AD1PPY: Building Career Confidence and Placement Year Preparation for Part 1

Module code: AD1PPY

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 0

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Ms Rebecca Jerrome, email: r.m.jerrome@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students:

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 23 July 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This non‑credit‑bearing module introduces you to the career learning and support available throughout your degree. It provides a practical toolkit to help you reflect on your skills, clarify your career goals, and begin researching and evaluating opportunities that align with those goals. By developing these foundations early, you will be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities that enhance your experience and improve your employability.

For students considering a placement year, the module also offers an early advantage by laying the groundwork for successfully securing a placement. You will become familiar with the expectations, processes, and timelines involved, ensuring you are ‘placement‑application ready’ by your second year.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Develop confidence and readiness to engage with career development opportunities
2. Identify skills, knowledge and experience gaps and create a personal action plan outlining the necessary skills and steps to enhance your employability and  be ‘placement application ready’.
3. Identify the benefits, requirements and expectations of the placement year and/or other job opportunities
4. Conduct research to identify and evaluate career opportunities that align with your goals

Module content

Content provided will include a range of online resources and lectures and will also include an element of self-guided personal study time in order to explore career opportunities and if relevant, prepare effectively for placement application and recruitment at the start of year 2.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Career and placement support modules will mainly include briefings and the opportunity to engage with group and peer support including opportunities to meet returning placement students.

Online resources will be made available to all students.

Study hours

At least 6 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

There is no assessment on this module

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

There is no assessment on this module

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will have opportunities to provide a verbal, in-class:

1. Reflection of their aims for their career goals and placement year e.g. consideration for the role type / sectors or companies they intend to apply to
2. A reflection on any skills, experience and knowledge gaps they may need to address / build and develop to enhance their employability and build confidence before they apply for their intended placement 
3. Outline any interventions and or support they intend to engage with over the summer vacation, in order to help progress their career goals

Reassessment

Additional costs