Careers and Employability 5 ECTS PhD Module
Welcome to Trinity Careers Service's modules for PhD students, offering you practical supports and guidance for career planning and personal development. The module comprises one day of in-person workshops in January 2026, and the remainder of the module content is released on Blackboard for self-directed learning over the following weeks. There is a Skills Audit Tool and a reflective Professional Development Plan and to support your learning throughout the module.
Whether you are aspiring to a career in academia or industry, this module is designed to help you with your next steps. By the end of these modules, you'll have honed critical reflection skills in the context of your career, developed your career path, and developed the networking skills to build connections with your PhD peers, alumni and employers.
If you are interested in the Careers and Employability module, you have two options: you can either take the full 5 ECTS credit module, which includes assignments and assessments, or you can choose to audit the course without completing any assignments. Auditing means attending the classes and workshops, in person and online, without submitting assignments for grading.
The information on this page is for the 5ECTS module. If you are interested in auditing the module instead please see this page. You can indicate your preferred mode on the application form.
Why is this module important?
Listen to this podcast with Orla Bannon, Director of Careers, in conversation with Prossie Nambatya, PhD student, School of Law and Dale Whelehan, PhD student, School of Medicine (33:40 mins)
Module Description
The module comprises one day of in-person workshops in January 2026, and the remainder of the module content is released on Blackboard for self-directed learning over the following weeks. Please see the student handbook and timetable below for full details. There is a Skills Audit Tool and a PhDMod_Reflective-Professional-Development-Plan to be completed before the first workshop to support your participation at the in-person workshop and to support your learning throughout the module. There are also a range of assignments to be completed as you progress through the module – see the module handbook and timetable below for further information. The workshops are in two streams - Careers and Skills – and cover the following topics:
- Careers Stream
- Designing your Career (recorded online)
- Navigating the Emotions of Planning and Managing your Career (recorded online)
- Skills Stream
- Mapping Skills onto Career Options (face-to-face)
- The Art and Craft of a great CV and Writing an Effective Cover Letter (recorded online)
- Networking with Confidence (face-to-face)
- Presenting your Best Self at Interview (recorded online)
- Intercultural Competence and the Global Workplace (recorded online)
Interested in applying?
The modules are now closed for registration. Deadline for application was Friday 28th November 2025, with modules starting in January 2026.
If you have any questions about the application process, you can send an email to postgrad.careers@tcd.ie and we will reply as soon as possible.