HUM20030 Career Readiness (Humanities)

Academic Year 2020/2021

This module is designed by the UCD Career Network specifically for BA Humanities students to facilitate your academic, personal, and career development and to enable you to develop employability skills. Students will gain an appreciation of how to navigate the internship and graduate recruitment process, how to be effective in the workplace, and how to take ownership of your career development. The module will introduce you to the benefits of doing an internship and how to research and source an internship. Topics covered in the module include effective job applications, CV’s & cover letters, interview techniques, self-awareness, presentation skills and teamwork. The overall aim of the module is to contribute to the development of well-informed and skilled graduates who can compete effectively in internship and graduate recruitment processes and perform successfully in the workplace.

***Please note that this is a GPA-neutral Pass/Fail module. This means that the module counts towards the overall credit requirements for your BA but is not included in your GPA calculation.***

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

This module will provide students with the opportunity to:
•Understand the benefits of completing an internship.
•Develop awareness of their abilities, interests, aptitudes, and relevant occupational opportunities.
•Gain insight into the employability skills sought by graduate recruiters.
•Develop a range of skills that are highly valued in the workplace, including effective communication & teamwork.
•Enhance their networking skills both face to face and by utilising social media.
•Develop an impactful CV and cover letter that will provide the basis for effective internship and graduate job applications.
•Practice their interview techniques by utilising Video Interview technology.

Indicative Module Content:

The following topics will be covered as part of this module:
• Introduction to Career Development Planning and Internships
• Internships – Benefits, Researching and Sourcing Internship
• Skills with my degree. Identifying Gaps - where are I now?
• Focus on You: Self Awareness Part 1 Understanding Values and Interests
• Focus on You: Self Awareness Part 2 Understanding Personality type – using TDI personality profiling
• Introduction to the Recruitment Process and Understanding the Employer Perspective
• Effective CV’s and Cover Letters
• Understanding Team work
• Performing effectively at Interview: Developing your interview technique
• Understanding Communication and Presentation Skills
• Networking: Social media and LinkedIn
• Career Action Planning – reflections on learning

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24

Specified Learning Activities

50

Autonomous Student Learning

30

Total

104

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Some aspects of the module will be taught in a traditional ‘lecture’ format with class discussions on various topics. However, a significant element of the weekly sessions will be interactive featuring peer and group work as well as student presentations. This should enable students to practice the skills they are learning about and to enhance their own development through participation. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
BIOC40230 - Biochemistry Career Skills, HUM20010 - Career Readiness for Arts, PSY30320 - Career development in psych, SCI10040 - Prepare for Your Future Career, VET10060 - Professional Growth 1


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Attendance and participation Throughout the Trimester n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

10

Assignment: Online mock interview Unspecified n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

40

Assignment: Written report based on informational interview Unspecified n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

50


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Online written feedback will be available through Brightspace for each assignment. CVs and some activities will be subject to peer review.

There are no prescribed readings for this module, however if students would like to learn more about the topics covered in the module, the following publications may be of interest:

Cottrell, S. (2010) Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. 2nd edition, Palgrave MacMillan. England.

Kumar, A. (2007) Personal, Academic and Career Development in Higher Education: Soaring to Success. Routledge. England

The UCD Career Guide 2019/20 – copies are available free of charge from the UCD Career Network

There is also a range of useful careers-related resources in the Career Network Resource Room and on our website www.ucd.ie/careers
Name Role
Assoc Professor Jaime Jones Lecturer / Co-Lecturer