CAREER PLANNING GUIDE FOR POSTGRADUATES AND ...

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CAREER PLANNING GUIDEFOR POSTGRADUATES AND CONTRACTRESEARCHERSAcademic careers – and beyond

CONTENTS

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Introduction 3

What do postgraduates do? 4

Choosing a career 5

Skills developed through postgraduate study 7

Using skills in jobs 9

Academic careers 10

Making applications for academic posts 11

Interviews for academic jobs 12

Other careers in universities 14

Other careers in teaching and research 15

Other career areas 16

Finding a job – vacancy sources 17

Applying for jobs outside academia 18

Interviews 21

The creative career search 23

Further study 24

International students 25

What does the CES offer postgraduate students? 26

Links and resources 27

This booklet has been written for allpostgraduate students, recently-completed postgraduates andcontract researchers at theUniversity of Kent. Its aim is to helppostgraduates to achieve theircareer aims by providing informationon opportunities for postgraduates,advice on job-seeking and details ofthe help and resources available topostgraduates – at the University ofKent and beyond. It looks at careeropportunities for postgraduates andat the skills and knowledge whichthey can bring to a large number ofjobs – not just those directly relatedto their study or research. Thebooklet can only offer a generalintroduction and you should follow itup by using the various informationresources to which it will point youor by discussing your own personalqueries and issues with a careersadviser.

INTRODUCTION

Service and the other sources ofadvice and information on careersand employment noted.

Whatever you are studying atgraduate level, and whatever yourfuture career plans, you shouldbegin your career planning earlyand not wait until you havecompleted your dissertation, thesisor contract before taking action. Thiswill give you plenty of time to decideon your preferred career option, tomake contingency plans and togather information aboutopportunities through research andnetworking. Many major recruiterswill advertise vacancies severalmonths in advance of the startingdate.

With best wishes for the future

Tim ReedHead of the Careers andEmployability Service

There is a very wide variety ofpostgraduate students, followingboth taught Master’s courses andresearch programmes in the fullrange of academic subjects. Somehave gone on to postgraduate study immediately after theirundergraduate degree, while othershave returned to study after someyears of employment. Some arestudying for interest, others forvocational reasons: some areplanning a career as a lecturer orresearcher in their subject whileothers may hope to use their studiesoutside academia.

This booklet inevitably has togeneralise about the opportunitiesopen to postgraduates and the skillsgained through postgraduate study.Please use it as a starting point andcontinue your career planning byusing the Careers and Employability

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4

WHAT DO POSTGRADUATES DO?

Almost 200,000 peoplecomplete a postgraduate-level qualification everyyear in the UK. Three-quarters of these graduatefrom taught Master’sdegrees and the majorityof the remainder from other taughtqualifications such asPGCEs. Less than 10%have undertaken researchdegrees.

Although the number ofpostgraduates has grownsignificantly over the past ten years,their job prospects have notdecreased as a result. Both doctoraland Master’s degree graduateshave a lower level of unemploymentthan Bachelor’s degree graduatesand are more likely to be employedin a professional role. A smallernumber continue studying, forfurther academic or professionalqualifications.

As the chart below shows, themajority of postgraduates enteremployment after their degree. Over90% of these postgraduates wereworking in professional ormanagerial roles such as education,scientific research, finance, humanresources and marketing.

Detailed information about thedestinations of Kent postgraduatesis available at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/fdrbases/destinations.htm

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Destinations of postgraduates whocompleted their degrees in 2011/2012

In employment

Further study

Working and studying

Seeking employment

Other activities

In employment

Further study

orking and studying Wo

Seeking employment

Other activities

orking and studying

Seeking employment

5

CHOOSING A CAREER

The first thing to do whenplanning your career is tothink about issues such as:

• Your interests• Your values• Your skills• Your opportunities – the jobmarket for your subject or area of interest

• Your personal circumstances –such as geographical restrictions

This will help you to decide what you want from a career, what youcan offer employers and what otherfactors might affect your choices.The following sources will provideinformation and advice to help youmake these decisions:

• “Choosing a Career” – CESbooklet and web pageswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/Choosing/ChoosingCareer.htm

• Prospects Career Planner:www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner An online self-assessment and career choiceprogram that helps you to:- generate new job ideas andcheck out your existing ideas;

- identify your skills and find outwhat motivates you in a job;

- see how these match the jobsyou are considering;

- research your chosen jobs inmore detail and decide on theright choices for you.

• Your PhD – What Next?www.prospects.ac.uk/links/YourPhD

• Your Masters – What Next?www.prospects.ac.uk/links/YourMasters- Find out about the skills youhave gained as a result of yourpostgraduate study and howyou can present these skillsmost effectively to an employer.

• Options with your subjectwww.prospects.ac.uk/links/options_with_your_subject.htm A series covering over 40academic subject areas givingideas for how graduates can usetheir degree subject or theemployability skills acquired instudying it. Although targeted atundergraduates, much of thecontent is also relevant topostgraduates.

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6

• “What can I do with my degree in ..?” www.kent.ac.uk/careers/degreein.htm Information on thedestinations of Kent graduatesand postgraduates plus links toemployers and career areas likelyto be of interest to graduates inthat subject.

The University of KentCareers EmployabilityAward This is open to all students at Kent atany stage of your studies. You gainthe award by completing quizzesand assignments on Moodle, theUniversity’s Virtual LearningEnvironment. A few hours spentgetting this will not only help you toimprove your career planning andjob-hunting skills and make the rightcareer choices: it can transformyour chances of getting a graduatejob. On completion of the award,

you will receive a certificate and 40 Employability Points. To find out more, see www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm

“The award has made me feela lot more confident when itcomes to applications andinterviews in the future andhas also made me think aboutskills I have that I didn't thinkI had before”

Important things to keep inmind when making careerdecisions• Get to know yourself – youremployability skills, abilities andpersonal qualities. Withoutknowing what is important to you,what you want from a job andwhat you can offer, it will be moredifficult to make career choices.

