Description

Employability and Career Development in Nutrition

Description - summary of the module content

Module description

The opportunity to develop your employability skills and potential in your degree is paramount as you may soon be entering the job market.  In this module, you will be guided through possible career paths in Nutrition and learn to identify employers’ needs in a changing job market.  Guest speakers and relevant practical sessions will help you to prepare for future employment.  Topics covered include designing your CV, cover letter, the application process, improve your presentation skills, and interview techniques. All of these skills are vital when applying for your first graduate job or postgraduate degree.  As well as the practical sessions, you will do forty hours of self-organised work experience in an area of Nutrition, maximising your employability potential and giving you the chance to experience a particular career.  Failure to complete a minimum of forty hours of work experience will result in a zero grade for that portion of the assessment. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to prepare you to join the workforce by developing employability and career development skills.

As part of this module you are expected to develop the following skills:

• Strategic thinking and problem solving in the workplace
• Governance: public and personal liability, insurance and indemnity (if required)
• Negotiation of learning experiences with the organisation host supervisor
• Know how to make professional applications, prepare a high-quality CV and cover letter, and improve your interview skills.
• Presentation skills to feel as comfortable as possible when delivering a talk and become a confident communicator.
• Appreciate the challenges and opportunities in self-employment and be able to access the help the University gives to entrepreneurs
• Reflective practice to build a portfolio about your work experience and created future employment plans
• People skills in communicating with peers, employers, and module teaching team
• Enquiring mind in pursuing further reading on topics covered in the module.
• Data management skills in collecting and recording data (e.g. reflections) and analysing
• Team work, adaptation and flexibility of the work setting

The module requires you to undertake 40 hours of work experience, and you must be willing to carry out independent research, to use the Careers Service and to attend careers-related events. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Plan and set out clear goals that are to be achieved from the work experience
• 2. Reflect upon and evaluate the work experience and analyse what was learnt in terms of employability
• 3. Develop an initial career plan that evaluates and applies this experience and what you need to do to achieve your goals

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Research, analyse and evaluate the current job market
• 5. Apply your learning to produce examples of professional communications for future employment

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 6. Manage your own learning time about the course
• 7. Work both cooperatively and independently
• 8. Work safely, effectively & sustainably in a manner which shows an awareness of self, others and is within the scope of professional standards (AfN), relevant governance frameworks and work settings

Syllabus plan

Syllabus plan

A series of lectures and guest speakers will support the learning and teaching process.  These will occur throughout the module to supplement the ongoing work experience placement.

• Introduction to the module, an introduction to reflective practice
• Code of conduct (AfN) and work based experience specific code of conduct
• Developing a CV, a cover letter and making applications
• Introduction to entrepreneurship
• Business plan and strategic marketing for a new business
• Presentation skills
• Presentation skills – practical session (research of the job market about you career plan).
• Interview techniques
• Marketing yourself
• Interview techniques – practical session
• Review of the module and the portfolio

Learning and teaching

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

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Assessment

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Re-assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will need to complete further assessment as required. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

You will not be given the opportunity to accrue an additional 40 hours of work experience.  The reassessment must relate to your original 40 hours.  

Resources

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Careers and Employment Service (CES)

• Careers & Employment Service Guide -available from CES
• AGCAS booklet – How to complete an application form -available from CES
• Making Applications – AGCAS booklet available from CES reception
• Making Applications – AGCAS booklet available from CES reception
• Making Wizard Applications – by Chris Phillips available to buy

Interviews

• Careers and Employment Guide – from CES

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=5015
• The Career Zone:http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/
• AfN Standards of ethics, conduct and performance: http://www.associationfornutrition.org/Portals/0/Public/Registration/AfN%20Standards%20Ethics%20Conduct%20Performance.pdf

CVs and Making Applications

• CV Creator – www.ex.ac.uk/employability/cvcreator
• International and academic CVs: www.prospects.ac.uk; click on ‘Jobs & Work’then ‘Applications & Interviews’ – useful power word list
• www.selectsimulator.com– practice online application form
• www.futuremorph.org– very helpful Science Council careers site

Interviews

• www.prospects.ac.uk– interview tips under the ‘Jobs and Work’ section
• www.bemyinterviewer.co.uk - online advice for answering hard questions

Work Experience

• www.futuremorph.org - Setting aims and goals

Teaching

• www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/careerplanning/sector/teaching/

Module has an active ELE page

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Careers Adviser appointment for further help – phone 01392 724493 or sign up for an appointment in the Forum or with Tom McAndrew in the St Luke’s library on Tuesdays.

• Book a practice interview with employers (check the web for details and dates www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/staff/ )
• DVD – Your Job is online -available to view at CES
• Video – Looking Good on Paper – available to see at CES
• DVD – ‘Making an Impact’ – available at CES
• Cooper,L., Orrell, J., and Bowden, (2010).  Work Integrated Learning. A guide to effective practice. London: Routledge 
• Hager, P., and Holland, S. (2006). Graduate Attributes, Learning and Employability. Most recent edition. Information Dordrecht : Springer Netherland.
• Jarvis, P., 2010. Adult education and lifelong learning: Theory and practice. Most recent edition. London: Routledge.
• Moon, J.A., (2004). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice. London: Routledge.

Key words search

Employability, careers, job application, work experience