APPLYING PSYCHOLOGY TO WORK

DESIGNING A PORTFOLIO

PART 2 Identifying individual differences

INTRODUCTION
In Part 1 we explored the competencies required for the role. In this next section we will help you to
explore your individual differences. These will help you to understand your strengths. Strengths can
be useful in preparing your resume and also when you are asked to describe yourself at an
interview.

Remember that at various points throughout the guide you will see two icons:

This means that you must complete the exercise in order to move forward in the task

This means that as well as completing the exercise you should submit it for your
portfolio assessment.

In essence there are four things you will be required to submit:

1. An analysis of a job advertisement
2. Analysis of your strengths
3. A resume
4. A set of interview questions with your best STAR responses

PART 2: Making Individual Differences Work for you

Over the past 13 years we have been conducting research at UNSW about what gets resumes
shortlisted. Our findings have been published into a book available in 5 different countries. Some of
our findings include that:
Including competency statements increased chances of being shortlisted by as much as 30%
Career gaps that are unexplained gave the impression that the candidate was less honest
Only one out of 10 reasons (i.e. full-time academic study) were considered a positive reason
for a career gap
A single grammatical error was enough for some recruiters to reject a resume
Lay-out is important. Simple is best. No coloured paper or fancy fonts
Recruiters look at the competency statements first then look for consistency with
experience in the body of the resume

Lets take the first research finding and make use of it.
In order to write compelling competency statements you firstly need to know what you are good at.
Do you know? How do you know? These next exercises will assist you to identify your strengths and
incorporate these into competency statements for your resume.

PART A: Identify your strengths

by completing the strengths assessment at www.authentichappiness.com. We want you to
complete the VIA Survey of Character Strengths. List below your top 5 strengths:
1. Judgment, Critical Thinking and Open-mindedness
2. Industry, Diligence and Perseverance
3. Honesty, Authenticity and Genuineness
4. Spirituality, Sense of Purpose and Faith
5. Bravery and Valour

Now I want you to explore these some more. Answer the questions below to help better
understand your strengths and how these work for you.

When did you first notice what your strengths were?

Strength

First noticed when..

E.g. Curiosity

While still at primary school I checked with children in other classes to see
what projects they were working on. I went home and did my own
research on the topics although I knew my project would never be
assessed.

1. Judgment, Critical
Thinking and Open-

Although even in primary school I liked to make careful decisions and was
an over-thinker, I noticed this more in high school. During assignments I

mindedness

would always research thoroughly, plan things through, ask lots of

questions, challenge people, and voice my opinion on the tasks at hand. I
found it critical to my learning and to getting the job done properly.

2. Industry, Diligence
and Perseverance

In primary school I was a high-achiever and constantly strive for this; I've
always noticed that I'm not very happy when I fail or don't do as well as I
had liked. Because of this, I always try to get things done on time and
properly. I don't like dragging tasks on for a long time so I like to plan
when they will be done by, and ensure that they are. This strength may
also cause me to be a bit competitive!

3. Honesty, Authenticity It wasn't until high school that I really noticed this strength. Before then, I
and Genuineness
could get swayed to agree with others much more easily. During high
school however, I quickly realised that there were people that I didn't like
and didn't want to be like, so I tried to always 'be myself,' particularly
since when I was younger I felt like the odd one out.
4. Spirituality, Sense of
Purpose and Faith

Ever since I can remember my family went to Church for Macedonian

Easter and Christmas, and as I grew older it began to have more meaning
for me. I still think that I should go to Church more often, but do feel that
God is an important part of my life. I feel that God helps me to get
through a lot of stressful and difficult times.

5. Bravery and Valour

I have never really thought of myself as a brave person, but by looking at

the description of this strength (sticking with what is right and voicing
your opinion despite opposition), I would say that this strength evolved in
much the same way as Number 3. Having never really stuck-up for myself,
I learned that not following others and saying what you believe (even if it
is different) makes you much happier and more confident.

Can you think of a time recently where you noticed your strengths in action? Note down
the strength and what the situation/task was.

Strength

Situation/Task

E.g. Curiosity

Recently I wanted to make more use of video in my presentations. I had

not attempted something like this before. I found an on-line tutorial that
took me through the steps. I put the steps into action and created a video
for my class. They really enjoyed the video and commented that it really
illustrated the lecture points well.

1. Judgment, Critical
Thinking and Openmindedness

I was asked to complete a research task supporting a proposed question.

After researching the topic, I found that there was a lot of evidence which
actually didn't support the question. As the request was that I prove the
question correct, I completed this task, but also asked my supervisor if I
could present the opposing views in another paper, so that there was a
point of call which presented both sides of the story, and not a bias one.