• Other people can often help youto see yourself more clearly. Tryasking your friends, relations ortutors about your strengths andweaknesses, or talk over yourideas with a careers adviser. Theycould help you to see yourselfmore objectively.

• Don't have fixed ideas aboutjobs, such as who does them andwhat the work is like. Stereotypedpictures of jobs are rarelyaccurate. Find out what is reallyinvolved and look for the truthbehind the popular image.

• The best careers advice comesfrom people with first-handknowledge. Try and make contactwith people doing the type ofjobs that interest you and talk tothem about their work. See p23for further advice on networking.

• Keep an open mind. Be flexible.Be receptive to new job ideas.Don't reject career possibilitieswithout some consideration first.Remember that your first careerpost does not have to set thedirection for the rest of yourworking life if you don’t want it to.

• Make full use of the Careers andEmployability Service. Use ourprint and online resources andconsult careers advisers with anyqueries and problems.

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CHOOSING A CAREER (CONT)

7

SKILLS DEVELOPED THROUGHPOSTGRADUATE STUDY

Employers wantpostgraduates to be ableto offer more than theiracademic subjectknowledge. They also look for a range of skills:transferable skills such as teamworking, businessawareness andcommunication skills plus, depending on theemployer, more practicalskills such as languages,numeracy, laboratorytechniques andquantitative methods.These skills are just asimportant for academicposts as for jobs inbusiness and other areasand you will need to show them on your jobapplications.

The transferable skills most often sought by employers ofpostgraduates are:• Written communication skillsThe ability to use the Englishlanguage effectively in order toexpress your ideas clearly and ata level appropriate for youraudience.

• Verbal communication skillsAgain, using language effectivelybut with the additional ability tospeak confidently and clearly andto pitch what you say in such away to have the desired impacton your listeners.

• Analytical abilityConsidering differing ideas,information and theories; pickingout key points and details in orderto construct or support yourarguments; following complexreasoning; applying logic.

• Critical thinkingAbility to question and not to takethings at face value. Interpretinginformation and arguments;considering their validity in thelight of issues such as theirsource, the evidence provided tosupport them and other materialon the topic. Constructing areasoned argument for your ownpoint of view.

• Planning and organisingApproaching tasks and projectssystematically; managing time;setting targets; monitoringprogress; delegating; ability tohandle a number of differenttasks simultaneously.

• Research/Investigative skillsUse of a variety of sources;constructing research proposals;testing different theories; usingspecialist techniques such asstatistical packages or laboratoryequipment.

• InnovationAbility to take a fresh approach,think laterally, be original andcreative, willing to try new thingsand adapt to new environments.

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SKILLS DEVELOPED THROUGHPOSTGRADUATE STUDY (CONT)

• Problem solvingTaking a systematic approach toproblems; being flexible in findingsolutions; looking at differentangles and approaches;identifying the most appropriatesolution for the situation.

• Maturity and confidenceWide experience of life generallyand specifically of working withother people; strong careerfocus; credibility with employersand clients.

• Self-motivationAbility to work independentlywithout the need for constantdirection or feedback.Anticipating what needs to bedone; setting your own goals andworking towards them. Beingpositive and professional. Takingresponsibility for your own workand personal development.

• Commercial awarenessAn awareness of the environmentin which an organisation operates(public sector and charitableorganisations face commercialand financial pressures too!). A focus on the purpose of theorganisation and its clients and/orstakeholders.

• Co-operationThe ability to work with otherpeople, inside and outside yourown department or organisation.Working together to achieve acommon goal. Allocating andsharing responsibilities and tasks.

Many of these skills are developedto a high level through postgraduatestudy and research. Others can bedemonstrated through other aspectsof your experience, such as part-time or vacation work and extra-curricular interests, so make sure toget involved in activities outside ofyour studies and to use theseactivities in your applications.

Analysing your skillsThe sites listed below offer variousresources to help you identify theskills you have developed throughyour studies and those you wish todevelop further:• Our Employability Skills pageswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/skillsmenu.htm include a skillsinventory and a progress file

• Prospects Plannerwww.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner – an online self-assessment and career choiceprogram that also helps you torelate your skills to jobs

Once you have worked through oneor two of these resources you maywish to talk over the results with acareers adviser – see the backcover of this booklet for contactdetails.

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9

USING SKILLS IN JOBS

Below are a few examplesof jobs that may be enteredafter postgraduate study,and the key skills that areneeded to succeed in them:

Academics obviously need goodresearch, critical thinking andproblem-solving skills, as well aswritten communication to producebooks and journal articles. Verbalcommunication is not only needed for lectures and conferencepresentations – academics may be interviewed for TV or radioprogrammes and also need toadvise students individually. Planningand organising skills are needed tohelp manage administrative taskssuch as scheduling classes,producing reading lists and meetingdeadlines as well as combiningthese tasks with teaching andresearch. Commercial awareness isneeded in helping to attract studentsto the department, write bids forresearch funding, etc. Finally,academics have a considerableamount of flexibility in managing their own work which demands self-motivation.

Research scientists must be able to plan and organise projects andexperiments, solve problems thatoccur during their research activitiesand analyse the results. They mustbe competent in writing to producereports about their work and also to bid for research funds, whereinnovation may be a requirement.They usually work in teams andtherefore need to co-operate withother people. They have to givepresentations to managers and other

non-scientists, which demands goodverbal communication skills.

