Portfolio Assessment Instructions

PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

• You must use the Harvard referencing system.

• Your work must reflect examples of research completed individually. A template will be provided through which evidence will be compiled for inspection by the marking team.

• Assignment submissions must be in line with the template provided.

• Use the cover page provided by the university.

• Where the section comprises more than one task, all tasks must be submitted under that one section heading.

Part 1: Career Goal - Identify three possible career choices. Briefly explain your first two choices and why they are no longer suitable for you. Your main career choice must be evidenced in a portfolio in terms of the following:

PORTFOLIO EVIDENCE: (Including Harvard reference to confirm source authenticity)

An example of a job advert that you would be interested in applying for when your degree is completed. The advert MUST include the following information:

• company background information (Research if not on advert)

• the physical, psychological, educational and emotional characteristics and demands of the role, ie. Person specifications

• remuneration, opportunities for personal development and benefits

• geographical location Furthermore, you must include evidence of the following:

• an overview of the health of industry (job opportunities in the current market)

This information must be garnered from independent research. Consider using Career Zone or Prospects as your research tools. Acknowledge the source of your information (For support, please check the Digital Library ‘Quickguide’ for Harvard Referencing.) This part of the portfolio is worth 8 marks.

Part 2: Current Reality - Identify and explain your strengths (skills, experience and personal qualities) and weaknesses, using the Personal SWOT completed in class, and feedback from 5 contacts using the “Ask 5 People” exercise. These should be supplemented by research carried out into your strengths and weaknesses completed throughout the course.

Explain your current role and any relevance this has to your choice of degree and your future career goals.

Finally, offer an explanation of your understanding of what your degree entails and which aspects of this excites you the most.

PORTFOLIO EVIDENCE: (Including Harvard reference to confirm source authenticity) You must include the following as a minimum:

• SWOT Analysis

• Ask 5 People Questionnaires (A minimum of 3 expected. These can be an element from both ‘personal’ and ‘professional’ feedback or can be exclusively one or the other. -2 points will be deducted if there are fewer than 3 evidenced.)

Career Goal

• *Degree research

*Degree research should be completed from the ARUL website.

Part 3: Options for Progression - Identify and explain any gaps in your skills, experience and knowledge and the steps needed to be taken to close these identified gaps in order to secure your chosen career. REMEMBER, THIS SECTION CARRIES THE BULK OF THE MARKS.

For example: To train as...... I will need to gain some experience of the role, which I can get through the apprenticeship programme starting in June (Hilton Apprenticeship, 2018).  You need to show specific and targeted solutions, which is only possible by showing that you have identified tangible results through research – (Through Career Zone, you may be able to identify a company you can connect with via LinkedIn. You can then research that company and compare your current skill set with the requirements sought by that company.)

Identify and explain options that might help you bridge the gap between your current situation and your career aspirations. Factors to consider include: PORTFOLIO EVIDENCE: (Including Harvard reference to confirm source authenticity) The following evidence should be compiled as proof of research complete:

• creating a LinkedIn profile / sample Network Profile template and an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses

• if you do not use Linkedin, then whichever digital medium you use professionally. It must be fit for purpose.

• opportunities created through the university in terms of the Employability Scheme

• how resources available on the Career Zone and Digital Library can be used to strengthen your academic skill set and knowledge.

• looking at the opportunities identified in your SWOT

• explain how you can address the threats identified in your SWOT

• independent research that evidences a clear pathway to close the gaps in a skill, experience and knowledge This part of the plan is worth 16 marks.

Part 4: Way Forward - Identify three “next steps” that are SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT and TIME BASED. These should expand on issues identified in below, related to Section 1, Section 2 and Section 3 of the assignment. Choose any 3 outof the 4 listed below.

(A) One improvement you will make to meet the ‘Person specifications’ identified in the job advertisement evidenced in Section 1.

(B) One aspect of the Digital Library that you plan to use to enhance an academic skill.

