WOMEN IN GERMAN STUDIES8TH NOVEMBER 2013

DR. ELLIE KENNEDYNOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY

Beyond Lecturing: The Many Uses for Your PhD

Skills in Higher Education Careers

Workshop Aims

Raise awareness of the variety of career options within Higher Education

Raise awareness of the skills and knowledge gained through pursuing postgraduate study and consider how these can translate to para-academic careers

Introduction

Tell the group:your nameone word or idea that comes to mind when you think of Higher Education

fu-berlin.de

Familiar Conversation?

So what do you do? I’m working on my PhD

That’s impressive! What subject?

German Studies

Oh. What are you going to do with that…?

I’m hoping a lectureship will open in representations of gender in C19th drama. Otherwise … um…

What are you going to do with that?

You have options

Lecturing“academic”

Beyond HE“post-

academic”

Other options within HE

“alt-” or “para-academic”

What makes a university run?

Example – Sheffield UniversityRegistrarAccommodation and Commercial Services Corporate AffairsComputing Services Development, Alumni Relations and Events OfficeEstates and Facilities ManagementFinance and Commercial Human ResourcesPlanning and Governance ServicesResearch and Innovation Services Student Services The University Library

Types of HE institution

UniversitiesPrivate collegesFE colleges

Other institutionsHEAHEFCEFunding councils (AHRC, ESRC, etc.)

I know what you’re thinking…

“This is all well and good, but what use is my specialised

knowledge of Weimar cinema in a university Corporate

Affairs department?”

In addition to your specialised knowledge,

you are gaining a tremendous wealth of skills and knowledge

related to HE

Skills and Knowledge

In groups, take one of the following areas and brainstorm skills and/or knowledge you are gaining through your postgraduate work.

Research

Example: finding information

Teaching

Example:giving lectures

‘Soft’ skills

Example:working to deadlines

Knowledge of HE

Example:working with academics

Research Skills

Finding informationSynthesising informationAnalytical skillsWriting persuasivelyUsing evidence to support argumentsDelivering a conference presentationWriting successful grant proposals

All of this in more than one language!

Teaching Skills

Preparing and delivering lecturesTeaching languageTeaching large and small groupsMaking complex concepts accessible to non-

expertsMarkingAdhering to standardisation & QA proceduresCreating teaching materialsUsing a VLEAdvising students (e.g. on year abroad)

Knowledge of HE

Working with undergraduate and postgraduate students

Communicating with academic and non-academic staff

Knowledge of university governance structure

Participating in committees/representationKnowledge of HE sector and relevant issues

‘Soft’/Transferable Skills

Communication – with different audiencesTime management/working to deadlinesOrganisation/project planningWorking independentlyTeamwork?PresentationsIntercultural competenceAttention to detail/precisionExplaining complex ideas and informationVersatile ways of thinking

Let’s look at some examples to see how some of these skills can translate into real HE jobs…

Case Study: Sara

PhD in: English LiteratureJob title:

Research Facilitator, College of Law/Research Services, University of X

Key Activities:Mentoring faculty towards research success, strategic planning, commenting on/editing grant applications

Useful skills from PhD:Editing skills, presentation skills, experience doing research and knowledge of the research process, awareness of granting agencies

Case Study: Brenda

PhD in: German Studies Current job title(s):

Director, University of Missouri-Kansas City Women's Center Director, Women's & Gender Studies Program Affiliated Faculty in German, UMKC

Skills from my PhD that I use in my work: Writing Research skills Teaching skills (through actual teaching & delivering

workshops)

Link to dissertation topic: Feminist literature/issues

Case Study: Ellie – Journey

First degree in GermanCELTA (“get some professional qualifications”)

Teaching English in Germany/internationallyMA & PhD in German Literature

Including teaching German language

LecturingTeaching EAP

English for Academic Purposes to international students

Academic Development

Case Study: Ellie – Role

Position: Learning and Teaching Officer, Centre for Academic Development and Quality, Nottingham Trent University

What drives me? I want to make students’ academic experience the best it can be

How do I go about this:Through my job: working with academic and managerial staff across the university on strategic Learning & Teaching projectsNetworking within the universityParticipation in a wider scholarly community (EAP in EM; ISEJ)

Use: research skills, teaching knowledge, HE experience

Your PhD – help or hindrance in job applications?

Don’t omit it from your CVDon’t expect it to speak for itselfExplain how it is relevant to the position

sought: My academic and professional experience have

enabled me to develop extensive research skills. I completed a doctoral dissertation on contemporary German literature in 2004, a long-term project which involved a considerable amount of planning and research. Through my scholarly work I learned to identify, locate and evaluate relevant materials, to read a range of academic texts and to synthesise the results.

Evidencing Skills

Imagine you are applying for a job in the International Office of a university. The office is seeking someone with ‘an international focus’. How would you argue that you fit this description?

You have 2 minutes to convince a partner!

Summary/Key Message from this Session

You have options:AcademicPara-academicPost-academic

You are gaining valuable skills and knowledge for all of these.

Strategies

Identify what you love about working in HE researching? teaching? writing? being part of a scholarly

community?

Keep yourself informed about current discussions in HE (via THES, Guardian, HEA etc.)

Look for jobs via the above and filter your searches on jobs.ac.uk

Make a list of your HE-related skills and knowledge and update it regularly

When applying for jobs, explain how your PhD work is relevant to the job description

Resources

Specifically Para-Academic Career Tips for Humanities Postgraduates:http://www.alt-academix.com/

Both Post-Academic and Para-Academic CareersVITAE have many resources: www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1270/Careers.htmlUseful blog from Canada: http://nonacadinfo.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca/Versatile PhD (mainly US but very helpful) http://versatilephd.com/Example of German PhD graduate www.universityaffairs.ca/from-phd-to-life/

Staying abreast of current topics in HE:

Guardian HE: www.theguardian.com/education/higher-education

Higher Education Academy: www.heacademy.ac.uk/

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/arts-and-humanities

Times Higher Ed Supplement www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/

Sources for Job Vacancies

In UK: www.jobs.ac.ukAcademic and Research Jobs in Europe

http://academicpositions.eu/Media sources on previous slideLinkedInLocal university website job pages

Skills & knowledge

gained via your PhD work

Research Teaching

‘Soft’ skillsKnowledge

of HE