University librarians need goodverbal communication skills to adviseclients (students and staff) and givepresentations. They needcommercial awareness to managebudgets and to appreciate the needsof their clients, which also demandsgood problem solving skills. Planningand organising are needed to meetthe changing demands on staff andservices during the academic yearand to maintain and improvestandards of service. They work inco-operation with other staff in theirown library, in other libraries orinformation centres and withacademic departments. Criticalthinking skills are required to makedecisions on the purchase ordisposal of books, journals and other information resources.

Clinical psychologists need strongcritical thinking, analytical, and verbalcommunication skills to assess andhelp clients. They may need todevise innovative approaches tosolve problems when working withclients. They have to co-operate withcolleagues from other disciplinesand agencies, such as medicalpractitioners and social workers,using written communication skills to produce reports. Clinicalpsychologists are often involved in research and, as their careerdevelops, may work on a self-employed basis, requiring self-motivation and commercialawareness.

The examples below give a fewsuggestions for where you could

make use of the skills developedthrough postgraduate study andresearch outside the academic field:

Jobs using people andcommunication skills• International aid/developmentworker

• Housing manager• Events organiser• Human resources manager• Insurance broker• Environmental health officer• Prison governor• Journalist• School teacher• Teacher of English as a foreignlanguage

Jobs using research andanalytical skills:• Librarian• Archivist• Heritage manager• Museum curator• Museum education officer• Historical researcher• Patent agent• Trade mark attorney• Social researcher• Political researcher• Translator• Operational researcher• Statistician

Most of the job roles above will usea mixture of all these skills – to workwith colleagues and clients, togather information and to pass on the material that you haveresearched and make it accessibleto non-specialists.

For information about these andmany other job roles seewww.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm

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10

ACADEMIC CAREERS

An academic position isthe main career goal formany postgraduatestudents, and highereducation will often offerthe best opportunities touse your studies directly,especially in thehumanities. A PhD isalmost always a formalrequirement so taughtMaster’s graduates willneed to continue into aresearch degree beforebeing able to apply forthese positions.

Even after a PhD, this is not an easyoption. The job market for lecturersand contract researchers is highlycompetitive and it is increasinglyrare for postgraduates to obtain aposition as a lecturer immediatelyafter completing their PhD. Moretypically they will start out in a role such as Teaching Assistant,Research Assistant or PostdoctoralFellow. These will generally betemporary contracts lasting one, twoor three years and may lead on to apermanent academic post, althoughthere is no guarantee of this.Teaching posts in particular are likely to be part-time andremunerated only on the number of hours taught.

Universities will look at more thanjust the quality of your research:candidates for academic postsshould be able to offer all of thefollowing:

• Publications. You should be ableto demonstrate that you havebegun to disseminate your workto the wider academic communitythrough published journal articlesor books and/or presentingpapers at conferences.

• Teaching experience. Teaching atundergraduate level is obviouslyalso an essential part of anacademic career and you shouldtherefore take advantage of anyopportunities to gain teachingexperience during yourpostgraduate studies.Departments frequently require,or strongly encourage, theirresearch students to do this but,if your own department does notoffer any teaching opportunities,you may be able to obtain part-time teaching in further and adulteducation.

• Administrative skills. Academicstaff also have a number ofadministrative responsibilities(such as convening courses,managing exams, sitting oncommittees, quality assessment,etc) so any experience of peopleor project management would behelpful here.

The academic job market is highlyinternational with lecturers andpostdoctoral researchers movingbetween countries to findemployment and develop theircareer.

Academic posts, both in the UK and abroad, are normally advertisedin the Guardian, Times HigherEducation and on www.jobs.ac.uk –see p14 for a full list of links.

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MAKING APPLICATIONS FORACADEMIC POSTS

When applying forresearch posts orlectureships, make sureyou have a goodunderstanding of thedepartment, the positionand the broad area ofteaching and/or research.

All this may seem self-evident, butcandidates for academic posts areoften too focused on their ownspecific research and don’t thinkabout what the job actually involvesor what they can contribute to thedepartment through their skills orexperience. So, before you start toapply, put your research skills intopractice to find out all that you canabout the department, its staff andstudents (any contacts that you havebuilt up through networking will beinvaluable here). This will help you to focus your application and todemonstrate clearly what you canoffer them that distinguishes youfrom the other candidates.

Academic CVs follow a differentformat from a “normal” CV, mostnotably in the content and thelength. They are generally longerthan the “standard” two-side CV,often running to five or six pages, as they need to include informationsuch as:

• A detailed synopsis of your PhDand any other research;

• Publications – books, articles,reviews, conferenceproceedings;

• Conferences attended(especially if you have presentedpapers);

• Membership of relevantprofessional bodies;

• Teaching experience – runningseminars, helping with practicals;

• Awards – such as fundedstudentships, academic prizes or travel grants;

• Details of relevant scientific orspecialist packages/techniquesyou are familiar with such asSPSS, LexisNexis, NMR orchromatography;

• Evidence of skills such as IT,time management, projectmanagement and report writing;

• Work experience – only listexperience relevant to yourapplication, such as teaching,“university ambassador” roles,exam invigilation, industrialplacements and internships;

• References. Usually threeacademic references (one ormore from your postgraduatedegree plus one from your firstdegree) and possibly one from an employer or another individualwho can comment about yourpersonal qualities as opposed to your academic performance.

In your covering letter or personalstatement, you should outline yourskills and strengths, show realenthusiasm for your subject,evidence of a wider knowledge ofthe area beyond your specialisedfield of research and awareness of recent developments.

