Using SFIA to describe your experience

As a student, your experience may come from many places. It may include coursework, group projects, laboratory work, personal projects, hackathons, volunteering, part-time work, student societies, internships, placements or apprenticeships.

Not all of this is professional experience. That is expected. Even so, these activities can still provide useful evidence of your knowledge, skills, behaviours and development.

The aim is not to claim more than your experience shows. The aim is to describe your experience honestly, clearly and in language that employers, educators and professional bodies can understand.

Start with one example

Choose one piece of experience to reflect on.

This could be:

• a group project
• a coursework assignment
• a presentation
• a placement task
• an internship activity
• a part-time job
• a volunteering role
• a student society responsibility
• a personal technical project
• a situation where you solved a problem, worked with others or learnt something new.

Start with something specific. A small, clear example is usually more useful than a broad general claim.

For example, instead of starting with:

I worked on a software project.

Start with:

I helped design and test the login feature for a group project.

Or instead of:

I had a part-time job.

Start with:

I dealt with customer questions, recorded issues and escalated problems I could not resolve.

Describe what happened

• A useful reflection should explain the situation, your contribution and what changed as a result.
• You may find these prompts helpful.

Prompt	Your notes
What was the situation?
What were you trying to achieve?
What was your role or responsibility?
What did you personally do?
Who did you work with?
What guidance, feedback or supervision did you use?
What problems, risks or mistakes arose?
How did you respond?
What was the outcome?
What did you learn?
What would you do differently next time?

This is not about making every example sound impressive. It is about making your experience specific enough for someone else to understand what it shows.

Focus on what you personally did

Group work is common in study and in professional work. It is useful evidence, but only if you can explain your contribution.

Employers and placement supervisors will often want to understand:

• what the team was trying to achieve
• what part you played
• how you worked with others
• how you communicated progress
• how you responded to feedback
• how you helped the team reach an outcome.

Avoid describing only what the group produced. Explain what you personally contributed to the shared result.

For example:

Our group built a prototype app.

could become:

I worked with two other students to build a prototype app. I created the initial data model, checked assumptions with the rest of the team and revised my work after feedback from our tutor.

This gives a clearer picture of both the work and the behaviours involved.

Include how you worked, not only what you produced

Students often describe experience by naming tools, technologies or outputs.

For example:

• I used Python.
• I made a presentation.
• I completed a report.
• I helped test the product.

These statements may be true, but they do not say much about how you worked.

SFIA can help you describe the behaviours and business skills involved. These may include collaboration, communication, planning, problem-solving, learning and development, adaptability, digital mindset, decision-making, improvement mindset and security, privacy and ethics.

For example:

Instead of only saying...	You could explain...
I used Python	I used Python to process data, checked the results and corrected errors found during testing
I worked in a team	I agreed tasks with team members, shared progress and adapted my work when priorities changed
I gave a presentation	I explained technical information clearly for a non-specialist audience
I fixed a problem	I investigated the cause, tested possible solutions and asked for guidance when I reached the limits of my knowledge
I made a mistake	I raised the issue early, explained what had happened and worked with others to correct it

This kind of description helps others understand your contribution, not just the activity.

Asking for help can be good evidence

Students sometimes feel they need to show they can do everything independently. In professional work, asking for help at the right time is often part of working responsibly.

A useful reflection can include:

• when you checked your understanding
• when you asked for guidance
• when you escalated a problem
• when you used feedback to improve your work
• when you recognised that a decision was outside your responsibility.

This does not weaken your evidence. It can show judgement, communication and awareness of your current level of responsibility.

For example:

I was unsure whether the data could be used in the way I had planned. I checked this with my supervisor before continuing. This helped avoid a privacy issue and changed how I prepared the final report.

That example shows more professional awareness than simply saying:

I completed the report.

Connect your example to SFIA

Once you have described the experience, you can look for links to SFIA.

Start with the behavioural factors and generic attributes. These are often easier to recognise in student experience than full professional skills.

