a report reflecting on the skills and career
This brief is in two parts: (1) research summary and (2) reflective report.
You must read the instructions carefully before attempting either assignment. All of the instructions below are reflected in the module marking criteria.
[1] Research Summary (500 words)
The summary’s purpose is to demonstrate your academic writing, summary and referencing skills.
1. Throughout the year, you have been given many resources (within e-lessons 9-13) to build up your career profile. Many of these resources will have been
websites e.g. http://www.prospects.ac.uk. Select a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 of the careers resources which have been most useful to you. Write a 500-word
summary evaluating and critiquing the resources you have used.
2. Your resources must be referenced in-text and a full references list provided at the end. It is not acceptable just to copy and paste a list of URLs: your
resources must be referenced formally. If you are still unsure how to reference, revisit the e-lesson
https://tsr.cardiffmet.ac.uk/Learning/AcSkills/Course/csmpdp/04_brm4007_01.html. There you will find sections on referencing websites and compiling a correct
references list.
3. Your summary should demonstrate you can reference using both direct and indirect attribution – again, the lesson above (sections B and C) shows how to do this.
We would also like to see you using quotations (where appropriate) and paraphrase.
4. Your summary should be presented in formal English, academic style and appropriate format i.e. 1.5 or double line spacing, with the same formal 12 point font
used throughout. Do not use bulleted lists. Your text should be accurately proof-read and free from errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation. A cover page should
be included with the summary title, your name, student number, the name of your programme and the date of submission.
5. If you ignore any of the instructions above, you will lose marks (please refer to the marking and assessment criteria attached).
[2] Reflective Report (2,000 words)
You must write a report reflecting on the skills and career insights you have developed or enhanced during the PDP1 module (2000 words).
1. Your report should be in three clearly marked sections, together with a short introduction and conclusion:
a. Introduction – your introduction should set the scene regarding the skills and other career insights you consider you have developed or enhanced during your
time on the PDP1 module.
b. Skills section – break this down into: academic, transferable and career-specific skills.
c. Conclusion – a summary of the points you have reflected on and how you will move forward in relation to possible future career paths.
2. For all three of the skills areas you need to do the following:
a. Identify your two strongest skills in these areas. Show – with evidence – where you have applied these skills.
b. Identify two skills in each area you need to develop. Produce a plan, with timeline, for how you will address these development needs. Your plan should also
include any resources you will need.
c. NB: for transferable and career-specific skills, you should have this content in your completed summary sheets from the e-lessons (11 and 12)
3. Where necessary, revisit the module e-learning to refresh your understanding of the skill and career insight areas covered by the module i.e. lessons 1-8
(academic skills), lessons 9-12 (career insights, transferable and career-specific skills).
4. Please remember that you need to apply the theory of reflective practice in your work.
5. Your assignment should be presented in formal English, academic style and appropriate format i.e. 1.5 or double line spacing with the same formal 12 point font
used throughout. Your text should be accurately proof-read and free from errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation. A cover page should be included with the
assignment title, your name, student number, the name of your programme and the date of submission.
6. Your assignment must include reference to, and quotation from, at least five academic sources. You need to include in-text references and a references list at
the end of your assignment. This list must include complete bibliographical information for each item e.g. it is not sufficient just to list titles of books or
websites: you must include publication details, authors, access dates etc.
7. You must write this in a report style format, using headings and sub-headings.