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INTERVIEWS FOR ACADEMIC JOBS

Interviews for academic,contract research orpostdoctoral posts are nolonger relaxed, informalchats: there is fiercecompetition for theseposts and you need toprepare well, showenthusiasm and askappropriate questions.

Before the interview:• Research the university and thedepartment carefully;

• Check out the research interestsof the current academic staff;

• Try to speak to current students inthe department and look at noticeboards, social networking sites,etc;

• Read over your application again.Try and put yourself in theinterviewers’ shoes and think ofquestions they may want to askyou;

• In addition, think of questions you want to ask.

At the interview:An academic interview is likely to becarried out by a panel made up of anumber of members of staff, fromboth the academic department andthe human resources department.Remember that, unlike HR staff,academics may not be trainedinterviewers, so be aware that youmay occasionally have to take theinitiative.

Interviews for academic postsfrequently require candidates togive a short presentation – usuallyon an aspect of your research. Thisallows the panel to assess not onlyyour teaching skills but also yourability to plan, research, analyseand present information. You canalso expect to be asked questions,and how you respond to these willalso form part of the assessment.Presentations need to be pitched atthe right level – at a well-informedand knowledgeable audience whomay nonetheless not be familiar with the detailed nuances of yourspecialised area of research.Alternatively, you may be asked toprepare a presentation of the sortthat would be delivered in anundergraduate lecture.

There may also be a social side tothe interview, such as a lunch towhich all members of thedepartment will be invited. While thiswill not be assessed, remember thatpeople who are not on the actualinterview panel may also be askedfor their opinions of the candidates,so don’t get involved in any heateddebates or inappropriate topics ofconversation.

The QuestionsYou can expect to be asked about:• Your research: research alreadycarried out, work in progress,your future direction;

• Studentships, research grantsand other funding achieved;

• Teaching experience – what youhave taught; to whom; teachingand assessment techniques;

• Any relevant specialist technicalexpertise;

• Any other ways in which you havecontributed to University life, suchas administration experience,involvement in open days andstudent recruitment.

The interviewers will also want tofind out about you as an individual –will you fit in to the department? Are you a good team member?

Questions that might be asked toelicit this information include:• How did you choose yourresearch topic?

• Why do you feel that this research is important?

• What theoretical framework areyou using?

• What methods did you use tocollect your data?

• How do you see your researchwithin the wider area of …?

• What have you got out of yourpostgraduate study?

• How would your researchinterests fit in with the work of this department?

• What teaching experience do you have?

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• How would you approachteaching first-years on our …module?

• What other relevant skills orexperience can you offer?

• Have you considered any furtherpotential areas of research?

• How would you go aboutpersuading a funding body tosupport your research?

• What makes you the rightcandidate for this post?

• Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Many of these questions demand a fairly detailed response but makesure that you don’t go into too muchdetail! Watch the panel for signs ofimpatience and be prepared topause occasionally, giving them thechance either to encourage you tocontinue or to move on to anotherquestion.

Remember that they will be lookingat your ability to think for yourself;your capacity for independent andoriginal thought and your ability tocommunicate and reason. Be polite,but don't be afraid to enter intodiscussion and to stand yourground. Some interviewers willdeliberately challenge your repliesto see if you can stand up foryourself and argue your pointeffectively.

They will also be looking forevidence of strong interest in yoursubject, as well as enthusiasm forthe subject. Do you keep up to datewith developments? Do yougenuinely seem to enjoy talkingabout the subject?

Make sure that you ask questions of the panel, as this demonstratesyour enthusiasm and interest.

Some questions you couldask at an academicinterview• What do you feel are the keystrengths of this department?

• What are your most successfulcourses in terms of studentnumbers?

• Do you have any plans tointroduce new courses ormodules?

• What training is available to newmembers of staff? Would I havethe opportunity to take a PGCHE?

• What staff developmentopportunities are available?

• How and when will I beappraised?

Dress codeSmart casual dress may beacceptable for academic interviews,particularly those for research postsrather than lectureships, but manydepartments now expect moreformal business dress. If in doubt,go for the smarter option – you willnever prejudice your chances bybeing too smart, but dressing in toocasual a way risks being interpretedas unprofessional or not sufficientlymotivated.

Further informationFor advice on academic interviews,including presentations andcommonly-asked questions, see:• www.vitae.ac.uk/researcher-careers/pursuing-an-academic-career/applying-for-academic-jobs/academic-job-interviews

• Jobs.ac.ukwww.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips


OTHER CAREERS INUNIVERSITIES

As well as academic roles,universities employ staffin a variety of academic-related management andsupport roles.

These include:• Administration, including studentregistration and admissions,central services administration,departmental co-ordination;

• Library and information services;• Scientific support, e.g. laboratorytechnicians;

• Careers, employability andenterprise;

• Human resource management,including staffdevelopment/training;

• IT and systems support;• Public relations and marketingposts, promoting universities to prospective students (in the UK and overseas), alumni,businesses and the community;

• Student welfare and support:counselling and advice services,disability support, internationalstudent support;

• Accommodation, catering and conference services;

• Arts, music and events;• Financial management;• Health and safety.

Vacancies in these areas may beadvertised at national level on thesame sites as academic posts but,at entry-level grades, may only beadvertised on the individualuniversity’s website.

Finding a job in the highereducation sector• www.jobs.ac.uk• FindAUniversityJobwww.findauniversityjob.com

• FindAPostDocwww.FindAPostDoc.com

• www.PhDjobs.com• The Guardianhttp://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/education/higher

• Times Higher Educationwww.timeshighereducation.co.uk

• Eduserve www.vacancies.ac.uk• Academic Jobs EUwww.academicjobseu.com

Most of these sites list jobs coveringa range of academic, research,managerial and support roles inhigher education plus vacancies inother public and private sectorbodies that are appropriate forpostgraduates and researchers.

