How to make the most of your UCIL experience in job application and interviews

Like all academic units, UCIL will allow you to demonstrate to a future employer that you have developed a number of skills such as critical thinking, communication skills and possibly team working skills.

In addition to these skills, in taking an interdisciplinary unit outside your main discipline there are also some additional benefits that you can highlight to future employers.

For example, in taking a UCIL unit you have:

  • Worked alongside students from different disciplines and considered issues from a range of different perspectives
  • Communicated your ideas to a diverse group of people
  • Demonstrated that you are able to step outside your comfort zone and take on new challenges
  • Broadened your knowledge
  • Sought out new opportunities to enhance your experience and range of skills

Interview Questions

It’s a good idea to think about what you would say about your UCIL unit if you were asked about it at interview. The bullet points above should help.

In particular, think about:

  • Why you chose the unit
  • What skills you developed as a result of doing the unit
  • What the unit involved

Your UCIL units could also be particularly useful for competency based interview questions. Competency-based interviews give employers an indicator of how you could potentially perform in the workplace, by asking questions about how you have reacted to and dealt with previous academic, work or social situations. The competencies that employers focus on are related to the job, so you should be able to anticipate the types of questions you may face.

  • Tell me about a time when you were faced with a difficult challenge?
  • Can you describe a time when you had to persuade others around to your way of thinking?
  • Give me an example of a time when you had to deal with conflict in a team?

Visit the Careers Service website to find out more about applying for jobs