Employability & Enterprise
Enhancing Careers Services for English Students
“Employers value the skills in critical thinking, communication and analysis that English graduates usually possess, but our students tend to underestimate the relevance of these skills to the workplace.”
Introduction
It is a commonly held view within our subject community that employability is another demand on scarce time and that it cannot be a significant priority. However, the Subject Centre’s view of employability is that it is a set of achievements – not only skills, but also understandings and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations. These are achievements that most academics either value in their own right or are necessary for academic success.
More prosaically, employability is being associated with widening participation. English is a non-vocational subject so must emphasise the fact that the employment prospects for English graduates are very good. We have compiled a list of some high achieving English graduates to help convince others of the case. It is noticeable, too, that the sorts of actions to enhance student claims to employability are similar to those that many higher education institutions are taking to improve retention and which they highlight in their teaching and learning strategies.
The resources on these web pages are designed to give an overview of what employability is all about, to illustrate how colleagues in the discipline have addressed employability issues and to resources to inspire and support your own initiatives. Use the panel on the left to read an overview of employability issues (Employability – Why bother?) or look at some of the materials from employability events and employability projects on this topic. Of particular note are the projects we have supported within Careers Services to enhance their provision for English students. You may also be interested in a video we have produced entitled ‘A Way with Words – Creativity, Enterprise and the English Graduate’ profiling eight enterprising English graduates. You can view the video on our Enterprise page.
Several of the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning had a focus on employability. More information about those related to English can be found on our Centres for Excellence in Teaching & Learning pages.
- Other Employability & Entreprise content
- Employability & Enterprise case studies
- Employability & Enterprise projects
- Employability & Enterprise publications
- Employability & Enterprise video
- Careers service: A Careers Fair in Conjunction with the Alumni Department
- Careers service: A Pack of English-specific Personal Development Planning Materials
- Careers service: A presentation skills event
- Careers service: A series of chatrooms aimed at English Students and graduates
- Careers service: A Taught undergraduate credit-bearing module in Internships for English Students
- Careers service: Alumni Event
- Careers service: Alumni Information Seminar
- Careers service: And What Do You Do Now? – Career Opportunities Once You Graduate
- Careers service: Assisting English students in making the transition from higher education into employment
- Careers service: Brochure Linking Academic and Career Values
- Careers service: Careers fair and web resources
- Careers service: Careers for English Language Graduates
- Careers service: Careers Newsletter for Academic Staff
- Careers service: Careers resource for English Language Graduates
- Careers service: Developing a partnership between local writers and the School of Language, Literature and Communication
- Careers service: Early Years Seminar, Supporting Literature and Website
- Careers service: Employability activity focusing on entrepreneurial skills.
- Careers service: Employer Led Workshops
- Careers service: Enterprising English – Using your degree to start your own business
- Careers service: Identifying and developing employability skills the UPSkill English Programme
- Careers service: Interactive workshop on The Employability of English Graduates
- Careers service: Interview workshops – Bradford
- Careers service: Interview workshops – Sheffield Hallam
- Careers service: Making a Podcast on Commercial Awareness for English Students
- Careers service: Media Vodcast project
- Careers service: Mock Interview Programme
- Careers service: Online Careers Magazine Project
- Careers service: Podcast for mature students of English & Creative Writing
- Careers service: Scoping the needs, career aspirations and work experience of English students
- Careers service: Swansea University Open Day
- Careers service: Videos interviewing English graduates – Making English Work
- Careers service: Warwick Interview workshops
- English in the Workplace
- Enhancing Careers Services for English Students
- Learning on the Language-Literature Border: Ways of integrating language and literature within final year modules
- MA Work Project Module Development
- Professionalising the PhD in English
- Student Employability Profiles for English
- The Dissemination of Speak-Write Research and Materials
- The value of literary analysis to City financial institutions
- Report 16: Teaching the Teachers: Higher Education and the Continuing Professional Development of English Teachers
- Report 20: Work-Related Learning in English Studies: A Good Practice Guide
- Report 2: The English Degree and Graduate Careers
- Report: A wider perspective and more options: investigating the longer term employability of humanities graduates
- Report: Here be Dragons: Enterprising Graduates in the Humanities
- Report: Wider Perspectives and More Options for English Language and Linguistic Students