Shadowing Experienced Assessors as a Newly Qualified Assessor
After all that hard work, grit and determination you have put into becoming an NVQ Assessor, the exciting time has come and you start looking for a new job. However, you are soon deflated when you realise lots of job applications require you to have high levels of experience within the field.
Fear not, we have a solution to help you through this challenging time… introducing Assessor shadowing.
What is Assessor shadowing?
This is where you spend time in the field, shadowing an experienced Assessor and watching how they put everything you have learned during your assessor qualification course into action. Not only does it give you the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the daily role of an NVQ Assessor, by shadowing someone experienced you are likely to pick up lots of tips and tricks you may not have considered before.
Assessor shadowing is a great way to compliment your learning and apply your knowledge and skills to a real assessment setting. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions as you go, allowing you to expand your skillset ready for your next role. Although shadowing is a voluntary opportunity, it can be an invaluable way to make your CV stand out from other candidates.
How do I get shadowing experience?
Most shadowing placements are unpaid, so you do need to be mindful of that. However, there are many training organisations out there that understand the importance of gaining experience by shadowing an assessor. After all, we all have to start somewhere.
Start by contacting local training companies to see if Assessor shadowing is something they are happy to provide. A quick Google search or a scroll through LinkedIn should give you some names to begin with. You never know where Assessor shadowing may lead to either, it is a great way to build up your contacts within the industry whilst you are looking for a paid position.
Additional resources
The team at Brooks and Kirk are always on hand to provide advice, so please feel free to contact us today for more help.
Steve is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
He provides Educational Consultancy to the 19+ sector as well as being an Assessor, IQA, EPA and Digital Marketing Professional. When not doing any of these he finds time, every now and then, to write blogs and articles.