- Published
- 7 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 7 October 2026
Choose a real example
Use this workbook to explore one task you completed. It is a reflection tool, not a professional assessment. Choose an example you can explain without disclosing confidential information. Employment, volunteering, study and independent practice can all provide useful examples when labelled accurately.
Start by writing the setting, your responsibility and the limits of your role. Avoid beginning with a list of skills. Describe what happened first, then consider what capability the work demonstrates.
Exercise 1: describe the situation
Write the problem or responsibility in two sentences. Who needed something to change? What constraint affected the work? Record the scale without inventing figures. If a number is approximate, label it as an estimate and explain its basis.
Fictional example: a community group needed a reliable list of actions before an event. The volunteer maintained the list but did not approve expenditure. That boundary matters when describing the example.
Exercise 2: separate action from outcome
List three actions you personally took. Next, record what changed and what evidence supports the statement. A completed document can show that an output exists; it does not necessarily prove that the wider organisation improved.
Identify other people who contributed. Write down which decisions were yours and which required approval. If you cannot verify a result, describe the observable output rather than claiming a percentage improvement.
Exercise 3: connect the capability
Compare the example with one responsibility in a target role. Explain the connection in plain language. Maintaining an action list may demonstrate coordination and follow-up. Investigating conflicting records may demonstrate attention to data quality.
Record the limitation of the example and a capability you still need to practise. A useful reflection includes gaps as well as strengths. Ask a reviewer what they would need to understand before accepting your claim.
Exercise 4: write and review
Draft a short paragraph covering situation, action, supported result and learning. Read it aloud. Remove vague claims such as excellent communicator unless the example explains the behaviour.
Complete the downloadable workbook, obtain feedback and choose one next practice activity. Set a review date. Keep the original evidence private when it belongs to an employer or another person. The workbook supports development; it does not guarantee recruitment outcomes.
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.
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Available as a printable PDF and an editable Word document (DOCX). Version 2.0, 7 October 2026. Personal and internal organisational adaptation permitted with RDE author credit retained.