Preparing for Professional Placement

Module title	Preparing for Professional Placement
Module code	ESS2108
Academic year	2023/4
Credits
Module staff	Mr Max Weston (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	2-10	2-6	5

Number students taking module (anticipated)	40

Module description

Employers are looking for graduates who can demonstrate that they have the necessary skills, independence and enthusiasm to succeed, and are likely to favour those who have obtained relevant work experience during their degree. This module will prepare you to find and secure a professional placement with an organisation or business, and will upskill you to undertake your placement in a professional manner. By equipping you to know the main routes to source placements, it will allow you to research effectively and appreciate the varying timelines and recruitment practices that organisations adopt. This module will be delivered by a range of professionals in the university and also by employers, giving you the opportunity to get ahead of the crowd by gaining practical experience of a real-life working environment. Completion of all sessions is mandatory unless specified as optional.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This 2^nd year non-credit bearing module forms part of the ‘with Professional Placement’ pathway.

The module will inform you of how to research relevant organisations and companies and apply for placement opportunities. You will understand how to identify your own skills and personal qualities to ‘self-promote’ and stand out in a competitive environment. You will be given advice on how to write an effective CV and cover letter, tailoring these to the roles you are applying to, as well as how to make the most of networking opportunities. You will explore the role social media has in the recruitment process and how to make the most of this in finding and securing a placement.

You will learn how to complete application forms as well as prepare for a range of assessment methods including, interviews and assessment centres. The module will also look at professionalism in the workplace, investigating common scenarios that you may face and how to approach and overcome them, enabling you to fully immerse yourself into a professional environment.

The combination of workshops, lectures and e-learning units focus on securing a placement, work-readiness and professionalism.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Examine the benefits of continuing personal and professional development in the workplace
2. Identify employability skills (competencies) relevant to placement roles/organisations of interest
3. Critically reflect on experiences that demonstrate relevant employability skills

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Understand the academic assessment requirements for the placement year
5. Locate and interpret information sources to identify academic and employability skills development opportunities on your degree
6. Locate and interpret information sources to identify career options where a degree in the subject area is essential/desirable/useful

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Recognise the impact behaviour, ethics and health & safety have in the workplace
8. Identify personal skills needed to have impact and success in the recruitment process

Syllabus plan

It is envisaged that the syllabus is likely to have some or all of following topics, although precise content and order may vary:

Term 1 – 7 x 2 hour lectures/workshops

Welcome lecture
Exploring Careers in Sport and Health
Creating a Dynamic Brand on paper
Speculative Applications and Networking
Creating a Dynamic Brand in person – performing confidently at interviews
Assessment Centres and presentation skills
Commercial Awareness and Organisational Analysis

Term 2 – 2 x 2 hour lectures/workshops

Re-energising your placement search & professionalism in the Workplace.
Emotional Intelligence & Introduction to placement year academic assessments.

Term 3 – x1 hour lecture

Pre-Placement Departure Session – Student Responsibilities and Support.

Attendance at all lectures and workshops is compulsory.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
19	18	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	19	Lectures & synchronous sessions.
Guided Independent Study	18	Finding and applying for placements, interviews, assessment centres etc.

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
None	n/a	n/a	n/a

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
0	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
None	0	n/a	n/a	n/a

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
None	n/a	n/a	n/a

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Tristram Hooley and Korin Grant, You’re Hired! Graduate Career Handbook, Maximise your employability and get a graduate job, ISBN: 9781844556489

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

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

Key words search

work experience, professional placement, industrial placement, employability, careers, CV, application, career planning, interview, work placement, personal development, transferable skills

Credit value
Module ECTS	0
Module pre-requisites	ESS1018
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	28/03/2023
Last revision date	20/04/2023