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121 - Managing Your Career
This document discusses the skills needed to manage a career in higher education. It outlines trends driving changes in the business environment for higher education, such as austerity, technology, and globalization. It also discusses the internal and external factors shaping the higher education business environment. The document emphasizes skills like embracing change, innovation, excellence, efficiency, and developing self and others. It suggests these skills are important for professionals in higher education and may transfer to other sectors. Finally, it covers engaging with the job market through networking, understanding the recruitment process, and selling oneself as a candidate.
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121 - Managing Your Career
- 1. Managing your careerin the emerging higher education business environment: understanding the professional skills needed by the leaders of tomorrow 2 April 2012 Elliott Rae
- 2. Themes of today’ssession • Developing trends and themes in HE • Personal development and career management • Recruitment and selection
- 3. Current business environment •What factors are driving change?
- 4. Current business environment • Austerity/recession • Technology • Flexibility • Cost • Competition • Globalisation • Demise of some traditional business models
- 5. The higher educationbusiness environment (external) • The impact of national higher education policy • Impact of fees • Regulation and compliance • REF 2014 • Impact of private sector providers • Shared services • Segmentation of the sector • Mergers and acquisitions?
- 6. The higher educationbusiness environment (internal) • Efficiency • Uncertainty re student numbers and finances • Centralisation v devolved responsibility • Student experience/ customer service • Flexible provision • Changing business models • Challenging the divide between academics and managers
- 7. Challenging the dividebetween academics and managers..? Traditional • Administration exists to support the academic activity of the university New • ‘Administration’ (management) driving fundamental changes to business models and service delivery
- 8.
- 9. Skills needed • Embracing change • Finding innovative solutions • Delivering excellent services • Achieving results • Using resources (efficiently and effectively) • Working with people • Providing direction • Developing self and others • Managing self and personal skills
- 10. Lessons from ourpan-public sector experience • Increased use of interim managers • Salary caps have impact on recruitment • Clients actively seeking wider experience/ ‘private sector’ experience • Governance brought sharply into focus • Use of technology to drive efficiency • Rethinking organisational structures
- 11. Current job market • Increase in competition from within HE and outside HE • Skill set becoming ever more broad • Expectations on individuals increasing • Rethinking structures and responsibilities
- 12. What skills andqualities do you bring as professional managers in higher education?
- 13. Your skills andqualities • Operating in a global market place • Managing an international client base • Managing complex funding arrangements • Managing growth and expansion • Managing quality • Managing change • Regulation/compliance/legal
- 14. Your skills andqualities • Cultural awareness and diversity • Committed to CPD and training • Collaboration and partnerships • Work with commercial organisations and funders • Engaged in wider agendas • Able to engage with academics
- 15. Are your skillstransferable beyond HE?
- 16. Job hunting -agenda • Introduction • So you want a new job? • Networking • Understanding the process
- 17. The role ofhead hunters – what do we do?
- 18. The role ofhead hunters • Re-define and challenge assumptions • Stimulate debate around what you need • Stakeholder management and buy-in • Search and sensitivity • Widening the talent pool and selling the role • Objectivity • Benchmarking of candidates • Manage a complex process
- 19. Why use ahead hunter? • Best candidates are often not actively job seeking • Organisation needs help to redefine or rethink a role • Need to attract new/different skills • Provide market intelligence re what talent is available at the salary on offer • Provide capacity to manage a senior recruitment process • If people are your number one asset, why leave it to chance?
- 20. So you wanta new job? • Are you sure? • Thinking it through • Getting specific
- 21. Agenda • Introduction • Soyou want a new job? • Networking • Understanding the process
- 22. What does networkingmean to you?
- 23. Networking hints • The“elevator conversation” – the story of you and what you want in two breaths • Be systematic • Use structured opportunities (eg conferences) • Keep promises and add value. • Online resources (eg LinkedIn) • Networking is a long term approach
- 24. LinkedIn • Becoming almostcompulsory • A valuable resource for head hunters • It is your personal shop window • Decide on policies for how you will use it
- 25. Agenda • Introduction • Soyou want a new job? • Networking • Understanding the process
- 26. Why do wehave a recruitment process? • To cope with complexity • A process which makes simplifying assumptions • A process which is fair • Minimise chance and maximise objectivity • A process which gets someone into the job who can do it
- 27. Two phases • Candidateattraction – Advertising – Search • Candidate selection – Application – Preliminary interview – Additional assessment – Final panel
- 28. Selling yourself • Demonstrating impact • Demonstrating transferable skills • Demonstrating an understanding of the wider context/environment • Demonstrating a track record of successfully taking on new responsibilities • Selling higher education to potential employers outside of HE
- 29. Approaching the jobmarket • Talk to the hiring organisation or head hunter • Speak the language of the hiring organisation and avoid industry/organisational jargon • Articulate any doubts and concerns: be honest
- 30. Search • How toget searched – Networking – Having an obvious job for next step – Speaking, writing, personal reputation – An online presence eg LinkedIn – By making contact with us – By sharing a mobile number (or personal email address) with us – By helping us!
