Building Towards Your Career Kate Daubney, Careers Service Gita Subrahmanyam, TLC

Careers Support for PhDs One to one advice for academic and non- academic careers –CVs, cover letters, application forms –Interviews, presentations, assessment centres –Career planning and job search Careers Seminars and Events Careers Information Room and website

Today’s Topics Basics of career management Career options for PhD students Preparing for an academic career Preparing for a non-academic career Tips for good CVs Questions

Career Management Career management is: –a process for making initial career choices –an ongoing process to support career satisfaction and aid development Information and preparation are key to good career management Take account of the career climate – how can you adapt to it?

Current Career Climate Disintegration of old work models Job for life>profession for life>career change>boundary-less career Average graduate has at least 4 jobs and possibly as many careers too Goal is to remain employable by collecting attractive skills and experiences Long term opportunities are founded on adaptability

Stages in Good Career Management Self Awareness ↓ Career Exploration ↓ Decision-making and Goal-setting ↓ Job Search (and success!) ↓ Professional Development

Self Awareness – What does the PhD give you? +Opportunity to enhance your CV +Provides core high-level transferable skills +Opportunity to explore multiple jobs/sectors +Opportunity to give time to job search –Switching from academic to non-academic can be hard though in the long run

Career Exploration: Main Career Options Academia and academic research Public sector Not for profit sector Think tanks, politics, interest groups, public affairs, policy, civil service Commercial sector – finance, consultancy About 70-80% go to academia….

Considering an Academic Career? Some Next Steps….

Teaching and other career-building opportunities during your PhD Occasional research assistant Research assistant or research officer (f-t) Graduate teaching assistant Tutorial fellow or lecturer (f-t) Journal editor or sub-editor Book reviewer Consultant to outside bodies (govt or others)

How to stand out: Teaching Get experience: –Teaching –Designing courses –Supervising student coursework/dissertations –Examining/assessing student work Undertake GTA training Get LSE PGCertHE

How to stand out: Research Get experience of research as an ORA, RA or RO Present papers at academic conferences to raise your profile and get feedback Review books for journals and act as consultant to outside bodies Publish articles in good refereed journals or book chapters in edited volumes

Building an academic network Attend conferences and seminars in your field to meet the ‘big players’ and make contact with peers Look out for non-academic forums for relevant info/contacts as well Get involved – join postgrad networks, conference organisations, national and international professional bodies etc.

What academic employers look for Publications, publications, publications! Understand RAE and the nature of HE funding Relevant teaching experience Research experience, especially on funded projects Credentials – have they heard of you? Presentation skills and admin experience

Applying for academic positions while doing your PhD Application pack: –Appropriate CV with relevant experience –Cover letter that addresses their expectations as well as what you offer –Research statement On the day: –Presentation to demonstrate ability to communicate (teaching or research) –Panel interview

So, if not academia….

Long term: Recruiter perceptions of PhDs Positives Maturity Research ability Analysis and critical thinking Initiative, self-reliance, independence Project management Alternative perspective Negatives Too narrow in interest and outlook Lacking commercial awareness Lone worker not team player Unsophisticated social skills Speak a ‘different language’ Would find it hard to integrate into any non-academic culture May have unrealistic expectations

Competences gained from a PhD Communication skills Presentation skills Teaching/mentoring skills Networking Organisational awareness/political sense Perseverance Subject specific knowledge Analytical skills Research skills Writing skills Dealing with information effectively Capacity for self-direction Ability to accept supervision Project management

Non-academic careers (1) NGOs and IOs, e.g. World Bank, UN, ILO, WTO Voluntary Sector, e.g. research, policy, campaigning, service delivery, fundraising Public Sector, e.g. EU, civil service, local government, agencies Think Tanks Interest Groups, e.g TUC, CBI, political parties, ACLU Public Affairs, e.g. research, policy, lobbying, PR Specialist consultancies

Non-academic careers (2) Sub-sectors, e.g. Consulting (management and specialist, e.g. risk, financial), Finance, Media, Market Research, Advertising, PR, Publishing, Manufacturing, Energy, IT, Telecoms, Publishing Functions, e.g. analyst, journalist, editor marketing, HR, finance, commercial, sales, communications, project management, consulting

Recruiters’ Agenda – the 3 Cs Competencies –Can you do the job? Commitment –Do you really want the job? Cultural fit –Will you fit with the organisation’s values and culture?

Non-academic career-building strategies during your PhD (1) Research your sector –Know the jobs –Know the internship opportunities –Know the person specifications –Know the employers –Know the main players in the field, and the smaller companies –Know where to look for ad hoc opportunities too

Non-academic career-building strategies during your PhD (2) Relevant work experience –Internships –Other part-time work in the organisation –Consultancy Get practical evidence of your interest in the sector to show on your CV –Volunteering, work-shadowing –Think laterally – related jobs

Non-academic career-building strategies during your PhD (3) Build your network –It matters who you know –Go to conferences, forums, events, talks – speak to speakers afterwards, show an interest –Exploit your existing network for new contacts –Know the work done by main contacts

Break Any questions?

Tips for good CVs Layout –Concise, relevant information –Think about order – work first or education? Length –1-2 pages for non-academic –Longer if you have publications

Keeping it relevant All jobs or experiences are a combination of skills –On the Master CV put them all down –Be selective on the submitted CV –Think of a different way to express the experience in terms of skills Look at yourself through the reader’s eyes –What is important to them? –What skills do you need for that role?

Example – academic audience Graduate Teaching Assistant, Dept of Economics, LSE –Taught 2 lectures and 8 seminars –Marked coursework and exams –Supervised dissertation students

Example – non-academic audience Graduate Teaching Assistant, Dept of Economics, LSE –Team-taught with lecturer and other GTAs –Independently led seminar sessions –Strong facilitation and oral communication skills

Any Questions? Kate Daubney, 30 minute appointments, support