PhD? Added Value? Arts & Humanities May 25 th 2010

1. John Kirwan – Chartered FCIPD, Careers Adviser for Postgraduate ResearchersDr Tracy Johnson – Careers Adviser PhD? Added Value? Arts & Humanities May 25th 2010

2. ‘It is probably true that we spend more time planning our annual holiday than we spend planning a career which matches our skills, personality profile, and aspirations’ John Lees - Career Coach

3. Career observations - from Postgraduate Researchers… ‘Have not really thought about planning my career direction – it’s just evolved’ ‘No idea what else I might do outside academia’ ‘Need to keep in with my supervisor – power of patronage’ Isolation ‘I’ve never had a formal job interview’ ‘No time for other courses’

4. Session Plan • Context – labour market? • PhD destinations? • Where are you now? • Professional development & goal setting • Employability/career transition model • Selection processes – getting hired! • Career resources • Questions?

5. Context – labour market(s)? • Is it all doom & gloom? • Graduate vacancies 2009/10 – down 29% (ONS 8/09) - AGR 9% • Highly dependent on employment sector • > Increased competition is a reality • BUT… recruiters are still recruiting! • AND - Postgraduates have consistently lower unemployment rates than 1st degree graduates

6. Unemployment % rates by degree levelSource: Vitae 2009, HESA

7. So what do PhDs do? • What % stay in education? • Less than 50% of the whole cohort What do Researchers do? – Vitae 2009

8. So what do PhDs do? A Postdoctoral researchers in HE? What do Researchers do? – Vitae, 2009

9. So what do PhDs do? A HE lecturers? What do Researchers do? – Vitae 2009

10. Arts - Destinations 05/06 - 07/08 • Lecturers • Research Fellows • Translator • Writer • Historian • Conservation Officer • Librarian • Head of Research • Trainee Auditor Property Developer Lecturer ESOL Teacher Commissioning Editor Fundraising & Admin Officer • Church Minister

11. Where are you right now & where might you be going? … are you taking control of your career?

12. How do people make career decisions? • Rationally – logic & planning • Irrationally – gut feelings • Desperation! • Pressure from others • They don’t – just evolve! • “Happenstance”…right: place/time/people

13. Academia/ Research? Research – Other? Alternative Options? Pathways… What’s your path forward?

14. Employability • “a set of achievements – skills, understanding and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the country and the economy.” Higher Education Academy

15. Career transition- employability ‘To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be secure.’ … employability attributes? … competencies

16. RCUK Joint Skills Statement - 7 key researcher (base-line) competencies • Research skills & techniques • Research environment • Research management • Personal effectiveness • Communication skills • Networking & team working • Career management

17. Career Management • Appreciate need for & show commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) • Take ownership & manage one’s own career, setting realistic & achievable goals, identifying & developing ways to improve employability • Demonstrate insight into transferable nature of research skills to other work environments & the range of career opportunities within & outside academia • Present one’s skills, personal attributes & experiences through effective CVs, applications & interviews

18. What do you want from a career – your motivators • What’s important to you? • Using your PhD subject? • Salary? • Professional qualifications? • Career progression? • Location? • Job security? • Intrinsic value of the work undertaken? • Work/life balance? • Travel? • Other…?

19. So how do you move on? Using Personal Development Planning (PDP) • Evaluate your current position/skills • Seek out an experience (a course, advice) • Record what happened briefly • Review – what went well/not so well • Set specific, clear goals for improvement • Plan and take action • Build a resource as you go • Think of it as professional development

20. Why set goals? • To get from where you are now to where you want to be • To meet your deadlines • Useful in any area of your life and work • To help you break patterns and unhelpful habits • To help you commit to making changes • Research increasingly indicates the power of goal setting • Agreeing goals with a supervisor will increase your chance of success during the PhD • Developing these skills now will enhance your professional career management & development later

21. SMARTER goals • Specific • Measurable • Agreed • Realistic • Timed • Evaluated • Reviewed

22. PDP is an opportunity… • To become more self-aware • To develop your meta-cognitive skills • Knowing what you do • Why you do it like that • The results these actions achieve for you • To develop your professional skills • To find out what motivates you • To help you make important decisions • To develop your employability

23. What attributes (competencies) do employers look for? Planning and organisation Time management Leadership Numeracy Cultural sensitivity Computer literacy Project management Report writing Risk taking/enterprise • Commitment and drive • Motivation and enthusiasm • Teamworking • Oral communication • Flexibility and adaptability • Customer focus • Problem solving • Managing and learning re: career • Commercial awareness AGR survey of 236 employers, 2006 (in order of importance to their business)

24. Employer ranking of PhD skills • Data Analysis • Problem Solving • Drive and Motivation • Project Management • Interpersonal Skills • Leadership • Commercial Awareness Recruiting Researchers employer survey – Vitae 2009

25. Employers may ask you… • Which of your achievements/ideas do you feel most proud of? What was your contribution? • In terms of experience and or ability, what strengths are you bringing to this career? • Give an example of when you have organized your thoughts on a matter of importance to you, effectively communicated these to others and obtained their agreement? • When have you set yourself a demanding goal and overcome obstacles to achieve it? • What do you contribute to a team?

26. The Selection Process – gathering EVIDENCE Vacancy Analysis job requirements Job description & “Selection criteria” Appointment Decision! Interview/Assessments >> Evidence against Selection criteria Advertise? Shortlist: Evidence against Selection criteria

27. Getting hired? • Work out what the employer’s selection criteria are, then… • Hit the criteria with evidence, at every stage of the process: • CV/Application • Interview • Assessments

29. www.beyondthephd.co.uk

30. The Next Steps • Identify your options • Explore and evaluate them • Talk to academic and careers staff • Use the Careers Service resources • Set your goals and develop your action plan www.bristol.ac.uk/careers

31. Questions?