(C) One step you plan to take to improve the effectiveness of your digital identity.

Personal SWOT Analysis

(D) A step to improve your knowledge of the industry you seek to work in.  PORTFOLIO EVIDENCE: (Including Harvard reference to confirm source authenticity)

(A) - A weblink and screenshot of any workshops, videos or tutorials you will take. (B) - Harvard reference for the Digital Library along with a screenshot of the application being used to enhance academic skills.

(C) - The name of the specific platform being improved (Linkedin, Snapchat, Facebook) and suggestion.

(D) - Proof of research (newspaper, journal, website) being used to increase industry knowledge. This part of the plan is worth 4 marks

INTERVIEW ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS: • Student interviews will take place in either Week 11 or Week 12 of term time during your class time.

• For exact date and time of your interview, please see the schedule on the VLE page. The schedule will be published no later than Friday of week 7.

• No extensions are available for this assessment

Part 1: Career Goal - Identify three possible career choices. Briefly explain your first two choices and why they are no longer suitable for you. Your main career choice must be evidenced in a portfolio in terms of the following;

INTERVIEW RESPONSE: (As well as responding to questions on your portfolio evidence, prepare to be able to explain the following. It is not necessary to evidence the points below.)

As well as being able to explain the evidence collected above, the interviewer will

also expect you to be able to expand on the following points:

• two alternative careers you have considered outside of the choice evidenced above

• your motivation for choosing this particular job

• Your suitability for this role (12 Marks)

Part 2: Current Reality - Identify and explain your strengths (skills, experience and personal qualities) and weaknesses, using the Personal SWOT completed in class, and feedback from 5 contacts using the “Ask 5 People” exercise. These should be supplemented by research carried out into your strengths and weaknesses completed throughout the course.

Explain your current role and any relevance this has to your choice of degree and your future career goals

Finally, offer an explanation of your understanding of what your degree entails and which aspects of this excites you the most.

As well as being able to explain the evidence collected in your portfolio, the interviewer will also expect you to be able to expand on the following points:

Options for Progression

• your current or most recent role

• your responsibilities in this role and the skill set you have developed

• one important lesson you have learned from your role or from a colleague/situation at work

Part 3: Options for Progression - Identify and explain any gaps in your skills, experience and knowledge and the steps needed to be taken to close these identified gaps in order to secure your chosen career. REMEMBER, THIS SECTION CARRIES THE BULK OF THE MARKS.

For example: To train as...... I will need to gain some experience of the role, which I can get through the apprenticeship programme starting in June (Hilton Apprenticeship, 2018). You need to show specific and targeted solutions, which is only possible by showing that you have identified tangible results through research – (Through Career Zone, you may be able to identify a company you can connect with via LinkedIn. You can then research that company and compare your current skill set with the requirements sought by that company.)

Identify and explain options that might help you bridge the gap between your current situation and your career aspirations. Factors to consider include: INTERVIEW RESPONSE: (As well as responding to questions on your portfolio evidence, prepare to be able to explain the following. It is not necessary to evidence these points.)

As well as being able to explain the evidence collected in your portfolio, the interviewer will also expect you to be able to expand on the following points:

• explain how the evidence in the portfolio can be used to meet the requirements highlighted on the job advert in Section 1

• ensure you can explain how the evidence collected for Section 3 remedies the gaps in skills, experience and knowledge (24 Marks)

Part 4: Way Forward - Identify three “next steps” that are SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT and TIME BASED. These should expand on issues identified inbelow, related to Section 1, Section 2 and Section 3 of the assignment. Choose any 3 out of the 4 listed below.

(A) One improvement you will make to meet the ‘Person specifications’ identified in the job advertisement evidenced in Section 1.

(B) One aspect of the Digital Library that you plan to use to enhance an academic skill.

(C) One step you plan to take to improve the effectiveness of your digital identity.

(D) A step to improve your knowledge of the industry you seek to work in.