Portfolio Assignment: Employment Opportunities and Personal Development Plan

1Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding:

Employment opportunities related to your subject area and interests and the skills, knowledge, experience and attributes that are required to work in these contexts.

2Demonstrate the following skills and abilities

To be self-reflective about your personal skills, attributes and abilities and how these compare with what is required for your future employment

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Produce a portfolio which includes:

·A CV (2 sides of A4)

·A cover letter/email to secure a work-based observation opportunity or job interview

·A reflective account that includes an introduction, identifies aims for the activities associated with the work-based observation and a Personal Development Plan that is presented as a table using SMART

A portfolio which contains:

Introduction – Why you couldn’t do WBO etc.

Your graduate destination - What? Why? etc.Role analysis – history, trends, etc.

A current job description and person specification of your ideal job – Appendix 1Reflection – what you already have – skills and experience and what you will need to get in order to meet the person specification

Personal Development Plan

CV and covering letter as if you were seeking WBO

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

žReflectively underpinned personal development planning detailing the personal skills, attributes and abilities you currently offer, how these compare with what is required for your future employment, and what steps you now need to take to achieve your graduate employment goals

žUnderstanding of the employment opportunities related to your subject area and interests and the skills, knowledge, experience and attributes that are required to work in these contexts.

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

THIS SECTION IS COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT IN CLASS WHEN THE ASSESSMENT IS DISCUSSED

How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

Each week the unit will cover content that will help you to plan for your assignment. The unit content is delivered over 6 weeks. You are then expected to be carrying out a 15 hour work-based observation that you use to reflect in your portfolio. If you are unable to do this there is an alternative assignment which asks you to assess your suitability for a graduate role that you identify.

The unit content is designed to enable you to develop the elements of the portfolio in an incremental way, starting with the CV and cover letter. You are encouraged to use the services of the Careers and Employability Service to have your CV checked. The Service can also help you with securing a work-based observation and you are actively encouraged to make contact with them at the start of the unit.

THIS CAN BE DISCUSSED WITH THE STUDENTS IN MORE DETAIL WHEN THE UNIT CONTENT IS BEING OUTLINED IN THE INTRODUCTORY SESSION

How will my assignment be marked?

Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.

You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit.