Employment Experience
| Module title | Employment Experience |
|---|---|
| Module code | HAS3998 |
| Academic year | 2026/7 |
| Credits | 120 |
| Module staff | Mr Michail Melidis (Lecturer) Ms Isabel Moros (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 | 4 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 60 |
|---|
Module description
This module allows you to undertake and to learn from an extended work placement during the third year of a four year “with Employment Experience” programme. You will use one or more work placements to gain skills that equip you to work in the employment market and to improve your knowledge of the work environment. You are encouraged to think about the intercultural competence and the employability skills that you acquire during your year.
To progress to this module, you will have secured a suitable placement for a minimum of 26 weeks.
Having developed the skills necessary to find relevant roles and apply for roles in the graduate labour market, this is an invaluable opportunity to develop work-related skills and experience that will further enhance your success in the graduate labour market and support your future career choices.
During your placement year you will be supported by the Module Convenor and Placement Team.
The module assessment structure provides opportunity and support for you to evaluate your skills and achievements using personal development techniques. You will also write an Employer Report to showpiece the culmination of your academic and business skills.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to:
- Increase your employability skills in an increasingly competitive market through seeking and successfully gaining a work placement in the UK being in a workplace for a significant period and reflecting on that experience
- Develop your intercultural awareness and competence through reflection on the experience of employment.
- Enhance your capacity for self-assessment through structured reflection on your experience
- Enhance key transferable skills through the managing of your learning in an independent context. i.e. working with others; problem solving; communication; building up resilience; showing leadership attributes
- Enable you to gain an appreciation of a business environment through practical experience.
- Support future career choices.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Produce CVs and/or job applications that represent the students' strengths and target specific employers and organisations in an appropriate manner.
- 2. Demonstrate knowledge and application of the attitudes and qualities that are required to function effectively in a work environment
- 3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the social, cultural and political considerations which influence employment settings, using appropriate discipline-specific theoretical perspectives to analyse those settings
- 4. Demonstrate an ability to reflect critically on practical experiences gained, and the impact they may have on your views and actions
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate skills in the research, selection and evaluation of specific roles and organisations including the structural context of those jobs
- 6. Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate discipline-specific critical approaches to evaluate the social and cultural and political aspects of an employment setting
- 7. Demonstrate an ability to communicate (verbally and in writing) in a manner appropriate to the particular workplace context
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Develop / enhance practical work-based skills and experience
- 9. Negotiate the different types of working relationships with staff within the workplace, and others - directly or indirectly - relevant to the placement
- 10. Demonstrate the ability to identify and reflect on personal challenges and to learn from their resolution
- 11. Demonstrate the ability to use a range of technologies and applications relevant to most workplaces
Syllabus plan
Work placement length for the full academic year must total a minimum of 26 weeks. The total can consist of a maximum of 2 separate placements.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | 1200 | Work placement undertaken with an organisation(s) approved by the University of Exeter. The hours are approximate and may vary on an individual basis but are to include all assessment and study time. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| CV | Minimum 750 words | 1, 4, 5 | Written and oral |
| Reflective proposal | 500 words | 2, 3, 6, 10 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/report | 40 | 2000 words | 2, 3, 6, 10 | Written and oral |
| Poster presentation | 40 | A1 poster presented orally | 2, 3, 6, 10 | Written and oral |
| Employer's Report | 20 | As required | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-11 | Written and oral |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (2000 words) | Essay (2000 words) | 2, 3, 6, 10 | Ref/Def |
| Poster presentation | Poster presentation | 2, 3, 6, 10 | Ref/Def |
| Employer's Report | Employers Report | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-11 | Ref/Def |
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
- Career Zone online careers resources:
- Deciding: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/careerplanning/deciding/
- Planning: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/careerplanning/planning/
- Competing: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/careerplanning/competing/
- My Career Zone Digital: https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/Members
- Handshake: https://exeter.joinhandshake.co.uk/stu
| Credit value | 120 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 60 |
| Module pre-requisites | HAS2905 |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 12/03/2025 |
| Last revision date | 12/03/2025 |