Preparing for Professional Placements
| Module title | Preparing for Professional Placements |
|---|---|
| Module code | BIO2001 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | |
| Module staff | Professor Mike Allen (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 2-10 | 2-6 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
Employers are looking for graduates who can demonstrate that they have the necessary skills, independence and enthusiasm to succeed, and will therefore favour those who have obtained relevant work experience during their degree. This module will enable you to find and secure a professional placement with an organisation or business and will prepare you adequately to carry out your placement in a professional manner. By equipping you to know the main routes to source placements, it will allow you to research effectively and appreciate the varying timelines and recruitment practices that organisations adopt. This module will be delivered by a range of professionals in the university and also by employers, giving you the opportunity to get ahead of the crowd by gaining practical experience of a real-life working environment. There is no pre-required learning to undertake this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module will inform you of how to research relevant organisations and companies and apply for placement opportunities. You will understand how to identify your own skills and personal qualities to ‘self-promote’ and stand out in a competitive environment. You will be given advice on how to write an effective CV and cover letter, how to set up a LinkedIn profile and make the most of the networking opportunities. You will explore the role social media has in the recruitment process and how to make the most of this in finding and securing a placement. You will look at how to complete application forms successfully as well as prepare for a range of interview techniques including assessment centres. The module will also look at professionalism in the workplace, investigating common scenarios that you will face and suitable approaches, enabling you to fully immerse yourself into a professional environment.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Know how to effectively research employers to source placements and internships opportunities
- 2. Compose an effective and well-presented CV, complete with supporting letter, making clear links between your experience and the job description
- 3. Produce a LinkedIn profile and develop skills in networking
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Understand the complexities of factors influencing non-academic science from labs to marketplace
- 5. Identify and investigate the range of career opportunities available and relevant to a student with a degree in life and environmental sciences
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Improve professionalism and your approach to your behaviour in the workplace
- 7. Use the internet to enhance career prospects and learn how to have an effective online presence
- 8. Showcase your skills, motivations and personal career development needs and promote these effectively
Syllabus plan
- From lab to marketplace
- Professional placement introduction
- Professionalism in the workplace
- How to write effective CVs and application forms
- Attending interviews and assessment centres
- Using social media effectively and networking skills
- Developing a LinkedIn profile
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 18 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Student learning and teaching | 8 | Seminars - you should attend all timetabled activities |
| Student learning and teaching | 2 | LinkedIn practical |
| Student learning and teaching | 2 | CV writing and feedback |
| Guided independent study | 18 | Conducting additional reading and research to prepare high quality applications |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creation of LinkedIn page | Ongoing | Oral | |
| CV preparation | Ongoing | Oral/written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| There is no summative assessment in this module | 100 | |||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Tristram Hooley and Korin Grant, You’re Hired! Graduate Career Handbook, Maximise your employability and get a graduate job, ISBN: 9781844556489
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- Associated ELE webpage
- https://mycareerzone.careercentre.me/u/5n2507xq
- https://www.prospects.ac.uk/
| Credit value | |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 0 |
| Module pre-requisites | BIO1333 Fundamental Principles for Bioscientists |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 21/02/2019 |
| Last revision date | 27/05/2022 |
