THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHAMPTON
Faculty of Business and Law
MODULE NAME: HRMM072 Career Futures: Employability Skills
Module Code Level Credit Value Module Leader
HRMM072 7 0 Jenny Cartwright
Assessment Brief
Assessment title: AS1 Portfolio (2,000 words)
Deadline: Monday 6th January 2020, 11.59pm (23:59)
Weighting: 100%
Feedback and
Monday 3rd February 2020
Grades due:
Resit Date: Sunday 23rd February 2020, 11.59pm (23:59)
Please read this assessment brief in its entirety before starting work on it.
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The Assessment Task
Summary:
You are to create a personal, reflective portfolio of written work and supporting evidence that
demonstrates meaningful engagement with the process of finding and securing a graduate-
level placement role. You must use a recognised model of reflection to shape the reflective
writing sections. It is acceptable to write in the first person.
Detail:
Introduction – briefly outline the Portfolio’s contents and structure and ‘set the scene’ for the
reader.
Section 1 - identify up to two placement goals and then fully justify your choice(s), analysing
and synthesising the range of sources of information that have guided your decision-making.
Then, reflect on your choice of placement goals, incorporating the following areas as a
minimum:
a) the type of role(s) you are seeking and why;
b) your preferred sector/industry and why, and
c) what part of the UK you wish to work in, and why.
In the Appendix, include evidence of the activities you have completed which support or
underpin your choice(s) of placement goal. Evidence might include (but is not restricted to):
completion of the CV-builder and Prospects Career Planner; completion of the Skills Self-
assessment; a Personal SWOT; attendance at the FBL Placement Fair and/or Employability Fair
or other employer liaison activities.
Section 2 - with your identified skills / knowledge in mind, critically evaluate your own
engagement in the range of personal and professional development activities available to you
to help you reach your goal(s). Then, reflect on how the feedback / outcomes of these
activities influenced your subsequent performance in trying to achieve your placement
goal(s).
In the Appendix, include evidence of the personal and professional development activities
you have completed, and the feedback received over time. Evidence might include (but is not
restricted to): proof of development of your online presence; evidence of attending mock or
real interviews; communication with organisations or prospective employers; applications you
have made; volunteering activities; completion of the Changemaker Life Hack; practicing
psychometric tests or other activities you have done to fill identified skills-gaps, plus the
associated feedback.
Section 3 – critically reflect on, analyse and evaluate how your own decision-making
processes and skills have changed over recent weeks in relation to seeking a placement role
in the UK.
In the Appendix, include evidence (screenshots) of your weekly reflective journal
demonstrating how your decision-making processes and skills have altered.
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As a guide, your Portfolio should include the following sections and approximate word counts:
Section Content Indicative
word
count
Title page This page should include the title of the assessment, your n/a
name, student number, module code, tutor and actual
word count (excluding your appendix and Reference
List).
Contents page List the title of each section of your portfolio and state n/a
which page the section begins.
Introduction Details shown above. 200
Section 1 Details shown above. 500
Section 2 Details shown above. 800
Section 3 Details shown above. 500
Reference List Your sources should be shown here, in the correct n/a
Harvard style.
Appendix Number each item of evidence in the order it appears in n/a
your portfolio and give each a title.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes that are being assessed in this assessment are:
On successful completion of the module, with minimal guidance, you will be able to...
a) Identify, analyse and synthesise information from a range of sources, in order to
contextualise and reflect upon own placement goals.
b) Critically reflect on, analyse and evaluate own placement decision-making processes and
skills, through engagement with structured and ongoing reflection.
c) Critically evaluate own engagement in personal and professional development activities,
synthesising feedback in relation to own performance.
Your grade will depend on the extent to which you meet these learning outcomes in the way
relevant for this assessment. Please see the grading rubric at the end of this assessment brief
for further details of the criteria against which you will be assessed.
Word Limits (where appropriate)
The maximum word limit for this assessment is 2,000 words.
In accordance with the Assessment and Feedback Policy, as stated in section 4.40 where a
submission exceeds the stipulated word limit by more than 10%, the submission will only be
marked up to and including the additional 10%. Anything over this will not be included in
the final grade for the assessment item. Abstracts, bibliographies, reference lists,
appendices and footnotes are excluded from any word limit requirements.
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In line with section 4.41 of the same Policy, where a submission is notably under the
word limit, the full submission will be marked on the extent to which the learning
objectives have been met.
Assessment Support
Support for this assessment has been or will mainly be provided via the six face-to-face
workshops and the scheduled individual face-to-face tutorial with your tutor. Email support
from your tutor is available in the form of answers to questions, however, feedback on draft
emailed work will not be provided outside of the scheduled tutorial.
Generic Grading Criteria
In addition to the grading rubric at the end of this assessment brief, you will find the generic
grading criteria for achievement at University Grading Criteria. Also explained here are the
meanings of the various G grades at the bottom of the grading scale.
Assessment Submission
To submit your work, please go to the ‘Submit your work’ area on the NILE site and use the
relevant submission point to upload your report. The deadline for this is 11.59pm (UK local
time) on the date of submission. Please note that your Portfolio must be submitted as a
Word document and not a PDF.
