PP2CMS: Career Management Skills

Module Provider:

Philosophy

Number of credits:

5 [2.5 ECTS credits]

Level:

I (Intermediate)

Terms in which taught:

Autumn and Spring

Module Convenor:

Dr B Streumer

Pre-requisites:

Co-requisites:

Modules excluded:

Module version for:

2007/8

Aims:
This module component aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop self- awareness in the context of career decision making, knowledge of the career opportunities that are available to them, and the skills to make effective applications.

Assessable learning outcomes:
Students will be able to:

Additional outcomes:
Students will develop business awareness through understanding broad trends in the graduate labour market and the personal attributes and achievements that employers require. They will develop oral communication and team working skills through practical group exercises. IT and information handling skills will be developed by using the Internet. They will develop Personal Development Planning abilities through the reflective exercises and forward-looking nature of CMS, which will significantly contribute to PARs and other PDP activities.

Additional information for mature students

Mature students are encouraged to take CMS along with other undergraduates. However, those mature students who are not planning to seek paid work after graduating, or who are going to return to a career in which they are already established, can choose from a range of special assessment activities that address career planning in its widest sense, as an alternative to doing the standard CMS work.

Outline content:
1. Where am I?

• Introduction to career planning and concept of ‘vocational self’.
• Becoming more self-aware and recognising skills and attributes for employment.
• Practical exercise (s) to explore and identify transferable skills (e.g. team roles)
• Online learning material (advice, information and interactive exercises).
• Introduction to the CMS module and assignments

2. Workshop Menu

• Focus on wide range of career opportunities available to graduates.
• The first destinations of graduates nationally and Reading graduates in particular, highlighting postgraduate options and other progression issues as relevant.
• Introduction to the use of careers information sources (e.g. web sites).
• Demonstration of related online learning material.
• Online learning material (advice, information and interactive exercises).
• Workshops to be chosen by the student will cover: Who am I?, Work Experience and Applying for graduate training schemes.

3. Promoting yourself on paper

• Overview of recruitment and selection procedures
• Strategies for anticipating employer requirements and demonstrating suitability for the post applied for.
• Practical exercises and advice on recruitment and selection methods (e.g. CVs, applications forms, job interviews) most relevant to students’ likely career plans.
• Online learning material (advice, information and interactive exercises).
• Identifying the skills gained from University.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Interactive lectures are complemented by self-directed learning using online resources provided via Blackboard.

Contact hours:

Assessment:
One summative task (annotated CV) and two formative tasks (Me PLC and Job study) to make up a portfolio of work for submission.. The two formative tasks will be required items in the portfolio, but the mark awarded for CMS will refer to the summative task only. Incomplete portfolios will not be marked.
• Relative percentage of course work; 100%.
• Examinations; none.
• Requirements for a pass; 40%
• Reassessment arrangements; assessment task to be resubmitted by 1st September.
• PP2CMS contributes 5 credits’ worth of marks to the average mark for the 120 credits for Part 2.