This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Read our cookie policy

The FutureMe Award

The FutureMe Award is a free 5-stage online programme designed to transform your employability skills available for all students and alumni.

If you would like your Future Me Award to appear on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) when you graduate, you will need to complete the FutureMe Award before the end of your programme of study. We confer awards for your programme of studies twice a year — in April and in October. For April conferrals you will need to complete the FutureMe Award by the end of February. For October conferrals you will need to complete the FutureMe Award by the end of July. If you complete the FutureMe Award after this time, or if you are already a University of Suffolk alumni, you can still complete the Award and print a certificate of completion, but it will not appear in your HEAR.      

Whether you know what you want from your career or are unsure of your direction, reflecting on your motivations, preferences, strengths and working style can be useful when considering your desired career path: 

  • applying for roles

  • seeking careers progressing to new roles in your current employer

  • setting up your own business. You may have an idea for a new business, but don't know where to start

  • working as a freelance

  • thinking about becoming a mentor or mentee

  • thinking about becoming a course rep or student ambassador

  • exploring postgraduate options

  • searching for internships, work shadowing, work experience and volunteering opportunities

  • searching for your first graduate role

Case Studies

FutureMe is your Career learning platform 24/7 available for you, is about developing personally and professionally, understanding yourself, exploring your options, making informed decisions, and getting to where you want to be. FutureMe Award was designed following DOTS (SODT) framework principles.  

You can sign up with your student email address but if you are an Alumni please sign up with your personal email address so that you can have access to the careers service and online via FutureMe when you become an Alumni.

Although there are different theories and developmental approaches to career education, the most widely used framework in the UK has evolved from the dynamic relationships between Self, Opportunities, Decisions and Transitions (DOTS–SODT). This framework states that four components are fundamental to career learning development:

  • Self-awareness (the ability to identify and articulate motivations, skills and personality as they affect career plans);  

  • Opportunity awareness (knowledge of opportunities and the ability to research these); 

  • Decision-making (being able to weigh up personal factors to make a sound plan); 

  • Transition learning (understanding of how to seek and secure opportunities). 

If you wish to be effective, these elements need to be dynamically articulated to ensure that all areas are briefly investigated to enable you to implement fully informed and sound career plans. 

The Award is structured in 5 sections called Programmes on your status tracker. We hope that working your way through this programme will be an adventure in the best possible sense.  

Begin by familiarising yourself with the FutureMe award structure document which is a quick guide for your 5-stage programme. Here you can access the programmes, tasks and actions required to complete the award and reflective activities. As well as screen duration to help you with your time management.  

The Careers, Employability and Enterprise (CEE) Team at the University of Suffolk can support you: 

  • Book a CEE appointment. We will talk you through the initial steps you need to take to start and progress with your award programme 

  • Together, we can create a tribe of FutureMes! — If you are willing to be a FutureMe Award case study — which can help inspire others, please email careers@uos.ac.uk.

  • You can track your progress through the Award, undertake the Award in whichever order you prefer and save your notes as you go

  • Each of the Programmes contain a range of Tasks. You all have individual preferences, so you may find some materials more helpful than others. Use what works best for you

  • You will find tasks that are mandatory to complete the Award, though most give you a choice of options. Mandatory tasks are marked with a star 

  • You can choose from a range of options within the tasks

  • The actions within each task are tracked automatically, so as soon as you click on the launch link and complete the action it will be marked as done 

  • Learning opportunities are offered in a variety of formats e.g. videos, articles, top tips, and interactive activities to allow you to fit them more easily into your learning style

  • The minimum time FutureMe Award will take to complete the core content is around 35h and includes time to watch videos and complete activities in the central section of each task (main task content), but not to complete the supplementary activities provided throughout the Award e.g. Taking your notes when completing tasks and actions, final reflection, which we think should be at your own pace. Please note that these time estimates are indicative only

  • Download your report in each programme. This status report provides an up-to-date picture of your programme activity. The information shows the tasks you have to complete to finish this programme as well as a breakdown of your progress on each task and all associated actions 

"I decided to do the FutureMe award as it is an opportunity to develop myself both personal and professional. Developing skills and being prepared to start a career is what I aim to achieve and by completing this award I feel more prepared and confident."

Camelia Atomei, Events and Tourism Management Programme Graduate