The Doctoral School coordinates a number of professional development activities and events, which provide for all skill and experience levels, and are often presented within a discipline context. Examples of opportunities that are offered throughout the year include:
- technical skills: SPSS, LaTeX, UNIX, Matlab, Emacs, STATA, EndNote, NVivo, Dreamweaver, MS Office programmes
- engagement skills: measuring research impact and bibliometrics, preparing a paper for publication, poster presentations, science journalism, presenting at conferences, public engagement, presentation design, peer review, getting published, media skills, personal webpages, communicating research to non-specialists
- researcher skills: literature review, writing retreats, writing your thesis, preparing for your final year and your viva, becoming an effective researcher, getting research funded, research ethics and integrity
- professional skills: managing professional relationships, personal effectiveness, project management, career management, bringing creativity to your career, managing your professional development, time management, applications and CVs.
Angelos's student perspective
‘When I first started my PhD, the only thing I had in my mind was my thesis and I didn't appreciate that, in order to succeed in an academic career, I had to think beyond the confines of the library. All this changed when I attended professional development courses organised by the Careers and Employability Centre, such as Profolio, which offers career development workshops and the web-based Professional Researcher Portfolio for postgraduate researchers. I also benefited from one-to-one sessions with the Centre's careers and employability advisors, who gave me tips for improving my CV, as well as job application and interview advice.
'With the help of the Careers and Employability Centre, I came to understand that the changes in the academic landscape demand that future researchers develop a number of professional skills, such as networking, adaptability, continuing professional development and the ability to articulate the social impact of one's research. With this in mind, I believe the courses and guidance offered by CEC are a must for all research students, irrespective of subject area.’
Angelos Koutsourakis
PhD in English