This course is designed to raise students' awareness of the necessary knowledge for a successful pursuit of career opportunities. Students will undertake practical training on how to develop employability skills and capabilities by taking advantage of available resources and services in preparation for the future world of work. By completing this course, students will achieve an in-depth understanding of modern recruitment practices, gain a rich exposure to industry expectations across different professions, incorporate their learning into their chosen career paths, and execute their job search and application process for success. Students will enjoy learning from academics with expertise in employability, career specialists and industry experts.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Identify the opportunities and challenges associated with developing employability fundamentals
2. Acquire evidence, resources and services for the development of employability skills appropriate for modern workplaces
3. Assess one's own employability skills and job readiness
4. Apply knowledge and skills to build an employability portfolio based on core disciplinary achievements
5. Build and evaluate strategies to enhance employability for professional practice through multiple communication channels
6. Reflect upon the skills required to successfully engage in professional practice

Research-Led Teaching

The course provides students with knoweldge and skills about employability related issues which have been researched for years by both academics and HR practitioners. This course is developed based on employability capital model (Tomlinson, 2018), which comprehensively captures the nature of what makes graduates employable.

Field Trips

N/A

Additional Course Costs

There is no additional cost for students to participate in this course.

Examination Material or equipment

There are no examinations for this course.

Required Resources

N/A

Recommended Resources

This course has no prescribed text. Video and recommended reading materials are available on Wattle. To further support your learning, consultation with the lecturer is available when requested.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	BLOCK 1: FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS OF EMPLOYABILITYCourse introduction: Employability in our modern world
2	Fundamentals about employability: Skills versus capital
3	BLOCK 2: DEVELOPING EMPLOYABILITY CAPITALDeveloping human capital while you are at the university	Assessment task 1 due (09 August)
4	The role of lifelong learning in developing human capital
5	Social networking: practice, issues of concerns, and its use for employability	Assessment task 2 due (23 August)A guest talk on the importance of social capital in building careers
6	Cultural capital: the role of workplace exploration and engagement	A guest talk on cultural adaptation
7	The role of flexibility, adaptability and resilience in building our careers
8	Career identity: Building your personal brand
9	BLOCK 3: TRANSLATING EMPLOYABILITY CAPITAL INTO EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER ADVANCEMENTModern recruitment practices	A guest workshop on CV writing and job application preparation
10	How to demonstrate your employability capital to prospective employers?
11	Career advancement: the role of career planning and management	A guest talk on the importance of career planning and management
12	Self-employment and entrepreneurship	Assessment task 3 due (25 October)A guest talk on an entrepreneurship venture
13	Group presentation & course wrap-up	Assessment task 4 due (01 November)
14	No class activity	Assessment task 5 due (08 November)(Students are required to update their employability portfolio throughout the course)

Tutorial Registration

N/A

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Employment-readiness assessment and career plans (20%)	20 %	09/08/2024	16/08/2024	1, 3, and 5
Reflection 1: Building employability capital via formal, non-formal and informal learning (15%)	15 %	23/08/2024	06/09/2024	2, 3, 5 and 6
Reflection 2: Developing your careers by critically analyzing others' success/failure stories (15%)	15 %	25/10/2024	09/11/2024	2, 3, 5 and 6
Group presentation (20%)	20 %	01/11/2024	09/11/2024	1 and 2
Employability portfolio (30%)	30 %	08/11/2024	28/11/2024	2, 3 and 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Note: all workshops/tutorials in this course will not be recorded. Due to the practical skill development nature of the course, in-person participation in the workshops/tutorials is highly recommended to help you keep up with employability issues and professional practice. Also, your participation in Weeks 5, 6, 10 and 11 workshops will contribute to your completion of Assessment task 3.

Examination(s)

There are no examinations for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Employment-readiness assessment and career plans (20%)

Due date: 09 August 2024 Post date: 16 August 2024

Details of task: Students are asked to self-evaluate their employment-readiness using a scale developed by Dershem (2016). They are required to provide an analysis of the results, identifying their strengths and weaknesses for their employment prospects. They are also required to provide a detailed plan to improve their weaknesses for the purpose of enhancing their employment prospects.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual

Word limit: 750 words (+/-10% leeway). The part in excess of the word limit will not be read and assessed.

Required contents:

• Report the results of the self-assessment test
• Analyze and interpret the results to identify the strengths and weaknesses that need improvement
• Identify a career path that you would like to pursue
• Develop a plan of how you will make yourself ready for that career, including how to improve the identified weaknesses

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site at the beginning of semester.

The score and feedback will be provided on Wattle by the post date.

Deadline extension request: Please refer to the Extensions and Penalties section and Wattle page for details.

Assessment Task 2

Reflection 1: Building employability capital via formal, non-formal and informal learning (15%)

Due date: 23 August 2024 Post date: 06 September 2024

Details of task: This assessment task gives students an opportunity to identify the gap in their employability capital development via formal education. Students are required to reflect on the extent to which they have built up their employability capital via formal education up to date. They are required to self-critique on what they have done well and not so well through which they draw lessons and develop strategies to further develop employability capital within formal educational activities so as to achieve the career goals they developed in Assessment Task 1.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual

Word limit: 750 words (+/-10% leeway). The part in excess of the word limit will not be read and assessed.