- 31. Search • Search calls– ‘sourcing’ or ‘targeting’ – Don’t assume that the search was pinpoint focused – If you are interested, say so – If there are showstoppers in the job, say so – If you can help, do – If you’re being over-sourced, say so
- 32. Candidate selection • Applicationand CV • Preliminary interview • Further assessment • Final interview
- 33. Application and CV •Purpose of this stage – Get from an unmanageably large number of people to a manageable number – fairly – efficiently – and provide robust information to the client who will then decide who goes through to interview
- 34. CVs - format •Personal information at the beginning – name, address – contact info - mobile and email • Career in reverse chronological order • Education and qualifications, professional, honours • Referees (optional)
- 35. And some lightrelief …. • I am extremely loyal to my present firm, so please don’t let them know of my immediate availability • Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as ‘job-hopping’. I have never quit a job • Please call me after 5:30 because I am self-employed and my employer does not know I am looking for another job • The company made me a scapegoat – just like my three previous employers
- 36. Covering letters • Outlinewhy the job appeals to you • Respond according to advertised instructions • State why you are available • Answer other obvious questions • Provide current salary level if requested
- 37. Interviews • Type andstyle • First impressions and approach • Your impact
- 38. Interview tips • PREPARE •ANSWER THE QUESTION • Don’t try to deny your weaknesses, show self- awareness and your strategies for dealing with them in this job • Think about how you would manage the risks of your appointment • Engage everyone
- 39. Your impact • Emotional control • Sense of interest • Versatility • Affinity with others • Confidence • Sense of humor
- 40. Presentations • Address thetitle • Put yourself in the role – what do you bring to the role? • Confirm format • Don’t read, but prompt cards OK • Time limit – stick to it! • Be prepared for questioning • Practice!!
- 41. Assessment • Psychometric tests • Personality profiles • Ability tests • Validation/ feedback discussion • Only supporting information • Usually very accurate and provides insight • No right or wrong answers
- 42. Summary • Skills requirementsin an evolving sector • Your skills and development needs • Engaging with the job market • Applying for roles • And (hopefully) being successful
- 43. GatenbySanderson • Questions orcomments? Elliott Rae elliott.rae@gatenbysanderson.com +44 (0) 20 7426 3964
Editor's Notes
- #3 Developing trends in HE – the recruiter’s perspective Will discuss what clients are asking us for What are the emerging skill sets clients are looking for What changes we see in the market for senior HE administrative roles Career development and changing jobs How to position yourself for your next role Developing your CV and marketing your skills Recruitment and selection How an executive search process works – some important dos and don’ts Objectives for delegates Stimulate thoughts about your own skills Identify a transferable skill set that you could apply in other roles, and perhaps other sectors De-mystify the recruitment and selection process and share our experiences with you We will capture your thoughts along the way, and circulate notes afterwards INTERACTIVE SESSION – our presentation is a framework for discussion, so please share thoughts, comments and observations throughout
- #5 Drawn from a recent survey of private sector employers by Barclays Corporate and the FT Half of private sector employers have no interest in employing ex-public sector workers The world of work has changed since public sector workers last looked for work The public sector has a difference in mindset and speed of work
- #6 Efficiency remaining a central theme Dealing with a money-led environment Responding to national HE policy Centralisation v devolved responsibility Impact of private providers – MENTION GREENWICH COLLEGE Shared services Others Student support and welfare More regulation/compliance/legal – UKBA, equality and access, QAA M&A – potentially an emerging area
- #10 Hopefully familiar! AUA’s professional behaviours First 5 – broadly professional skills; latter 4 – broadly management skills/personal development Tie in closely to the changing business environment so are highly relevant Any to add?
