and respond to change
• How to understand client needs and issues
• The importance of consulting skills in a working environment
• The importance of ethics in the workplace
• How to recognise opportunities to stand out during a work experience placement
• The work experience opportunities available to Staffordshire University students and graduates

Attending this course will better prepare learners for work experience, whether that would be an internship, placement, part-time or even a full-time job after graduation, by offering practical examples of how consulting skills have been used during work experience.

Course Aims

Skills gained:

• Problem-solving and implementing solutions
• Responding to changes and trends in the market
• Project Management skills
• Leadership skills
• Nonverbal and verbal communication skills
• Self-confidence
• Professionalism

Knowledge gained:

• Developing new skills, knowledge, and capabilities
• Identifying opportunities
• Ethics in the workplace
• Understanding client needs
• Building professional relationships
• Techniques for identifying business innovation and growth

Benefits 

The learner will leave the session with:

• Key principles for conducting themselves professionally within the workplace will improve how they are perceived by their manager and peers
• Soft skills which can be transferred across a variety of industries and disciplines
• A strong understanding of how to navigate a client’s needs and expectations
• Opportunities to apply learnt skills in work experience
• Knowledge of ethics, recognising opportunities, and applying skills
• The chance to network and build connections to take beyond university

Award

On completion of this masterclass, learners will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Funding

The Staffordshire E-Skills & Entrepreneurship Gateway (SEGway) is part funded by the European Social Fund.