Marketing Your Postgraduate Research Qualification

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

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

What are employers looking for?

At all stages of the recruitment process, theyare looking for evidence that you

CAN do the job

WANT to do the job

FIT with the organisation

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.

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.

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

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 Googlewww.prospects.ac.ukContacts – students, staff, family, work

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

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

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.

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?  

BREAK

CV Examples

Mark Guy & Rachel Harker (Humanities) Academic research Research outside academia Change of direction

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.

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

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

CV Review

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

Interviews

An achievement in itself

Awareness

Preparation

Practice

The interviewer wants to know:

That you CAN DO the job (Skills)

That you WANT the job (Motivation)

That you FIT the organisation (Values)

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

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

A STAR quality answer

Situation

Task

Action

Result

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)

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.

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

Final considerations Check the format -

One-on-one, Panel, Telephone, Technical

Who will you meet?

What do you want to ask?

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?

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

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

2nd FloorArmstrong Building (off the Quadrangle)

10 am - 5.00 pm Monday to Thursday10 am - 4.30pm Friday

Duty Careers Adviser 11.00am – 4.30 pm

careers@newcastle.ac.uk www.ncl.ac.uk/careers