Science & Engineering Researchers’ Careers

1. Science & Engineering Researchers’Careers June Kay Careers Development Consultant

2. Career Thinking…..…….Where are you at the moment?

3. HESA 2005 Destinations – Biomedical Science • Work in UK –75.6% • Work & Study UK –11.5% • Study or Training UK –2.3% • Working or Studying Overseas –4.3% • Not Available for Work / Study –2.1% • Unemployed –2% • Other –2.2%

4. Employment – Biomedical Science • Health & Social Work Sector – 45% • Education – 40% • Most popular Occupation – Researcher (within & beyond academia) – 32% • Post-docs in HE – 23% • Commercial, Industry & Public Sector Managers – 3% • Teaching Professional (all sectors) – 14%

5. HESA 2005 Destinations – Biological Sciences • Work in UK –64.5% • Work & Study UK –9.4% • Study or Training UK –4% • Working or Studying Overseas –11.6% • Not Available for Work / Study –4.5% • Unemployed –4.5% • Other –1.5%

6. HESA 2005 Destinations –Physical Sciences & Engineering • Work in UK –69.2% • Work & Study UK –9.4% • Study or Training UK –2.8% • Working or Studying Overseas –9.5% • Not Available for Work / Study –2.4% • Unemployed –4.8% • Other –1.9%

7. Key Finding - Employment • HE - Lecturer / Postdoctoral role • Finance / IT / Business • Public Sector Administration • Health & Social work • Manufacturing • Other sectors

8. Some options for quantitative PhDs • Finance – Investment Banking, Consultancy, Trading • IT – Business Consultancy • Patent work / Intellectual Property Solicitor • Technical Author / Academic Publishing / Scientific Writing • Production Management / Quality Assurance • Scientific Research / Data Analysis • Scientific Policy work – civil service / regional development etc • Research / Management / Operational roles in Industry

9. Values Interests Personality Skills

10. Autonomy Security Enterprise Sense of Purpose Balanced Lifestyle Expertise & Challenge Reward & Recognition Authority & Influence Values

11. Interests • Sport / Arts / Science / Commerce etc • Environment – office / outdoors / factory / laboratory • People – teaching, persuading, treating, providing service • Managing staff V responsibility for self • Analytical V Creative • Workplace based V visiting clients / sites • Project Based / Consultancy V long term strategy & development in-house • Facts Figures V Machinery V People • Profit V Altruism • Reaction to pressure, deadlines, stress V self motivation

12. Location Mobility Salary Competition Experience Age??? Health Family Work Life Balance Work Permits Previous criminal convictions Constraints

13. Personality - MBTI • To complete this inventory on-line contact the CAS for details E v I – Where do you get your energy from? S v N – What kind of information do you value? F v T – How do you make decision? J v P – How do you deal with the outer world

14. What skills do Employers Want? • “Researchers do not appear to be able to articulate their personal skills well and are unable to talk to employers in their language” • Empress Study, Leeds University

15. 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

16. Academic CVs for PhD • Focus on Academic Achievement • Publications & Research grant applications – paramount • Research V Teaching • Activities which raise profile of your research, subject, dept, university • Transferable skills related to academic • Additional Contribution to the dept / university as whole

17. Non-academic 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

18. Non-academic CVs for PhD’s • Structure – logical, clear • Presentation/layout – attractive / professional • Content – Relevant / Explicit • Length – 2 pages A4 • Impact !!!!!

19. Action words for CVs • Negotiated Devised Promoted Identified • Generated Led Delivered • Tested Resolved • Facilitated • Managed Represented • Analysed • Solved Initiated

20. 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? Non-Academic CVs for PhD’s

21. Non-academic 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? • Anything else?

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Application forms • Same general principles as CVs • Competency Based • More specific examples • Statement in Support of Application

26. 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 2007 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.

27. …….continued • A –As a science researcher I felt that my strength would lie in analysing the data we were given, evaluating the impact of the incident, then presenting a summary to the group for discussion. 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.

28. …….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.

29. Statement in support of Application • What created your initial interest in this field • How have you pursued this – academic / work experience • What particular aspects of their work interest you • What skills have you developed that match the requirements of the job • What do you really know about the role / company • Relevant Specific Evidence Enthusiasm • Passion Reflection Research

30. 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

31. Academic Interviews • Panel – membership • Split by area of expertise • Questions – example and output • Demonstrate well guided career path • Where do you see yourself in future • Research on dept • Current issues in HE • But same general principals as non-academic interviews………DVD

32. 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

33. Publications • Lynda Ali + Barbara Graham, Moving on in Your Career; A guide for academic researchers and postgraduates (RoutledgeFalmer London + New York 2000) • AgCAS/University of London Careers Service, University researchers and the job market • Mary Anne Thompson, The Global Resume and CV Guide (John Wiley + Sons New York 2000)