- #11 Issues you may face when going into the job market
- #12 So, what trends have we seen in senior level recruitment in HE over the last few years: The job market within HE reflects the wider sector trends: Change management; Efficiency; Increasing bureaucracy, reporting and regulation Increase in competition – for non academic roles, this includes significant competition from people outside of the HE sector – in business/commercial world and other parts of the public services. It’s a crowded candidate market place – so you need to stand out from the crowd Roles becoming more complex (and sometimes less clearly defined) – at PVC level we’re recruited people who are expected to shape their own role – instructed to recruit broad strategic skills rather than a specific focus Transferable skills can be as important as sector specific experience Job requirements changing – clients are going beyond the traditional job titles and telling us things like “I don’t want a traditional librarian’ or ‘I don’t want a traditional university administrative head’ – they are even saying to us ‘I don’t want a traditional academic’ even for what is perceive to be an ‘academic leadership role’ such as Dean of a Faculty’ The rise and rise of the COO – many HEIs replacing traditional secretary/registrar with a COO – reflecting the broader (and more commercial) nature of the role; and to appeal to a broader range of candidates – it’s a job title lifted straight from the private sector. Liverpool, Manchester, Southampton, Bristol, Queen’s and many others. Also now seeing the COO title at Faculty level Explore this point with the Group – what will fees of up to £9,000 mean for senior HE administrators? What will the role of Academic Registrar look like in 5 years time in an environment where students pay £9,000 A change in the ‘contract’ (written or psychological) between student and HEI? Impact on services: Student support; Welfare; Fees advice; Scholarships; Stronger student charters
- #14 These are some of the ‘generic’ qualities that come as part of almost all senior management roles in HE – they are as important as the role-specific objectives Look for awareness of: a) Global market place – staff, students, knowledge - represent the interests of the Uni in the global market place b) Increased diversity of funding arrangements, including the changing balance of public and private funding, with a view to ensuring financial sustainability c) Challenges associated with the expansion of the sector – increased and widening participation d) Challenges of ensuring excellence and quality across all activities – including research and T&L e) Deliver change, whilst retaining what is unique and distinctive about the University Ability to build an effective team, not just effective individuals Review horizon and translate into action Performance management & industrial relations Facilitate, engage and be politically astute Prioritise conflicting demands Customer focus and orientation Understand complex business models
- #15 So, as HE professionals, where do you have an edge? Well, these qualities are all critical in successful leaders in HE, but may be found to a lesser extent in the commercial world Cultural awareness and diversity Committed to CPD and training Collaboration, partnerships & sharing best practice with others Engage with commercial organisations & grant funders Engaged in wider agendas - eg regeneration and economic development There are also more obvious ones like attention to detail, ability to analyse complex information, communication both written and verbal. Manage change Review horizon and translate into action Performance management & industrial relations Facilitate, engage and be politically astute Strategic and business planning Prioritise conflicting demands Customer focus Understand complex business models
- #19 Breadth of involvement & how we add value Objectivity – at stages Redefine role objectives & challenge assumptions on person spec Stimulate debate around what you need Stakeholder management and buy-in Search and sensitivity Objectivity Benchmarking of candidates – management and leadership capabilities Challenge and redefine role and person assumptions Succession management Complement existing team strengths? Tie to HEI key objectives
- #21 Push factors and pull factors Are the reasons you want to leave good reasons to leave? Is a redesigned job available to you where you are? Have you asked? Thinking it through What gives you energy? What does a good day look like? What are your values? What are the “domestic parameters”? What are you passionate about? What are your skills Be targeted (but keep an open mind) – draw on own exprerience of job hunting and move to GS
- #23 I dislike the word ‘networking’ – does anyone have a better idea?
- #24 Be systematic Ordered lists Specific targets People and roles If someone some was thinking of recruiting to a role the next level up from yours, would they think of you?
- #25 policies for using LinkedIn Photo or not – and which photo? Quasi Facebook “chatty”? Who will you connect to? Which groups will you join, and will you contribute? Will you link to other social media eg Twitter, Blogs Google yourself! Online presence generally Possible issues Past press reports of varying accuracy (give MIST candidate example) Comments to online forums/letters – anything you’ve written in the public domain – well crafted letter published in the Times Higher making an insightful point articulately – YES – misspelt venemous rantings (in your real name) - NO Nasty blogs Other people with the same name! Be prepared, not surprised The world will be calm about this, if you are
- #29 Any potential new employer (internal or external) will want to see that You have had real impact in your role to date, beyond turning up and managing the day to day workload That you are not ‘institutionalised’ and have worked to develop a rage of skills that can be applied in a range of setting – people in all sectors and all roles overplay the uniqueness of their role/organisations – you by nature are generalists (that’s a positive) – use this to your advantage. The last point is about communicating the size and complexity of HE to people in other industries, whose exposure to HE may be very limited/non existent Eg, my alma mater is the University of Manchester “With an annual income of £790m and 40,000 students (of whom 8,000 are outside the EU), Manchester is the largest single site university in the UK. It is ranked 3 rd in the UK for research (behind Oxford and Cambridge). The University employs over 11,000 staff, and its estates consists of 350 building across 700 acres.”
