Finance and Banking Career Management
| Module title | Finance and Banking Career Management |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEFM901 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | |
| Module staff | Professor Jane Shen (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 1,2,4 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 65 |
|---|
Module description
**Please note that this module is only available to students on the MSc Financial Analysis and Fund Management programme**.
This module provides you with the resources and knowledge to succeed in your career. It delivers an overview of all the job roles available in the Finance and Banking sector, and then teaches a structured approach to the graduate job application process. All students will apply for a fictional job in the Finance and Banking sector and complete a mock application process. The application process closely follows the latest industry recruitment procedures, allowing you to practically apply the knowledge gained in the Career Management lectures.
Finding a way to balance studying your Masters and applying for graduate jobs can be a challenging time. This module provides you with a concise way of learning all of the necessary skills to succeed at the recruitment process, so you have every opportunity to meet the graduate job deadlines in Autumn Term (October/November). You will learn how to write a ‘City CV’ and tailored application forms to highlight your essential skills to recruiters. You will then submit an application for a fictional job and be asked to complete psychometric tests and a video interview. Finally there will be an optional session of attending a mock assessment centre group exercise, for those of you who would like to experience the complete process.
This module is designed to run in the first weeks of Term One before the graduate recruitment deadlines. It will be delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops led by the MSc FAFM Career Consultant and finance professionals to ensure you have access to the latest career information. Using this module in addition to one-to-one careers guidance appointments, will be an excellent way of developing your employability skills and making the most of your Masters. This career development course will involve practical information that can be applied throughout your career, so it is useful for all students, including students who already have jobs secured and those choosing to remain in education after their course.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will help you to become more informed about careers in the Finance and Banking Sector and the application processes for these jobs. A key lecture will be taught by an external speaker who has 25 years’ experience in the industry, he will not only talk through the jobs in the sector but help bring the roles to life by talking in detail about the skills, values and personality traits needed to succeed in these types of roles.
The module will also cover practical aspects of the job application process; there are strategies that can be learnt which will make the application process more transparent. You will gain an understanding of the recruiters’ perspective and how they assess candidates and shortlist their top applications.
Throughout the course you will have access to trained career professionals and valuable one to one appointments in order to help you gain a deeper understanding of your own competencies, values, interests and motivations. You will work independently on the assessment tasks, but some exercises in lectures involve working in small groups to practice interviewing skills and analyse job applications.
By the end of the module you will have a clear understanding of careers in the sector, how to search for them and how to apply for them.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a capability for the practical aspects of managing your career
- 2. Understand and articulate verbally and in writing, your personal competencies and attributes (skills, abilities, knowledge, career motivations), and the value these offer to a potential employer
- 3. Consider your career options and understand the processes involved in successfully applying for postgraduate employment
- 4. Recognise the recruiters perspective when applying for jobs and know how to use practical formulas to cover all aspects they require
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Analyse and critically evaluate a person specification section of a job description, in order to create tailored CVs and job applications
- 6. Demonstrate a strong understanding of employability formulas, such as the STAR technique and the Present-Past-Future technique to construct interview answers
- 7. Practice and develop your skills at psychometric tests, through analysing what is required by recruiters, by reflecting on company values and the job description
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Work independently, organising and maintaining your own programme of study to meet graduate recruitment and academic deadlines
- 9. Develop excellent communication skills, and have the confidence to express yourself clearly in interview situations (both online and face-to-face)
- 10. Use reflective practice to explore and identify learning needs for own future development
Syllabus plan
Three 2 hour sessions and an optional 1.5 hour assessment centre group exercise. Fridays are MSc FAFM CFA Training/Revision Day, so these lectures have been purposefully designed to fit into only 3 Fridays, so CFA revision time is prioritised.
Week One Friday 28th September 10.30am (2 hours)
Applying for Graduate Jobs (30mins)
Jobs in the Finance Industry (1hr 30mins)
Give each student 2 jobs to choose from by next session
Week Two Friday 5th October 10.30am (2 hours)
Perfecting Your City CV (45 mins)
Powerful Applications (1h 15mins)
One task to be completed by Week 4 session (one-page CV)
Week Four Friday 12th October 10.30am (2 hours)
Psychometric Testing (1 hour)
Performing Successfully at Interview (1 hour)
Two tasks to be completed by Week 6 (psychometric tests and video interview)
Mock Assessment Centre Group Task Not in timetable, book through MyCareerZone
Week Six Friday 2nd November (3 groups x 1hr 30mins)
10.30-12.00, 12.30-2.00, 2.30-4.00 (8 students per group)
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 14.5 | 0 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 7.5 hours | 3 lectures, plus optional group work activity (1.5 hours) |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 7 hours | Formative assessments: CV, 2 psychometric tests, 1 video interview |
| Guided independent study | 5 hours | Additional reading, career research and one-to-one careers appointments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 psychometric tests (Numerical Reasoning/ Situational Judgement Questionnaire) | Two 15 minute psychometric tests (30 minutes plus 1 hour practice) | 1,2,3,7,8,10 | Immediate feedback on results and areas of improvement required (via external company) |
| 1 page City CV | One page following a structured template. Up to 4 hours work. | 1,2,3,4,5,8 | CVs marked and Individual feedback provided |
| Video interview answering 3 interview questions | Online interview will take 10 minutes to complete and 1 hour 20 min preparation. | 1,2,4,6,9,10 | Interviews will be marked and individual feedback provided |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Redmond, P. (2010). The Graduate Jobs Formula: How to Land Your Dream Career. Richmond: Trotman.
Smith, H. (2013). How to Pass Numerical Reasoning Tests (3rd ed.). London: Kogan Page Limited.
Cuddy, A. (2016). Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges. London: Orion Publishing Group.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
https://mycareerzone.exeter.ac.uk
| Credit value | |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 0 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 14/06/2018 |
| Last revision date | 08/11/2018 |