Careers Advice for Research staff

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?

The continuing demand for specialist career development and career management support from the Lancaster research community.

The adviser works closely with members of the HR team to ensure that provision dovetails into institutional strategy & approaches (such as induction procedures and the Performance Development Review approach).

There are three types of workshop offered, plus individual one-to-one careers advice & guidance interviews.

The aims and expected outcomes of the provision are multitude, around helping Researchers to:

• Plan their career development more effectively

• Know what development opportunities are available for research staff and how to access them

• Articulate academic esteem factors and career progression in academia

• Understand and analyse the professional characteristics of successful academics

• Develop a personal marketing plan to maximise impact within the academic sector

• Demonstrate an appreciation of their wider career options outside of academia

• Identify sources where vacancies are advertised

• Develop a job search strategy

• Self-evaluate their suitability for a variety of job vacancies prior to application

• Describe how they might review their skills and experience in order to re-present for different sectors

• Understand the job market and recruitment processes

• Describe what makes a good job application

• Tailor their CV to a variety of relevant job vacancies

• Write an effective job application

• Understand the aims of the interview process from a recruiter’s perspective

• Describe how to research, prepare and practice for an interview

• Feel more confident when attending an interview

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

How many participate in each 'activity'?

None

Single client in 1:1 careers guidance interviews

Around 6 - 10 in any one workshop.

How do you monitor effectiveness?

Who do you seek feedback from?

Do you have benchmarks?

The benefits tend to be in helping Researchers better manage their careers, take responsibility for their development and increase their employability. Though the benefits are mostly observed on an individual scale, ultimately all institutions and organisations employing Researchers will benefit from the corresponding uplift in skills & competence.

Promoting and delivering the service to a constantly shifting population is the main challenge.trying to use every communication channel at our disposal is one of the methods to try and manage this challenge.

Sustaining the provision is the current main focus for the future (both from the perspective of financial resources and also from the perspective of securing viable numbers of Researchers participating in the provision), as well as long-term cultivation of a culture of support and development for Researchers across the institution.