Module Information

Module Identifier
CD20110
Module Title
Graduate Career and Professional Development
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Reading List

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Attendance Related Tasks  • Participation in Workshops • ‘AberGrad’ Skills Checklist – linked with tutorial engagement via ALADdin. • Reflective piece – 500 words on process and starting point – linked to engagement with AberGrad Planning Grid in tutorials and on ALADdin.   20%
Semester Assessment Presentation  Group research on LMI and presentation (recorded) or via small group tutorials  30%
Semester Assessment Portfolio  Portfolio of • CV to chosen vacancy • LinkedIn profile • Covering letter for chosen vacancy • 2 competency based answers appropriate to selected opportunities. • Reflective account of employer event (500 words) • One page careers action plan addressing points arising   50%
Supplementary Assessment Portfolio  Portfolio of • Reflective piece (1,500 words) on rationale for career decision making in relation to chosen occupational sector or specific career choice • Completion of set application form questions • SWOT analysis on skills development and attainment   50%
Supplementary Assessment Critical analysis (1,000 words) of occupational sector of choice and current graduate labour market trends  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Appreciate and recognise the range of professional skills developed via diverse experiences that are needed for graduate level employment

Exhibit their ability to utilise the necessary career decision making skills, evidence their knowledge of opportunity awareness and show career resilience to make the transition into the graduate labour market

Recognise and articulate a range of career development theories and how these influence and enable/inhibit the career decision making process

Demonstrate understanding and development of commercial awareness and a global perspective in relation to the graduate labour market and workplace.

Demonstrate the development of high level research and critical analysis skills, to evaluate and apply graduate labour market intelligence

Demonstrate the ability to articulate and market employability skills to employers and professional networks through a range of different media.

Apply self-awareness knowledge and develop confidence when engaging with graduate recruitment application processes

Brief description

Have you wondered what you might be doing after you graduate and how relevant the course you are doing now will be to your future? Regardless of your current thoughts as to your next step, this module will show you how to improve your skills, enabling you to perform better in your other academic modules, whilst also helping you to take full advantage of the range of opportunities offered to you at Aberystwyth University. Whatever you choose to do after your degree, this module will make you more competitive and more knowledgeable on the options open to you and on your ability to be competitive in the global labour and postgraduate markets. Being resilient in the competitive environment ahead of you will also make you more likely to succeed.

Content

Through a range of interactive workshops, optional sessions and assessed course work students will develop their own individualised employability portfolio
1, Career and learning – using metaphors to understand career perspectives
Understand and apply theories relating to career management when making career decisions.

2, Raising your skills awareness
Participants will be able to recognise their range of professional skills, the opportunities open to them to develop further, and how to use the ‘Aber Grad’ Skills Checklist within the tutorial process to articulate their skills to graduate employers

3, Career and labour market intelligence
Participants will be able to recognise, evaluate and apply different forms and sources of career labour market intelligence.

4, Networking and online professional presence
Exploring why networking is important and vital to developing a graduate career; discovering how to be more confident and proactive when networking and how to market yourself to graduate employers.

5, Professional behaviour and communication.
Various behaviours associated with professionalism are explored and how they are observed in the working situation, when interacting with and influencing others, whilst influencing at organisational level and representing the organisation elsewhere.

6, Commercial and global awareness.
To explore and deepen understanding of what this might mean within the commercial and global context.

7, Converting experience into evidence on applications
An exploration of different application methods and how to articulate evidence on different application formats

8, Recruitment practices and Portfolio introduction
Participants will gain a good understanding of the different skills needed for an interview and attending assessment centres. The final assessment portfolio will be introduced to participants.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Data analysis
Communication A requirement to discuss and present with members of the group
Improving own Learning and Performance The module provides essential skills for developing self-awareness
Information Technology IT skills are required for presentation of assignments and use of social media platforms and researching information databases
Personal Development and Career planning The module provides an academic baseline for personal and career development
Problem solving The workshops will introduce and discuss problems related to the subject
Research skills Research will require the identification and location of relevant labour market information
Subject Specific Skills The module will develop essential employability skills
Team work This will be developed through the group presentation and research

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5