Introduction to
Swansea Employability
Academy
Gareth Hill
Careers Adviser
g.d.hill@swansea.ac.uk
Where are the Swansea Employability
Academy Team based ?
Singleton Park
Campus
Information and Library
Services building
Bay Campus
Bay Library
How to contact Careers
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Open throughout the year – not just term time
9 am - 5 pm Monday –Friday (10 am Tuesday)
Appointments:
1. call 01792 513266
2. book on line at the link below
3. or call in person
http://www.swan.ac.uk/careers/AdviceAppointments/
https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/employability/advice-by-email/
My Uni – Website Resources
 https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/
 https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/download-ourleaflets/
 https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/employer-videos/
Other Useful websites
 http://www.jobs.ac.uk/
 https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researcher-careers/pursuingan-academic-career/applying-for-academic-jobs
Your next step….
 What are your options?
Career Decision Making…
Review Goals
Goal Achieved
Where are the jobs?
How do I apply?
How do I prepare for interview?
Take Action
Think about yourself…
What can you offer?
What do you want from a job?
Using your subject?
Academic careers
Non-academic careers
Developing my career overseas
Teaching experience?
Academic conferences?
Focussing on your individual area?
Making a decision
Explore Options
Gaining Experience
Discuss ideas with a
Careers Adviser / Supervisor
Developing yourself How to identify your skills…
Your personal
qualities
The aspects
you are good
at
Things you
love to do
Your specific
work
experience
You
Organisations
you would
like to work
for
Profiling for Success…
Profiling for Success is an online self assessment tool. It
allows you the chance to evaluate yourself and consider
your values, personality type and what way you learn /
work best -
www.profilingforsuccess.com/take-an-assessment.php
Client Code – tflhe
Access Code – Swansea
Password – swansea050912
Labour Market Information...
90,000 studying for
doctoral degrees
40,000 people
employed as
researchers
High level technical
skills
Evidence of
communication,
project management,
team working
50% of doctoral
graduates work
outside the education
sector
www.vitae.ac.uk
Home / Policy and Practice / Publications / Researchers’ Skills and Competencies
What do employers look for?
Commitment &
Drive
Motivation &
Enthusiasm
Teamworking
Oral
Communication
Flexibility &
Adaptability
Customer
Focus
Planning &
Organisation
Time
Management
Cultural
sensitivity
Computer
Literacy
Report Writing
www.vitae.ac.uk
Home / Researchers / Career opportunities outside higher education / What employers look for
What do employers look for?
Skills recruiters have difficulty in finding
Problem
Solving
Managing
Learning &
Career
Commercial
Awareness
Leadership
Project
Management
Risk Taking &
Enterprise
How to gain the skills you need…
Commercial
Awareness
Team Work
Communication
Skills
Becoming more involved
in financial issues such
as grant applications
Organising a team
workshop
Networking with
colleagues – internal and
external
Regularly reading
business pages on news
apps or Financial Times
Joining a relevant
working group
Volunteering for tutoring
or teaching
responsibilities
Raising money or
keeping accounts for a
local charity
Setting up a support
group for colleagues
Representing your
department on a
committee
14
Broadening your horizons
•Postdoc
•Research Fellow
•Teaching Fellow
•Lectureship
•Research Associate
Narrow horizon
Known & safe, but
not secure
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Administration Roles
Research Grant
Facilitator
Grant Advisor
Public Engagement
Broader
But still university
based
Information from Dr Tracy Bussoli – Exploring
Careers Outside Academia
•Research Institute
•Charity
•Consultancy
•Independent
Consultancy
•Policy Advisor
•Financial analyst
•Teaching schools/college
•Publishing books/journals
•Project Management
•Journalism
•Management Consultant
•Own business
•Any graduate job
•Marketing
•Accountancy
Research
Transferring research
to another setting
Using knowledge &
understanding but
not research
Using transferable
skills rather than
specific knowledge
How will I source vacancies and
opportunities?
Networking
Linked In &
Social Media
Short term
visits
Advertised
vacancies
Useful
websites
Useful Information...
www.academiccareer.manchester.ac.uk
• Lots of useful resources including case studies, finding jobs, making
applications and interviews & assessments.
www.vitae.ac.uk
• The first port of call for all academic staff and PhD students.
• Information regarding careers, courses and the Researcher Development
Framework.
www.prospects.ac.uk
• General information on career ideas and areas.
• Visit the postgraduate section for more specific information.
www.beyondthephd.co.uk
• Originally developed as a resources for Arts & Humanities postdoctural
researchers, but has now branched out
• Lots of useful career profiles
Vacancy hunting...
www.researchfinder.com
• General website with research related positions
• Covering national and international vacancies
Guardian.jobs
• General positions in all aspects of research
www.researchresearch.com
• General information with details of research
vacancies inside and outside of academia
Opportunities for Phd students
• Research fellowships:Royal Society, EPSRC, Royal Academy of Engineering, Leverhulme Trust
https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/fellows/
http://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/international-research-andcollaborations/newton-fund-programmes
https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/jspspostdoctoral
https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/funding/grant-schemes/early-careerfellowships
Working with Industry
 Schemes to develop impact with industry after your Phd
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/nrn-aem/
https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/news/impactacceler
ationaccounts/
https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/mathsktn/funding
http://www.astutewales.com/en/
Professional Institutions
 Professional Engineering institution websites have advice on
how your current Phd/EngD may be seen as part of work to
wards becoming a chartered engineer
http://aerosociety.com
https://www.ice.org.uk
http://www.imeche.org
http://www.theiet.org
Any Questions...
How to contact Careers
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Open throughout the year – not just term time
9 am - 5 pm Monday –Friday (10 am Tuesday)
Appointments:
1. call 01792 513266
2. book on line at the link below
3. or call in person
http://www.swan.ac.uk/careers/AdviceAppointments/
https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/employability/advice-by-email/