12 Core Skills
Warwick's 12 Core Skills and related skills
The Warwick Award is based around 12 Core Skills that employers tell us are crucial for the next step in your journey.
If you’re able to show how you’ve developed as many of these skills as possible during your time at Warwick – with specific examples of where you’ve done so, that you’ll be able to use when applying for jobs – you’ll be setting yourself up for a fantastic start to life after graduation.
On this page, we’ve pulled together a little more information about each of the 12 core skills that sit at the heart of the Warwick Award. We’ve included a short video introducing you to each skill, their definitions and sub-skills, and the names of the subject-specific experts from across campus that helped us develop the Core Skills Framework at the heart of the Warwick Award.
![Communication icon - three quarter circles and one blue quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/communication_full.png)
Definition: the ability to convey or share ideas and feelings effectively, by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
Related subskills:
- Creating discourse
- Presentation and public speaking
- Adapting output to audience
- Active listening
- Creative writing
- Professional writing
- Nonverbal communication skills
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: giving a presentation, writing an essay, volunteering with Nightline.
Skills Developer for Communication: Lisa Faulkner Email:
Membership of the 2022 Academic Advisory Group for designing Communication skills and definitions :
Chair: Dave Musson, Skills Developer
Member: Kevin Moffat, Professor, Life Sciences Email:
Member: Shirley Sturzaker, Marketing Manager, Warwick Medical School Email:
Member: Damien Homer, Head of Disability Services Email:
Member: Paul Grigsby, Research Fellow in Outreach and Impact, Classics and Ancient History Email:
![Critical Thinking icon - two quater circles and a mustard coloured circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/critical_thinking_full.png)
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse facts, data, information, and opinions to form an evaluation or judgment.
Related subskills include: interpreting, analysing, evaluating.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: writing an essay, conducting a literature review, doing your own independent reading to better understand a news story.
![Steven Burke profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/steven150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Steven Burke
Email: Steven.Burke@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Andre Celtel
Email: A.Celtel@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, DSEP
Department: Sociology
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Nalita James
Email: Nalita.James@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, DSEP
Department: CLL
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Rochelle Sibley
Email: Rochelle.Sibley@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Senior Teaching Fellow
Department: English and Comparative Literature
![Digital Literacy icon - one quarter circle one circle and an yellow quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/digital_literacy_full.png)
Digital literacy is the ability to live, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information is increasingly through digital technologies like internet platforms, social media, and mobile devices.
Related subskills include: IT skills, social media management, personal branding.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: using common Office software such as Excel and Word, managing a club/society social media feed, building an effective LinkedIn profile.
![Dave Musson profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/dave150.jpg)
Chair: Dave Musson
Email: Dave.Musson@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: James Alexander
Email: James.Alexander@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Director of Digital Strategy and Transformation
Department: IDG
![Helen Luckhurst profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/helen_luckhurst_digital_literacy_150.jpg)
Member: Helen Luckhurst
Email: Helen.Luckhurst@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Engagement Officer
Department: WIE
![Bodrun profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/bodrun_nahar_digital_literacy_150.jpg)
Member: Bodrun Nahar
Email: Bodrun.Nahar@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Employability and Placements Manager
Department: School for Cross Faculty Studies
![Ethical values icon - two quarter circles two circles and one egg yolk yellow quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/ethical_values_full.png)
Ethical values are the ability to operate with high moral standards – namely being fair, respectful, compassionate, honest, and responsible.
Related subskills include: integrity, empathy, compassion.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: accurate and honest referencing in academic writing, not fabricating experiment results, mentoring a school student through an outreach/WP project.
![Dave Musson profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/dave150.jpg)
Chair: Dave Musson
Email: Dave.Musson@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
![Dr Jen Baker profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/jen_baker_ethical_values_150.jpg)
Member: Dr Jen Baker
Email: J.Baker.5@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Teaching Fellow in C19th and C20th Literature
Department: English and Comparative Literature Studies
![Information Literacy icon - one quarter circle one circle and an olive coloured quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/information_literacy_full.png)
Information literacy is the ability to understand the nature and value of information, search and select information, manage lots of different bits of information effectively, and create and produce information so that it is robust and adds value to different discourses.
