“It really made me think about my
own future”: The potential benefits
of an academically-orientated
undergraduate careers module
John Arnold & Laurie Cohen
September 2009
Aims and running order
Aims of this session:
1.
To outline the “Analysing Careers” module and our
observations about it
2.
For everyone here to share experiences and insights about
running careers-related modules with undergraduates
Our running order:
1.
Description of module and related information
2.
Student reaction and learning
3.
Our learning
4.
Open discussion
Context and
history
Students
Class sessions
Analysing Careers
module
Guidance to
students
Aims &
Content
Assignment &
Assessment
Module aims as explained to students
This module aims to enable you to understand and
make use of:
Alternative conceptions of career;
Career issues faced by various groups of people;
Ideas and techniques in the management of your
own career and the careers of other people;
How academics have addressed these issues.
Week by week topic titles (in 2008-9)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Introduction to module. Ways of analysing and describing careers I
Ways of analysing and describing careers II
Coursework assignment orientation and interview skills briefing
Making sense of academic articles on careers
Career success and career capital
“Balancing” work and personal lives
Making career decisions
Theories of career development
Career management by organisations
Relationships in careers
Review, queries and “surgery”
Assignment (in 2008-9)
Select a person who you can get personal access to. The
choice is yours, though it’s probably best if you choose
someone who is at least 30…. Write a report which
discusses the ways in which some of the career theories,
concepts, research and practical interventions examined in
class and the recommended reading can (or cannot) help
to describe and understand the career of your chosen
person. You should also provide a short critical reflection
(maximum 500 words) on how well you gathered the
information from your chosen person, and what you have
learned from the experience…Your report should be an
absolute maximum of 5,000 words…
Student reaction and learning
Feedback scores are generally positive (mean 4+ on 1-5 scale) for all
aspects under our control.
Perceived as having a “social science orientation” (as opposed to
business/management).
Having two lecturers and the interactions between us are perceived as
aiding learning and interest.
Students often say they think the module will help them in their own
career.
Despite loads of guidance, some students still want more structure and
certainty.
The reading journal articles session is appreciated, though some
students still have a very “surface” reaction to suggested reading.
What have we learned?

That career really is a construct that can illuminate for students the
inter-relationships between individuals and organisational/societal
structures.

It also makes abstract concepts and competing theories/interpretations
more accessible.

It also seems to contribute to students’ thinking about their own careers
and to inter-generational understanding.

The module does all this primarily via the experiences/observations of
students and their interviewees, and the necessity to connect them with
abstract ideas.

Some topics strike more of a chord than others.

Some students are not good at interviewing for this purpose.

In class sessions we tend to get carried away and our timings go awry.

Working together makes the teaching more enjoyable and effective.
Possible points for discussion
What experiences of careers in the
curriculum would you like to share?
Do you have any suggestions for how we
might develop the module?
How can we help the students, within the
confines of the module, be better
interviewers faster?