• Make a good case for your target organisation: Why does this particular organisation need the skills? (Note: you can choose any relevantorganisation, just fit the skill to their needs).
• Show awareness of their possible participants in the course: who are they? What fits them to needing the skill you suggest?
• Include a rationale: ‘Why is this skill necessary?’ constantly emphasising and directing the reader/participant to the benefits.
• Provide some further tools and strategies for engagement in the processes. Suggest some practical ways of practicing the skills (Some students add exercises as appendices, but it isn’t essential.)
• Include some extra reading (some from your text book), not all from the internet but some more relevant academic sources including books and journal articles that are needed for a higher grade at university level.
• Include a cover letter written to the organisation in the form of an actual letter, so that you could ‘sell’ the skill.
• Make sure your in-text and end-text referencing are correct. You will need to see your ECU Reference Guide. There are some academic notes on line on the ECU site which will assist you further.

IDEAS for TOPICS: Essays, Presentations and Proposals

You do NOT have to select skills from this list. Be inventive. Some of the best presentations and proposals have been original and well thought out. However, if you’re struggling for ideas, here are some examples of what students have included in the past:

• Values and attitudes of helpers
• Self Care as a Helper
• Verbal Communication
• Non-verbal Communication
• Listening
• Meet and Greet: Handshakes and Remembering Names
• Mediation
• Advocacy
• Assertiveness Skills
• Cross Cultural Differences
• Cross Cultural Manners
• Different Kinds of Listening (eg active listening)
• Active listening in virtual customer service
• Running a Meeting Skills
• Dealing with Conflict
• Dealing with Peer Pressure
• Interpersonal relationship skills in intimate situations
• Resilience to Bullying
• Team Work
• Interpersonal skills for working with children
• Interpersonal skills for working with youth
• Interpersonal skills for working with diversity
• Text Messaging
• Facebook Etiquette
• Job Interviews and Confidence Tips
• Conflict resolution
• Anger management
• Negotiation
• Conflict resolution skills
• Receiving help
• Disability Etiquette
• Recognising and Preventing Helper Burnout
• Creating the Helping Environment
• Referral
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Public Speaking
• Confidentiality and Record Keeping