This module helps prepare students to acquire and develop the employability and transferable skills necessary to search and successfully apply for work experience and graduate opportunities in the commercial and public sector and for PhD programmes.
The curriculum will include guidance and practical exercises in application writing, CVs, careers advice, interview and assessment centre techniques, numeracy and competency tests, and psychometric evaluation.
Students will attend a series of talks, workshops and one-to-one meetings designed to introduce, develop and support the broad range of employability and transferable skills required to prepare for and obtain an internship or graduate job opportunity. All activities will be led by the School Director of Employability and the Placement and Employability Coordinator in conjunction with the Careers and Employability Service. A specific talk and advice for PGR opportunities in the School of Economics will be provided by the Director of Graduate Studies (Research Students).
Talks will provide targeted advice to MSc Economics students on different careers paths, PhD study and if necessary, on how to obtain an internship after attending university. Talks will run through the Autumn Term and will constitute 4 formal contact hours.
Workshops will provide guidance and support across a range of employability related tasks including CV and application writing, assessment centre and interview techniques, numeracy and competency testing, and psychometric evaluation. Workshops will run throughout the Autumn and Spring Terms and will constitute up to 8 formal contact hours.
One-to–one meetings will provide bespoke advice and support to students as queries arise throughout the year. They will also provide feedback opportunities to students as they progress thorough respective stages of the application process. One-to-one meetings will operate through drop-in sessions which run throughout the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms and will constitute approximately 3 formal contact hours on average for each student.
Alongside formal contact hours (15) students are expected to commit a further 15 hours to the module across the academic year via independent work.
The module is non-contributory and assessment does not 'count' towards the formal 180 credit classification of Economics MSc degree programmes.
The module develops transferable skills designed to enhance employability and the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to search and secure postgraduate job opportunities in a competitive economic environment. This module also prepares students for entry onto PhD programmes within the UK and abroad. Students will be given guidance on the level of engagement expected and will receive on-going feedback as part of the activities undertaken on the module.
Students who participate in the talks, workshops and one-to-one meetings, and who engage with the activities and tasks required of the module as discussed above will have met the module learning outcomes (MLOs 8.1-8.6 and 9.1-9.5) and will have this added to their Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR).
(Indicative list, current at time of publication. Reading lists will be published annually)
• S. Cottrell (2015), Skills for Success, Palgrave Macmillan
• F. Trought (2011), Brilliant Employability Skills, Prentice Hall
• S. Rook (2013), The Graduate Career Guidebook, Palgrave Macmillan
• Employability for MSc Economics Students (Moodle module)
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
8.1 Demonstrate critical awareness and understanding of career and PhD study opportunities in Economics and related fields for Economics MSc graduates in the UK and overseas
8.2 Demonstrate independence in searching, preparing and applying for MSc graduate jobs and PhD study
8.3 Understand the importance of obtaining and applying for work experience in the field in which they wish to pursue their career
8.4 Critically evaluate and demonstrate experience of different recruitment processes employed by business, finance and government
8.5 Demonstrate comprehensive understanding and practical experience of MSc graduate job and PhD application writing, CV and cover letter writing, and interview techniques of all types (face to face, telephone and video), competency tests and team based recruitment exercises
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