2. Industry, Diligence
and Perseverance

As part of my degree, I am currently completing work placement. At

placement, I was given a task that I found rather challenging. I had the
option of whether or not to do it, and I chose to, illustrating my
perseverance and commitment to completing the task despite difficulty. I
did my own individual research and asked a lot of questions; and I was
able to complete the task ahead of time and with great feedback.

3. Honesty, Authenticity Recently my friend was having some personal troubles. She rang me after
and Genuineness
speaking to someone else who she thought was only 'saying what I want
to hear.' She said she thought I would be more honest and realistic, and
throughout the conversation I gave her my honest thoughts, but in a
sensitive way (hopefully!). Judging by the conversation, it seemed that my
honesty with her allowed her to see the situation in a different light.
4. Spirituality, Sense of
Purpose and Faith

There a range of situations that I could use at an example for this, ranging
from difficulties at work placement to family issues. Whenever I am facing
something stressful or difficult, I turn to God and hope that everything
works out.

5. Bravery and Valour

Recently, two people that I know where speaking about another friend of
mine- however, one of them was highly exaggerating a story (one that I
was part of so knew the facts). As awkward as it was, I interjected and
explained that the situation was much different to her explanation. I
found it petty that she was presenting a friend in a bad light to others
(which she has done a lot of), so felt that I should clarify the situation.

If you have previously worked can you make a link between your strengths and what you liked
most about your job?
I will be referring to a work placement 'job' as it is more applicable, and it was based in a social work
setting. What I enjoyed was the opportunity to participate in research tasks, and information
gathering tasks. This is reflected in the strength around judgment, critical thinking, and openmindedness. It gave me the opportunity to learn about different sides to a story and make
judgments based on the information found. In this job, there was also a lot of reporting back to
supervisor's on different cases, and presenting one's own opinion based on the information
gathered. I enjoyed this as it too reflects the strength of judgment, critical thinking and openmindedness, but also because it relates to honesty, authenticity and genuineness. Despite the
difficult consequences or added work created by the opinion of the worker, it was important (and
encouraged) that the staff provide honest and genuine feedback on the cases. As the strength of
spirituality, sense of purpose and faith is very personal, it's easily applicable and incorporated into
any work environment.

What about what you liked least?

The work was very fast paced, which is something I enjoy because it keeps me busy, but regular
practice was that tasks would get pushed aside when new ones came in. This is something that I
struggle with because I like to complete everything I start and try to avoid distractions, as reflected
in the strength of industry, diligence and perseverance. Additionally, the team was very small and
disagreements were often pushed under the rug. As reflected in the bravery and valour strength, I
am more open to speaking up even when my view conflicts with others, and encourage others to do
the same; so this was a bit challenging.

How might your strengths be useful to an employer?

Strength

How useful to an employer.

E.g. Curiosity

I am an active learner and can identify the best way to gain new skills in
the shortest possible time. I am able to identify the best way possible to
gain new skills and to put these ideas into action to teach myself new
things.

1. Judgment, Critical
Thinking and Openmindedness

Grounding decisions and tasks in evidence and critical thinking ensures

that my work is accurate and well researched. There is always a point
behind what I am doing; ensuring that I am accountable and making use
of my time wisely. Being open-minded is also a great quality to have,
particularly when working in group or team environments. A willingness
to hear about, and learn from, others opinions could be helpful in
minimising conflict and finding new and more productive ways of doing
things.

2. Industry, Diligence
and Perseverance

I take pride in my work and ensure that every task I complete is not only
to the best of my ability, but also completed on time. Thus I try to make
sure that my work is always of a high standard and doesn't take up more
time than it has to, allowing me to move forward to other important tasks
quickly. I don't allow myself to be distracted easily and focus on the task
at hand. This is particularly important when working in fast-paced, and
busy work environments, where self-discipline is crucial.

3. Honesty, Authenticity Being honest, authentic and genuine ensures that I am a trusted and
and Genuineness
dependable worker. An employer will be able to trust that I am capable of
completing the tasks that I say I can, and that I am able to meet the
deadlines and commitments that I agree to. These qualities may also
prove beneficial in my working relationships with others; I am more
relatable and understanding, and can be a reliable point of call.
4. Spirituality, Sense of
Purpose and Faith

This strength is rather personal but can still prove beneficial to an

employer. From this strength I am able to draw comfort and guidance,
and thus do not rely solely on others in the work environment to get me
through difficult or stressful times. This also makes me a more
independent worker. This strength allows me to keep focused on the task
at hand and give a meaning to my actions, keeping me motivated and
productive.

