Gill Barber, Sue Hawksworth (Careers Centre)

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How can career development modules improve
employability and inspire students to achieve
their full potential?

• Gill Barber, Sue Hawksworth (Careers Centre)
• Angela Carpenter, Colin Pitts (School of Earth
  Environment)

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Destinations of Leavers in Higher Education

• Snapshot 6 months from graduation
• Reliable when established in 1950s
• No longer provide reliable information due to
• Modularisation demands concentration on ALL
  assessed work and applications for graduate jobs
  very time consuming
• Student debt persuades some graduates to go home
  and back to Mac jobs whilst deciding what to do

3
Longitudinal Study required

• 2009 application made to U of L Teaching
  Enhancement Student Success (TESS) Fund,
  underwritten by HEFCE
• Bid to identify and evaluate which of the key
  themes of the modules of most importance to past
  module participants in employment and
• Identify how benefits might change over different
  timescales since graduating and
• Use information to raise awareness amongst
  current students of career benefits gained from a
  career development module.

4
The Research

• Carried out in summer 2010
• Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences
  subject-specific modules
• Banner and Alumni office used to obtain current
  e-mail addresses of past module participants, and
  graduates of 2010 asked to provide personal
  e-mail addresses
• On-line questionnaire devised to obtain opinion
  of perceived benefits (or not) of the modules
• Substantial cash prize offered as an incentive to
  respond produced reasonably high return

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• Four sub-sets of participant graduates identified
  across varying time spans. Further back in time
  required wider tranche of participants as e-mail
  contacts harder to establish.
• July 2010 graduates
• July 2008 2009 graduates
• July 2005 2007 graduates
• July 2000 -2004 graduates

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Methodology

• On line survey tool asked
• How much they could remember of the module
  content
• Agreed or disagreed that components of the module
  had been useful to them in developing their
  career
• How/if they had made any use of the skills taught
  on their subject specific module in obtaining
  employment

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Questionnaire sub-set variations

• EARS, ENVI and GEOG asked questions specific to
  their modules
• 2008, 2009 and 2010 grads were asked specific
  questions about module content, plus open
  question on whether the module had benefitted
  them since graduation
• 2008 and 2009 grads were asked how they had used
  any skills developed
• 2010 graduates were asked how they would be
  making use of skills developed in the future

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Further variants

• Graduates prior to 2008 asked
• Where they were based UK or overseas?
• Sector Private (Corporate 250 employees)
• Private (SME 250- employees)
• Public
• Self employed/Other

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Additional questions

• Identification of role and responsibilities
• Had the module helped them secure their post?
• What they felt should be included in the Module
• Would they recommend the Module to students in
  each degree-specific area?

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Table 1 Breakdown of surveys by subject, year
of graduation and proportion of respondents
Subject Student Cohort Response rate
Earth Sciences 2010 27.0
Earth Sciences 2008/09 19.4
Earth Sciences 2006/07 20.0
Environment 2010 40.9
Environment 2008/09 37.2
Environment 2006/07 16.7
Environment 2003-05 17.0
Geography 2010 33.0
Geography 2008/09 13.7
Geography 2006/07 53.5
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Careers for Geographers started in 2002

• Objectives
• By the end of this course you will have
• Increased your awareness of your skills,
  interests and personal characteristics in
  relation to career choice.
• Considered how your Geography degree programme
  and life at University helps in the development
  of key skills.
• Demonstrated awareness of graduate employment
  opportunities, both generally and specifically
  for Geographers and an understanding of how to
  access them.
• Experienced working in a team setting to develop
  your group work skills and give an insight into
  your personal team working style.
• An increased understanding of the range of ways
  in which the Careers Centre can help you in your
  career planning and development at all stages in
  your degree programme.
•  

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Assessment Criteria 10 credits

• CV and covering letter 20
• Employment sector report 40
• Group Skills Challenge Competition 20
• Sponsored by Deloitte cash prizes for first and
  second teams.

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(No Transcript)
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What they found useful
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Questionnaire responses Geography

• Personally, how do you intend to use the aspects
  that you have learned from this module over the
  next few months?
• I have found myself using these skills a lot
  they helped me gain the job I have, starting in
  September my CV, covering letter, and the
  interview process.
• Personally, has this module benefitted you
  already in any way, shape or form?
• When applying for graduate, I feel this module
  has greatly benefited me. For example, the
  organisation my group and I chose to work on was
  Shell, working in detail on what this
  organisation required greatly helped with
  completing applications.
• (Graduated 2008)
•  

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Geography destinations 2005/2006/2007

• Web Designer
• Transport planner x 2
• GIS data updates for 3 different digital atlases
• Town Planning Consultant
• Assistant Ecologist.
• Catastrophe Risk Analyst.
• Supply Chain Logistics Analyst
• Head of Geography in a secondary school
• Site Research Analyst for Tesco
• Auditor at a Big Four firm
• Medical Sales. Field Sales Representative

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10 credit Environment Module started in 1996