Ask yourself:

• did I collaborate with others?
• did I communicate information clearly?
• did I plan and monitor my own work?
• did I solve a problem?
• did I adapt when something changed?
• did I learn something and apply it?
• did I use digital tools responsibly?
• did I handle data, privacy, security or ethical issues?
• did I ask for help or escalate when appropriate?

Then consider whether the experience relates to any SFIA professional skills.

For example:

• writing and testing code may relate to Programming/software development
• designing test cases may relate to Functional testing
• analysing data may relate to Data analytics
• helping users may relate to Customer service support or Service desk and incident management
• gathering requirements may relate to Requirements definition and management
• improving a process may relate to Business process improvement.

Use “relates to” carefully. A project or task may relate to a SFIA skill without proving that you are fully competent in that skill.

Be careful with SFIA levels

SFIA levels describe responsibility, not just difficulty.

A student project may be technically challenging but still involve limited responsibility. A workplace task may be simple but involve real users, real consequences and professional accountability.

When using SFIA levels, ask:

• how much guidance did I have?
• how much independence did I have?
• who reviewed or approved my work?
• who was affected by the outcome?
• what decisions did I make?
• what risks or consequences were involved?
• did I deliver a real outcome, or practise in a controlled setting?

You do not need to assign yourself a SFIA level to benefit from SFIA. It may be enough to say:

This experience helped me practise behaviours associated with early professional work.

or:

This task relates to software development and gave me evidence of coding, testing, problem-solving and using feedback.

Example 1: Group coursework project

Basic description

I worked on a group software project at university.

Clearer description

I worked with three other students to build a prototype booking system. I helped agree the scope, created part of the user interface and tested the booking process. When our first design did not meet the brief, I discussed the issue with the group and changed my part of the design. I also helped prepare the final presentation.

What this may show

This example may provide evidence of:

• collaboration
• planning
• communication
• problem-solving
• adaptability
• learning from feedback
• software-related activity.

It may relate to SFIA professional skills such as software development, software design or testing, depending on the work actually performed.

Example 2: Part-time work

Basic description

I worked in a shop while studying.

Clearer description

I dealt with customer questions, handled routine problems and escalated issues I could not resolve. I learnt the store procedures, used the stock system and communicated with colleagues during busy periods. When I made an error with an order, I told my supervisor quickly and helped correct the record.

What this may show

This example may provide evidence of:

• communication
• customer focus
• collaboration
• following procedures
• problem-solving
• raising mistakes early
• working under guidance
• using workplace systems responsibly.

It may not relate directly to a technical SFIA professional skill, but it can still show behaviours that matter in professional work.

Example 3: Placement or internship task

Basic description

I helped with testing during my placement.

Clearer description

I prepared test cases for a new feature using the acceptance criteria provided by the team. I ran the tests, recorded the results and reported defects with enough detail for developers to reproduce them. When I was unsure whether one result was a defect or expected behaviour, I checked with my supervisor before raising it formally.

What this may show

This example may provide evidence of:

• functional testing activity
• communication
• attention to detail
• use of agreed procedures
• problem-solving
• asking for guidance
• working as part of a delivery team.

It may relate to SFIA professional skills such as Functional testing or User acceptance testing, depending on the context.

Build a small evidence record

You do not need a large portfolio to start. A small set of well-described examples can be very useful.

Try recording:

• one example of working with others
• one example of solving a problem
• one example of planning and completing work
• one example of learning from feedback
• one example of using a technical or professional skill
• one example of handling a mistake, blocker or uncertainty responsibly.

For each example, describe:

• what happened
• what you personally did
• what this shows
• which SFIA behaviours or skills it may relate to
• what you want to develop next.

Over time, this can help you prepare for CVs, applications, interviews, placement reviews, development conversations and professional registration.

Use SFIA as a guide, not a label

SFIA does not need to become a label you attach to every piece of experience.

Use it as a guide to help you:

• notice what you are learning
• describe your work more clearly
• understand what professional behaviours look like
• identify areas for development
• prepare better examples for conversations with employers, tutors, careers advisers or mentors.

The most useful starting point is simple: choose one experience, describe it clearly and ask what it shows.