Anyone written a PCA?

[kawasakirider]

Hey guys, have any of you ever written a PCA (Personal Competencies Assessment)?

The reason I ask is that QTAC require 5 pages for a complete PCA. I am finding it difficult to construct 5 whole pages about why I would be the right person for the uni course that I want.

I could write 5 pages easily, but writing it in a concise and thorough manner without waffling on has left me with about 3 pages.

I was wondering if anyone knows whether references are considered part of the total amount needed to be written? If so I'm laughing, because I have references from a couple of teachers that are over 1 page each.

If you guys have written a successful PCA, how did you get through the 5 pages?

So far I have addressed the criteria and it is well written, just trying to push the other pages out....

If I can't think of anything else I'll just turn it into an egg white (bull $h1t and watch it fluff up into something big )

Cheers

 

[Waterrat]

That sounds absolutely ridiculous, especially from a young person with relatively short or no employment history and life experiences.
Use large font, double-space and wide margins with heading and footnote on every page. LOL

 

[HonestPirate]

Ok- so this is what I would do man.....

First of all- you need to look at th course you're doing.

So- these are the ideas I have, and questions to answer yourself, once you write the answerss down, you'll be able to do the PCA easy as.

So here goes...

1. What is the course
2. What job do you hope to get afterwards.

So now you know what job you want AFTER you graduate, this is what you want to do:

1. Find some job vacancies on Seek or whatever employment website you find-
2. Now have a look at the job criteria, as if you were going to apply for the job.
3. When you find a well written and extensive job vacancy listing, it should have a huge list of criteria that you would need to get the gig.
4. Now you have a "list" of traits/experience etc that you would need to apply; and therefore, that will be handy prior to starting the course
5. Write down the list of prerequisites for the job.
6. Now, look up around a bunch of different unis/training courses etc that offer the same course.
7. A good course description will go through all the things you will learn/ skills you will achieve by the end
8. Make a list out of it.

Now you have two extensive lists.

Now, amalgamate the two lists-

So now it's assignment time, just like High School

Now- introduce yourself, talk about your passion and a little bit of experience etc in a good 1 page intro- cover your education background but remain focused on how it applies to the course you are apllying for.

Also outline what YOU consider to be desirable experience/traits/character/skills to successfully graduating the course (steal all these ideas from the list). Make it sound like you have researched and thought hard about what it takes, but make it sound as though they are your independent ideas; not that you lifted them from elsewhere.

And during the bulk of the PCA don't EVER tell them what you CAN'T do- always be positive and if you think you are missing a skillset they desire; just say "I remain a student and continue to research and familiarise myself with these skills, as I have a passion for knowledge.... then google "quotes about knowledge", and say, for example .."A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.- Khalil Gibran"

​

You should be able to cover a few pages with the criteria stuff- and give each criteria a good paragraph or two, but dont waffle on- keep going in a straight line.

Finish up the PCA with a sweet half to full page "conclusion", touch on your passion and character again, and make sure you say something like "even if my application is unseuccessful this time around, I am going to continue researching, practising and refining my skills and will not give up until I achieve my goal". They wanna see that you're determined...

Now- thank them for considering your application, and finish it up with something quirky and confident like a quote along the lines of: "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. " - Vince Lombardi

Then get happy and the final thing you say after the quote is "See you on campus."

Old cats love that stuff, it leaves them on a positive note and shows you are enthusiastic and confident.

Then back your bags young man you're off to uni !!!!

ps- sorry for all the typos- didnt wanna stop typing while I was on a roll dude.

Hope you get the gig.

 

[kawasakirider]

Dude that was awesome, thanks heaps! YGPM

 

[HonestPirate]

gotcha mate no worries .....

 

[Renenet]

What are they making you do one of those for, KR? It's not part of the standard application, is it?

 

[kawasakirider]

Sorry for the late reply, I've been busy finishing the PCA. Got it done, so I'm happy. Thanks to HP, I used some of his ideas.

I had to write a PCA because during senior schooling I only had 4 subjects (as I was doing a traineeship at the time) and each subject was worth a certain amount of units. I passed everything except Visual Art, my teacher LOST my portfolio along with many others.

He failed the whole class and I was relying on passing EVERYTHING to get the required amount of units.

I got the highest marks in English you can achieve, a high achievement in maths and did alright in Geo. Art just screwed me and everyone else that took it. In our last term we didn't even have an assessment! I wrote a formal complaint and it was recognised but that was it, didn't really go far.

So despite having the required knowledge for the course I want, I didn't get the required OP because I failed art and didn't have a fall back class. Hence me being stuck in a BSc that I hate.

Fingers crossed I get in with this PCA.

 

[Renenet]

I had to write a PCA because during senior schooling I only had 4 subjects (as I was doing a traineeship at the time) and each subject was worth a certain amount of units. I passed everything except Visual Art, my teacher LOST my portfolio along with many others.

He failed the whole class and I was relying on passing EVERYTHING to get the required amount of units.

That doesn't sound fair. I don't know he could fail the entire class over something that was his fault. It must have stung bad.

Good luck with your PCA. Which course are you doing? You said something about acting in another thread?