Business Practice and Analysis

Module description

According to two fifths of UK graduate recruiters, graduates who apply for positions with no work experience are either ‘not very likely’ or ‘not at all likely’ to be successful in their applications (High Fliers Research Limited, 2020). Placement experiences are viewed by employers as incredibly useful, as are the soft skills developed. Indeed, students who have achieved a 2.2 degree but have undertaken a placement are as likely to find a graduate job as students who have achieved a 2.1 degree but not undertaken a placement (Neugebauer & Evans-Brain, 2009). Therefore, in order to be in the best position for securing a preferred job, post-graduation, it is important to complete as much relevant work related experience as possible pre-graduation. Business Practice and Analysis is designed to provide and facilitate the development of knowledge, soft skills and digital capabilities in order to create a foundation for a successful future.

This module will teach you how to research, investigate and analyse the world of work. It will enable you to present your learning and yourself in the best possible light to attract employer’s interest. This introductory module to Business Practice will focus on the third sector. It will explain how, in a mixed economy, this sector plays a vital role in innovation and service delivery, while at the same time enabling you to gain experience in fields you might not have traditionally considered for future employment. The insight and learning gained through this module will prove highly valuable to you as you progress throughout your undergraduate and post-graduation career, providing you with insights other traditional commercial workplaces might not be able to offer.

Full module specification

Module aims

Employability, is not just about getting a job, it is about a broader set of skills and attributes that will enable you to be successful throughout your working life. The aim of this module is to equip you with the knowledge, skills and experience required to enable you to secure your preferred job post-graduation. Business Practice and Analysis I is designed as an introductory module which is a pre-requisite for Business Practice II in the second year of the Business BSc programme, which in turn leads onto the final module Practice Based Consultancy. The aim of these three modules is to educate you in the complexities of the world of work, across all three main sectors including: private, public and third. In a time where the traditional roles played by the private and public sectors are increasingly becoming blurred, the innovations created by this paradigm shift in service and commercial provision means there are increasing numbers of opportunities for graduates who wish to work in organisations with a sustainable outlook. This module will enable you to take advantage of these opportunities by teaching you both hard and soft skills associated with analysis and work place based learning. Business Practice and Analysis 1 is also a pre-requisite for the optional With Industrial Experience placement year.

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. develop digital capability and practice in a digital environment;
• 2. enhance technical skills through workshops in data analytics, search engine optimisation, coding and so on;
• 3. gain commercial and resourcing awareness to utilise opportunities in the employment market place;
• 4. identify and build soft skills and personal attributes and develop the ability to articulate these;
• 5. begin an experiential learning journey through a placement opportunity or project work.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 6. enhance your employability skills and opportunities in areas such as HR, Marketing, Accounting, Project Management and Sustainability through business engagements;
• 7. develop and practice critical analysis skills through the application of academic learning to real life situations and scenarios;
• 8. cite specific examples of work based learning experiences on your applications for future employment;
• 9. develop a portfolio of employability and digital capability skills.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

A student will be referred in all components of the student fails the module with a mark of below 40% overall.

A student if deferred via a single component will be reassessed in that component only. 

Syllabus plan

Introduction to module and business engagement

Introduction of the third sector and organisations within it

Personal portfolio management to include personalised documentation and evidence of skill development and learning through reflection,

Networking and interviewing scenario training

Recruitment and selection cycle 

Career consultancy

Technical skill workshops

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Chaudhuri, T., & Cabau, B. (Eds.). (2017). E-portfolios in higher education: A multidisciplinary approach. Springer.

Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage.

Moon, J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London, Routledge Falmer.

Neugebauer, J., & Evans-Brain, J. (2009). Making the most of your placement. Sage Publications.

Rainbird, H, Fuller A and Munro A (2004) Work Place Learning in Context,  Routledge

Taylor R (2010) ed  Third Sector Research, Springer

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=4892

https://mycareerzone.exeter.ac.uk

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

All students on the programme will have access to additional material in the form of a customised e-book

Origin date

01/09/2014

Last revision date

11/10/2021