1 PhDs in the Labour Market

Birkbeck Research SchoolStage 3 Generic Research Skills

Workshop24th March 2006

David Jones, SICSThe Careers Group

University of London

2 Aim…

To look at what employers want from you and to suggest how you can market your PhD / postgraduate and other experiences to best effect.

BUT… it’s only an overview.

3 Staying In Academia• Have to be hugely committed to your

subject• Need to accept that permanent work might

be hard to find [& are you geog. mobile?]• Can you live with uncertainty eg short term

contracts, scrabbling for funding?• How good are you at dealing with internal

politics?• Are you a strategist when it comes to

bidding for funds (etc)?

4Moving Out of

Academia: Marketing Yourself• There are very few PhD specific

recruitment schemes• It is difficult for employers to know where

to “place” you unless they have discipline-specific research skills needs

• In any application / interview they will want to know more about you and…

• …they are more than willing to be convinced of your suitability

THEREFORE IT IS UP TO YOU TO PROMOTE YOUR SKILLS TO THEM

5Alleged Drawbacks of

Recruiting PhD Students• Focused on subject, not career-motivated

• Lack of ‘business’ awareness - ALL organisations are ‘businesses’, not just those in the private sector.

• Lack of experience - of team-working, short term tasks, meeting deadlines...

• Lack of knowledge - ‘world’ vs academia• Lack of self-awareness

source: ‘Univ. Researchers, Employers' Attitudes & Recruitment Practices’

6Benefits of Recruiting PhDs - Employers Do

Want You...• Skills

– analytical thinking, autonomy, report writing, presentation, research etc.

• Commitment – ability to see a task through to its

conclusion• Profile

– such qualifications will impress the organisation’s clients [maybe!]

source: 'Univ. Researchers, Employers' Attitudes and Recruitment Practices’

7Skills of (Some)

Researchers• Communication skills• Capacity for self direction• Analytical skills• Dealing with information• Ability to accept supervision• Supervisory / teaching skills• Team work skills• Cross-cultural skills• Perseverance• Subject specific skills e.g. IT, scientific techniques

etc.• Business awareness [but… you said…]

8Skills Required by

Employers Across The Board

8 Computer Literacy7 Numeracy6 Languages5 Problem Solving4 Team-working Skills3 Leadership2 Communication Skills1 Business Awareness [again!]

9 What do Employers Want? - 1 Self Reliant: be able to manage your

career and personal development (confident, self aware and good at action planning).

Connected: team players, able to work effectively with others; negotiation skills…

Generalists: have general management skills such as good written communication, computer literacy, numeracy skills, be able to solve problems and to manage their time effectively.

Some want Specialist skillsThe Association of Graduate Recruiters [& that’s not just big business]

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What do Employers Want? - 2

Applicants who provide EVIDENCE that they can:

• Solve problems: independently, analytically, creatively

• Communicate effectively : able to interpret data and use it to present information and ideas.

• Improve own learning and performance: identify priorities, set targets, select strategies, manage time effectively, monitor objectives

• Work with others [again!] - take account of the strengths and weaknesses of others

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Convince Them….

• Research the field/job – orient your CV to fit the job

• Describe your PhD in appropriate terms– academic content vs transferable skills: get

outside your box and into theirs! • Highlight your ‘business awareness’

– work shadowing, reading business pages, keeping financial accounts, fundraising, organising events

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Allaying Their Fears• Spell out your transferable skills, with

evidence, on CVs and applications• Don’t draw all the evidence from your

academic work! Break ‘academic set’.• Refer to [holiday] jobs, interests, involvement

in university societies, and clearly prior or concurrent work experience to PhD

• For non-professional prior experience, shift focus from routine duties to insights gained

• Teaching experience always impresses – highlight the component task

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Making effective applications

• Only make well researched, targeted, high quality applications.

• Don’t limit your applications to household name ‘blue chip’ companies. Apply to smaller, less well known organisations in the same field.

• If you do not have all the skills, knowledge or experience necessary, think about a ‘stepping stone’ approach - a ‘foot in the door’ at a lower level, or a temporary contract.

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Summary of the Selection Process - The

four ‘C’s• Competencies

– you are competent to do the job, you have the necessary technical, linguistic, IT, and generic skills

• Capabilities– you are fit to do the job, your approach shows

that you have the skills

• Commitment– you want to do the job and can show your

motivation

• Cultural Fit– your values match those of the organisation

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CV Guidelines [not prescriptions] - 1

• Layout - usually 2 pages; ‘readable’ font. – Sections: Personal Details, Film Trailer’?,

Education, Work experience, Skills, Interests, References.

• Space Rule – give more important areas more space. Put the

most important things first

• Relevance – research the job, highlight relevant experiences,

think laterally about other experiences

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Hieronymus BOSCH32 Bosch BuildingsBosch Street's-Hertogenbosch HE18 6HBThe Low CountriesT. 08916 9918657E. boschpaint@yahoo.com

▪ Flemish painter-of-the-year, 1481-1499

▪ Invented & patented BoschPaint for Gothic

Windows

Nationality: Dutch [UK work permit not required]

D. of B: I don’t have to tell you that …

N.I. No. nor that…Sex: likewise…Marital Status: same again.

▪ Fluent in six modern languages [inc. Latin & Middle High

German]▪ Two books published on the

dualist heresy [one Book of Year, 1487; Richard & Judy,

1486]

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CV Guidelines - 2• Be Positive

– choose what to put onto the CV, negatives can be made to sound positive!

• Be Concise – remember the 90 second rule, what do you

want the reader to learn from your CV?

• Use Evidence – use facts and figures, don’t use bland

statements

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My PhD. - a neutral & rather rough example

My PhD focused on the development of XYZ XYZ XYZ in the ‘long’ 19th. century. [So what ?]It involved analysing the yak yak yak yak. I liaised on a weekly basis with blah blah blah on matters such as bleep bleep bleep modifying my research methods as appropriate.During the last 12 months I have also presented my findings at 6 international conferences to specialists from abc xyz fields. Audiences have ranged from 50 to 750 delegates.

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Academic CVs - just an idea

• Usually 3 pages• Pages 1 & 2 same sections as beforeplus ‘Research Focus’

– Summary of research / funding / prizes to date

– Areas of specific interest– Research methods used

• Page 3 - Book Chapters– Peer Reviewed Papers - Abstracts– Conference Presentations

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What The Careers Group University of

London Offers• 1 to 1 ‘drop-ins’ (Mon to Thurs pm + lates for SICS)• 1 to 1 in-depth discussions • 1 to 1 interview preparation sessions• Psychometric and personality testing• Info. - careers, employer & further study• Videos, computer-based guidance, take-away

materials e• Software on funding, work overseas, volunteering

opportunities…• Courses [half – 2-day] on many career areas.

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The Specialist Institutions’ Careers

Service4th. Floor, ULU Building, Malet Street, London WC1E

7HYT.020 7866 3600

Email:sics@careers.lon.ac.uk Web:www.careers.lon.ac.uk/sics

Information Resources and IT Facilities Monday to Thursday 09.30–17.00 :

Fridays 11 – 17.00Plus late opening at Stewart House Weds. to 8pm.

Brief Drop-In Advice Monday to Thursday 14.00–16.30

Plus Term-time Mondays 17.00 – 19.00 [pre-booked]