Careers Workshops for Research Students and Research Staff - Trinity Term 2019 from Careers Service
Careers Workshops for Research Students and Research Staff Trinity Term 2019
Positive steps in career development come from meeting others and learning. See our bespoke opportunities for research Masters students and RAs, and for DPhils and Postdocs below, and look out for Careers Days, invited speakers and skills sessions run by your department, division or post-doc network.
Please note that, in addition to the below, we will respond to workshop requests from groups of researchers. So, if you are looking for careers-related training and believe your peers may also benefit, please speak to your departmental Graduate Studies or HR co-ordinator. This pilot will run to July 2019 and possibly beyond.
For appointments with Rachel Bray, Rebecca Ehata or another Careers Adviser of your choice at the Careers Service on Banbury Road, please book through CareerConnect. We also offer regular appointments for scientists at the JR and Old Road Campus, bookable by phoning reception on 01865 274646. Bookings for workshops/events should be through CareerConnect; if you have queries, please email reception@careers.ox.ac.uk.
Week Two
Insight into Academia: To PhD or not PhD?
Wednesday 8 May 1-2 pm, The Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road
Insight into Academia is a series of informal seminars and informal ‘conversations’, exploring opportunities for an academic career within and beyond the UK, important decisions along the way and what it takes to thrive as an academic.
The seminar To PhD or Not to PhD? Is open to anyone considering applying for a PhD. In this session we will cover the steps you might take to discover whether a PhD is the right course of action for you, and discuss how to choose the best institution and programme for you. We will also briefly talk about the application process and funding.
The next Insight into Academia seminar, Positioning for Academic Progression (Making your DPhil count), will run on 18th June; see the relevant Career Connect page for details.
All welcome. To reserve a place please go to CareerConnect
Week Four
CVs and Cover Letters for non-academic jobs
Monday 20 May 2- 5 pm. The Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road
- Using a mix of individual and informal small group exercises, we will understand and recognise the characteristics of effective CVs and cover letters
- critique the strengths and weaknesses of our own and colleagues’ draft CVs and cover letters
All welcome. To reserve a place please go to CareerConnect
Week Seven
Presentation and Interview Skills
Wednesday 12 June 1:30-4 pm, The Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road
Are you keen to feel more confident when standing up in front of others, or at an interview? All of us know that the way a story is told makes all the difference. We either engage with the person and their topic, or our mind wanders. Researchers typically have many excellent insights, yet their presentation skills may not do justice to their knowledge or abilities to think on their feet.
Come and join us for a relaxed, practical workshop to help you respond clearly, powerfully and in a relaxed spontaneous manner, even in stressful situations. We will draw on feedback from panels and improvisation techniques to try out new ways to tell our stories and gain feedback from peers. You will have the option to practice different techniques in a supportive environment
All welcome. To reserve a place please go to CareerConnect
Week Eight
Too Late to Change Direction?
Monday 17 June 2– 5pm, The Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road
Of course not! It’s never too late for a career change... But perhaps you are wondering “Is this right for me? And if so, how do I start the process or make more effective steps forward?”
In this workshop we will apply a design approach to integrating your career thinking with your life aspirations. You will learn from your experiences in academic research, consider your ‘workview’ and ‘lifeview’ to find the intersections, and practice ways of moving forward with some potential plans. We will use visual methods to explore options for the coming five years, and learn strategies for narrowing down your options. These include an evidence-informed framework for assessing a potential career move and some practical strategies to assist decision-making.
We will also discuss the possibility of combining aspects of academia with another role, and how to find any elements you love about academic life in other sectors or roles.
All welcome. To reserve a place please go to CareerConnect
Week Eight
Insight into Academia: Positioning for Academic Progression
Tuesday 18 June 2019 1- 2pm, The Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road
Insight into Academia is a series of informal seminars and informal ‘conversations’, exploring opportunities for an academic career within and beyond the UK, important decisions along the way and what it takes to thrive as an academic.
Today many more people are choosing to do a PhD, but jobs within academia are not growing at the same rate. How then can you make your DPhil count? This seminar looks at current priorities in academic recruitment and what you can do while studying at Oxford to ensure you are well-equipped for your next steps.
An earlier Insight into Academia seminar, To PhD or not to PhD?, will run on Wednesday 8th May; see the relevant Career Connect page for details.
All welcome. To reserve a place please go to CareerConnect
Week Nine
Research-Related Careers in Higher Education
Thursday 27 June 2019, 2-5pm, The Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road
This session is designed to delve deeper into career options that will use and develop your skills to facilitate research at Universities.
Joining us will be several early and mid-career members of Oxford’s Research Services working at central, Divisional and departmental levels and spanning the major subject areas. These colleagues will share their experiences of what the transition meant to them, aspects of their new role they find inspiring, challenging and/or surprising as compared to their experiences in academia, their progression possibilities and top tips for preparing for such roles.
In small groups we will identify what you already have in your bank of experience, as well as your technical and broader, ‘soft’ skillset, that is of current value and will be needed in the future as the HE sector evolves. We will discuss how to build on these assets in your current roles at Oxford, and how to communicate their relevance to best effect through professional networking and job applications.