- #30 Take it seriously and don’t just be opportunistic Do call for an informal chat…it can be revealing, and good head-hunters will give you a steer on your suitability or otherwise…we don’t want to waste your time, our time or the clients time Engage with head-hunters and get to know them – I know that some still perceive headhunting and the role of head-hunters as an old boys club or something that’s shrouded in mystery – its not – we want to talk to prospective candidates and we want to support them through the process. We won’t lead you on – if we think you’re not right for the role, we'll say so. Another important part of job hunting is learning to deal with rejection. Speak language of hiring org Critical if going for a role outside of HE, still important if its within the sector Good CV/application – I could talk about this all day! (especially the bad ones) Covering letter – people rarely say why they want the job…worth briefly addressing this (as long as it’s positive!) Job title vary hugely in term of meaning…be clear about what you actually do Profile - Keep it factual – do not describe your personality by saying things like “A candidate with dynamism and vision, who is a good leader” Show what you’ve achieved – and give examples, with numbers please Eg led a team…of 2? of 2,000? Double revenue…from £1,000 to £2,000…or from £1m to £2m? But did you make a profit ? Avoid misleading or confusing data: e.g. finals of degree in 1983 – therefore you failed?! Avoid experience summary statements / profiles Academic CVs Structure and length Length…not 50 pages (ie some academic CVs…do you really expect anyone to read it all??), longest 107 pages 2-6 pages is fine Don’t be lazy…lots of CVs and covering letters have details of jobs previously applied for, esp in header and footer Key is to meet the expectations of your audience – use a master CV, but tailor it No photos – not necessary, not interested, rarely flattering Interests – if relevant or genuinely interesting, eg job related, impressive charitable work, genuine sporting endeavour (not ‘occasional gym goer’), otherwise probably not – employers are interested in you as a person, but this is best explored face-to-face in my view
- #33 Candidate selection This is all about looking for positive evidence It’s about including people not excluding them Give the evidence that’s needed at each stage, clearly You can’t give evidence you don’t have (not for long) You may miss evidence you do have – so think laterally
- #34 Good CV/application Covering letter – people rarely say why they want the job…worth briefly addressing this (as long as it’s positive!) Job title vary hugely in term of meaning…be clear about what you actually do Profile - Keep it factual – do not describe your personality by saying things like “A candidate with dynamism and vision, who is a good leader” Show what you’ve achieved – and give examples, with numbers please Eg led a team…of 2? of 2,000? Double revenue…from £1,000 to £2,000…or from £1m to £2m? But did you make a profit ? Avoid misleading or confusing data: e.g. finals of degree in 1983 – therefore you failed?! Avoid experience summary statements / profiles Academic CVs Structure and length Length…not 50 pages (ie some academic CVs…do you really expect anyone to read it all??), longest 107 pages 2-6 pages is fine Don’t be lazy…lots of CVs and covering letters have details of jobs previously applied for, esp in header and footer Key is to meet the expectations of your audience – use a master CV, but tailor it No photos – not necessary, not interested, rarely flattering Interests – if relevant or genuinely interesting, eg job related, impressive charitable work, genuine sporting endeavour (not ‘occasional gym goer’), otherwise probably not – employers are interested in you as a person, but this is best explored face-to-face in my view
- #38 Type and style – know what you’re getting– in-depth, structured, free form, panel, technical, rubber stamping… First impressions count , but don’t rule the decision Be ready to break the ice if necessary “ Tell me about yourself” – prepare for this The interviewer is still the “gatekeeper” even if they appear to know nothing about the role Preparation, preparation, preparation! Approach Succinct responses that tell a story and leave a positive impression Show enthusiasm and energy Prepare questions (carefully) Watch the body language Let the interviewer see the real you Remember the interviewer is in charge Always end the interview up-beat Your impact Emotional control, Sense of interest, Versatility, Affinity with others, Confidence, Sense of humour
- #39 Other tips: Don’t ramble Show enthusiasm and energy Prepare questions (carefully) Watch the body language Let the interviewer see the real you Don’t try to dominate Always end the interview up-beat
- #40 What are the immeasurable aspects of your behaviour at interview that may be commented on? How self aware are you of these?
- #41 Format – Audio visuals, on your feet, committee style, hand outs
- #42 Further assessment – usually described as psychometric tests Look at hard wired working styles and preferences, leadership judgement, relationships with others Ability tests – verbal, numeric reasoning, in tray
- #43 Further assessment – usually described as psychometric tests Look at hard wired working styles and preferences, leadership judgement, relationships with others Ability tests – verbal, numeric reasoning, in tray