Marketing Your Postgraduate Research Qualification

By the end of the session, you will  have started to identify the skills and experience that are marketable for UK employers  have an understanding of the recruitment processes and selection criteria for a range of jobs  used information and advice on producing effective CVs and achieving success at interview  know how to convey the relevance and value of your research experience to a range of different employers  have practised answering some of the questions used on application forms and at interview

How do employers recruit?  Advertisement (not always)  Application –CV, application form, supporting statements  Further assessment may include –Personality and aptitude tests –Interview(s) –Presentation –Group exercises eg simulation or case study

What are employers looking for? At all stages of the recruitment process, they are looking for evidence that you  CAN do the job  WANT to do the job  FIT with the organisation

Employers attitudes to researchers SEARCH Project, University of Sheffield, 2006 EMPRESS Project, University of Leeds, 2005 Agcas Survey “University Researchers: Employers’ Attitudes & Recruitment Practices” in highlighted benefits and drawbacks to recruiting university researchers.

What can you offer? As a whole group, you have 10 minutes to brainstorm what a researcher has to offer. Include skills, experience, knowledge and personal attributes.

Evidence might include …..  Academic study including scholarships  Work Experience –Teaching, demonstrating, industry, casual, voluntary  Research Project & Training –Publications, Conferences, Funding  Professional interests & training –Committees and societies  Interests

Match your experience to the organisation and role  What skills and experience do they specify?  What personal qualities are mentioned?  What are their aims/services/products? Job advertisement and information pack Company website, reports and Google Contacts – students, staff, family, work

Making an application The application process will vary depending upon the job and the organisation. You may be asked for one or more of the following:  CV and covering letter  application form, possibly competency based  straightforward employment record  supporting statement

An effective CV should...  ensure content is relevant and style appropriate  place the most important facts FIRST and give them the MOST space  be easy to read  create the right impression  be accompanied with a letter

Case Study You and your team need to recruit a new member of staff to the position advertised. Prepare a shortlist from the applications provided and rank the candidates in order of preference. Be prepared to explain your choices including any rejected candidates.

Case Study Feedback  What were we looking for?  What was the level of interest and quality of candidates?  Who did we shortlist and why?  Who was offered the job?  Any questions?

BREAK

CV Examples Mark Guy & Rachel Harker (Humanities)  Academic research  Research outside academia  Change of direction

Academic CV  summary of research (including aims and achievements, supervisors name and funding)  summary of research interests  publications and conferences papers  academic record including relevant studies  projects and resources managed  teaching and course development  further contribution – administrative, teaching etc.

Using expert knowledge & skills  summary of research (including aims and achievements, supervisors name and funding)  ability to achieve results  education particularly relevant modules  projects and resources managed  relevant techniques and skills including technical skills, Health & Safety

Change of direction New direction, unrelated to research –  include a brief and accessible description of your research, avoid over-technical terms  highlight the measures of your success and achievements outside research context  highlight key transferable skills appropriate to the job and define your level of competence  personal and skills profile may be helpful

Covering letters

CV Review In your interview groups, discuss the key requirements for the job and how you might tailor you application.

Interviews  An achievement in itself Awareness Preparation Practice

The interviewer wants to know: That you CAN DO the job (Skills) That you WANT the job (Motivation) That you FIT the organisation (Values)

General advice  Think about why the question has been asked  Ask for clarification if necessary  Answer the question with relevant and specific evidence of your achievements  Keep to the point  Focus on positive examples and comments

A few practical tips First impressions 55% on body language 38% on tone of voice 7% on what you say Talk and listen/watch 50/50 ratio, maximum 2 minutes at a time Never be afraid of a pause

A STAR quality answer Situation Task Action Result

A STAR quality answer...  Briefly describes the situation and why it was challenging (SITUATION)  States the objective, what YOU did and how you did it - highlighting relevant skills you used (TASK & ACTIONS)  Describes the outcome/any feedback/success (RESULTS)  Explains what you learned from this (RESULTS)

Practice interviews In small groups, you will be interviewed for no more than 10 minutes. The rest of your group will act as independent observers. At the end of each interview, you will be asked to assess your performance and receive feedback from the observers and interviewer. Facilitators will be asked to feedback key learning points to the larger group at the end.

Questions & Answers

To summarise  Know the organisation’s wish list and how your skills and experience match  Answer the questions you are asked with clear evidence of achievements  Describe positive outcomes  Be concise but offer to provide more detail  Have several examples of important skills  Anticipate weaknesses and prepare

Final considerations  Check the format - One-on-one, Panel, Telephone, Technical  Who will you meet?  What do you want to ask?

What do you want to ask? Structure of the organisation Time given to each part of role Typical projects Variety of work Performance assessment Opportunities overseas Training Salary?

Further help Individual advice and guidance, access to information and online aptitude tests Further resources Future sessions

Keep yourself informed  Look out for C-Weekly  Check your ‘ncl’  Register with Vacancies Online  Careers Service Events

2nd Floor Armstrong Building (off the Quadrangle) 10 am pm Monday to Thursday 10 am pmFriday Duty Careers Adviser 11.00am – 4.30 pm