94680 Entering Professional Life (6cp)
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks
Anti-requisite(s): Spks Like %, and Category Type = Subject, and Attribute = Work Integrated Learning: Internship AND 010071 Professional Practice 2 Language Literacy and Numeracy AND 010077 Professional Practice 2 Organisational Learning AND 012225 Issues in Indigenous Australian Education AND 013004 Issues in Indigenous Australian Education AND 013009 Professional Experience 1 (Commerce, Business and Economics) AND 013011 Professional Experience 1 (English/History) AND 013013 Professional Experience 1 (Geography/Commerce, Business and Economics) AND 013014 Professional Experience 1 (History/Geography) AND 013016 Professional Experience 1 (Languages) AND 12231 Quantity Surveying 1 AND 12232 Quantity Surveying 2 AND 12233 Quantity Surveying 3 AND 12234 Estimating 1 AND 12235 Quantity Surveying 4 AND 12236 Estimating 2 AND 13012 Design and Invention 01 AND 13022 Design and Invention 02 AND 13032 Design and Invention 03 AND 15360 Project Management Consulting AND 27769 Professional Internship for Graduates AND 50838 Professional Practice (SMD) AND 57021 Journalism Internship AND 75411 Practical Experience AND 75425 Lawyers in Practice AND 75426 Practical Experience 20 days AND C09018 Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) AND C09051 Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) AND C09057 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science (Honours) AND C10122 Bachelor of Nursing AND C10123 Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of International Studies AND C10225 Bachelor of Midwifery AND C10300 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science AND C10301 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management AND C10302 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science Bachelor of International Studies AND C10303 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management Bachelor of International Studies AND C10328 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation AND C10329 Bachelor of Midwifery Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation AND C10351 Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation AND C10360 Bachelor of Public Health
Description
This subject provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience through undertaking an internship to increase their employability, socialise into a professional role and strengthen their professional identity. Students are guided in seeking, obtaining, learning from and reflecting on an internship. Students learn to articulate their learning and career goals to guide their experience and ensure a good match with an approved internship program. The focus is on developing the skills and attributes required for a successful job application; contributing productively to workplace practices; developing professional networks; developing self-analysing skills and awareness of learning needs and goals; improving written, interpersonal and culturally appropriate communication skills; learning to integrate their academic skills and knowledge with workplace skills; and expanding their awareness of how personal attributes influence professional branding and identity.
Students gain a greater awareness of: the complex ambiguities of working and professional life; how to effectively manage themselves and their professional relationships to be successful in the workplace; transferable and technical skills that are essential in their industry of interest; and new-found opportunities that are developed through their professional networks. Completing this subject supports students to reflect on their professional identity, performance and learning objectives and how the internship experience can help shape their future career aspirations.
There is an application process for students who wish to undertake this subject.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Identify and effectively articulate personal employability skills, experience and attributes relevant to own career goals and chosen professional field |
|---|---|
| b. | Demonstrate an awareness of skills required in the future world of work related to a chosen professional field |
| c. | Identify and demonstrate appropriate professional performance, conduct and attitudes in a professional working environment |
| d. | Grow a professional network in both offline and online environments |
| e. | Critically reflect on the learning and developmental outcomes of the workplace experience and how it developed professional identity |
Teaching and learning strategies
In preparation for the internship placement, students will undertake a one-day pre-internship workshop. The workshop will focus on preparing students for their internship by identifying skills that are necessary for the workplace, setting goals, identifying effective job search strategies and developing self- promotion and communication skills. The workshop will also prepare students to learn productively during internship. The workshop will include group and individual activities as well as simulations.
Students will undertake a minimum of 100 hours of work with a host organisation, which can be taken either in a full-time or part-time mode. The terms and time frame of the experience are flexible and may be negotiated between the student and host organisation. During the internship students will undertake an agreed and approved program of work which aims to achieve predetermined learning objectives developed by the student and approved by the subject teaching staff and the business in which the internship is placed at.
Midway through the subject, a 2 hour, interactive reflective workshop will be conducted on campus to enable students to share their internship stories and experiences. Students will workshop any barriers, issues and challenges they may have faced in their first few weeks of their placement in order to learn from and with each other and to be well-equipped with new insights and strategies to complete the second half of their internship. Students are required to contribute to group online peer reflection, networking and learning to support their practical learning and experience in a professional environment.
Students are expected to be self-directed learners throughout this subject and will be required to develop a reflective journal throughout their internship and submit three reflections, which evaluate their overall experience and how they can apply learnings to their future career goals.
Content (topics)
Self-Awareness: Activities which increase students’ awareness of personal skills, interests, values and motivations – and how to effectively articulate these both in writing and orally writing.
Opportunity Awareness: Activities which increase students’ awareness of the full range of opportunities available to students – internships, hidden job market, networking, exploring career resources and the skills sought by employers.
Decision Learning: Research activities which enable students to identify future career goals and the importance of making informed decisions.
Transition Learning: Activities which lead to an understanding of how students can present themselves effectively in writing and in person.
Preparing the Proposal: Tips on negotiating and securing an internship and support in defining learning objectives associated with the internship.
Reflective Learning: Understanding the process of learning within the internship and reporting on its outcomes.
Legal and Ethical Responsibilities: Insurance, workplace health and safety, ethical behaviour, resolving issues with an internship, and meeting employer expectations.
Professional behaviour: Activities to prepare students to act professionally and represent UTS positively throughout the internship.
DURING INTERNSHIP
Peer learning: participate in an online discussion forum with peers that is moderated by the subject teaching team to receive and provide feedback on critical events during internship.
Networking: grow your peer and professional network.
Seeking feedback: ask for feedback from professionals you are working with in the workplace and learn from receiving feedback.
2 hour, interactive, reflective workshop: peer learning from internship experiences
POST-INTERNSHIP
2 hour critical, reflective workshop: making sense from internship experiences and preparing for future careers
Reflection on the Experience: Reflect on insights gained from the internship experience as it relates to personal development and employability skills and how to use these insights to plan the first stages of a career.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Employability Analysis and Learning Proposal
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 1000-word report, two-page resume and 800-word learning objectives |
Assessment task 2: Reflective Journal
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d and e |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 60% |
| Length: | Two reflective journals: 300 words or 2 minutes duration; minimum of two contributions to online reflections and attendance at the reflective workshops. |
Assessment task 3: Supervisor’s Evaluation Report
| Objective(s): | b, c, d and e |
|---|---|
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
Minimum requirements
Students' work-readiness will be assessed in the workplace setting. The Supervisor's Report rates the observed communication skills, professionalism, time management and overall attitude of the student during internship. If the supervisor is unavailable or unable to complete the report, the student must discuss reasonable alternatives for obtaining an equivalent report with the subject teaching staff. This report will be reviewed by the teaching staff and given a pass/fail grade. Failure to obtain a satisfactory Supervisor's Report will result in a fail grade for the subject (See Rule 3.8).
References
UTS Resources
UTS Careers Service: https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/opportunities/careers
UTS HELPS: https://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/reflective_journal.pdf
Industry and Labour Market Information
Professional Associations: http://www.journoz.com/ausproforgs.html
Australian Government Labour Market Information: http://lmip.gov.au/
Job Outlook: http://joboutlook.gov.au/
Job Search and Career Information
Unigrad: https://unigrad.com.au/
Grad Connection: https://au.gradconnection.com/
Graduate Opportunities: http://www.graduateopportunities.com/
Good Universities Careers Guide: https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/careers-guide