Employability and personal development module

Employability and personal development equips students to shape their ambitions and determine which careers will be best for them, as well as offering specific guidance on how to develop and the skills they will need to impress future employers, how to prove them during the application process and how to perform well in interviews.

Sample activity: Reflect on what success looks like for you in a variety of areas

Winners' podium

To help to plan for the future you want, clarify what success means to you.

Success is a subjective concept. It depends on what is meaningful to you and the people around you.

Winners' podium

To help you to plan for the future you want, you need to clarify in your own mind what success means to you.

As we saw in 'Different Views of Success', success is a subjective concept. It depends on what is meaningful to you and the people around you. The activity below invites you to explore your own attitudes to success.

There are nine pairs of statements below, regarding aspects of your life and career. Each statement describes two ends on a spectrum of opinion, about what it means to be successful. There are no right or wrong answers, but for each pair of statements, indicate whereabouts on the scale you fit.

Knowing what you want - where are you on the scale?

Here are nine pairs of statements in the table below. These refer to different aspects of your life and career. Each statement describes two ends on a spectrum of opinion, about what it means to be successful. There are no right or wrong answers. For each pair of statements, indicate whereabouts you fit on the scale.

Score (1-5)
1
2
3
4
5
Money
1 = Having enough to survive, 5 = Being immensely rich
Expertise
1 = Knowing enough to get by, 5 = Being a world-leading subject expert
Fame
1 = Recognition by people I know, 5 = Worldwide fame
Career
1 = Having some work, paid or unpaid, 5 = A high profile job
Popularity
1 = Having a few good friends, 5 = Being very popular
Profile
1 = Leading a quiet life, 5 = Being a leader in your field
Family
1 = Escaping the family, solitary 5 = Having a close family life
Physical appearance
1 = Minimal interest in physical appearance, 5 = Great care and attention to appearance
Materialism
1 = Not materialistics, do not care for possessions 5 = Prioritises material wealth

What do your responses to this activity tell you about your own concept of success?

What kind of life did you picture for yourself?

Write any further thoughts you have about the matter in the field below. You can save these notes to your journal.

Module content

Employability and personal development features the following:

  • Diagnostic test
  • Section 1: Create your own horizons
  • Section 2: Planning your future
  • Section 3: Successful job applications
  • Module assessment

See what’s in each section below:

  • Personal development planning
  • Explore the different views of success and your personal attitude
  • Consider what you want to achieve and what motivates you
  • Making the most of your opportunities
  • Personal development self-assessment
  • Career planning
  • Consider what employers want and the skills you have to offer
  • Portfolios and progress files
  • Point of learning from other students
  • Understanding the application process
  • Developing a CV, personal statement, cover letter and email
  • Competence-based applications
  • What to do before, during and after interviews
  • Assessment centres
  • Frequently asked questions
Research principles
All modules

Reflect on what success looks like for you in a variety of areas

To help to plan for the future you want, clarify what success means to you.

Success is a subjective concept. It depends on what is meaningful to you and the people around you.

The activity below invites you to explore your attitude to success.

Below are nine pairs of statements, each one of which relates to different points on a spectrum of opinion about what it means to be successful. Take a few moments to reflect where you are on the spectrum between each pair of statements.

 

Where are you on the scale between…

  1. Being immensely rich and having enough to survive
  2. Being a world expert and knowing enough to get by
  3. World fame and recognition by people I know
  4. A very high profile job and having some work, paid or unpaid
  5. Being very popular and having a few good friends
  6. Being a world leader and leading a quiet life
  7. Having a close family life and escaping the family
  8. Great care and attention to physical appearance and minimal interest in physical appearance
  9. Material wealth and a non-materialistic life?


My journal

What do your responses to this activity tell you about your own concept of success? What kind of life did you picture for yourself?

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