The Careers and Employability Service have developed a Career Readiness process which helps students to reflect on how prepared they are for life after university. As part of the online registration process at enrolment and re-enrolment each year, all students will be asked a series of questions to help us provide the right careers and employability support at the right time during their studies.
Why have we developed this process?
Research has shown that students who are given the opportunity to evaluate their career readiness are more inclined to take ownership in seeking out opportunities to support their career development. As such they are more likely to engage in work experience opportunities aligned to their career plans, get involved in extracurricular activities to support their development and are more likely to have a successful graduate outcome.
What will students be asked?
We ask students to tell us which Employability Enhancing Experiences they have undertaken in the previous 12 months (from a list provided) and which ones they would like to undertake in the coming 12 months. They can select multiple answers for both questions. We then ask students to self-evaluate their career confidence against a set of four statements and tell us which of the areas they would like further support with.
How will we use the data?
The career readiness information collected will subsequently be used to allow the university to plan timely interventions and support student career plans and employability.
Students will be sent targeted information based what they have said they would like to take part in over the next 12 months and what areas of support they require.
How can students make the most of the process?
We encourage students to engage fully with the Career Readiness process and to be honest with their answers. It is important that students also update their MyCareerHub profile so that they can receive targeted careers information, vacancies and events.
The most important part is ticking the box to say you do want to receive personalised information from the University of Aberdeen Careers and Employability Service:
Further information
If you have any questions regarding Career Readiness, please email careers@abdn.ac.uk
Data dashboards
- Current Career Readiness Data
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This data is collected from all UG and PgT students as part of the e-registration process each year. Select the dashboard below you wish to view data for:
- Academic year 2023-24 (eReg year: 2023): Access dashboard
- Academic year 2024-25 (eReg year: 2024): Access dashboard
Career Readiness questions
- Question 1: Past Employability Enhancing Experiences
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From the following statements please select the employability enhancing experiences you are currently undertaking or have undertaken in the last 12 months (tick all that apply):
- placement/internship (as a formal part of my studies)
- placement/internship (not as a formal part of my studies)
- part-time work or holiday job
- full-time work
- volunteering
- running my own business
- mentoring programme
- entrepreneurial/enterprise activity (e.g., business ideas competition, social enterprise opportunity, bootcamp, incubation programme)
- Co-curricular programme/skills development programme run by the university (e.g., ABDNConnect, Career Mentoring Programme)
- accredited qualification/award (e.g., online course (e.g., FutureLearn/LinkedIn), chartership, certification (e.g., first aid/coaching), ILM, Duke of Edinburgh, International Award)
- go abroad programme (e.g., study exchange, traineeship, international exchange, Turing, Santander)
- employer insight day/programme or job shadowing
- employer event (e.g., career fair, networking event)
- Question 2: Future Employability Enhancing Experiences
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From the following options, please select all employability enhancing experiences you would like to undertake in the next 12 months, so that we can provide you with the right types of support (tick all that apply):
- placement/internship (as a formal part of my studies)
- placement/internship (not as a formal part of my studies)
- part-time work or holiday job
- full-time work
- volunteering
- running my own business
- mentoring programme
- entrepreneurial/enterprise activity (e.g., business ideas competition, social enterprise opportunity, bootcamp, incubation programme)
- Co-curricular programme/skills development programme run by the university (e.g., ABDNConnect, Career Mentoring Programme)
- accredited qualification/award (e.g., online course (e.g., FutureLearn/LinkedIn), chartership, certification (e.g., first aid/coaching), ILM, Duke of Edinburgh, International Award)
- go abroad programme (e.g., study exchange, traineeship, international exchange, Turing, Santander)
- employer insight day/programme or job shadowing
- employer event (e.g., career fair, networking event)
- Question 3: Confidence ratings
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Please rate your confidence against the following statements (No confidence, Low confidence, Some confidence, High confidence):
- I understand how my skills, values and motivations relate to my professional development and career growth.
- I can plan the development of my skills, experiences and career next steps.
- I am able to identify suitable opportunities for work experience, graduate jobs and/or further study.
- I can describe and share my skills, experiences and achievements effectively (e.g., via CVs, applications, LinkedIn profile and interviews).
- Question 4: Support
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Please select which of the following areas of support you would like access to in the next 12 months (tick all that apply):
- Understanding how my skills, values and motivations relate to my professional development and career growth.
- Planning the development of my skills, experiences and career next steps.
- Identifying suitable opportunities for work experience, graduate jobs and/or further study.
- Describing and sharing my skills, experiences and achievements effectively (e.g., via CVs, applications, LinkedIn profile and interviews).