Transcript Slide 1

Securing A Position
Outside Academia
June Kay
Careers Development Consultant
www.durham.ac.uk/careers
[email protected]
www.durham.ac.uk/careers
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Content
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Destinations
Sources Vacancies
CVs
Application forms
Interviews
Assessment Centres
Questions
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What do PhDs Do?
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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 2012
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Durham A&H PhD Graduates 2012
• Army Section Commander
• Youth & Family Coordinator, Christian
Centre
• Parish Priest, Church of England
• Archivist, Durham University
• Faculty Support Officer, Durham University
• Secondary School Teacher, France
• Curator, Historic Royal Palaces
• Superior of a Monastery
• Company Stage Manager
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Durham SS PhD Graduates 2012
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Chief Investment Officer, 3i
Freelance Researcher, Arab Centre for
Research & Policy
Solicitor / Trainee Solicitor
Community Research Officer, Community
Links
GP Doctor
School Head Teacher, Geography Teacher
Research Coordinator, Durham University
Consultant in Public Health, NHS
Managing Director, Food Manufacturer
Political Producer, Sky News
Project Conservator, Torbay Council
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VLE Manager, Regional Healthcare
Strategy
Consultant
Soil Mechanic Scientist, New Zealand
Freelance Archaeobotanist
Engineering Geologist
Web Literacies Lead, Mozilla
Volunteer Outreach Programme
Coordinator, National Trust
Research Assistant, Our Food
Communities Assistant, Project Dirt
Freelance indexer & permissions
negotiator
Project Manager, Rivers Trust
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Durham Science & Engineering
PhD Graduates 2012
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Magician
Petrophysicist, Baker Hughes
Patent Attorney, various
R&D Engineer, BBC
Test Engineer, Bergstrom Europe
Process Technologist, Centre for
Process Innovation
• Geologist, Conoco Phillips
• Commodities Consultant, CRU
Group
• Principal engineer, CSIR
• Software Support Engineer
• Research Engineer, Hua Wei
Software
• US Treasury Bond Trader Assistant,
J P Morgan
• Accountant, KPMG
• Mechanical Engineer, Cummins
Turbo Technologies
• Research Geoscientist Geospatial
Research Ltd (Durham Uni)
www.durham.ac.uk/careers
Durham Science & Engineering
PhD Graduates 2012
• Physics Teacher, Grammar School
• Publishing Editor, Royal Society of
Chemist
• Exploration Geoscientist, Shell
• Science Teacher, 6th Form College
• Development Engineer, Geofire
• Trainee Engineer, Dredging &
Marine Contractors
• Detector Development Engineer
(Kromek)
• Research Chemist (Lubrizol)
• Company Director, self employed
• Trial coordinator, NHS
• Applications Scientist, Renishaw PLC
• Manufacturing Laboratory
Technologist, Rolls Royce
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Read Durham PhD Alumni
Case Studies @
 duo
 Postgraduate
Training &
Development
 Careers
 Alumni Case
Studies
 Sciences / Arts &
Humanities /
Social Sciences
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Sources of Vacancies
Websites e.g. prospects
Directories e.g. Times 100
Durham University Careers Fairs – October, February
Employer Presentations – something every day in
Michaelmas
Press – National, local, specialist
Professional bodies e.g. British Psychological Society
Recruitment Agencies e.g. Kelly Scientific
Networking – face-to-face, social media
Speculative Applications !!!
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Social Media - LinkedIn
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http://www.linkedin.com/
Profile
Recommendations
Make Contacts
Join Groups
Researching employers
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www.durham.ac.uk/careers
E.G. Economic & Social Research Consultant, Research Chemist, Trainee
Patent Attorney, Quantitative / Risk Analyst, Academic Publishing etc
What some employers
say about PhD’s
“They have good learning skills, a commitment to the
task and need only minimum supervision.”
“They are able to work on their own and have the
benefit of logical thinking. Also their research field
might be relevant.”
“Employers can benefit from their research skills and
research experience but will have to invest in
commercial training for these candidates.”
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What some employers
say about PhD’s
“Try and gain some industrial consulting
experience and prove that you can deal and
liaise within a commercial environment.”
“Don’t over rely on academic achievement –
stress transferable skills such as team
working, report writing and leadership.”
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CVs for PhD’s
A CV and covering letter should include
evidence 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 CVs
Tested
Negotiated Devised
Facilitated
Promoted Identified
Managed
Generated Led Delivered Analysed
Solved
Resolved
Initiated
Represented
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CVs for PhD’s
What would you include
under:
• Personal details
• PhD research
• Publications and
Conferences
• Additional skills and
achievements
• Interests
• Other education
• Work experience
• Who will be your
references?
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CVs for PhD’s
You should have a different type of CV for
posts 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 ‘mirrors’ 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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Examples Researcher Skills CVs
• http://www.vitae.ac.uk
Researchers
Careers
Marketing Yourself
Creating Effective CVs
Skills-based CVs
• Arts & Humanities or Science & Social Science
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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 July 2011 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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Competency Question
Give me an example of a time
when you challenged the
established way of doing things
and what was the outcome?
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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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TOUGH INTERVIEW 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
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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 INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS/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
https://www.dur.ac.uk/careers/password/s/cvapp/int/vid/
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www.durham.ac.uk/careers
www.durham.ac.uk/careers
ASSESSMENT CENTRES
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group discussions
case studies
in - tray exercises
role play
presentations
aptitude / psychometric tests, eg:
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logical thinking
verbal reasoning
numerical
spatial awareness
• personality - preferred styles of behavior
• panel interviews
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Useful Websites
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www.durham.ac.uk/careers Support & Vacancies
www.vitae.ac.uk Researcher Development
www.prospects.ac.uk Information & Vacancies
www.beyondthephd.co.uk Arts & Humanities
www.thepaperboy.com overseas job search
www.rec.uk.com Find recruitment agencies
www.ktponline.org.uk/ Undertake a postdoc
within Industry
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Any Questions?
Contact June
[email protected]
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