How to effectively write a reflective report

After engaging in your chosen UCC Works pathway, you will need to reflect on the skills you have developed and learn how to articulate these skills to employers.  You will do this by writing up a Reflective Report and preparing your CV before you actually receive the award at a formal rewards ceremony in the spring.

The reflective report will consist of three questions:

1. Choose any FOUR of the following six competencies:
   • 1. Interpersonal Skills
   • 2. Teamwork
   • 3. Problem Solving
   • 4. Decision Making
   • 5. Customer/Client Focus
   • 6. Planning
2. Demonstrate how having an understanding of the competencies of a work and organizational environment will help you with your career goals.
3. In what way has participating on the UCC WORKS Award influenced your future career goals?

Question 1

Who uses competency-based questions when hiring graduates? – More simply…who doesn’t??

Competency-based questions are standard in all interviews today, in all job areas, from banks to civil services, hospitals to engineering firms. The UCC Works Award reflective report is a great tool to practice explaining what skills you have developed and how.

Tips for choosing your competencies

It is important to choose the four competencies you feel you developed most. To do this, there are a number of questions you should ask yourself:

• Is there a situation that stands out for you? A particular day/afternoon/event?
• Is there a specific achievement of which you are proud?
• What did you do well on placement?
• What mistakes did you make? What did your learn from them?

Interpersonal Skills

Did you have to:

• get to know new people?
• strengthen relationships?
• influence/persuade others?

Teamwork Skills

Did you have to:

• work closely with others?
• identify and distribute tasks?
• undertake tasks within the team?

Problem Solving Skills

Did you have to:

• solve challenging problems?
• use logic to solve problems?
• develop creative solutions?

Decision Making Skills

Did you have to:

• make a complex decision?
• make a difficult decision?
• choose one course of action from a range of options?
• weigh up the possible outcomes from each course of action?

Planning

Did you have to:

• create a plan of action for yourself to achieve a specific goal?
• create a plan for others?
• did you have to re-prioritise due to unforeseen events?

Answering Competency Questions

To develop great answers to the competency questions on the Reflective Report, you should follow the STAR technique:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

STAR is the most effective way to answer behavioural interview questions. It provides framework to tell a story that highlights your ability to manage specific, challenging work-related situations.

Situation and Task

• Avoid spending a lot of time describing the problem – state the problem as briefly as you can while ensuring that the listener understand the situation.
• Be very specific rather than general –  these specific examples have a much more powerful impact.
• Do not discuss a situation you are angry with
• Do not discuss a problem that you caused
• Choose a situation that is as similar as possible to the type of situations you will encounter in the job you seek

Action(s)

• Describe in detail the positive and appropriate action you took to resolve the issue or to get the task completed
• This step should be the focus of you answer (60%+)
• This part of the story is often overlooked
• Provide good detail – it will show employer that you know how to take appropriate steps to resolve work-related issues

Result(s)

• Describe the positive result of your action
• If no positive result, choose a story that does have a positive result!
• If you can quantify the result, do so
• Don’t forget to mention the positive result

Have a look at this video which describes the STAR Technique here

Sample competency (Teamwork) STAR

Situation: I wanted to raise €2,000 for charity and fund a trip to a Belarussian Orphanage organised for the fundraisers

Task: To enlist the support of my colleagues and friends in supporting my efforst to raise money

Action: I organised a table-quiz, mini-marathon team and seven “bag-packing” days at local supermarkets

Results: Two colleagues set themselves the same targets. Together, €6,000 was raised in total

Question 2:

Demonstrate how having an understanding of the competencies of a work and organisational environment will help you with your career goals.

-How will you apply the competencies you have developed?

Question 3:

In what ways has participating in the UCC Works Award influenced your career goals?

-Have you changed/developed/refined/re-oriented your goals as a result?

Ask Yourself:

• Did you enjoy the role/internship? Why (not)?
• What were the people like?
• What did you like most about the job?
• What did you like least?
• What would have had made the experience better?
• Would you like to do this work on graduation? Why?
• What alternative careers/roles might you prefer?
• Are you now more sure of the career you want on graduation?
• What additional information/experience do you need to become more sure?
• How might you get this information/experience?