Marketing Your Postgraduate Research Qualification

1. Marketing Your Postgraduate Research Qualification

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 2000 - highlighted benefits and drawbacks to recruiting university researchers.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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 • www.prospects.ac.uk • Contacts – students, staff, family, work

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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?

13. BREAK

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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. Interviews • An achievement in itself • Awareness • Preparation • Practice

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

21. 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

22. 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

23. A STAR quality answer • Situation • Task • Action • Result

24. 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)

25. 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.

26. 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

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

28. 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?

29. Further help • Individual advice and guidance, access to information and online aptitude tests • www.ncl.ac.uk/careers • Further resources • www.vitae.ac.uk • www.prospects.ac.uk • Future sessions

30. Keep yourself informed • Look out for C-Weekly • Check your ‘ncl’ e-mail • Register with Vacancies Online www.careers.ncl.ac.uk/vacancies • Careers Service Events

31. 2nd Floor Armstrong Building (off the Quadrangle) 10 am - 5.00 pm Monday to Thursday 10 am - 4.30pm Friday Duty Careers Adviser 11.00am – 4.30 pm careers@newcastle.ac.uk www.ncl.ac.uk/careers 