Assignment Brief Academic Year 2022-23

Module code MG410 Career Viewpoint Module leader: Zulkiffel Ali

and title:

Assignment CW1 – Career Research Report Assessment 50%

No. and type: weighting:

Submission 24/03/2023 before 2.00 pm Target feedback 3 weeks after submission

time and date: time and date: deadline

Assignment task

OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT

This assignment involves preparing a report to demonstrate an awareness of the knowledge, skills and
experience required by a recent graduate to enter a chosen area of graduate employment. The report will
be 1500 words and will be submitted in week 5.

Prepare a report demonstrating an awareness of the knowledge, skills and experience required by a recent
graduate to enter a chosen area of graduate employment. The research required to prepare the report will
support you in your future career planning and decisions. This report will provide the basis of the
information for your self-reflection and career action plan report – CW2.

You are required to identify an area of graduate employment that you would consider for when you leave
university. This could be EITHER a profession (for example marketing/Finance/Accounting/HR) OR an
industry you are interested in (for example retail, sports & leisure, public sector, not-for-profit, travel and
tourism.) Your research should be either in an area you aspire to work within or maybe an area that you
want to understand more about.

Your research in your chosen profession/industry should include likely future trends in graduate
recruitment, and should equip you with the knowledge to write a summary of the key skills, knowledge and
experience expected from graduate applicants.

You are encouraged to use both primary and secondary research for this assignment. Primary research
might include attending events run by the careers team, and/or events run by the professional bodies, or
else through personal contacts. It might also include information from the guest lecturers for the module.
You could consider talking to managers at work, if you have a part-time role, or else friends and family to
enhance your understanding. Include in the appendix a log detailing who you contacted for primary
research.

Internal approval: Sarah Hill, 15th Dec 2022

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Having identified the profession/industry, you are then required to identify one current job being advertised
that you would be interested in applying for in the future. This will form the basis of the second
assignment. The advert should appear as an appendix, which you should refer to as necessary within your
report. It is important that this is a graduate level job, and not one for an individual with many
years’ experience.

THE REPORT – WHAT YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO SUBMIT AND SUGGESTED STRUCTURE
You are required to submit a written report of 1500 words. It is suggested that you use the headings shown
in this briefing or you may use your own headings; what is important is that you clearly cover all areas
outlined below.

The report should include the following sections:

INTRODUCTION - Provide a brief paragraph outlining the aims of the report and what profession/industry
your assignment will cover. As this is your reflection, this section can be in the 1 st person.

Analysis and Application- This section of the report should be as a factual reflection of the findings from
the profession/industry you have chosen to research. You need to consider both primary and secondary
research for this section. This section should be written in the 3rd person and should include the key
information regarding this profession/industry in terms of:
 General trends which will impact on your chosen profession/industry. What changes are
happening in your chosen profession/industry which might impact on the jobs you apply for and the
skills and knowledge you will need. Consider the impact of globalisation and technology for
example. This section will be based on your secondary research but might also include comments
or views from anyone you interview for your primary research.

 The skills / knowledge and experience required – Using information from secondary research,
relevant professional bodies, and relevant job advertisements, provide a summary based on your
research of the key skills / knowledge and experience expected from an applicant at this stage in
their career. Again, this might be supported by your primary research. You should aim for at least 5
personal skills and 2 areas of knowledge and expertise.

Evaluation - For this section you need to identify an appropriate vacancy from your chosen
profession/industry. You should include the advertisement in full (not a website link) in the appendices.
Within the report, explain why this job role is of interest to you. How does it relates to your potential choice
of industry/profession? Why do you prefer this job opportunity to others you considered? Is this a
new/emerging job role within your profession/industry and therefore likely to be future proofed? This can
be written in the 1st person.
You must reference all information used in the report, both primary and secondary, using the Harvard
Referencing Guide.
See attached grid for assessment criteria

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your
achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 2: Define and contextualise employability for graduates in relation to their own career.

LO 3: Gather and analyse relevant career and labour market information.

