Career Development for Doctoral Candidates
What happens when you make it to the 'finish line' of completing your PhD?
Are you aiming for an academic career, a career in industry, an entrepreneurial career, or developing a research career? Perhaps you’re unsure and have been so busy you don’t really know?
The reality is that you need more than a hard-won PhD to be successful in your career. We want to help you find the answers to the questions you might be asking yourself:
- How can I successfully market my PhD to future employers?
- How can I demonstrate my employability?
- How can I articulate my transferable research capabilities and experience, and my unique attributes (high-level analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills)?
We've created this tailored programme of six 50-minute workshops to support all doctoral candidates in your career management. The focus of the series is understanding and developing your unique career identity, and then honing and practising employability skills so you can confidently articulate your value.
Workshops 1-6 will be offered twice each week, over the lunch break. Attend the whole series or 'pick and mix' depending on what you need. Please register using the links below.
Workshop 1: Demystifying career management and building your employability
Understanding and broadening your career scope:
- Key career management concepts to find your career direction
- How to build and foster your career capital (knowledge, network and motivation)
- Employability: the world of work, key skills/capabilities
- Reflection time: Career challenges facing doctoral candidates
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 17 July
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Option 2
Date: Thursday 18 July
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Workshop 2: Assess, understand, develop and articulate your talent
In this workshop we will work on assessing, understanding, developing and articulating your talent (your knowledge, transferable skills and capabilities, key attributes and values). We'll also show you some great relevant online tools.
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 31 July
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Option 2
Date: Thursday 1 August
Time: 1-2pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Workshop 3: Articulating your value and demonstrating your employability
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 14 August
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Option 2
Date: Thursday 15 August
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Workshop 4: CV and cover letter
We'll share the best advice and resources to access so you can showcase your experience, capabilities and attributes to confidently apply for different job roles.
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 4 September
Time: 1-2pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Option 2
Date: Thursday 5 September
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Workshop 5: Networking essentials
In this workshop we'll cover:
- Networking: “Oh no I’m really not good at that”. But it’s not really that hard! Yes, you can in your own way… who is my network? Foster connections, be pro-active, and reach out by attending workshops recruitment and expo events.
- Find out about the real strength of weak ties. A practical implication of Stanford research shows it’s helpful to reach out to people beyond your immediate friends and colleagues when looking for a new job,” explained Erik Brynjolfsson, the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Professor at Stanford University. “People with whom you have weaker ties are more likely to have information or connections that are useful and relevant.”
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 11 September
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Option 2
Date: Thursday 12 September
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Workshop 6: Nailing the interview
We'll share key interview tips and resources.
Option 1
Date: Wednesday 20 November
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 420
Register now.
Option 2
Date: Thursday 21 November
Time: 2-3pm
Location: Kate Edger Information Commons, Room 101
Register now.
Finale: Panel session
Yes, you can make it! Hear from alumni who have successfully leveraged the value of their PhD to develop successful and fulfilling careers as academics and outside the world of academia, in industry and the private sector.
Date: Wednesday 4 December
Time: 1-4pm
Location: General Library lecture theatre B10
Register now.