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Securing A Position Outside Academia

June KayCareers Development ConsultantDurham UniversityCareers Advisory Service

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Today’s session – 3 hours

Destinations / Sources Vacancies Empress Research CVs Application forms Interviews Assessment Centres Questions

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What do PhDs Do?

Work in UK 69% Work & study in UK 11% Education Sector employment 50% 36% Research all areas 22% Research in HE 13% Teaching in HE

2006 Graduates, 6 months after graduation

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Durham PhD Graduates 2008

77

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1

8

93 2

Full-time work

Part-time work

VoluntaryWork

Work & Study

Further Study

Unemployed

Not Available

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Durham PhD Graduates 2008

Voluntary & Community Sector Engagement Officer (HE)

Information analyst (Housing Association)

Archaeologist Biotransformation Scientist Risk Assessment Officer (Pharma) Product Director Principal Consultant R&D Research Chemist Assistant Manager (Accountancy) Personnel Officer Clinical Director NHS Book Seller Geotechnical Engineer

Quality Assurance Manager (Engineering)

Scientific Officer (Conservation) Curator Hampton Court Palace Civil Servant Financial Analyst Choral Director (C of E) Education Centre & Homework Club Advanced Systems Researcher (IT) Corporate Affairs Membership Officer Translator Sports Statistician Clinical Psychologist College Lecturer

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Durham PhD AlumniCase Studies

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Sources of Vacancies

Websites e.g. prospects, PhDjobs etc Directories e.g. Times 100, GET etc Careers Fairs / Presentations Press – National, local, specialist Professional bodies Recruitment Agencies Networking Speculative Applications

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What some employers say about PhD’s“They have good learning skills, a commitment to the taskand need only minimum supervision.”“They are able to work on their own and have the benefit oflogical thinking. Also their research field might berelevant.”“Employers can benefit from their research skills andresearch experience but will have to invest in commercialtraining for these candidates.”“Try and gain some industrial consulting experience andprove that you can deal and liaise within a commercialenvironment.”“Don’t over rely on academic achievement – stresstransferable skills such as team working, report writing andleadership.”

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CVs for PhD’s

A CV and covering letter should includeevidence of relevant:

Knowledge – specific or general

Experience – tasks, processes, responsibilities

Skills – specialist and transferable / generic

Interest / Enthusiasm / Commitment

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CVs for PhD’s

Structure – logical, clear

Presentation/layout – attractive / professional

Content – Relevant / Explicit

Length – 2 pages A4

Impact !!!!!

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Action words for CVsNegotiated DevisedPromoted IdentifiedGenerated Led Delivered

TestedFacilitatedManagedAnalysedSolvedResolvedInitiatedRepresented

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CVs for PhD’s

What would you include under:

Personal details

PhD research

Other education

Work experience

Publications and Conferences

Additional skills and achievements

Interests

Who will be your references?

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CVs for PhD’s

What might you leave out?

CV at the top of the page

A career goal/personal profile

School record

Work experience that does not sell skills

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CVs for PhD’s

You should have a different type of CV forposts outside of academia

Many same skills and experience

Different Focus / Language

Commercial application

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CVs for PhD’s

Reverse chronological - Similar to academic CV

May omit: Publications Conferences

Must emphasise more: Non academic work experience Commercial Applications / Equivalents Transferable skills

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Other types of CV- Targeted

Useful if you know what the employer is looking for

Highlights on Page 1 the key skills and qualities you possess which are relevant to the post (skills profile) and where you have obtained these

Therefore ‘plagiarises’ the advert Then follows on with a standard reverse

chronological CV

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Page one might start like this…

Communication: Excellent oral and written skills required for planning preparing and leading seminars with undergraduate students. Several conference papers presented and well received by a wide academic audience. Active listening and diplomacy as demonstrated through voluntary work on student helpline for 3 years.

Team Working: Demonstrated when rowing for university where I proved my commitment to succeed and encouraged others to also do so, as part of a successful multi-disciplinary research group and whilst working in a pressured retail environment part-time for 4 years.