Written work submitted to TURNITIN will be subject to anti-plagiarism detection software.
Turnitin checks student work for possible textual matches against internet available resources
and its own proprietary database.
When you upload your work correctly to TURNITIN you will receive a receipt which is your
record and proof of submission.
If your assessment is not submitted to TURNITIN rather than a receipt you will see a green
banner at the top of the screen that denotes successful submission.
N.B Work emailed directly to your tutor will not be marked. The only exception to this
is when you are instructed to do so because TURNITIN is down.
Late submission of work
For first sits, if an item of assessment is submitted late and an extension has not been
granted, the following will apply:
• Within one week of the original deadline – work will be marked and returned with full
feedback and awarded a maximum bare pass grade.
• More than one week from original deadline – maximum grade achievable LG (L
indicating late).
Extensions
The University of Northampton’s general policy with regard to extensions is to be supportive
of students who have genuine difficulties, but not against pressures of work that could have
reasonably been anticipated.
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For full details please refer to the Extensions Policy. The module leader can, where
appropriate, authorise a short extension of up to two weeks from the original submission
date for first sits only.
Mitigating Circumstances
For guidance on Mitigating circumstances please go to Mitigating Circumstances where you
will find detailed guidance on the policy as well as guidance and the form for making an
application.
Please note, however, that an application to defer an assessment on the grounds of mitigating
circumstances should normally be made in advance of the submission deadline or
examination date.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
Unless this is a group assessment, the work you produce must be your own with work taken
from any other source properly referenced and attributed. The University of Northampton
policy will apply in all cases of copying, plagiarism or any other methods by which students have
obtained (or attempted to obtain) an unfair advantage.
If you are in any doubt about what constitutes plagiarism or any other infringement of
academic integrity, please read the University’s Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy. For
help with understanding academic integrity go to UNPAC and follow the Top Tips for Good
Academic Practice on the student hub.
Please note that the penalties for copying work from another source without proper
referencing are severe and can include failing the assessment, failing the module and
expulsion from the University.
Feedback and Grades
These can be accessed through clicking on the Feedback and Grades tab on NILE. Feedback
will be provided by a rubric with summary comments. For work submitted to TURNITIN,
please also click through for within text comments.
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Marking Rubric for HRMM072 AS1 (Portfolio)
Learning Outcomes addressed through this No submission / no
Fail Pass
assignment evidence
Work submitted is of no Evidence included or provided but Of satisfactory quality, demonstrating
academic value / nothing missing in some very important aspects. evidence of achieving the requirements
submitted. of the learning outcomes
1) Identify, analyse and synthesise
information from a range of sources, in order
to contextualise and reflect upon own
placement goals.
a) Identify information from a range of Work submitted is of no No / minimal sources of information A range of sources of information have
sources. academic value / nothing have been used. No / minimal evidence been used. Acceptable evidence of
submitted. of activities completed in the appendix. activities completed in the appendix.
b) Analyse and synthesise information. Work submitted is of no No / minimal analysis and/or synthesis Acceptable analysis and syntheses of
academic value / nothing of information is present. information is present.
submitted.
c) Reflect upon own placement goals. Work submitted is of no No placement goals have been Acceptable reflection of own placement
academic value / nothing expressed and/or no/minimal reflection goals is present. A recognised model of
submitted. of own placement goals is present. reflection may have been used.
2) Critically evaluate own engagement in
personal and professional development
activities, synthesising feedback in relation to
own performance.
a) Critically evaluate own engagement with Work submitted is of no No / minimal critical evaluation is Acceptable critical evaluation is provided.
personal and professional development academic value / nothing provided. No / minimal evidence of Acceptable evidence of engagement with
activities. submitted. engagement with personal and personal and professional development
professional development activities in activities in the appendix.
the appendix.
b) Synthesise feedback received in relation to Work submitted is of no No / minimal feedback has been Acceptable feedback has been included
own performance in achieving placement academic value / nothing included and/or no/minimal synthesis is and synthesised in relation to own
goals. submitted.
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present in relation to own performance performance in achieving placement
in achieving placement goals. goals.
3) Critically reflect on, analyse and evaluate
own placement decision-making processes
and skills through engagement with
structured and ongoing reflection.
a) Analyse and evaluate own placement Work submitted is of no No / minimal analysis and/or evaluation Acceptable analysis and evaluation of
decision-making processes and skills. academic value / nothing of own placement decision-making own placement decision-making
submitted. processes and skills is present. processes and skills is present.
b) Provide evidence of structured and ongoing Work submitted is of no No / minimal evidence of weekly Acceptable evidence of weekly reflective
weekly reflection. academic value / nothing reflective journal entries in the journal entries in the appendix.
submitted. appendix.
Absent or poor command Work does not meet the required Work meets the required standards of
of academic / standards of academic / professional academic / professional conventions
Academic / Professional quality. professional conventions conventions appropriate to the appropriate to the discipline.
appropriate to the discipline.
discipline.