There may also be specialist listingsfor particular subjects or job roles,such as Inomics (www.inomics.com)for Economics or LIS JobNet(www.lisjobnet.com/jobs/jobs) forlibrary work – check with academicsor careers advisers to find out thebest sources for your subject area.


OTHER CAREERS IN TEACHINGAND RESEARCH

Other careers in teachingA number of postgraduates will goon to an initial teacher education ortraining programme leading toQualified Teacher Status (QTS).These are available either through a PGCE course or while working in a school. Although it is possible toteach in independent schools,academies and free schools inEngland without QTS, it is a definiteadvantage to have it. Funding tocover fees and maintenance may beavailable for PGCEs, depending onthe subject. A postgraduate degreemay be looked on favourably inindependent schools and furthereducation colleges.

If you intend to teach in schools, youshould have some work experiencewith the relevant age-range. Mostproviders expect you to have atleast two weeks' classroomexperience before you beginteacher training.

For further information on teachingcareers, teaching qualifications and entry requirements seewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/siteach.htm

Other careers in researchHumanitiesOutside education, jobs which makedirect use of a research degree inthe humanities are unlikely to bemore numerous at postgraduatelevel than they were after your BA.Areas such as the media, publishingand the heritage industry are highly

competitive and, although yourdegree should be able to help youdemonstrate an advanced level ofskills and knowledge, employers willusually be seeking practical andtransferable skills rather than purelyacademic expertise.

Social SciencesYou may be particularly interested in the field of social research –working for central or localgovernment bodies, think-tanks and consultancies. Commercialorganisations, such as marketresearch and advertising agencies,also make use of social researchtechniques and skills. Subjects such as law, business andeconomics can also be applied withcommercial employers specialisingin these fields.

Science and technologyResearch and developmentscientists are employed in manyorganisations includingmanufacturing companies(cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,defence, etc), energy and utilitycompanies, Governmentlaboratories, charities and ResearchCouncils.


OTHER CAREERS

You may not wish, or maynot be able, to use yourpostgraduate study inyour career either directlyor indirectly. A change incareer direction iscertainly possible at thisstage, whether throughentering employmentimmediately or afterfurther study or training.

In particular, graduates who havetaken a taught Master’s degreeimmediately following anundergraduate degree, and do not have a great deal of workexperience beyond part-time and casual jobs, may be seen byemployers as an “undergraduateplus”. While your Masters can helpyou to demonstrate a number ofadditional skills, the jobs andgraduate schemes you can go forare likely to be equally open toundergraduates – only a very smallnumber of the major graduaterecruiters have separate intakes ofBachelor’s and Master’s graduates.

As a Master’s graduate, though, you do have more to offer theseemployers than you did at the endof your first degree. At the mostbasic level, you have an extra year’sexperience, which makes you moremature and focused. Since mostMaster’s students are self-funded,taking a degree at this leveldemonstrates commitment andmotivation. If, during yourpostgraduate year, you have gainedfurther experience and skills(through internships or extra-curricular activities) in addition toacademic qualifications this canhelp you to stand out whencompeting with Bachelor’s degreegraduates. See pages 7/8 for an outline of the employability skillsdeveloped through postgraduatestudy.

Outside these big graduaterecruiters, there are plenty ofopportunities where a postgraduatedegree will be a requirement or an advantage and employers willvalue the specialist knowledge orpractical skills gained through yourstudies. This is particularly true inscientific and social research,economics and internationalorganisations, as well as education.

Some of these employers may havean annual graduate intake, but manymore will only recruit on an ad hocbasis, as and when they needsomebody with a particularknowledge base or skill set.

In general, though, postgraduatesare highly attractive to a wide varietyof employers, whatever theirbackground. A 2010 report from theCouncil for Industry and HigherEducation, “Talent Fishing”, foundthat 70% of employers surveyedsought out postgraduate students,and 90% of those who did valuedthe analytical thinking and problem-solving skills a Masters or PhDbrings.

www.ncub.co.uk/reports/talent-fishing-what-businesses-want-from-postgraduates.html


FINDING A JOB – VACANCYSOURCES

If you are looking foremployers who run large-scale graduaterecruitment schemes, youcan find details on sitessuch as:

• Prospectswww.prospects.ac.uk/links/jobs.htm

• TARGET Jobshttp://targetjobs.co.uk

• The Times Top 100 GraduateEmployerswww.top100graduateemployers.com

• Milkround Onlinewww.milkround.co.uk

These are national resources whichchiefly focus on large corporate andpublic sector recruiters. Many ofthese employers will beginrecruiting in September forgraduates to start work the followingautumn, so apply in good time.

If you are interested in working inKent, or other areas outside majorcities, working in media or the arts,or working for a smaller employer,the following may help you:• “I Want to Work In …”www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin.htm – brief introductions to almost100 popular career areas, withuseful links

• Working in Kentwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/kentopps.htm

• Working in Small Businesseswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sme.htm

• The Creative Career Searchwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/CJ.htm

• The Careers and EmployabilityService’s vacancy databasehttp://kent.prospects.ac.ukincludes jobs with all kinds ofemployers (in Kent, nationally andinternationally) plus postgraduatestudentships and research posts.


APPLYING FOR JOBSOUTSIDE ACADEMIA

While your postgraduatestudy or research willhave equipped you with alarge number of the skillsthat employers want forgraduates, if you areapplying for posts outsidethe academic or researchfield you will need toconvince employers of two things:

• that the skills you have gainedcan be useful in a non-academicsetting;

• that you are motivated andenthusiastic about the positionthat you are applying for.