Related subskills include: searching for information, managing information , using and creating information.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: using databases, conducting literature reviews, communicating research findings to acknowledge limitations of the research.
![Tom Greenaway profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/tom150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Tom Greenaway
Email: T.Greenaway.1@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
![Andrew Calvert profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/andy150.png)
![Katherine Waters profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/kat150.png)
![Sophie Allen profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/sophieallen150.png)
Member: Sophie Allen
Email: Sophie.Allen@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Academic Services Development Manager
Department: Library
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Cathy Hampton
Email: C.M.Hampton@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Reader
Department: School of Modern Languages and Cultures
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
![Jade Millar profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/jmillar150.png)
Member: Jade Millar
Email: Jade.Millar@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Student as Researcher Project Officer
Department: Library
![Intercultural Awareness icon - three quarter circles and one grey quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/intercultural_awareness_full.png)
Intercultural awareness is the ability to work productively with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Related subskills include: intercultural understanding, intercultural communication, intercultural sensitivity.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: learning a language, working in multicultural teams, sharing experiences with people from different cultural backgrounds, e.g. meals, sports events, seminars.
![Tom Greenaway profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/tom150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Tom Greenaway
Email: T.Greenaway.1@warwick.ac.uk
![Simon Brown profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/simon_brown_intercultural_awareness_150.jpg)
Member: Simon Brown
Email: S.Brown.15@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Internationalisation Officer
Department: Student Opportunity
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dr Sophie Reissner-Roubicek
Email: Sophie.Reissner-Roubicek@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: Applied Linguistics
![Achim Krausert picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/achim_krausert_intercultural_awareness_150.jpg)
Member: Achim Krausert
Email: Achim.Krausert@wbs.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, DSEP
Department: WBS
![Dr Zi Wang profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/wang_zi_intercultural_awareness_150.jpg)
Member: Dr Zi Wang
Email: Zi.Wang.1@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Internationalisation Coordinator
Department: Student Opportunity
![Organisational Awareness icon - two quarter circles two circles and one egg yolk yellow quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/organisational_awareness_full.png)
Organisational awareness is the ability to understand organisational structures, operations, culture and systems, and adapt your behaviour and attitudes accordingly.
Related subskills include: commercial awareness, corporate social responsibility, government awareness.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: performing a SWOT analysis, researching an organisation and finding out its values, priorities and culture prior to a job application/interview.
![Lisa Faulkner profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/lisa150.jpg)
Chair: Lisa Faulkner
Email: Lisa.Faulkner@warwick.ac.uk
![Bo Kelestyn profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/bo_kelestyn_organisational_awareness_150.jpg)
![Daniel Dauber profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/daniel_dauber_organisational_awareness_150.jpg)
Member: Dr Daniel Dauber
Email: D.Dauber@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: Applied Linguistics
![Konstantina Dee profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/konstantina_dee_organisational_awareness_150.jpg)
Member: Konstantina Dee
Email: Konstantina.Dee@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Careers and Employability Officer
Department: WMG
![Oliver Walmsley profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/oliver_walmsley_organisational_awareness_150.jpg)
Member: Oliver Walmsley
Email: Oliver.Walmsley@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Director of Business Relations
Department: Innovation Group
![Problem Solving icon - two quarter circles one circle and one light red quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/problem_solving_full.png)
Problem solving is the ability to define a problem or challenge, then find, design, and select a solution to it.
Related subskills include: problem creation, decision making, learning from failure.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: creating a brand new product, choosing modules that are relevant to your career aspirations, applying feedback on your essays to improve them next time around.
![Steven Burke profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/steven150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Steven Burke
Email: Steven.Burke@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dr Siri Chongchitnan
Email: Siri.Chongchitnan@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, DSEP
Department: Mathematics
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Mark Pulsford
Email: Mark.Pulsford@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, DSEP
Department: Education
![Professionalism icon - three quarter circles one circle and one deep red quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/professionalism_full.png)
Professionalism is the ability to be reliable, set your own high standards, and show you care about every aspect of your job by being industrious and organised, and holding yourself accountable for your thoughts, words, and actions.