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Referencing and presentational requirements

Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online
(http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and
Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.
The Cite them Right database can be accessed via LSST Connect through the Library Resources box on
the Home page – A to Z of Database list of BNU e-Library.
Please note the use of a cover sheet is required for this assignment to include student ID number, title of
the report and word count.

Submission details

 This assignment should be submitted electronically using the relevant submission point in Upload My
assignment section of LSST Connect.

 Please note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will be
considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded but will
be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard. Work
submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.

 Ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format. Turnitin will only accept the
following file types: Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, PDF. Your file must also contain at least 20
words of text, consist of fewer than 400 pages and be less than 40MB in size.

 You can submit your work as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do submit your
work more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent version.

 Once you have submitted your work, you will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission, which will
be sent to your LSST email address. Please keep this receipt for future reference, along with the
original electronic copy of your assignment.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity means taking responsibility for your own work.

When you submit an assignment, you are effectively making a declaration that it is your own work and that
you have acknowledged the contribution of others and their ideas in its development (for example, by
referencing them appropriately).
For further information and guidance, please see the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/current-
students/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-advice/academic-integrity-and-misconduct
You are also expected to take responsibility for maintaining and managing confidentiality issues in your
work. You should maintain and respect confidentiality in relation to the protection of personal, technical
and/or commercial information of a sensitive nature in their assessed work, whatever the format.
Confidentiality issues will vary from subject to subject and you are encouraged to seek advice from your
course team if you are unclear about requirements in your context. For further information and guidance,
please see the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/academic-confidentiality

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Assessment Criteria for MG410 CW1 Career Research Report Academic Year 2022-23

80-100 (A+) 70-79 (A) 60-69 (B) 50-59 (C) 40-49 (D) 35-39 E – 0-34 (F) –

Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Marginal fail Fail

Outstanding Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Below required Not successful
standard

Knowledge and
Understanding
This should include
evidence of:
- Number and quality of
primary research sources
10%
- Number and quality of
secondary research sources
10%
Application and
practice
50%
This should include
evidence of:
- General trends which will
impact on your chosen
profession/industry
- The skills / knowledge
and experience required
Exceptional use of primary
research for this assignment
(>4 primary research sources).
This might include attending
university events, networking,
joining professional bodies,
discussions with current
employer. Evidence provided
in log included in appendix.
Exceptionally extensive range
of secondary research citations
which are suitable for use in HE
and from a diverse base of
sources.
Both trends and skills are
thoroughly researched in an
exceptionally accomplished
manner and presented,
demonstrating understanding
of the job market, the
opportunities available, and
the skills and knowledge
required in an exceptionally
accomplished manner.
Use of primary research was
highly accomplished for this
assignment (>4 primary
research sources). This
might include attending
university events,
networking, joining
professional bodies,
discussions with current
employer. Evidence
provided in log included in
appendix.
Extensive range of secondary
research citations which are
suitable for use in HE and
from a diverse base of
sources.
Both trends and skills are
thoroughly researched in a
highly accomplished manner
and presented,
demonstrating highly
accomplished levels of
understanding of the job
market, the opportunities
available, and the skills and
knowledge required.
There was a There was a sound Sufficient Insufficient There is little or no
sophisticated demonstration regarding demonstration of demonstration of demonstration of primary
demonstration the range of primary primary research primary research research conducted for
regarding the range of sources used for this conducted for this conducted for this this assignment
primary sources used for assignment, as assignment assignment
this assignment, (>3 evidenced in the log
primary research provided in the appendix
sources) as evidenced in Wider reading is
the log included in the relevant but largely
appendix. limited to core texts There is little or no
and only partially
Wider secondary Wider reading is largely There is limited evidence of wider reading
integrated and not all
research shows a range limited to core texts but evidence of wider
of sources being used are suitable for use in reading and / or wider
has clearly enhanced the HE and/or from a
and applied, and are reading lacks
work and not all are
suitable for use in HE limited range of relevance.
suitable for use in HE sources.
and from a diverse base and or from a limited
of sources. range of sources.
Both trends and skills Some trends and skills Some trends and skills Trends and skills are Limited or no ability of
are well researched and are well researched and are researched and researched and researching and
presented in a capable presented, to presented, to presented at an presenting trends and
and effective manner demonstrate a demonstrate a insufficient level, skills, demonstrating
demonstrating a refined consistent and informed sufficient demonstrating an limited or no
understanding of the job understanding of the job understanding of the insufficient understanding of the job
market the market, the job market, the understanding of the market, the opportunities
opportunities available, opportunities available, opportunities job market, the available, and the skills
and the skills and and the skills and available, and the opportunities available, and knowledge required
knowledge required. knowledge required. skills and knowledge and the skills and
required knowledge required

