Careers ServiceUndergraduate Careers Module

This module has been created by the Careers and Employability Service. It draws on content from You're Hired! Graduate Career Handbook by Tristram Hooley and Korin Grant. It also incorporates material developed by our Careers Consultants.

Watch this short video introducing the module

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Who is this module for?

It's been developed for all current undergraduate students from 1st year. You'll find it helpful whatever stage you are at.

It focuses on career and employability learning. It provides you with insights into the process of transition, from university to work or further study. This includes an understanding of the processes of career choice and career development. It also includes graduate recruitment processes and the labour market. Find out more about the content using the drop-down sections below.

  • are you a postgraduate student? We have created a postgraduate careers module tailored to the needs of students studying at postgraduate level. Please enrol on that module instead
  • are you a graduate? Unfortunately you cannot access MyPlace which hosts this module. However, our Careers Online Toolkit has some fantastic resources that cover many of these topics
  • are you a student carer? A dedicated version of this module has been created in partnership with student interns who are carers themselves. It takes into account your commitments and responsibilities to ensure more relevant information has been incorporated
  • are you an autistic student or graduate interested in developing your employability skills? Then this free online course has been created by a team of experts, including autistic graduates, autistic workplace mentors, non-autistic university careers consultants, and non-autistic researchers

What does the module involve?

This module is not credit-bearing. That means you can go at your own pace. You may decide to work through it from start to finish. Or dip into sections and topics that are most relevant to the stage you're at.

We have organised the module content for each topic in a 'book'. Click on the icon to begin working through that topic. Each book contains information, activities, and further resources. These are accompanied by suggestions for follow-up activities.

We have drawn on content from You're Hired! Graduate Career Handbook. We have provided online access to it through the University library. For EXPLORE and PLAN you are encouraged to read a chapter of the book before working through each topic.

Further information

It is divided into 3 sections which cover the following topics:

EXPLORE

  • I just don’t know what to do with myself
  • Making the most of your degree
  • Building and Using Your Network

PLAN

  • Gaining and Recognising Your Experience
  • Effective Career Research
  • Thinking of Further Study

APPLY

  • An introduction to recruitment processes
  • Separate sections on CVs, Cover Letters, Online Applications, Personal Statements, Recruitment (psychometric) Testing, Assessment Centres, Interviews

For more detail go to the Module Content sections below.

By the end of this module, you will:

  • be able to articulate your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values and use this self-knowledge to support your career development
  • describe how the learning that you have undertaken at university will support your future career and how to present your skills and knowledge to potential employers
  • demonstrate an awareness of common transition routes and recruitment approaches and be able to produce key artefacts that support this transition (CVs, application forms, online profiles, etc)
  • demonstrate knowledge of the labour market and articulate how you might operate within it

EXPLORE

I just don’t know what to do with myself

This section will encourage you to reflect on your values, likes, and strengths. It will show how these attributes can help identify career paths.

Work through this section if:

  • you are not sure what you want to do after your degree or even how to begin thinking about a career
  • you find yourself at a crossroads in your career - perhaps you feel as if you've studied the wrong degree or you are seeking a change of career direction
Making the most of your degree

Whether doing a vocational or non-vocational degree, you still need to consider the relationship between your learning and your career. This section of the course will help you think about the subject you are studying and how this might be useful to you when you graduate.

Work through this section if:

  • you are not sure how to talk about what you have learned in your degree
  • you are not sure what transferable skills you have developed through your studies
  • you are wondering if there was any point in undertaking a degree
Building and Using Your Network

Networks are critical to finding employment. As a student and recent graduate you will have opportunities to build your networks, but who is it best to connect with and how should you do this?

Work through this section if:

  • the idea of 'networking' makes you nervous
  • you do not know who to network with or why
  • you are not sure what your networks have to do with getting a job
  • you want to build your network

Gaining and Recognising Your Experience

There are many different ways in which you can gain experience and develop yourself while you are at university. This section will discuss volunteering, part-time working, work experience, placements, and activities you can get involved with at university that develops your employability. It will show you how to make the most of these opportunities.

Work through this section if:

  • you are not sure what should be included in the 'work experience' section of your CV
  • you do not know if you have any relevant work experience
  • you would like to get more experience

Effective Career Research

Researching possible jobs, careers, and employers can help you make decisions about your career and give you the edge. This section will set out practical tips for identifying opportunities and gaining insights.

Work through this section if:

  • you're applying for jobs, or have an interview or assessment centre to attend
  • you're wondering how to find out more about particular jobs, organisations and industries
  • you want to be able to compete successfully in interviews and assessment centres
  • you are not sure why you need to do research

Thinking of Further Study

Many students stay on after their first degree to do more study. Is this really a good idea? This section will examine whether postgraduate study will give you the edge and what course to choose.

Work through this section if:

  • you do not really understand what postgraduate study is and would like to know more about it
  • you are thinking about, or have already applied for, further study
  • you would like to know more about what career options postgraduate study can open up

This section of the course will outline typical recruitment practices used by employers. It will provide strategies you can use to come out on top. It includes in-depth materials to help you with each stage and opportunities to practice. Where appropriate you will also be signposted to further resources and support.

Work through this section if:

  • you feel unsure about what to expect when you make an application
  • you are at any stage of the application process
  • your applications are not successful and you do not know why
  • you think your CV needs help
  • psychometric testing is getting you down

No problem, please email yourcareer@strath.ac.uk with Careers & Employability Module in the subject line.

I have further questions and am a member of staff, who do I contact?

If you would like to discuss embedding this into your PDP, careers education programme, or have any questions contact your Faculty Careers Consultant.