Project & Time Management: Successfully planned the most effective use of my time and resources to complete my research project ahead of schedule whilst submitting papers for publication, supervising undergraduate students research and renovating my new home.

Computer literacy: Confident user of a wide variety of packages including Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, SPSS and C++. Designed, developed and updated the International Students Society website. Easily adapt to specialist employer software e.g. stock control in retail

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Over to you…….

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Application forms

Same general principles as CVs

Competency Based

More specific examples

Statement in Support of Application

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Tell us about a time when you have worked effectively as part of a team. What was your role and what did you contribute to the team? What did you learn for the future?

S - In August 2009 I participated in the residential GRAD school Course, Communication Skills + More , run by Durham university. At the start of the 4 day course I was allocated to a group of 9 researchers from all faculties whom I had never met before.

T –On day 3 all teams participated in a 3 hour environmental impact simulation, where the remit was to represent your own interests in negotiation with other stakeholders. As representatives of the chemical company we had to consider the financial implications, adverse publicity and legal obligations.

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…….continued A –I felt that my strength would lie in preparation

of financial figures for use in press statement and negotiations. I told the rest of my team this and asked the other members which skills they felt they could bring to the team. I lead a discussion on allocation of roles and division of tasks then identified priority actions. Since some elements could not be started until others were completed I suggested a system whereby the strongest member for a particular task led a subgroup of two or three members, who could all contribute ideas and assist with practical tasks.

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…….continued

R –All team members engaged with the task and developed an insight into an area of communication they felt was new to them. The team spirit was high throughout and individual members gained new skills and confidence. We managed to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement with all but one of the other parties involved, but this one group managed to raise this very successfully at the final “press conference”. In future I would suggest the team allocate time to practice for media interview, rather than relying on knowing their facts.

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Covering letters

Explain who you are

Say why you want the post

Give examples of your suitability

Explain why you want to work in that organisation

Provide other general information

Say when you are available for interview

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Example application forms

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TOUGH QUESTIONS

Why do you want to work for…?

What is it about the position that you most like?

Take me through a task that you have completed from beginning to end? Was it successful? Why?

What were the main obstacles that you had to overcome?

What would you describe as your greatest strength?

What would you say is your major weakness?

What would you say is your greatest achievement and why?

Give me an example of when you have worked in a team and tell me what role you

took on?

What are the current issues facing…?

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PREPARE AND PRESENT

Be yourself Give interesting examples to questions that they ask Be willing to expand on any responses that you make Don’t be thrown by the unexpected question Stay calm Buy time to think Remain positive throughout Show them that you are right for the position and for

them! At the end of the interview think about what impression

you want to leave with them:

‘If you can’t think of good questions [to ask them]don’t ask stupid ones.’ Ian Jackson BT

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YOUR INTERPERSONALSKILLS/REACTIONS

What impression are you hoping to create?

Dress code: formal/informal ‘company culture’ Body Language handshake eye contact mannerisms open/close posture Smile

What approach are the interviewers adopting? style of questions pace of interview body language inc. note taking friendly/business like

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Making An Impact - DVD

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ASSESSMENT CENTRES

group discussions case studies in - tray exercises role play presentations aptitude / psychometric tests, eg:

logical thinking verbal reasoning numerical spatial awareness

personality - preferred styles of behaviour panel interviews

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Example Group Exercise

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Useful Websites

www.durham.ac.uk/careers-advice www.careers.civil-service.gov.uk/index.asp http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org www.prospects.ac.uk http://targetjobs.co.uk/graduate-jobs/ www.eurograduate.com www.thepaperboy.com www.graduatesforgrowth.org.uk/ www.phdjobs.com www.rec.uk.com www.ukspa.org.uk www.thebookseller.com www.ktponline.org.uk/

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Life After…Languages & Literature, …Social Studies, ...Engineering & Built Environment, ….Biological Sciences

Careers with an Arts or Humanities Degree

Non-Traditional Careers in Science

Building a Successful Career in Scientific Research

Career Opportunities in Biotechnology & Drug Development

Career Handbook for TV, Radio, Film, Video & Interactive Media

Working with the Environment

Who’s Who in Public Affairs etc, etc.

Publications

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Any Questions?