• Response to sharp downturn in UK economy Colin
  Pitts original module reliant on external
  speakers
• Careers Centre input 1997 proved popular with
  students
• 1999 introduced the Skills Challenge element
• 2000 Romco a fictional petrochemicals giant
  introduced to allow students to practice
  application and interview skills.
• On-line became J2co accessed by the URL
  http//careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/J2co

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Objectives

• Clearly define and describe the attributes (
  interests and values) with which a degree in
  Environmental Science equips a graduate
• Offer evidence in support of this, based on a
  range of learning experiences drawn from the
  curriculum with illustrative examples
• Focus on the requirements/expectations/needs of
  one particular company or organisation.
• Extend team working skills and creativity

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Assessment Criteria

• Submit J2Co Application and interview
  performance 10
• (peer assessed)
• Skills Challenge Team Assessment 20
• Production of career development plan including a
  reflective critique of the learning development
  and CV. 70
• (1200 words)

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What they found useful
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(No Transcript)
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Responses from Environmentalists

• Since leaving University, is there anything that
  you think it is vital to include in the career
  development module that was not already included?
• I think it is important to develop and gain the
  confidence during an interview. I would suggest
  that more interviewing sessions should be carried
  out as they really help a student. Since leaving
  University, I now volunteer once a term at a high
  school to go through practice mock interviews
  with yr 10 and 11 pupils and I think this is very
  beneficial for them to have a 'real life'
  scenario.
•  Transport Consultant in Greater Manchester
  area, Graduated 2005

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Responses..

• Have you used any aspects of the module whilst
  you have been employed?
• I have had two good jobs since leaving Uni and
  going back, and looking at applications and
  general careers advice helped me gain both
  positions
•  
• Studying for PhD at Leeds. Graduated 2005

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Environmental Destinations 2005/2006/2007

• Environmental Officer
• an Eng D -Cranfield University and Anglian Water.
  
• PhD Department of Chemistry,
• Environmental Management Consultant
• Environmental Consultant
• Graduate Consultant in Intelligent Transport
  Systems.
• Business Unit Environmental and Facilities
  Manager.
• Transport Planner
• Assistant Wines and Spirits Buyer, Selfridges

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Earth Sciences Skills 2 module

• Research Career Skills
• Introduction to CV and letter writing
• Geoscience research skills by computer
• Preparing for employment application,
  interviews
• CV peer assessment and job interviews
• ArcGIS for top copy maps
• What role do you take in a team?
• Writing about popular science
• Structured abstracts
• On the spot presentation skills

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Assessment

• SOEE2095
• CV and covering letter 20
• Popular science article 20
• ArcGIS Map 20
• Sem1 academic tutorials 20
• Sem 2 academic tutorials 20

• SOEE2094
• CV and covering letter 15
• Popular science article 15
• ArcGIS Map 10
• Semester1 academic tutorials10
• Mapping practicals 20
• Mapping exam 30

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2010 graduates how useful did you find
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Quotes from 2010 completers

• 9. Personally, has this module benefitted you
  already in any way, shape or form?
• Having your CV marked gives an academic insight
  and further points for improvement that has
  benefitted me when having to pass over my CV in
  job applications. Also doing the peer interviews
  was although a more relaxed atmosphere than that
  of a more formal job interview it still gave some
  experience which can only help when job hunting.

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2008/09 how useful did you find
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• I have used an updated version of the CV I
  produced at University. The interview techniques
  I gained not only helped me get a job but also
  helped in promotion exercises.
•  
• Graduated 2008

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2007graduates, Personally, has this module
benefitted you already in any way, shape or form?

• Creating a good CV was really helpful and really
  noticeable to employers. It is unbelievable the
  amount of terribly put-together CV's there are
  out there from other graduates!
•  
• Project Geologist, Mount Isa Region, Queensland,
  Australia. Graduated 2007

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2006 graduates, Would you recommend a career
development module, such as the one you did, to
current and future students?

• Yes, overall I think the module really helps
  vocationalise an earth sciences degree. It shows
  that the school was very focussed towards
  industry. I was happy with the teaching of the
  module. Concise and worked well
•  
• Project Leader, Geophysical Depth Imaging etc
  with multinational service provider to oil
  industry. Graduated 2006

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7. Since leaving University, is there anything
that you think it is vital to include in the
career development module that was not already
included?

• Interview techniques. More information on
  preparing for technical interviews. Overview of
  the types of jobs available for geologist and
  geophysicist. I don't remember there being many
  notes or handouts, it would be nice to have some
  formal documentation to hold onto for future
  reference.
•  
• Seismic Interpreter/ Exploration Geologist at
  Shell, Malaysia. Graduated 2007

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Destinations 2006 2007

• Hydrogeology, Geotechnics and Land Quality
• postgraduate research student
• Geotechnical Engineer
• Project Geologist
• Environmental Consultant for ARCADIS
• Petroleum Geologist
• Seismic Interpreter/Exploration Geologist at
  Shell
• Project Leader - Geophysical Depth Imaging,
• HM Inspector investigating fatalities on
  construction sites
• MSc student

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Conclusion

• Career development modules clearly improve
  employability and inspire students to achieve
  their full potential when longitudinal
  destinations are taken into account, and these
  graduates recognise this offers them a key
  advantage.