Career Planning

 

A career action plan should be a dynamic document that you can use to map out the steps and strategies needed to achieve your career goals within a realistic timeframe. It helps to put your plan in writing so you can identify the specific tasks or actions required to achieve your broader career aims. Make these actions SMART – specific, measurable, realistic and timed. 

A good plan reflects that circumstances and goals may change over time so should be regularly reviewed and altered to suit you.  

 

 

1. Learn more about the role you are interested in by talking to someone with experience in it.

2. Explore our Employer Insights section and identify a selection of employers you can connect with. 

3. Prepare for graduate job applications by creating your LinkedIn profile 

4. Prepare for graduate job applications by updating your CV 

5. Book a 1:1 career appointment and chat through your ideas with a Careers Adviser. 

 

 

For resources and templates to help you develop a career action plan:  Careers-Action-Plan-Workbook.pdf  Goal setting and action planning

 

 

Pathways on My Career Enriched are free online mini courses designed to help you move your career journey forward.  

Explore Pathways provide insights into different professions. 

Develop Pathways help you learn something new or improve on the skills you already have. 

Apply Pathways give you the tools and confidence to stand out in job applications, interviews and in assessment tasks 

GradSims 

Gain career insights from Graduates working in roles that interest you with these free interactive mini courses:  https://targetjobs.co.uk/gradsims 

Linkedin Learning 

Linkedin Learning courses are taught by industry experts and cover a wide range of topics including courses in Data Science, Engineering disciplines, and Technology. Courses are short and cover a range of skill levels. 

Students at UoC can access any of the thousands of Linkedin Learning courses for free. For every course you complete, Linkedin issues a certificate of completion. 

Find out more here: Linkedin Learning | MyCumbria 

University of Cumbria: The Discovery Tool

This tool can help you assess your digital experience and skills. You then receive a personal report along with a resource bank of advice and activities to draw upon to develop your skills and your answers and report are completely anonymous and personal to you.

Find out more or get started:  The Discovery Tool

Understanding employer expectations and sector trends is essential for making informed career decisions and preparing strong applications. 

TargetJobs – Psychology and Social Work 

• Employers Section: Offers detailed profiles of organisations hiring in mental health, social care, and public services. 

• Career Guides: 

• Psychology Careers Guide 

• Public Sector Careers Guide 

• Charity and NGO Guide 

GradSims: Interactive mini-courses that simulate real-world roles in mental health support, counselling, and social work. They host Events and Webinars including employer insight days and Q&A sessions with professionals in the field. 

Prospects 

• Job Sectors: Explore detailed information on careers in social care, mental health, counselling, and psychology. 

• Employer Profiles: Learn about key employers such as the NHS, local authorities, and non-profit organisations. 

• Case Studies: Read about the experiences of graduates working in relevant roles. 
  Explore Case Studies 

Skills for Care 

• Offers insights into adult social care roles, qualifications, and career progression. 

• Highlights values-based recruitment and what employers look for in candidates. 

NHS Careers 

• Provides comprehensive information on roles in clinical psychology, mental health, and social work within the NHS. 

• Includes guidance on aligning applications with NHS values. 
  Explore NHS Careers 

British Psychological Society (BPS) 

• Offers career advice, job listings, and employer expectations for psychology graduates. 

 

Career Ahead is for current UoC students and is the University of Cumbria’s Employability Award. It’s a flexible points-based programme that rewards extracurricular activities and engagement with Careers. You’ll learn to recognise and develop your employability skills, increasing your chances of getting the job you want when you graduate.  

To highlight the importance of the award, your certificate of achievement will be personally signed by the Vice Chancellor. 

Here’s how it works 

Career Ahead is accessed via Pathways on My Career Enriched.  Click on the Career Ahead tab to  get started. Choose your activities and Pathways will track your progress. 

You can take as little or as long as you need to complete the award.  

Activities are worth points. Once you have gained 500 points, you can apply for your Career Ahead Gold certificate. 

What activities can I choose? 

Choose from the following activities to be award the points shown:  

 Attend a Careers Appointment - 100 points  

Book and attend a careers appointment through My Career Enriched to discuss any career-related information, advice or guidance. Once you have attended and participated, you will be allocated your points.  

Gain some work experience – 100 points  

Upload evidence of 100 hours of work or volunteering experience that is not part of your course or submit a 500-word self-reflection.  

Activities such as volunteering, a part-time job, active membership of clubs/societies and internships all count.  

To gain your points, record your hours on the recording template below and upload it to the Career Ahead pathway on My Career Enriched   

Career Ahead Work Experience recording template [PDF]  

If fitting in extra-curricular activities around your course is difficult, you can reflect on the employability skills you have gained prior to coming to university. A 500-word skills reflection can be submitted instead.   

Career Ahead Work Experience reflection template [PDF]  

CV/Application Feedback – 100 points  

Learn how to effectively articulate your skills and experience in a job application. Start by finding a job that interests you and practice applying for it. We will provide you with tailored feedback to help you improve. Simply upload your draft CV and cover letter, or your draft application and supporting statement, to the Career Ahead pathway on My Career Enriched. You will receive personalised feedback and earn 100 points for your efforts.  

Attend a Workshop* – 50 points  

Career Ahead workshops will run either as part of your course (ask your tutor) or you can choose from a range of workshops and webinars available throughout the year on My Career Enriched – search for ‘Career Ahead Workshops’  

 LinkedIn Learning* – 50 points  

Earn points for Career Ahead by completing a LinkedIn Learning online training course. LinkedIn Learning is an extensive library of short digital courses covering business, creative, and technical subjects, all delivered through expert-led video tutorials. As a UoC student, you can access these for free! Furthermore, for every course you complete, LinkedIn Learning issues a certificate of completion. You can save these as a PDF, print them, add them to a portfolio, or add them to your CV and Linkedin.com profile. Discover more about LinkedIn Learning  here.  

Unsure where to start?  

Consider beginning with a short digital capability course. These courses are designed to help you develop your IT skills, support your studies, and equip you with additional skills for your future career. Click here for our recommendations.  

 Pathways* – 50 points  

Pathways offers free online learning to enhance your knowledge and skills.   

Gain the insights you need to shape your career journey by learning directly from industry experts through videos, quizzes, and real-world activities. Topics include key employability skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, boosting commercial awareness, and many more. Additionally, explore career development pathways like finding career inspiration, making successful applications, and building connections on LinkedIn. For a full list of topics, click here.   

 Attend a Careers Event – 50 points  

Attend a careers event as part of your course and providing we have proof of participation and attendance; you can claim points towards your Career Ahead Award.  

 *Please note that although you can attend as many workshops as you like, a maximum of 3 workshops and 3 online training courses count towards Career Ahead. All other career activities are counted once.  

How to apply for your Career Ahead Certificate? 

Once you have gained 500 points, book a ten-minute Career Ahead appointment with a member of the Careers Team. This informal meeting is an opportunity for you to talk about your Career Ahead journey, reflect on what you have gained from the activities and discuss with us your next steps. Your Careers Adviser will then arrange for you to receive your certificate of achievement. To make a Career Ahead appointment, go to My Career Enriched and click on the appointments tab.