1 / 19

Careers In Academia – How to beat the competition!

Careers In Academia – How to beat the competition!. June Kay Careers Development Consultant. Contents. Routes into academic career Sources of Jobs What do academic depts want? Academic CV Application Forms Interview Questions. Routes to an academic career. First Degree Higher Degree.

myron
Download Presentation

Careers In Academia – How to beat the competition!

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Careers In Academia – How to beat the competition! June Kay Careers Development Consultant

  2. Contents • Routes into academic career • Sources of Jobs • What do academic depts want? • Academic CV • Application Forms • Interview Questions

  3. Routes to an academic career • First Degree • Higher Degree Post-doctoral fellowship & publications Research assistant & publications Research officer * publications Senior research officer Tutorial Assistant & Publications Temporary Lecturer & publications Lecturer

  4. Academic Jobs • www.phdjobs.com • www.jobs.ac.uk • www.acu.com • www.findapostdoc.com • The Time Higher Education Supplement www.thesjobs/com • The Times Education Supplement http://tesjobs.co.uk • Higher Education & Research opportunities in UK www.hero.ac.uk/uk/home/index.cfm • Professional Bodies e.g. BPS, IMechE etc

  5. Five Key Aspects of Professional Activity for An Academic Career • Networking • Teaching • Researching • Writing • Managing • Blaxter, Hughes & Tight (1998,22)

  6. What do academic departments want? • Research Reputation • Teaching experience • Administrative Competence • Others

  7. Research Reputation • Publications in well recognised, high impact journals • Collaboration with other groups, nationally & internationally • Experience of applying for and securing research funding • Giving talks / papers here and at other universities • Attending / contributing to conferences to raise your profile within your discipline (peer reviewed practice first) • Demonstrating good project management skills – deliver within budget & on time • Investigate reputation of colleagues before accepting short-term work

  8. Teaching Experience • Contributing to the supervision of PhD students • Demonstrating to undergraduate and postgraduate students • Running tutorials • Gaining experience of designing, delivering and evaluating degree level courses • Giving papers at inter-departmental or inter-university level

  9. Administrative Competence • Involvement in grant proposal writing and funding/budgeting issues • Project management experience e.g. taking on a supervisory role • Organising a symposium / conference / guest lecture series • Representing the department / unit / group on relevant university committee • Responsibilities re equipment . Materials and licences for experimental work • Volunteering for unpopular administrative tasks

  10. Other….. • Prizes / Awards & Professional Membership • Networking • Extra Qualifications e.g. management, IT • Knowledge of bigger picture in your field • Awareness of current issues in HE e.g. RAE

  11. Academic CVs • Longer than business / commercial CV • More emphasis on academic achievement • Specific details of research, publications, conferences etc • Smaller sections on • other work experience • transferable skills • hobbies

  12. Education • PhD • Specific Details of Current research • Title • Description • Supervisor • First Degree • Grade • Dissertation Title and brief description • School • A level subjects and grades, GCSE number and grades

  13. Professional & Research Experience • Techniques / Methods used • Industrial Placements • Professional development courses attended • Teaching / Demonstrating • Publications • Conference Papers

  14. Other • Other work experience – for transferable skills • IT skills • Interests • Achievements • Positions of Responsibility • Membership of professional bodies • References

  15. Application Forms • Personal Statement / Why do you want the job / What can you bring to the post? • Match your education / experience / transferable skills to those on the desirable / essential criteria • Be specific, relevant & give evidence • Vital to show passion and commitment

  16. Interview Format • Panel Interview – 4/5/6 members, • Impartial Chair – represent the interests of the university not dept. • Head of Department • Head of Section (research group / area of teaching) • Member of different department – lateral comparability • Questions split according to panel members area of interest and map onto person specification

  17. Interview Techniques • Research – department, staff, HE, subject • Preparation – anticipate questions and prepare possible answers • Match your selling points to their wish list • Body Language – eye contact, handshake, posture etc • Voice – pitch, tone • Time to think • Enthusiasm & PMA

  18. Top Tips from a Deputy Dean • Answer interview questions giving example and output • Be prepared to discuss how your publications have been received • Publication and Research Grant Applications are paramount in CV • Must demonstrate well guided career decisions and where this role fits • Do your homework on the department – staff and areas research

  19. Help Available • Careers Information Room • Researchers Section – books, DVDs • One-to-one advice • appointment for up to 1 hour • telephone / e-mail / call into CAS to book

More Related