| Three Days To Find My Future |
| Sunday, 08 May 2005 | |
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We PhD researchers may be well-trained experts in our own discipline, but we lack the ability to critically assess ourselves and step back from our research problems. In the middle of a career crisis, I seized the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC’s) offer to pay for a GRADschool course, and chose three very intensive days at Durham University . Constructing the perfect ‘widget’ from coat hangers and silver foil may be reminiscent of Blue Peter, but it identified our skills and weaknesses. Although they are buzzwords on a CV, in reality the following traits are vital to complete even trivial tasks: commitment, negotiation, time management, flexibility, enthusiasm… the list goes on.We also covered the tangible aspects of career progression, such as CVs and interviews, while other ‘games’ targeted the public and private sectors, the promotion process of academia and the business aspects of the not-for-profit sector. What was the outcome? I write this content in the knowledge I have secured a job. Personally I think it has more to do with the rewriting of my CV and the fact that I made my interview mistakes in front of eight GRADschool colleagues instead of my future employers, not to mention the motivation and self belief I returned home with. If you’re looking for advice on careers or managing your research, the UK GRAD website is the place to browse ( www.grad.ac.uk ). Not only does it cover the essentials, but in moments of despair and soul-searching, it can provide reassurance and a much needed ego boost. So thank you UK GRAD and the RSC: I found out lots about myself, most importantly that I’m a unique individual. Davina E. Stevenson is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry, and was commissioned to write this article by the UK GRAD programme |
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