History Career Talk

Thinking about your career? History Postgraduate Researchers Dr. Tracy Bussoli Careers Consultant for Researchers Dr. Rhodri Hayward

What will we cover?
A bit about career planning
Academic Careers and funding–Rhodri Hayward
Alternative Careers

Current Career Climate
Disintegration of old work models (globalisation, recession, changing markets etc.)
Increasing competition in academia as funding streams change. REF - The bar is rising and demands on research output/quality are higher than ever – Plan B?
People are increasingly having a number of jobs and careers over their lifetime. Adaptability: goal is to remain employable by collecting attractive skills and experiences.

Career Planning and Management Self Awareness Who am I? e.g. What skills/knowledge do I have? Research What’s out there? e.g. The labour market: academic positions, NGOs, think tanks Action Plan How do I get there? e.g. Activities to get involved in now. Review, evaluate, adjust depending on your satisfaction and changing labour market

Self Awareness
A PhD enhances your CV and gives you high-level transferable skills. Think about what they are and learn to articulate them.
What type of job will suit you? Working environment/culture, hours, academic stimulation, autonomy, etc.

Research Your Career Options and The Labour Market
Time to research different jobs/sectors
Making a transition from the academic sector to another sector/role is challenging and takes longer than you think. Find out how people have made the transition.

Action Plan
Start now…don’t put it off!
Pursuing a career (academic or not) is an active process. Ensure that you have some plans....they can change!
Look at some of the gaps in your CV and start to put together a plan for how to bridge them.
Keep options open and have a good spread of activities.

Plan A Academic Careers

Career Aspirations of PhD s PRES 2011: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/postgraduate/PRES_report_2011.pdf

What academic employers look for
Publications, publications, publications - !
Review books for journals, publish articles in book chapters and refereed journals.
Understand REF: What standard does my research output need to be? 3* and 4*?
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/
Understand the nature of HE funding
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/

What academic employers look for
Research experience especially on funded projects, get experience of research as an ORA, RA or RO
Relevant teaching experience e.g. GTA, teaching qualification, designing courses, supervising coursework/dissertation, examining/assessing student work.

Underrated Skills
Networking
Colleagues in your institution
Other researchers in your field
Journal editors
Funding bodies
Professional bodies
Managerial
Technicians and Research Assistants
PhD students
Postdocs
Undergraduate students

Plan B Alternative Careers

Alternative Careers - employers look for
High level transferable skills – analysis, communication, project management etc.
Relevant knowledge of/to the sector
Real world wants less detail than a PhD! – can you adapt?
Understanding of non-academic sector culture and values

Alternative Careers - by sector
3rd Sector - research, policy development
Public Sector
Think Tanks and Interest Groups
Public Affairs - lobbying, PR
Specialist Consultancies
NGOs and IOs
Private - corporates

Alternative Careers -by role
Researcher/analyst
Writing/editing
Project management/evaluation
Communications – lobbying, training, facilitation, liaison, diplomacy
Other sector roles – consultant, trader, HR manager etc.

Jobs Beyond Academia
Museum Collections Manager
Investigations Executive examining advertising complaints
Office Team Leader in Customer Services
Part Time Examinations Assistant
Fraud Prevention Manager

Alternative Careers –what can you do now?
Research your sector
Know the jobs, internships, employers, clients, consultancy work
Identify and learn how to articulate your strengths
Start to identify gaps in your CV and start to bridge them
Build your network in the sector
Consider what you would bring as a PhD grad – start building an identity

Alternative Careers –what can you do now?
Gain wider experience in key skill areas, e.g. writing, facilitation, project management
Focus on developing new skills
Make part-time work or casual jobs count

Translate your Skills for non-academic employers
Scholarship = planning, research ability, creativity, analysis, fieldwork
Academic Rigour = continual scrutiny, quality control, quality assurance
Lecturing, Giving Seminars = presenting
Tutoring = motivating, monitoring
Examining, Marking Essays = appraising, assessing

Translate your Skills for non-academic employers
Thesis, articles = reports, publications
Supervising = instructing, training, communication skills
Research Group = Teamwork, creativity
Surveys, Fieldwork = Project management, problem solving
Multi-disciplinary = Flexibility, versatility, lateral thinking

Careers Support for PhDs
One to one advice for academic and non-academic careers (call Careers 8533)
CVs, cover letters, application forms
Interviews, presentations, assessment centres
Career planning and job search
Careers Seminars, Workshops and Events
Careers Blog
http:// qmresearcher.wordpress.com /

History Career Talk

by Tracy Bussoli

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