Required contents:

• How have you built up your employability capital via formal and non-formal education as well as informal learning so far?
• What factors have facilitated and hindered you from building up your employability capital via such channels?
• What career development related lessons do you draw for yourself from that process?
• What are you going to do next to help you achieve your future career goals?

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site at the beginning of semester.

The score and feedback will be provided on Wattle by the post date.

Deadline extension request: Please refer to the Extensions and Penalties section and Wattle page for details.

Assessment Task 3

Reflection 2: Developing your careers by critically analyzing others' success/failure stories (15%)

Due date: 25 October 2024 Post date: 09 November 2024

Details of task: This assessment task gives students an opportunity to draw lessons useful for their future careers by reflecting upon the career development narratives shared by the guest speakers in weeks 5, 6, 11, and 12. Students are required to reflect upon the narratives, identifying lessons relevant to their career development plan and critically pointing out issues irrelevant or unconvincing in developing their careers.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual

Word limit: 750 words (+/-10% leeway). The part in excess of the word limit will not be read and assessed.

Required contents:

• What is the main lesson you draw from each guest speaker's career development story? Why it is important to you?
• What are some issues you found irrelevant/ unconvincing to you? Why?
• How would you apply the lessons you learned from their stories for your own career development?

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site at the beginning of semester.

The score and feedback will be provided on Wattle by the post date.

Deadline extension request: Please refer to the Extensions and Penalties section and Wattle page for details.

Assessment Task 4

Group presentation (20%)

Due date: 01 November 2024 Post date: 09 November 2024

Details of task: Students work in group of three or four (depending on the actual number of students enrolled in the course) to research and produce a 15-minute oral presentation (with PowerPoint slides) on the following topic: "Do employers in different industries/countries/cultures demand similar skills set or employability capital from job candidates?" Students are required to provide evidence for their answers, e.g., compare the skills set that employers from two industries/countries value. They are asked to explain the reasons behind the disparities (evidence-based) and provide implications for students'/graduates' career preparation. Students should work in group to prepare for this presentation from week 6 when their group will be formed by drawing numbers: students having the same number belong to the same group. The presentation is followed by a Q&A session (2-3 questions). The presentation will be video-recorded to keep as the evidence of assessment. Others students may attend the presentation.

Individual assessment or Group task: Both group and individual. The score for this task will come from two sources. Fifty percent of the score of this task will come from peer assessment. Each student will rate the contribution of other group member to this task, sending their ratings and comments to the lecturer via his ANU email. Fifty percent of the score will be determined by the lecturer/examiner based on the actual presentation. This score is applied to all students in the group. Absent members will receive a zero (except when there is a compassionate reason)

Length: within 15 minutes. The part beyond the 15th minute will not be assessed. The examiner may request students to stop if they go beyond the 15th minute.

Required contents:

• Introduce the topic and key points to be covered in the presentation
• Present the research procedure you carried out
• Report the findings of your research on the topic
• Interpret the findings: What do they mean for students'/graduates' career preparation?
• PowerPoint slides of your presentation should be included
• Demonstrate your oral presentation (as trained in the course)
• All team members must collaboratively present the research

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site at the beginning of semester.

The score and feedback will be provided on Wattle by the post date.

Deadline extension request: No extension is allowed unless alternative arrangements are made prior.

Assessment Task 5

Employability portfolio (30%)

Due date: 08 November 2024 Post date: 28 November 2024

Details of task: Students are required to submit an e-portfolio containing evidence of their employability capital required by a real job advert that they want to apply for. This e-portfolio should be updated throughout the course and have evidence for such updates. Students are also required to provide a critical self-assessment of why and how they are suitable for the position being advertised. They are also asked to self-evaluate the possibility of being short-listed for an interview for the job.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual

Word limit: 1500 words (+/-10% leeway). The part in excess of the word limit will not be read and assessed. Note: The number of words in the job advert and your CV is not counted toward this word limit.

Required contents:

• Present the job advert relevant to your level of education and expertise that you want to apply for (captured and save as a pdf file)
• Include a cover letter for the job application, your CV and responses to the selection criteria (3 separate pdf files)
• In the CV, there should be a link to your LinkedIn profile (it should be updated frequently since it was created).
• In another pdf file, critically analyze the strengths and limitations of your job application and assess the possibility of being short-listed for a job interview
• Note: Combine all document in the mentioned order into one pdf file before you submit it in Turnitin. Ensure that your e-porfolio includes evidence showing that you have regularly updated it since the beginning of the course (e.g., online course completion certificate, participation certificate/ registration confirmation, thank-you note, your photos at networking or career development events, etc.). It is important to date the evidence.

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site at the beginning of semester.

The score and feedback will be provided on Wattle by the post date.

Deadline extension request: Please refer to the Extensions and Penalties section and Wattle page for details.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an approved extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late individual or group presentations is not allowed unless alternative arrangements are made prior.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

All assignments will be marked and where appropriate feedback will be provided either in class or in person (by appointment) with the course lecturer/convener or via the course Wattle site.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

You are allowed to resubmit your assignments before the specific deadlines where specified for each assessment item.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students