ABDNConnect Experience Programme

ABDNConnect Experience Programme

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What is it?

The ABDNConnect Experience Programme helps you to recognise the skills you are developing through your work experience preparing you for future applications. It is a structured Pathway that will provide you with a set of skills reflection and development activities to complete whilst undertaking a voluntary role, a part-time job or a paid internship opportunity and have your participation recognised on your Enhanced Transcript.

By participating you will:

  • set goals to help you get the most out of your experience.
  • develop tools to review how your experience is going. 
  • reflect on and articulate the experience and skills you have gained.
  • boost your employability.
  • gain recognition for your experience on your Enhanced Transcript.

How it works

The ABDNConnect Experience Programme is a structured programme facilitated via CareerConnect Pathways. Login with your university username and password. The Pathway will prompt you to complete a series of activities consisting of mini online courses, reflection exercises and a development plan.

Anyone with a part time job, volunteering role or paid internship can complete the programme.  You can participate in the programme at any time.

Please note that you are responsible for sourcing an opportunity before applying for this programme. We have the following mini career courses to help you with this:

You are expected to complete the Pathway fully and to the best of your ability to have your experience recognised on your Enhanced Transcript. The Careers and Employability Service is happy to support you at every stage. 

Who can take part?

The ABDNConnect Experience Programme is available to all University of Aberdeen students and graduates from both our Aberdeen and Qatar campuses currently undertaking or about to start a voluntary role, part-time job or paid internship opportunity. 

If you are an AUSA Class Representative or AUSA society or sports club committee member, you cannot use this programme to reflect on those roles.

When is the programme available?

The next programme intake is focussed on work experience over the Summer of 2023. If you have secured a summer internship, job or voluntary position, you can take part in this intake. If you are carrying out work in the summer holiday period, we recommend you join the programme before the end of June, although this could depend on the length of your opportunity. The minimum opportunity length for this programme is 3 weeks for full time opportunities or 108 hours for part time opportunities.

The programme asks you to determine your start, mid and end review points. So, make sure you have enough time to reflect on your experience and that the length of your opportunity exceeds the minimum guidance above.  The end review points must be before the last week of September. Check the FAQs section for example timelines.

Further Information

For further information about the ABDNConnect Experience Programme, have a look at our FAQs below. If you still have questions, please email careers@abdn.ac.uk.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I take part in the programme?

For students gaining experience during the Summer of 2023, use the following example timelines for completing this programme:

Part-time opportunity:

  • Apply by: 3rd June 2023
  • Development plan submission: 24th June 2023
  • Mid-point review submission: 24th July 2023
  • End-point review and reflection report: 24th August 2023

Full-time opportunity:

  • Apply by: 3rd June 2023
  • Development plan submission: 17th June 2023
  • Mid-point review submission: 1st July 2023
  • End-point review and reflection report: 15th July 2023
How do I access the Pathway?

Access the Pathway on CareerConnect.

What roles are eligible for this programme?

Any voluntary role, part-time job or paid internship/placement opportunities are eligible including: 

  • Volunteering: English Language Support Project, AUSA Welcome week volunteers, student ambassadors, library/museum volunteer, peer assisted learning (PALs), S4S mentoring, off campus volunteering.
  • Any part-time roles.
  • Internships/placements in and out of curriculum.

If you are an AUSA Class Representative or AUSA society or sports club committee member, you cannot use this programme to reflect on those roles.

Where can I find opportunities?

Please note that you are responsible for sourcing an opportunity before applying for this programme. We have the following mini career courses to help you with this:

Is there funding available to support voluntary roles?

The University of Aberdeen Development Trust occasionally has limited funding available to support students undertaking volunteering opportunities in charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Please contact us to find out if funding is currently available or not: careers@abdn.ac.uk (note that funding is limited and will be offered on a first come, first served basis).

How much time do I need to commit to the programme?

The Pathway is designed to run alongside your studies and volunteering, part-time or internship opportunity, can be done in your own time and and should not negatively impact your academic studies. The formal reflection documents should take you no longer than 4-6 hours in total alongside your role.