In other words, you not only need to convince prospective employersthat you can do the job, but also that you want to do the job. This isparticularly important for researchpostgraduates who may otherwiserun the risk of being viewed byemployers as “over-qualified” or as “frustrated academics”.

Your CV should therefore be moresimilar to an “undergraduate” CV,using your postgraduate studyalongside work experience andother activities as evidence of theskills and personal qualitiesrequired in that particular position.In general, these CVs will be shorterthan academic CVs – not more thantwo sides of A4 when printed out –and should include:

• A brief outline of your researchor course;

• Work experience – here, any typeof experience may be relevant:part-time and vacation work,voluntary work, work shadowing,etc;

• Extra-curricular activities andinterests – these do not just helpto demonstrate your skills but alsoshow that you have a life outsideyour studies!

• Evidence of skills such as IT,time management, projectmanagement and report writing;

• References. Usually just tworeferences, one academic andone employer or characterreference.

This information may be set out in atraditional, chronological CV formator, as in the following example, in aformat which puts the emphasis onyour skills rather than your careerhistory. Which you choose is up toyou and depends on which formatyou feel is best suited to you and thejob for which you are applying.


Eleanor Estraven121 Darkness Way, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8NETel 01227 764521 Email [email protected]

Career aimA Humanities postgraduate with museum and service sector experience that demonstrates myadaptability, dependability and determination to get a job done as effectively as possible. I amlooking for a graduate management programme which offers me the opportunity to use myorganisational and analytical skills.

Education and qualifications2013-2014 University of KentMA English and American Literature2008-2011 University of WarwickBA English and Drama Upper Second Class Honours2001-2008 Shriftgrethor Technology School, SwanseaA-levels English (A), History (A), French (B)9 GCSEs at grades A-C including English and Mathematics

Skills•� Planning and Organising: as Chair of the Cultural Society I devised and arranged events and

activities for up to 100 people, including film shows, debates and dance workshops.• Analytical Skills: for my MA degree, I completed a 10,000-word dissertation which required

close analysis of the literature of Gertrude Stein, a famously complex writer.• Communication Skills: worked as Campus Tour Guide, promoting the University to student

visitors and their families and answering questions; presented several seminar papers; liaisedwith film distributors as Secretary of the Film Society.

• Teamworking: Played for the University of Kent Women's Rugby team; worked as one of ateam of conference catering staff as a Silver Service waitress.

• Attention to detail: as a Museum Assistant I worked independently to catalogue artefacts anddisplay exhibits and enter their details on databases. Accurate and speedy work was essential.

• Computing: good knowledge of MS Word, Email and Web. 25 wpm typing.• Languages: fluent English and Welsh, intermediate French and German.• Full, clean driving licence

Work experience2010-2012 British Museum, London. Museum Assistant2007-2009 University of Warwick Students’ Union, CoventryPart-time assistant available at short notice for a range of Hospitality and Student Union activities.

ReferencesAvailable on request


INTERVIEWS

The format of these, andthe questions asked, willnaturally vary accordingto the employer and thetype of job but in mostcases will be differentfrom academic interviews.You will usually beinterviewed by one or twopeople rather than a paneland the questions arelikely to focus as much on your skills andcompetencies as on yourstudies and research.

As with academic interviews,thorough preparation is the key to success. This will help you toappear confident at interview(however nervous you feel inside!)and provide evidence of yourmotivation and enthusiasm byshowing that you have taken thetrouble to research the career areaand the employer to which you areapplying.

As part of this preparation, youshould:• Think about why you want the job– what motivates you?

• What you have to offer that willhelp you to do the job – relevantexperience, skills and/orcompetencies;

• Prepare examples thatdemonstrate these skills;

• Anticipate questions that youmight be asked during theinterview.

Demonstrating your motivation and competencies will be doublyimportant if you are applying for aposition that has little or no directrelevance to your studies. Whileemployers may find your academicqualifications impressive some,particularly in smaller organisations,may equally find them intimidating.They may also have concerns aboutthe relevance of these qualifications,your practical and people skills andyour commitment to a careeroutside academia.

A survey of employer attitudes topostgraduate researchers foundthat the following concerns andnegative perceptions were mostoften raised by employers outsideacademia:• Lack of commercial awareness• Difficulty in adapting to theworking culture outside university

• Over-specialisation and lack ofadaptability

• Unrealistic expectations – of, forexample, salary and levels ofresponsibility

While many employers in this surveywere enthusiastic about recruitingPhDs, you should be aware of theseissues (which may even beextended to candidates with taughtMaster’s degrees) and think abouthow you can counter them. Using all aspects of your experience,including part-time work and extra-curricular activities, rather than justfocusing on your studies, is a helpfultactic. Questions about therelevance of your postgraduatedegree, and your reasons for

changing career direction andapplying for a particular position,can easily be seen by the candidateas hostile but are a legitimate wayfor the interviewer to test yourmotivation and enthusiasm, so don’t let yourself get flustered.

The questionsYou can expect to be askedquestions such as:• Why did you choose to take apostgraduate degree?

• What did your course/researchactually involve?

• How might your degree be usefulto us?

• What do you know about thisorganisation?

• Why are you applying for this job?• What do you expect to be doingin this job?

• Apart from your degree, what canyou bring to the job?

• What other jobs have you appliedfor?

• Where do you see yourself in fiveyears’ time?

• You have a Master’s degree –have you thought about carryingon into a PhD?

• You have a PhD – don’t you wantto be a university lecturer?

These questions are designed toassess your motivation – do youwant the job? Other questions willaim to assess your competencies –can you do the job?

