Dear PGR Students

The PhD Beyond the Academy: Rethinking Career Pathways

• Are you considering a career outside academia? 
• Would you value the opportunity of engaging with business, industry and recruitment specialists? 
• Would you enjoy working with a small cohort of similarly motivated PGRs, learning how to match your unique skills to job sectors and opportunities inside and outside your specialist fields of knowledge? 

If the answer is yes to these questions, please take a look at the information and application procedure below. 

Course overview

Once considered as an ‘alternative career path’, the non-academic career is increasingly seen as a realistic and attractive option for PGRs. In this innovative programme, participants will explore opportunities for building non-academic careers and reflect on the knowledge, skills and experience they can bring to non-HE sectors/careers. The programme will run for five weeks beginning 5 June 2019.

The primary methods for engaging participants will be interactive seminars and workshops. There will also be guest presentations by externals (e.g. employers, some of them currently recruiting, as well as recruitment specialists and University of Manchester alumni) and by Careers Service officers of the University. There will also be opportunities to learn from former PGRs now working in non-academic sectors and find out about their experience of making the transition, either after their PhDs, or at a later stage in life. 

Each session will contain a practical element, in which students carry out a number of ‘real life’ tasks, including: conducting a search for relevant job opportunities; writing non-academic CVs; filling in application forms with covering letters and preparing for an interview/ presenting an interview question. 

The programme also offers an introduction to opportunities and essential knowledge for freelance and business start-up, including not-for-profit, cooperative and social enterprise models. 

Special features

This programme is limited to 25 PGRs in the Faculty of Humanities and NWCDTP, applying through an open call followed by a selection process designed to determine the suitability of the programme to participants’ needs and level of participant commitment. Sessions are cumulative and designed to build practical knowledge and experience of the non HE-sector. For their benefit and for the success of the programme we expect all participants to attend all sessions. See attached for dates and details of the sessions.

• Further Information

Applications 

Please include the following:

• Name and contact details; Area of research; supervisors’ names and departments.
• A brief statement of interest (no more than 200 words) setting out your interest in building a career outside academia and how you feel you might benefit from this course. Please confirm that you are prepared to commit to all the dates detailed below in the programme of sessions and that you have your supervisors’ support.  Please include a brief CV (2 pages maximum)

• Please send to Sarah Feinstein, Course Co-coordinator at sarah.feinstein@manchester.ac.uk

• Deadline for applications noon Wednesday 15 May 2019

• Confirmation of selection Monday, 20 May 2019

For further information please contact Sarah Feinstein, Course Co-coordinator at sarah.feinstein@manchester.ac.uk

Related

Dear PGR Students

The PhD Beyond the Academy: Rethinking Career Pathways

• Are you considering a career outside academia?
• Would you value the opportunity of engaging with business, industry and recruitment specialists?
• Would you enjoy working with a small cohort of similarly motivated PGRs, learning how to match your unique skills to job sectors and opportunities inside and outside your specialist fields of knowledge?

If the answer is yes to these questions, please take a look at the information and application procedure below.

Course overview

Once considered as an ‘alternative career path’, the non-academic career is increasingly seen as a realistic and attractive option for PGRs. In this innovative programme, participants will explore opportunities for building non-academic careers and reflect on the knowledge, skills and experience they can bring to non-HE sectors/careers. The programme will run for five weeks beginning 5 June 2019.

The primary methods for engaging participants will be interactive seminars and workshops. There will also be guest presentations by externals (e.g. employers, some of them currently recruiting, as well as recruitment specialists and University of Manchester alumni) and by Careers Service officers of the University. There will also be opportunities to learn from former PGRs now working in non-academic sectors and find out about their experience of making the transition, either after their PhDs, or at a later stage in life.

Each session will contain a practical element, in which students carry out a number of ‘real life’ tasks, including: conducting a search for relevant job opportunities; writing non-academic CVs; filling in application forms with covering letters and preparing for an interview/ presenting an interview question.

The programme also offers an introduction to opportunities and essential knowledge for freelance and business start-up, including not-for-profit, cooperative and social enterprise models.

Special features

This programme is limited to 25 PGRs in the Faculty of Humanities and NWCDTP, applying through an open call followed by a selection process designed to determine the suitability of the programme to participants’ needs and level of participant commitment. Sessions are cumulative and designed to build practical knowledge and experience of the non HE-sector. For their benefit and for the success of the programme we expect all participants to attend all sessions. See attached for dates and details of the sessions.

Further Information

Applications

Please include the following:

• Name and contact details; Area of research; supervisors’ names and departments.
• A brief statement of interest (no more than 200 words) setting out your interest in building a career outside academia and how you feel you might benefit from this course. Please confirm that you are prepared to commit to all the dates detailed below in the programme of sessions and that you have your supervisors’ support.  Please include a brief CV (2 pages maximum)

• Please send to Sarah Feinstein, Course Co-coordinator at sarah.feinstein@manchester.ac.uk

• Deadline for applications noon Wednesday 15 May 2019

• Confirmation of selection Monday, 20 May 2019

For further information please contact Sarah Feinstein, Course Co-coordinator at sarah.feinstein@manchester.ac.uk

Related