Teamwork involves working collaboratively with others to achieve a goal. You will usually take a on a role within the team, sharing responsibility and contributing ideas.
Employers usually want to see evidence that you can work well in a team which can include the behaviours that you show to ensure that the team work effectively together. This could involve ensuring regular communication channels across the team, a clear understanding of the goal by everyone, encouraging others to share their thoughts and a focus on how the group will meet their goals and/or deadline.
Activities where you could develop teamworking skills
Opportunities may exist on your course, such as completing a team project on a module or volunteering for a position of responsibility within your academic department. Similarly, you are likely to work with others and develop skills on internships, when volunteering or taking part in other activities alongside others.
- University College modules often contain opportunities to collaborate and debate ideas.
- Peer Mentoring and PASS Develop teamworking skills by supporting other students through their studies and wider university life.
- Support Student Led projects like Enactus Work in a team on a worthwhile project which makes an impact on the community.
- Talks, Workshops and Skills Training Sessions Graduate employers sometimes run group sessions that can build team working skills. Check CareerConnect for forthcoming sessions.
- Volunteering Develop skills and work with others while giving something back to the community.
- Work Experience Develop your team skills through internships, placements and part-time work whilst at university.
- University Sports Whether you play for fun, fitness or as a serious sportsperson everyone can gain great teamwork skills and help motivate others.
- Student Societies Getting onto the committee of a society, or starting one up yourself, can give you the opportunity to work with others to organise activities for members.
- Competitions and prizes Look great on your CV, even if you don't win you will have experience to talk about including working with a group to compete.
How is teamworking assessed in recruitment?
Employers regularly look for evidence of your ability to work with others. Some examples of application form and interview questions designed to test teamworking include:
- In what past situations have you been most effective as a team member?
- Tell me about a time you worked well as part of a team? What did you enjoy most about working in the group?
- Tell me about a time when your teamworking skills were challenged. How did you behave?
- In which situations have you been least effective as a team worker?
If you are unsure how to structure an answer for either application or interview questions, visit the application and interviews section of our website and find out about the CAR (context, action, result) and STAR (situation, task, action, result) models. Our recommendations are based on feedback from employers.
If you are invited to take part in an assessment centre, your teamworking skills are likely to be assessed during any group discussions. You may be asked to discuss a case study in a team, negotiate a set of recommendations or represent a particular viewpoint.
Recruiters will be looking for evidence of your ability to work collaboratively with others, and your contributions including leadership, researcher, monitor, ideas generator, time keeper etc. If the discussions are online it will also involve ensuring others have been able to contribute.
