Create an Experiences Log

Logging all your experiences helps you to remember the things you have done, the skills you have developed and the evidence for these. When it comes to writing an application or preparing for an interview, everything you’ve done will be readily available so you can find the information you need.

It’s important that you find a way that works for you – this could be creating a table, writing a list, recording voice notes or filming a video. MySkills has a tool that you can use to record your experiences. It also brings together all the training you attend via MySkills so you don’t miss anything out!

Start your own experiences log

Reflecting on your experiences can also help you identify gaps in your skills and find ways to develop skills you will need in the future. If you find a gap in your experience, head to MySkills to search for training and student leader opportunities to develop these skills.

Find new opportunities

What experiences have you had?

Being a student leader is full of experiences that can be used when applying for a job or course, or in an interview. These could include –

• Organising an event for your group,
• Chairing a meeting,
• Gathering feedback from students on your course or in your halls,
• Running a PAL session or training session,
• Evaluating how an event, PAL session or training session went,
• Demonstrating active listening skills when supporting your mentee,
• Working as a team to organise an event, activity, or campaign,

All these experiences help you develop skills that future employers will be looking for and give you examples that will help you demonstrate these skills clearly.

STAR

It can be difficult to start reflecting on your experiences, so it can be useful to start with a simple structure. Lots of people use the STAR method for talking about their skills and experiences on applications and interviews, so try to make some notes on each of these points. 

• Scenario – briefly outline what the situation is you will be talking about. Provide enough detail here so you can remember what happened!
• Task – outline the task you needed to complete and what the aims of this task was.
• Action – outline the steps you took to complete the task. If you worked with a team, focus on the things you did as well as the things your team did together. This should be the main focus of what you write.
• Result – outline the outcomes of the task. You could mention measures of success, the impact your actions made or how you evaluated your results.

Learn about reflective Writing

The Skills Centre have put together an online module to help you explore how to reflect on your experiences through writing. Find out more about the module and start working through it on MySkills.

Sell your experiences on LinkedIn

Developing your LinkedIn profile is a great way to reflect on what you've done in your role. Find out more about how to develop your LinkedIn profile to sell your experiences on our LinkedIn blog.

Speak to a Careers Adviser

You can speak to a Careers Adviser if you want help with writing your CV, preparing for an interview, working out what to do after University or any other careers-related issues.