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Assessment Criteria for MG410 CW1 Career Research Report Academic Year 2022-23

80-100 (A+) 70-79 (A) 60-69 (B) 50-59 (C) 40-49 (D) 35-39 E – 0-34 (F) –

Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Marginal fail Fail

Outstanding Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Below required Not successful
standard

Analysis and Work demonstrates Work demonstrates highly Work demonstrates Work demonstrates Work demonstrates Work demonstrates an Work demonstrates
exceptionally accomplished accomplished development well-developed analysis well-developed analysis sufficient analysis to insufficient ability to limited or no ability to
Criticality development of analysis of the of analysis of the primary to describe, synthesise to consistently describe, describe, and analyse and some analyse and little or no
20% primary and secondary and secondary research. and critique the primary and comment upon the comment upon the ability to describe, and demonstration of an
research. and secondary research primary and secondary primary and comment upon the ability to describe, and
Draws highly accomplished research secondary research primary and secondary comment upon the
This should include Development of conclusions development of conclusions Conclusions drawn are
evidence of: research primary and secondary
(through evaluation of the job (through evaluation of the well-developed and Conclusions drawn are Conclusions drawn are research
- A relevant job advert market and in particular, the job market and in particular, sophisticated (through well-developed and sufficient (through Conclusions drawn are Inappropriate or no
- Evaluation of the specific job advertisement) are the specific job evaluation of the job sound (through evaluation of the job insufficient regarding conclusions drawn with
research presented to drawn in an exceptionally advertisement chosen). Job market and the specific evaluation of the job market and the the evaluation of the gaps in work presented
address the following accomplished manner. Job ad ad is relevant and job advertisement market and the specific specific job job market and the and limited or no ability
questions… is relevant and appropriate. appropriate. chosen) Job ad is job advertisement advertisement specific job to develop lines of
Why this job role is of relevant and chosen) . Job advert chosen) . Job advert advertisement chosen argument.
interest to you. appropriate. chosen is not totally chosen is
relevant for a graduate inappropriate; either Job advert chosen is Job advert not chosen or
How does it relate to your inappropriate; either
potential choice of opportunity too senior or not is not appropriate to a
relating to the chosen too senior or not graduate level role.
industry/profession? relating to the chosen
Why do you prefer this career path.
career path.
job opportunity to others
you considered?
Is this a new/emerging job
role within your
profession/industry and
therefore likely to be
future proofed?
Demonstrates an exceptional Demonstrates a highly Demonstrates a highly Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Demonstrates an Demonstrates limited or
Transferable ability to communicate ideas accomplished ability to proficient ability to consistent and confident sufficient ability to insufficient ability to no ability to communicate
Skills 10% and information accurately and communicate ideas and communicate ideas and ability to communicate communicate ideas communicate ideas ideas and information
(Assignment reliably in written academic information accurately and information accurately ideas and information and information and information accurately and reliably in
English reliably in written academic and reliably in written accurately and reliably in accurately and reliably accurately and reliably written academic English
parameters)
English academic English written academic English in written academic in written academic
English English

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Assessment Criteria for MG410 CW1 Career Research Report Academic Year 2022-23

80-100 (A+) 70-79 (A) 60-69 (B) 50-59 (C) 40-49 (D) 35-39 E – 0-34 (F) –

Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Marginal fail Fail

Outstanding Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Below required Not successful
standard
This should include
evidence of:
- Accurate spelling,
punctuation and
grammar
- Completing all of the
assignment tasks
- Appropriate language
use
- Appropriate report
writing conventions
- Accurate Harvard
referencing