5. Bravery and Valour

Any employee experiences challenges or difficulties in their work, and

bravery and valour ensures that I am able to proceed with the task at
hand despite being faced with fear or opposition. I am committed to
getting the job done and am willing to sacrifice a little in order to ensure
that I am an effective and efficient worker. I am committed to what I
believe, illustrating determination and dedication; which can be easily
transferred to my work.

PART B: Doing some self-analysis

is useful to elucidate your strengths and consider what you most have to offer. We know in
general though that people are not always the best judge of their own abilities. Its a good idea to
check with other people around you in case you have other strengths that you are not recognising
in yourself. To do this you should involve other trusted family and friends. You should use the
following questions to help to gain clarification:
-

Can you tell me what you think my strengths are? Can you tell me about a time when you
saw these strengths in action?

(Present your results from the authentic happiness website) and say: These are the
strengths that resulted from a recent on-line measure I completed along with some
definitions. Do you think these are strengths for me or not? Where have you seen me put
these into practise?)

I spoke with two of my family members (present at the same time) about my strengths, and they
provided me with the following feedback in relation to the questions listed above.
Both agreed that determination and speaking up for what I believe in describe me well. They said
that this is seen in action during discussions with them, as well as other family and friends. They
acknowledged that I often get very invested in conversations, particularly when they are about
something I believe in or value, and don't simply agree with others because only I hold a different
view. They stated however that I am also open to hearing about their viewpoints. They also said that
I appear to like having in-depth conversations with people about interesting topics/issues, which I
do. These qualities are reflected in the strength around judgment, critical thinking and openmindedness. Throughout my schooling, they both also observed my determination to do well. They
are more than familiar with the fact that I don't like to be distracted whilst doing my work (as they
are probably hearing it the most!), and agree that I'm always trying to complete tasks ahead of time.
This coincides with the strength of industry, diligence, and perseverance. My family also believed
that some of these qualities may contribute to helping to get things done in a team or group
environment.
After presenting the results from the authentic happiness website, my family agreed that they could
observe these strengths in me. They too identified strengths Number 1 and 2 (discussed above), and
thought that honesty is something that they should have originally mentioned also. They stated that
they can always rely on an honest answer from me, and acknowledged that this is helpful when they
are indecisive or confused about a particular issue. My family acknowledged the strength of
spirituality and faith and its importance to me, and I agreed with them in that it's not something
frequently discussed in-depth because of its personal nature. Finally, knowing that I often stress and
over-think things, my family thought that I often shy away from being brave e.g. in trying new or
scary things, but after reading the description around acting on convictions and speaking for what is
right, agreed that this fits me well.

PART C: Now go back and review your competencies.

Are they the same or different? Where is the overlap to the role that you have identified in PART
1? Which can you maximise to improve your chances of being shortlisted.
The competencies that I want to focus on are:

Listed below are the KSAO's and associated strengths that I want to focus on and maximise, as they
are most relevant to the job ad.
Number

Competency: KSAOs

Building rapport with children: I chose to focus on this competency as it

is essential for working in a classroom, and is supported with the
strength identified above of Honesty, Authenticity and Genuineness.
This allows me to be relatable, be trusted, and thus have children feel
comfortable with working alongside me.

Time Management Skills: The strength of Industry, Diligence and

Perseverance clearly ties in with this skill. A key characteristic of this
strength is timeliness and organisation, and this is important in an
environment where there are strict deadlines. This strength also
contributes to the additional KSAO of being dependable.

Stress Management: The strength of Bravery and Valour ensures that I

am able to handle stressful situations, including those involving
opposition and differences (which are likely to arise in classrooms,
particularly between students). This means that when there are
difficulties in the classroom or situations of high-stress, I do not shrink
away from the situation, but manage it fairly and justly. My strength of
understanding my purpose and role (e.g. in the classroom) will also
contribute to me being able to manage difficult situations, and
independently.

Judgment and Decision Making: The strength of Judgment, Critical

Thinking and Open-mindedness contributes to effectively meeting this
identified KSAO. This means that I like to look at all aspects of a
situation, weigh up costs and benefits, and choose the best course of
action based on the facts. It also means that I challenge what I know
with new information, making me more flexible (also a KSAO).

Knowledge of teaching methodologies (to engage students and

facilitate learning): This is an important part of working in a classroom,
and can be obtained through my strength of Industry, Diligence and
Perseverance. This allows me to set my mind on a task and complete it.
This strength ensures that I apply myself, e.g. in learning about teaching
methodologies, and persevere until my goal is met, i.e. until I have
acquired the necessary knowledge of methodologies. In focusing on
this competency, I would also need to call on the strength of
Leadership (not identified above but important to the role), in order to
ensure that this 'knowledge' can translate into practice in the

classroom.

Now you have finished Part 2 make sure that you have saved the
section back to your portfolio.
You are now ready to go on to Part 3.