Related subskills include: time management, attention to detail, personal impact.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: balancing competing deadlines to still complete all assessments and coursework on time, thoroughly proof-reading and editing coursework before it is submitted, representing your coursemates’ views to University staff.
![Lisa Faulkner profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/lisa150.jpg)
Chair: Lisa Faulkner
Email: Lisa.Faulkner@warwick.ac.uk
![Dr Debbie Marais profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/debbi_marais_profesisonalism_150.jpg)
Member: Dr Debbi Marais
Email: D.Marais@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Professor in Health Sciences Education, Director of PGT programmes
Department: Warwick Medical School
![Hilary Riseley profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/hilary_riseley_professionalism_150.jpg)
Member: Hilary Riseley
Email: Hilary.Riseley@wbs.ac.uk
Title: Undergraduate Careers Manager
Department: WBS
![Ian Evans profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/ian_evans_professionalism_150.jpg)
![Anne Wilson profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/anne_wilson_professionalism_150.jpg)
Member: Anne Wilson SFHEA
Email: A.E.Wilson@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Head of Careers
Department: Student Opportunity
![Self Awareness icon - three quarter circles and one circle one purple quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/self_awareness_full.png)
Self-awareness is the ability to recognise your own personality, strengths, emotions; your ability to learn and develop.
Related subskills include: self-reflection, unlearning, self-directed learning.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: undergoing training to build skills you don’t feel confident in and identifying what else you need to do to practise them further, hiring a left-hand drive automatic car on holiday, when you’ve only ever driven with manual transmission in the UK, learning a foreign language via an app in your own time.
![Steven Burke profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/steven150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Steven Burke
Email: Steven.Burke@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Gonzalo Ceron Garcia
Email: G.Ceron-Garcia@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Senior Teaching Fellow
Department: Warwick Writing Programme
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Charlotte Jones
Email: Charlotte.E.Jones@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, Course Director
Department: CLL
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Karen Simecek
Email: K.D.Simecek@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor, DSEP
Department: Philosophy
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Luke Hodson
Email: Luke.Hodson@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: Psychology
![Sustainability icon - three quarter circles and one green quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/sustainability_full.png)
Sustainability is the awareness that the human past and present will profoundly affect our entangled environmental and social futures.
Related subskills include: social engagement, community citizenship, values thinking.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: recycling wherever possible, voting in your local elections and considering local issues of environmental and social sustainability when choosing who to support, researching an organisation’s values and seeing if they match up with the actions of the organisation when applying for a job.
![Steven Burke profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/steven150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Steven Burke
Email: Steven.Burke@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dr Alastair Smith
Email: A.Smith.21@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Senior Teaching Fellow
Department: Global Sustainable Development
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dr Adriano Lameira
Email: Adriano.Lameira@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: Psychology
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dr Caroline Kuzemko
Email: C.Kuzemko@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: IPE
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dave Chapman
Email: D.M.Chapman@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Sustainability Champion
Department: Estates
![Teamwork icon - three quarter circles and one turquoise quarter circle](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/teamwork_full.png)
Teamwork is the ability to work in a team respectfully, productively, and cooperatively?
Related subskills include: collaboration, leadership, managing team processes.
Examples of where you might develop this skill during your time at Warwick: completing a group project, setting meeting agendas, being part of a sports team, and managing team deadlines.
![Tom Greenaway profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/tom150.jpg)
Chair: Dr Tom Greenaway
Email: T.Greenaway.1@warwick.ac.uk
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Dr Sophie Reissner-Roubicek
Email: Sophie.Reissner-Roubicek@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: Applied Linguistics
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Jagjeet Jutley-Nelson
Email: Jagjeet.Jutley-Neilson@warwick.ac.uk
Title: Professor
Department: Psychology
![No profile picture](https://warwick.ac.uk/services/skills/warwickaward/coreskills/no_profile_image.jpg)
Member: Tamara Friedrich
Email: Tamara.Friedrich@wbs.ac.uk
Title: Associate Professor
Department: WBS
Other pages you might be interested to read: