ISTR 2011 PG Workshop – Job seeking

1. ISTR 2011PG Workshop – Job seeking

2. Where to look? • Irish Times (Friday)http://www.irishtimes.com/jobs • Irish Independent (Thursday) • Irish Examiner (Friday) • Education Guardian (Tuesday) • THES (Thursday) • Online lists – especially SCUDD (standing committee for University Drama Depts) and IASIL (International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures) – sign up. • Websites such as Academic Keys: http://www.academickeys.com/

3. Advice on preparing your application • Consistent • Specific • Attention to detail • Date everything- with the most recent first • No sloppiness – grammar and punctuation crucial – must be accurate

4. Preparing your application 1: CV • Present information as clearly as possible – leave plenty of spaces. • Be selective and include only relevant information – a cluttered CV is VERY off-putting – the reader does not want to search through loads of text to find the info they need. Check the Job Description and Further Particulars very carefully– the CV provides the evidence that your application letter can draw on. • Education: usually just Higher education (BA MA PhD). Give institution and date of degree, and grade where relevant. • Previous employment – don’t include for eg Tesco’s – only what is relevant to this application. • Separate out teaching experience(list of courses taught and summary of what was covered – you can include course admin here – course outline, attendance, marking etc) and specific admin roles like Recruitment, Personal Tutor etc. • Very important – separate out publications and conference presentations – see next slide.

5. CV 2 • Your teaching experience and research outputs (articles, book chapters, books, research led practice where the research context is evident) are both critical to prospective employers – you should aim to get some teaching experience while doing your Ph.D. andaim to submit at least one article by the end of your final year. • Outputs are what count, not conference or other research activity, though these may lead to outputs and are important in making contacts. • Where the output is placed is important especially in the UK as we gear up to REF 2014 – see later slide. This means that you should target at least one of your outputs in a peer reviewed journal– get as much feedback as possible during your PhD by submitting work to postgrad journals etc then in your final year consult with your PhD supervisor about which journal to submit particular articles to.

6. CV 3 • Separate Outputs from conference papers. • Under outputs, separate out Monographs, edited books, Book Chapters and Journal articles. Separate out outputs published or in press (ie completed and placed) from work in progress or even contracted or invited work that isn’t complete. • Make sure you have given all relevant info ie: date of publication and name of publisher of a book; page numbers, the name of the Journal and issue no or page numbers; and page nos, title, name of editor and publisher etc for book chapters.

7. CV Research egs Single Authored Book/ Monograph Performing Embodiment in Beckett’s Theatre and Media Plays. (London: Routledge, 2010). Book Chapter “Embodying Alterity: Samuel Beckett’s Theatre.” Beckett at 100: Revolving it All. Eds. Linda Ben-Zvi and Angela Moorjani. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 166-176. Journal article ‘History in Tatters: Bodies and Things in Samuel Beckett’s Theatre’, Étudesbritanniquescontemporaines, 2008 (35) 27-38. Try to use a recognised style guide MHRA/MLA etc.

8. Funding • These days most employers like to see evidence of funding though they will take into account your stage (ie if you have just finished your Ph.D. you won’t have made major applications). • So, include any scholarship or travel awards you have received. • There are some postgrad funds available for organising a conference, training etc – find out what is available in your university, HE sector.

9. REF 2014 • Anyone applying for a job in the UK will need to be aware of REF – the Research Excellence Frameworkwhich assesses all research in the UK. It is administered by HEFCE see • The census date for REF is November 2014 – ie this is the date that any output to be returned has to be published by (ie on the shelves). • If you are starting your first job, you will be considered early career, and therefore will be expected to submit one or at most two outputs instead of the required 4. • REF will be assessed under Outputs (65%), Impact (benefit of your research to the community, wider public etc – 20%) and Environment (refers to the unit you join – 15%).

10. Job Application Letter • In addition to your CV you need to submit a letter drawing on the evidence of your CV but making the case that you are suitable and qualified for this job. • Check the Job Specifications and Further Particulars and map the letter onto whatever experience and skills they ask for.

11. Advice on Interviews Main Objective: Can we work with you??? Try to do a mock interview with established colleagues if possible- this is invaluable experience. Get the feedback and take the advice on board for the real event!

12. Interview • Use the opportunity to find out as much as you can about this place of employment – it is about a good fit between you and them, for both of your sakes. • Prepare in advance – think or ask others about what questions are likely to come up. • Think about the question – don’t just rush an answer. • Don’t lie to cover areas of ignorance – they may push it and if you are found out, it will be much worse than if you are open and honest. • In the above case, you can usually turn the situation to your advantage – I don’t know / have experience of that, but I have taught / done this etc etc.

13. Post Interview • Different institutions have different practices re telling you if you have got / not got the job. • Some places will phone you in the next day or so if you have been successful, but others need to go through a process before approaching you, so if you don’t hear immediately it doesn’t mean you haven’t got the job. • If you haven’t heard in a couple of weeks you can contact the Personnel Office. • You can ask for feedback on the interview if you are unsuccessful – this may help with subsequent interviews. Reflect back yourself on how you think you did. • Don’t be disheartened – we all have had many unsuccessful interviews – it is a learning process! • If you are successful, don’t be carried away with euphoria and agree to everything - make sure you understand the terms and conditions of your employment – these are negotiated at this stage, not post contract.

14. GOOD LUCK!