Present Yourself with Confidence Workshops

Name of Event: Present yourself with Confidence with Nicky Marr

Reporting Category: Employability Skills

Event Sector: All Sectors 

Event Background / Objectives: To help develop pupils' confidence, CV preparation and interview skills, whether they are applying for university, employment or training and to give them the skills and knowledge to present themselves well and make them aware of the importance of giving a good first impression.

Event Format: All 6th year pupils from Inverness Royal Academy attended the workshops from 9am-1pm in two functions suites over three days. The groups were split up into groups of 4/5 with a maximum of 50 at each session. Nicky Marr presented to the pupils in person with a presentation, worksheets and interactive activities for the pupils to partake in.

Direct Impacts: The pupils learnt about the importance of audience, content and delivery of a presentation and the 3 P’s, (Prepare, Practice and Pretend). The pupils were asked to speak about leadership qualities and the skills and qualities they thought their friends had and examples then they had to think of their own and present a small presentation to their peers for a specific reason, either admissions board for university, job recruitment or the school for house captain, buddy or prefect. Pupils were supported throughout to build their confidence and realise the skills and qualities they own and support these with examples.

Benefits: One of the benefits of the workshops was it allowed the pupils to realise the skills and qualities they already had which employers and admissions boards are looking for. This workshop was not targeted at a specific sector, which allowed the pupils to base it on whatever audience they wanted, many choosing university admissions boards or senior management in the school for prefect or house captains. They enjoyed the experience because there was time for interactions with peers and group discussions. Many of the pupils were nervous to present at first but having listened to the presentation about pretending to be confident the pupils relaxed and were able to present to their peers in smaller groups. The pupils learnt about the importance of leadership skills and communication skills and how many of the skills they have are transferable to the world of work. It allowed them to develop their confidence and gave them a first hand experience of presenting themselves for the future. Feedback sheets were provided at each session which allowed the presenter to amend the presentation to the needs of the pupils. This experience gave them a starting point for personal statements and covering letters for future education and employment.