Competency-based questions willfollow the format “Give me anexample of a time when you have…”:


INTERVIEWS (CONT)

• had to convince a person orgroup to do something that theywere initially reluctant to do;

• had to analyse detailedinformation to extract theessential points;

• had to manage a heavy workloador a number of conflictingpriorities;

• had to organise your time toachieve a specific aim;

• worked with a group of otherpeople to achieve a commongoal;

• taken a major decision;• succeeded in a challenging taskin difficult circumstances;

• solved a problem in a creativeway;

• acted to improve a process ormake a system work better;

• had to explain something in detailto a person or group who knewlittle about the subject;

• begun a task and then had tochange your approach and dosomething in a different way.

Your studies will have given youmaterial to use in answering manyof these questions, but it is a goodidea to provide a number ofexamples from outside academia as well – this will reassure theinterviewer that you have experiencebeyond university and have gainedskills from “real life” as well as fromstudy and research.

For more advice on competency-based interviews, and furtherexample questions, seewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/compet/skillquest.htm

Useful sources ofinformation and help• Careers and EmployabilityService web pages on interviews:www.kent.ac.uk/careers/intervw.htm. These include hints on thequestions you might be asked,and how to handle them,questions you might ask theinterviewer and advice onpreparing for interview.

• The Careers and EmployabilityService booklet, “InterviewSkills”, covers the same topics ina handy pocket-sized booklet.Pick up a copy from the Careersand Employability Servicebuilding.

• We have a DVD, “Why ask meThat?”, which gives an insightinto the interviewer’s mind andwhat s/he is looking for incandidates.

• The CES runs regular talks andworkshops to give advice oninterview preparation and thechance to practise your interviewskills – see our events pageswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/casevents.htm for details.

• The Vitae website gives adviceon interviews generally as well asacademic interviewswww.vitae.ac.uk

• If you have an interview comingup you are welcome to talk to acareers adviser about it: we cango through your application withyou and suggest questions thatyou may expect to come up.


THE CREATIVE CAREER SEARCH

The creative career searchdiffers from conventionaljobhunting in that itinvolves a creative, activeapproach rather thanbeing passive andreactive.

Most jobs are never advertised –one source put the figure ofunadvertised jobs at 80%. Thereforeinstead of just waiting for a vacancyto appear, you need to make anactive search. A key element of thecreative career search is networking– building up a network of peoplewho can help you in your jobsearch. This help may be veryrelaxed and informal, such as justchatting to people about their work,their current research or even aspare-time interest that they sharewith you, or it may develop intosomething further such asmentoring or work-shadowing.

Conferences are a good place fornetworking and you should be sureto attend these or other meetingswhenever possible to get to knowother people working in your field.This networking may be both formaland informal but you may also beable to use the opportunity to try tofind out what opportunities areavailable and to get to know peoplewho may be able to put in a goodword for you when appropriate.

You should also join any academicor professional societies that relateto your area of study, research orcareer interest. A directory ofsubject associations and learnedsocieties in humanities and socialsciences can be found on the BritishAcademy websitewww.britac.ac.uk/links/uksahssSections.asp?Section=H12

Your tutor or supervisor is likely to be another useful source ofprofessional contacts – academicswill know who else is working in thisfield and may know them personally– but all kinds of people maypotentially be able to help you. Youcan also use the University of KentAlumni Careers Network – seebelow.

There are specialised academicnetworking sites – seewww.kent.ac.uk/library/research/collaboration/index.html?tab=academic-networking for a list.

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com, abusiness-oriented social networkingsite (which includes a group for Kentalumni), may also be useful.

Pick up our booklet “The CreativeCareer Search” or see our CreativeJob-Hunting page atwww.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/CJ.htmfor more information.

The Alumni CareersNetworkThis is a network of University ofKent graduates working in a widevariety of careers who have offeredto give advice and help to currentUniversity of Kent students whowish to enter their career area.

These graduates offer one or moreof the following:• Work shadowing: where youspend a day with the personobserving a typical day's work.

• Information Interviews: a chancefor you to ask the personquestions about what their jobinvolves and gain advice and tips.

• Advice by letter, phone or email

This network can be especiallyhelpful if you are trying to gatherinformation about a career areaoutside academia, or one that iscompletely new to you.

For further information about theAlumni Careers Network, and howyou can make use of it, seewww.kent.ac.uk/ces/files/careers-network.html


FURTHER STUDY

Having taken your studiesto Master’s level, andsuccessfully completed a research project ordissertation, may havefired you with the desireto continue onto an MPhilor PhD. You should seek advice from yourdissertation supervisor on this option and yoursuitability for it.

Studying for a degree based entirelyon independent research is quite adifferent experience from following ataught Master’s course and self-

motivation and determination arejust as important as academicability in achieving success.

Finance is another important issueto consider: although funding fromthe research councils and fromindividual universities is targeted on research, rather than taught,postgraduate students, this does notmean that such funding will be easyto obtain! In addition, the closingdate for funding applications isusually at the end of April, meaningthat these applications need to bemade before you start work on yourdissertation.

As well as further academic study,you may wish to consider study forprofessional or vocationalqualifications. In some careers, such as teaching or law, these willbe essential, even for Master’sgraduates. In others, such asjournalism or marketing, suchqualifications are not essential butmay be helpful in a competitive job market. Employers in somecareer sectors may pay for thesequalifications, in which case you willusually study for them on a part-timebasis while working for thatemployer.


INTERNATIONALSTUDENTS

Since almost one-third offull-time postgraduatestudents are fromoverseas, this page gives abrief overview of issues ofconcern to this group.

Our leaflet for international students,available from the Careers andEmployability Service, and our webpages www.kent.ac.uk/careers/InternationalStudents.htm will givemore detailed advice and refer youto authoritative sources of help andinformation.

