Oluwabusola Fadipe

What have you gained from undertaking the Personal Skills Award?

I completed the PSA Advanced this year. Undertaking the PSA (Advanced) has really improved my skills for both career and personal development particularly, self-reflection by carrying out an appraisal of skills and lessons gained from a variety of extra-curricular activities I have participated in during my study. One major element of completing PSA is understanding how to use the STAR technique for personal reflection. Some of the activities I have been involved in include the Birmingham Project, Careers Network Mentorship programme and Law School Student Mentor.

How did your time undertaking the PSA help you prepare for graduate recruitment processes and/or positively influence your career?

PSA has helped me to discover my strengths and skills acquired through different activities as well as how best to present them during both the application and interview process. The interview component of the PSA Advance was in fact very useful in simulating a real recruitment process and how best to sell myself to the reviewer. Most importantly, the series of feedback provided throughout the PSA journey has helped me to identify areas of weakness that I still need to improve in order to standout in upcoming recruitment processes.

What have you found most challenging about your experience? Have you faced any key challenges and if so, how did you overcome them?

The only challenge I encountered will be time commitment for completing the award which involves completing the PSA course, completion form and associated activities. However, I was able to overcome this by creating time in my daily schedule as well as prepare for the completion form and interview ahead of the deadline.

Why would you recommend the Personal Skills Award to other students?

I will strongly recommend the PSA to other students not for its recognition of extracurricular endeavour but because it is a valuable platform for personal development. Some of my key takeaways have certainly improved my confidence to apply for graduate roles in my field as I now have a better understanding of what is required to standout in a typical recruitment process and how to better present myself for opportunities.

What are your career plans for the future?

My future career plan is to gain some qualifying work experience to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.