Marc Steward, career consultant at the University of Leeds, recounts a memorable - and highly effective - employability workshop that focused on encouraging students to express their personalities
Earlier this year, I spoke to a number of graduate employers based in Leeds and on each occasion - each separate occasion I should stress - the word 'personality' cropped up in conversation. The term referred mostly to feedback from assessment centres and interviews where some candidates were not articulating well enough and/or with enthusiasm, their experiences, skills or contributions to these activities.
Around the same time, I was approached by the faculty international manager for our Business School to see if I wanted to deliver a workshop to some exchange students who were visiting us from North Carolina. It was as if the stars had aligned. Let me explain.
As a teenager, I played National League basketball for Greenwich, in London. I have always wanted to try to create an employability workshop based around basketball since then. This opportunity seemed like an ideal time to do this. When I played basketball, I once played in a tournament where the University of North Carolina (UNC) - Michael Jordan's alma mater - was also playing. Playing National Leage basketball shaped the person I have become and this is very much about personality. I hoped that the students of UNC would be interested in a basketball-related workshop. My creative juices took over.
I wrote a proposal for my colleague to share with staff at UNC for their approval. The title of the workshop was 'Slam Dunk Da Funk' (one for the 5ive fans among you). The workshop brief - and title - was accepted by the UNC staff. They seemed very keen to see how this workshop would transpire, and so was I. There was one issue following this meeting, however… it was not UNC students I would be working with, but North Carolina State students (NCSU). A case of crossed wires.
Transferable skills was something quite new to a lot of them and they showed willing and adaptability to engage with this session.
However, no problem. Simply swap Michael Jordan for Spud Webb as the 'figurehead' for the workshop. 'Who is he?' you ask. Someone who would be just as good a fit for my workshop. Spud Webb is one of the smallest players to have played professional NBA basketball. He won the 1986 Slam Dunk contest and there is also a famous - and very grainy - YouTube video of 5ft, 6inch Spud dunking over 7ft, 7inch tall Manute Bol in an NBA game. My workshop was about personality and Spud was full of this: hard working, tenacious, resilient, adaptable, confident, everything you need to succeed in a very competitive sport, especially one where you were deemed to be at a disadvantage to start with. What a success story he is.
I split the workshop into two halves (basketball is played in quarters, but I just could not work the content into those fractions). In the first half, I asked the students to choose a basketball player (from NBA/WNBA players I had chosen, both past and present), focusing on the one they felt best matched their personality. Spud Webb was one, alongside other male and female players with a range of personality traits. Once the students had selected the player, I then asked them why they had chosen the player they did with an example of one of the traits I had listed beside the player - i.e. resilience for Spud or work ethic for current WNBA superstar, Caitlin Clark.
After this discussion, I provided a summary of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator activity and the importance of self-awareness, transferable skills and personality to employers in the UK. The second half concentrated on transferable skills and, using a current vacancy with the NBA, I got the students to think about how they could evidence the values of the NBA using any experience from their own CV (resume). These values included integrity and innovation. To help with this, I highlighted examples of students I had worked closely with as a career consultant, who had secured graduate job roles with stand out examples of transferable experiences and skills.
For the final exercise I asked the students to write their NBA answers in either short form (bullet point) or long form (STAR model). Little did they know that depending on which format they chose, this corresponded with the basketball shot they would need to make in a competitive shoot out at the end of the workshop. Sorry, what was that?
Hidden in the room - a 'normal' seminar room - was a mini basketball hoop, backboard and ball. To a mix of laughter and bewilderment, I uncovered the basketball kit, fixed it to the seminar room door, split the students into teams and had them shoot three point shots (STAR model) or two points shots (bullet points) in order to win a grand prize of a novelty basketball pen each. Why? Why not? It was fun, it was engaging and it certainly highlighted the personalities in the room.
The workshop was a huge success. Student feedback was incredibly positive including 'Thank you!! I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop'. The NCSU academic member of staff who sat in on the workshop stated straight afterwards, 'Holy cow!' and then messaged me to say that I had a 'wonderful gift to connect with the students'. Amazing praise for which I was very grateful.
Finally, I also found the session incredibly informative through chatting with the students about the difference between how employers recruit in the USA against what UK employers look for. Transferable skills was something quite new to a lot of them and they showed willing and adaptability to engage with this session. Based on their feedback, I have been asked to deliver the session again to next year’s NCSU exchange students. Now, where did I put that basketball hoop?
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