Staying in the UK to workIf you are completing a PhD, youmay be able to apply to stay in theUK for a further 12 months beyondthe end of your studies through theDoctorate Extension Scheme (DES).This is designed to help newly-qualified PhDs to find skilled work,set up as an entrepreneur or gainfurther experience in their chosenfield, with the University acting astheir sponsor. For further details, andhow to apply, see www.kent.ac.uk/student-records/students/des.html

Alternatively, PhDs and other newpostgraduates can apply forpermission to work under the Tier 2(General) scheme. Applicants forthis scheme must meet pointsrequirements, have a job offer froman employer that is a licensedsponsor and must be paid aminimum salary (£20,300 in 2013).

Employers are also required to meet a number of conditions beforethey can sponsor internationalgraduates: for this reason, manyemployers state that they are onlyable to accept applicants who areentitled to work in the UK withoutany restrictions.

For full details of schemes andeligibility, see the UK Border Agency websitewww.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/tier2/general

The issue of eligibility to work in theUK is complex and you are advisedto seek advice from an authoritativesource such as one of those listedat www.kent.ac.uk/careers/InternationalStudents.htm

Work and study abroadYou may wish to return to your homecountry, work in another country orto continue with postgraduate studyat another overseas university. If youwish to work or study in anothercountry, especially one that you do not already know well, you willneed to investigate the applicationprocedures and any visarequirements – start to do this early!The USA, for example, is always a popular destination for furtherpostgraduate study, but you shouldstart to plan at least eighteenmonths before you graduate andmake applications at the beginningof your final year of postgraduatestudy here.

Our web site www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm#PGAbroad links to general sites for studyoverseas, and to postgraduatestudy sites covering Europe,Commonwealth countries, the USA and other countries.


WHAT DOES THE CES OFFERPOSTGRADUATE STUDENTS?

Postgraduate studentsand researchers canaccess all of the generalfacilities and servicesoffered by the CES, suchas:

Careers advice• A drop-in advice serviceavailable every day forpreliminary careers advice, helpwith CVs and application formsand to answer quick queries

• Individual guidance interviews to provide in-depth advice andhelp with your career choice and planning

• A programme of talks andworkshops on a variety of topics,open to all interested students

Careers information• An extensive websitewww.kent.ac.uk/ces

• Booklets to help with careerplanning and preparation

• Information for special-interestgroups such as internationalstudents

• Links with Kent alumni throughthe Alumni Careers Network (see p23)

Employer information• Employer directories, such asPROSPECTS and TARGET Jobs,outlining major employersrecruiting graduates

• Vacancy database of jobs,internships and researchopportunities

• DVDs, books and CD-ROMs tohelp with applications, interviewsand psychometric tests

• Employer presentations • Annual Careers Fair

Services specifically forpostgraduatesWe also offer:• Dedicated web pages forpostgraduates and contractresearcherswww.kent.ac.uk/careers/PDWPgrad.htm

• Information on the destinations of previous students in yoursubject areawww.kent.ac.uk/careers/degreein.htm

• Advice on applications foracademic or research posts

Services specifically foryouSince all postgraduates areindividuals, and the structure andnature of their postgraduate studyalso varies widely, web-based andprint resources can only be ofpartial help in making careerdecisions and putting them intopractice. We hope that this bookletwill be a useful starting point for allpostgraduates in their careerplanning, but do follow it up bymaking use of the one-to-oneinformation, advice and guidancethat the Careers and EmployabilityService can offer you from an earlystage of your degree. It is not agood idea to put off any thoughtsabout careers until the day that youhand in your thesis or dissertation!


LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Vitae www.vitae.ac.uk – a nationalorganisation supporting thepersonal, professional and careerdevelopment of doctoralresearchers and research staff inhigher education institutions andresearch institutes. The siteincludes a great deal of usefulinformation for postgraduates.

• Beyond the PhDwww.beyondthephd.co.uk Artsand humanities PhDs describetheir experience, their currentwork in a range of academic andnon-academic careers and howtheir PhD has equipped them fortheir role.

• Social Science Spacewww.socialsciencespace.com/category/early-career. A resource forsocial scientists with pages ofadvice for those at the start oftheir career.

• Science and TechnologyFacilities Council – survey of thecareer paths of PhD graduates inphysics and related subjects.www.stfc.ac.uk/Funding%20and%20Grants/18313.aspx

• Postgraduate Careers Blog fromthe University of Manchesterhttp://manchesterpgcareers.wordpress.com – careers news,comments, vacancies anddeadline alerts for postgraduates.

• Career Resources forResearchers from the Universityof East Angliawww.uea.ac.uk/careers/researchers Includes links to professionaland funding bodies in a widerange of fields; vacancy sourcesand recruitment agenciesrelevant to research students.

• Research is Coolwww.researchiscool.comRecruitment and socialnetworking site for researchers atall stages of their careerincluding vacancies for researchassistant jobs, postdoctoralpositions, postgraduatestudentships and careers advice.

• Shinton Consultinghttp://shintonconsulting.comProvides careers advice,information and professionaldevelopment training to scientists,academic researchers, researchstudents and academic staff.Their website carries advice,profiles, case studies, informationabout careers in academia andbeyond, plus links.

• LinkedIn group for PhDs seekingcareer opportunities outside ofacademia http://bit.ly/bqTOlj

• PhD Comicswww.phdcomics.com – comicstrip charting the “ongoingchronicle of life (or the lackthereof) in graduate school”.Many a true word is spoken injest!

VISIT USONLINE

The Careers and Employability ServiceUniversity of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7ND T: +44 (0)1227 823299 E: [email protected] www.kent.ac.uk/ces

www.kent.ac.uk/ces

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