Cluster 3 - Showing Initiative

What is Initiative?
Initiative is related to the word “initiate”, or “start”, which is a good way of remembering what it means, because using your initiative is all about getting things started under your own steam. If you hear words like “self-starter”, “self-motivated” or “proactive” – which are favourites of employers and often appear in job descriptions – they’re all connected with initiative.
Initiative means being able to get an idea off the ground.
Simply put, using your initiative means being the person to seize an idea and get it off the ground – often, before it's been asked for. This makes it as much a way of thinking as a skill, which is good news because it means it’s not difficult to pick up – as long as you have the determination.
What does Initiative look like?
Because initiative is quite a vague quality, it can be difficult to imagine what it looks like in practice. It’s not like communication or IT skills which are easy to visualise – it comes in a number of guises.
The traditional example is taking leadership of a group situation: being the person who steps up to lead the team and knows how to get the most out of everybody else. This is an example of initiative, but if the idea of being a leader sends you weak at the knees, don’t worry, you’re not a hopeless case.
You might be the quiet member of the group who looks at things in a different way, or is always mindful of the bigger aim you’re all striving towards. Confidence does play a part. You’ll have heard the phrase “acting on your initiative” – for initiative to have value, it’s as much about putting things into practice as coming up with a new idea or approach.
Why is it important to employers?
Think about it from the employer’s point of view. Would you rather have an employee who does their job well as long as they’re told exactly what to do and when to do it? Or would you prefer someone who understands the wider purpose of their role, and who thinks of ways they can improve their work and puts them into practice?
Employers love to see initiative skills in a candidate because it means they’ll strive to do their job better by thinking of new and creative approaches. As a young person who may have less experience than other candidates, showing that you know how to use your curiosity, creativity and drive can be a good way to set yourself apart from other applicants, since initiative can make up for a lack of hard experience.


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* 1. When you had extra time available at your last job, describe ways you found to make your job more efficient……………………………………….

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* 2. At times you may be asked to do many things at once. Tell me how you would decide what is most important and why………………………………………..

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* 3. How do you react when faced with many hurdles while trying to achieve a goal? How do you overcome the hurdles………………………………………………………….

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* 4. Student Details

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