CVs (Postdocs Charterhouse Square October 2012)

CVs (Postdocs Charterhouse Square October 2012)

• 1.
  Careers CVs and Applicationsfor Postdoctoral Researchers RC164 Sir Anthony Dawson Room Dr. Tracy Bussoli Careers Adviser for Researchers [email protected]
• 2.
  Careers We will ….. • Identify the key differences between an academic CV and a non-academic CV • Learn how to identify and document evidence of your skills for jobs outside academia 2
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  Careers Job applications • CVs • Covering Letter • Online/paper applications • (Interviews) ….All involve recognising, articulating and writing about skills/competencies 3
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  Careers Types of CV • Academic • Non-Academic - Reverse chronological - Skills Based - Mixture of both 4
• 5.
  Look at thetwo CVs that you have been given In pairs, discuss: • What have they been written for? • What are the main differences?
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  Careers Academic CV vs Non-Academic CV academic non-academic • can be longer than 2 pages • no more than 2 pages • emphasise academic • key relevant transferable experience. PhD - aims/ skills appropriate to the achievements/ techniques role utilised • highlight relevant • past, current & future research interests and research, courses, experience projects • technical skills / lab work • relevant work experience • publications (categorised)/ prominent conferences and • avoid over-technical presentations descriptions • teaching/ mentoring/admin. • consider using focused experience/ funding and profile or skills summary commercial awareness • 3 referees (academic and • 2 referees (academic/ academic-related) employer) 6
• 7.
  Careers Tips on Writing CVs • Target it • Show me don’t tell me • Appropriate writing style – keep paragraphs to 4 lines or less – consider use of bullet-points – make the point, provide the evidence – use active verbs – consistent and appropriate formatting – distinct sections – triple check spelling and grammar • Positive – reader has nothing but the CV to make a judgement 7
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  Careers Show don’t tell • A motivated individual with excellent communication skills…telling Showing….. • Have collated data over three years and written an on-line database of gene expression in the developing embryo. • Have given 5 talks to a range of people including experienced scientists and school children adapting language accordingly. 8
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  Careers Example Skill • Interpersonal Skills Behaviours • demonstrating patience and tolerance of others • Feeding back tactfully 9
• 10.
  What is askill Split up into teams. Select a skill from the following list •Team and Interpersonal Skills •Written and Oral Communication Skills •Analytical, Problem Solving and Creativity •Planning, Organisation and Project management •Staff Management and Leadership •Self Motivation, Initiative and Drive Make a list of behaviours or ‘things you can see happening’ when someone is using the above skill (s). Behind The Buzzwords Handout
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  Careers Vitae Examples • Examples of how Researchers have described their skills on a CV http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload 11
• 12.
  Careers What youdo as a Postdoc • Supervision of other PhD • Participate on Students committees • Teaching / tutoring • Graduate School • Published material (not just training academic journals) • Clubs /societies • Presentations/ Posters • Part–time work • Conference participation • Volunteering • Quality Audits/ Funding proposals • Charity fundraising • Reading Widely • Careers Service • Process logs/ budget courses and accounts workshops • Travel 12
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  Careers Skills/Competencies •commercial awareness 1. data analysis •data analysis 2 problem solving 3. drive and motivation •drive and motivation 4. project management 5. interpersonal skills •interpersonal skills 6. leadership 7. commercial awareness •leadership •problem solving •project management *How employers rank PhDs skills 13 http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/Recruiting_researchers_employer_survey_2009.pdf
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  A composite CVfor a job description • Get into 4 groups • Each group will have a job description (there are two types) • In your groups, allocate a specific skill from the job description to each person in your group • Each person has to write one piece of evidence showing how they have utilised this skill • In a group write a skills section for a CV bringing together all your examples
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  Careers Cover Letter Example • What are the key elements of a cover letter? • Take a couple of minutes to read the example cover letter. • What do you think about it? 15
• 16.
  Powerful covering Careers letters Formal business letter: 500 words to fit on 1 page • try and address to a named individual • heading • introduction : who you are, what you are applying for, where you saw the job (para 1) • why you want the job: interest and research carried out (para 2) • what you have to offer: highlight skills and experience relevant to the job and evidenced by the CV (para 3) • why that company: distinguishing features (para 4) • conclusion – positive close and goodbye (para 5) 16
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  Careers Need more help? • Get application checked by me or come to Careers Service, WG3 Queens Building http://www.scs.qmul.ac.uk/ • Science Careers Website http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/advanced_search/results? occursin=fulltext&allkeywords=cvs • Vitae http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1339/Marketing- yourself.html • See CV section on Queen Mary Researchers Blog http://qmresearcher.wordpress.com 17