Photos

Why are photos so important?

The reason why photos are so important to your Kloodle profile is because they allow you to evidence your skill set. You can’t just claim to be good at written communication, you have to prove it.

Photos are just one way that you can provide evidence of the skills you claim to have.

By taking part in different activities, you can upload a photo to evidence your participation or prove that you have done something:• Work Experience• Paid Work• Hobbies• Sports • Class work• Debate club• NCS• Wider Reading• Academic Work• DofE • Volunteering

Anybody can say they have a skill, but it is essential to be able to show that you can use the skill and apply it to real life situations. Without evidence to support them, you might as well not include the skills on your profile.

What kind of skills does a photograph show? A photograph is considered dynamic content and demonstrates you physically completing a task. It can even be as simple as a photograph of work you have just completed in college or school. For example, if you are a member of a subject extension group and have just finished writing an essay, or solving a particular Maths problem, why not include photo of it on your profile?

This would show initiative, and possibly creativity, determination, team work or time management, depending on the type of work you have completed.

Volunteering in your local community, or working as a shop assistant could show a variety of different skills, such as leadership or resilience. It can be easy to get somebody to take a photo of you taking part in volunteer work, enrichment activities, or sometimes even paid work. Just like academic achievements, photos of extra-curricular activities can show your personality through your profile.

 I don’t have any relevant photos … You may not think the photos you have provide evidence of a skill, but you will be surprised how much they can show.

For instance, a photo of you helping out at a local scout group, or taking part in a charity race would demonstrate your determination and communication skills.

Everybody will have taken part in something interesting - even if it doesn’t seem interesting to you. From volunteering, to doing a bungee jump, to cycling from Manchester to Blackpool, everybody’s experience is different and that is what will make your Kloodle profile stand out.

Employers are looking for these unique qualities in potential employees, which is what will make your job application stand out.

Your academic qualifications are no longer good enough on their own, as so many people have the same qualifications as you. You need to demonstrate why employers should choose you over another applicant!

What do I write in the photo description? Once you have uploaded a photo, you need to write a description to accompany it. A second reader needs to understand the context of the photo and so you need to provide an explanation of the activity and the skill that you are demonstrating.

You will be presented with a page like this .......

Here are some questions to prompt your description:  1. Describe the activity/event that you took part in. 2. How long did the activity last? 3. Was it fun? 4. Was it challenging? Why (not)?5. Which skills have you developed?6. What have you learnt from this activity?7. How have you or your opinions changed as a result of

taking part?8. Would you do it again? Why (not)? The answers to these questions will show how an experience has developed your skill-set.

Can I include photos of classwork from lessons?  The answer to this question is different depending on your school or college’s mobile phone policy. If you are allowed phones out in your lessons and you have your teacher’s permission, then you may take photos of work you are completing. For instance, a difficult equation in Science or a poster task in English. If you are not allowed your phone in the classroom, then you could always take a photo of the work away from the classroom and upload it once you get home.

One rule: keep selfies to a minimum.

Please.