Postgraduate Career Symposium for students in Medicine Biological Sciences and Psychology

What is the rationale for doing this?

How does it fit with institutional strategy?

What are the main features of the provision?

What are the aims and expected outcomes?

This annual event enables PhD researchers to update their knowledge of current trends in the sectors of the employment market they are targeting.  Thus it enables effective career management planning and skill development through:

-  workshop activities, focussing on areas including how to make an effective job application, with practise and feedback exercises enabling participants to hone their skills in the application process;

- attending presentations from a range of professionals;, examples include speakers from British Antarctic Survey, Pharmaceutical companies BBC and successful academics.

The event also includes a networking lunch with speakers, providing an opportunity to meet and engage with successful professionals who would otherwise be extremely difficult for the PhD researcher to access.

To enable PhD researchers to have a realistic view of the career opportunities available to them post graduation. 

To enable PhD students to have the most up-to-date knowledge about progressing successfully in a career in their chosen field.

To hear presentations from, and meet with, successful role models in their professional area.

To provide key skills for job hunting and career development.

To provide access to recruitment opportunities and routes to recruitment.

Are there any pre-requisites for engagement, e.g. levels of skill, years of experience, essential pre-activities?

How many participate in each 'activity'?

This event is open to all PhD students within the college at which it is targeted.  If further places are available then PhD researchers from other colleges are welcomed.  Some post-doctoral researchers also attend and Masters Students with a specific interest, such as when we had a speaker from Microsoft.

How do you monitor effectiveness?

Who do you seek feedback from?

Do you have benchmarks?

Benefits are increasing participants:

- knowledge, through the content of presentations, and exhibition materials;

- skills, through workshops on areas such as how to get a job, how to be enterprising, and how to win research grants;

- networks, through meeting influential speakers in their professional area and through mingling with colleagues and exhibitors with expertise in areas such as recruitment.

The primary challenge is enabling PhD researchers who are focussed on their research to realise the importance of preparation for the world of professional employment.

The Career Management Skills Developer is developing strong links with each department within the University to build PhD researchers awareness of these events and their importance for future career development.

This provision evolves constantly with the range of presentations and workshops growing in response to feedback on each previous event.