Essay

"Your degree is merely a passport - by no means will it guarantee you a job. Every employer wants the 'all rounder': good academic qualifications, team worker, excellent communicator..."

Cathy Little, Recruitment Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Essays are one of the core types of academic activity, and as well as testing your understanding of the subject they provide you with the opportunity to use and develop a wealth of transferable skills;

Cognitive Skills

Critical Thinking
Being able to consider issues from a range of different perspectives and, using relevant concepts, to produce an analytical assessment of the subject
Data Synthesis
Being able to collate relevant information from a variety of sources and then to present this as a reasoned, coherent, argument
Numeracy
Being able to manipulate numerical data to present a reasoned, coherent argument
Literacy
Being able to construct well-argued and grammatically correct texts, to locate and retrieve relevant ideas from within academic debates, and reference these accurately
Information Literacy
Being able to identify, locate and retrieve books, journal articles and alike in both paper and electronic forms and to use these sources (including websites) to gather relevant information, which is then synthesised and presented using appropriate IT facilities

Self-Management Skills

Planning and Organisation
Being able to set objectives, plan actions and manage your time and resources effectively in order to achieve your goals
Decision-making
Being aware of, and being able to choose between, opportunities that enable you to achieve your goals, having gathered and evaluated relevant information
Innovation and Creativity
Being able to generate and visualise novel ideas and concepts
Initiative
Being able to identify and make effective use of different types of materials, to initiate ideas and see them through to completion
Independence
Having the ability to work unsupervised, to plan effectively and to meet deadlines
Problem-solving
Being able to critically evaluate and analyse complex problems in order to reach a solution

Interaction Skills

Written Communication
Being able to use your writing effectively in order to present your opinions, ideas and information