SCI3930 - Career skills for scientists - 2018

This unit uses work-related activities to develop and enhance students' transferable skills, help them focus on essential career planning, and prepare them to make effective applications for graduate level employment.

Commercial awareness is the umbrella theme of the unit due to its critical importance in the workplace and have been well-reported as an area of employer dissatisfaction with graduate recruits in science. Students will explore aspects such as the intellectual property landscape, budgeting, regulation, quality control, marketing strategy, and the business environment, through creative problem-solving activities in a scientific employment context. The unit also focuses on other important skills for graduate employability, including communication, leadership, team-working, problem-solving and critical thinking. Students will audit their key employability skills, reflect on ongoing development and keep a record of their self-evaluation so that they can better articulate their skills to potential employers. The unit also offers opportunities to network with alumni, explore various career pathways, job search strategies, and prepare an effective job application (from writing a resume and cover letter and responding to selection criteria to succeeding at an interview).

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Self-evaluate and reflect on their employment readiness with respect to the key employability skills;
2. Recognise and develop skills that will be valuable in the workplace;
3. Present clear evidence of how their skills and experience can benefit potential employers;
4. Articulate their range of scientific and professional skills through preparation of a job application;
5. Recognise the value of networking skills and self-promotion in a professional context;
6. Develop a sense of inclusivity and professionalism in the workplace.

Portfolio with reflective log: 50%

Career plan: 25%

Oral presentation (including a mock interview): 10%

Peer assessment: 5%

Workshop tasks (contribution to and engagement with workshop tasks and discussions): 10%

Hurdle requirement: Students must attend 75% of workshop sessions (9 sessions out of 12).

• Six hours per week for scheduled learning activity (2-hour workshop + 2-hour online preparation + 2-hour post-workshop tasks)
• Six hours of private / independent study per week

Total 12 hours per week

See also Unit timetable information