Industry Placement/Career Development Report

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 6
• Convenor: Dr Scott Rodgers
• Assessment: a 3500-word industry placement report (100%) (with work placement), or a 3500-word career development report (100%) (with no work placement)

Getting work experience while studying is a top priority for many Birkbeck students whether they aim for a career change, want to gain new skills, develop their professional profile, or are trying to land their first job after graduating. This module offered by the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication assists you on this transformative journey of self-discovery and growth in your final year of undergraduate study. The module is an opportunity for you to complete a work placement or focused career development research as part of your university course, and gain an academic credit for it.

Key module details

• Information on available placements, including the placement brief (job description) is made available at the start of the autumn term. Placements have in the past included charities, organisations and businesses in publishing, film, media, and the broader cultural and education sectors.
• Placements will normally require 20-30 full-time working days within either the spring or summer term. In most cases the term will be defined by the placement host, though occasionally it may be negotiable.
• The module begins in the autumn term with an orientation session, after which you develop two placement applications with the help of the Birkbeck Careers Service and the module convenor, submitting these applications in early November.
• The application process includes a formal and competitive shortlisting and interview process, like processes you might encounter in a professional setting. Most placements are confirmed by the end of the autumn term.
• While you will be fully supported in securing a placement, final decisions are made by our industry placement hosts.
• Anyone who is not successful in securing a placement will be able to complete the module and gain academic credit for it by independently researching, writing up and submitting a career development report.
• You can also opt to independently research, write up and submit a career development report from the start of the module (i.e. opt out of applying for placements).

For further information on this module, please email Scott Rodgers.

By the end of this module you will:

• have developed your vocational, transferable and/or academic skills
• have a greater insight into the specific institutional culture of the host organisation and/or a wider cultural sector
• be able to apply your knowledge of the sector to concrete work-based situations (where a placement is undertaken)
• be able to combine abstract and practical knowledge of a chosen career field
• be able to articulate the relevance for employment of the skills gained during a work placement or through employment sector research
• have gained valuable knowledge and experience that will increase your preparedness for employment.