| Effective Term: | 2026/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Innovation, Science & Sustainability |
| Unit Title: | Professional Identity (Engineering) |
| Unit ID: | COOPE1001 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (Enrolled in program EN8 or EN8.CIV or EN8.EIE or EN8.MEC or EN8.MIN) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 039999 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This introductory unit establishes essential groundwork for managing career development. Central to this unit are the themes of self-awareness, self-efficacy, professionalism, ethics and understanding workplace culture and workplace practices including health and safety, all vital skills across all disciplines and industries. The unit will cover generic modules that focus on building key skills, including effective communication, problem-solving, career planning, and time management. Students will also learn the principles of self-awareness and self-efficacy to make informed career and life decisions, thereby promoting adaptability and resilience in the face of changing career landscapes. Discipline-specific aspects including industry expectations and professional practice tailored to the field of study will be interwoven through the unit. Interactive learning and assessment tasks will equip students to develop interpersonal, networking and teamwork skills. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify personal interests, values and strengths in relation to emerging engineering career pathways. |
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| K2. | Recognise the purpose, structure and conventions of professional documents, including position descriptions, selection criteria, codes of conduct and policies. |
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| K3. | Describe how workplace culture, professional expectations, ethics, equity, communication, teamwork, and health and safety responsibilities influence engineering practice. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Communicate appropriately in written, oral and digital formats, using tone, structure and conventions suited to different professional audiences and purposes. |
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| S2. | Formulate career goals, and demonstrate proficiency in job search techniques, resume creation, professional writing, and communication strategies tailored to the standards of the specific discipline. |
|
| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Create introductory professional artefacts, such as job applications, workplace communications or presentations, that demonstrate emerging professional identity. |
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| A2. | Reflect on learning, performance and feedback to identify next steps for study, skill development and career planning. |
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| A3. | Apply introductory professional, ethical and safety principles to analyse discipline-relevant workplace scenarios and justify appropriate professional responses. |
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| Other outcomes: |
| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: - Introduction to professional identity
- Self-awareness and career planning
- Connecting academic learning to professional aspirations
- Professional communication, stakeholder management, and networking
- Application documents and interviewing techniques
- Self-advocacy, workplace dynamics and culture
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Rights and responsibilities in the professional environment
- Understanding the profession, ethics and ethical decision-making, and health and safety principles of your discipline
- Work-focused activities
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
K1, S1, A1, A2 |
Values Reflection Students produce a short video summarising insights from SDG values surveys and reflect on how these values relate to possible discipline-specific career paths. Written reflections on survey feedback and personal, professional identity development |
Values Reflection |
10-20% |
AQF5 |
| 2. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2, A3 |
CV, Cover Letter and Simulated Interview Students prepare a tailored CV and cover letter responding to a supplied discipline-specific co-op placement advertisement. They then complete a timed Al- simulated interview via the RTC tool. This assessment mirrors authentic job application processes and requires students to interpret selection criteria, demonstrate professional communication and articulate emerging discipline identity. |
CV, Cover Letter and Simulated Interview |
40-50% |
AQF5 |
| 3. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2, A3 |
Work-Focused Activities & Reflection Collection Students complete a curated set of discipline-relevant workplace tasks -such as OHS scenarios, organisational mapping, ethical problem- solving, communication exercises, and a reflective "future self" activity. These tasks integrate real-world professional expectations and require critical analysis, ethical reasoning and reflective practice. |
Work-focussed activities |
30-50% |
AQF5 |
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