After your PhD..

After your PhD.. For many PhD graduates the realisation that, after all, an academic career  may not be the right thing, can come as a surprise and raise some fundamental questions: What career do I want? What options have I got? How do I convince a potential employer that I have something to offer outside of my area of expertise? Making a career decision…     The rewards and challenges that motivated you to undertake doctoral research are also available in non-academic sectors. Increasing your self-awareness will help you to make sense of these options. If you were, for example, inspired by collecting, critically analysing and interpreting data during your research, then a career in data analytics, operational research or software engineering may appeal. If you excelled at conferences and enjoyed engaging with and influencing an audience as you presented a paper, a career utilising your communication and presentation skills in consultancy, marketing  or public relations may ideally suit you/meet your requirements. Understanding what motivates you, your skills and values, as well as the opportunities that exist in the graduate  and post graduate labour market is a good starting point. What options have I got? The short and not particularly helpful answer is, a lot! There are recruiters in quantitative finance, for example, that specifically target PhD graduates for the unique skill set and expertise that  you can bring. You could start your career in a graduate programme. Although this may feel like a step backwards, there is evidence that  PhD recruits progress through a graduate scheme more quickly than other candidates. The good news is, that far from the stereotypical view of the PhD graduate as an academically institutionalised ‘lone wolf’, research commissioned by CFE Research (‘PhD Career impact and Career Tracking Survey’) indicates that doctoral graduates are considered ‘business critical’ by many employers. The research found that employees with a PhD can make a creative impact in the workplace which influences their co-workers and that they are also high achievers and innovators.  There can often be a significant salary premium and greater security of employment enj oyed by doctoral graduates, compared to their  contempories with a first degree or equivalent qualification. How do I market sell myself to a non-academic employer? This will require a different mind-set and approach. Remember that you will be submitting an application to an employer who may have no understanding of your area of expertise, or of how his or her business might benefit from your subject knowledge. You may not be asked about the nature of your research in an interview and indeed you may find it difficult to explain it to a non-specialist. The employer may, however, value your skill set. How you articulate the transferability of the project management, analytical, problem-solving, communication and research skills that you have developed and enhanced to a high level during your research will determine the success of your application. Danielle Deveau argues that: “Translating your skills for a non-academic audience is key to your success in the private sector job market. You cannot simply list intellectual accomplishments and knowledge sets and expect the individual reviewing your resume to equate these abstract skills with the more applied work that they often require.” (‘Articulating academic experience for the non-academic workplace’, 2013) The importance of highlighting the transferability and relevance of the skills you have demonstrated in your academic career, to the specific role applied for, is emphasised by Chris Humphrey in his ‘Jobs on Toast’ blog where he describes this process as “The ability to present yourself and your capabilities in a language that your prospective employer can understand and relate to.” Consider how your experience as a researcher can evidence the skills  and attributes an employer requires. If you had a difficult relationship with your supervisor or other researchers you may have collaborated with during your research, you can demonstrate effective negotiation skills. Successfully organising an academic conference could highlight the planning, organisational skills and attention to detail an events management company would look for. Completing your PhD is testament to your ability to work on your own initiative with little supervision and to deliver a project on time â€" a skill set arguably of value to all employers across every sector. Making the transition from academia to employment â€" some tips… You may have never experienced a work environment other than academia. Try gaining experience through work shadowing, volunteering, part-time work  or extra-curricular activities. This will evidence your skills in a non-academic environment to any future employer as well as informing your thinking about the type of career you want. Highlight your expertise to employers present yourself as an effective project manager, an analyst, an innovative and creative problem-solver. Change the emphasis of your CV and cover letters â€" remember that you are not making an application for a post-doc and an employer may not understand the relevance of your research and publications record. Evidence the particular skills that the employer requires as described in the person specification. Use the networking skills you have displayed at conferences and with your academic peers to find out more about job roles and to discover potential opportunities. Your intellect alone will not be a sufficient reason for an employer to make you an offer. You have to describe your academic career in a convincing way that demonstrates your potential and suitability â€" take the opportunity to have a mock interview to practise ‘telling your story’.        

Heres Why Lateral Career Growth is Not So Bad

Here's Why Lateral Career Growth is Not So Bad Lateral movement is an alternative strategy of promoting career growth and personal development among employees in your organization. Instead of giving rigid, constricted role assignments to team members, there is freedom for everyone to do more than what their job title says.Also known as horizontal growth, it aims to defy conventional standards of promotion in a vertical mode. In the former, an employee has the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in multiple areas, whereas in the latter, the focus of the employee is to master a particular role, and eventually, set sight on the next most coveted position in the organization.In essence, the value of lateral or horizontal growth is on the exposure or experience, which may be in the form of a special assignment, attending relevant seminars, or enrolling in professional or short courses, among many other options. By contrast, vertical growth is more about developing one’s expertise.evalInterestingly, both you and your employees s tand to benefit from a lateral growth POV. Here’s why:1. Employees become empowered professionally.In the lateral growth organizational setup, employees can assume other responsibilities outside of their department. To fulfill such responsibilities means that they expand their competencies and become a point person with colleagues from other teams, as well as clients.While tech-savvy programmers deal with codes day in and day out, they may grow laterally by coordinating more with your company’s front-liners such as the marketing, sales, or customer service people to gather feedback on how a specific program needs to be tweaked.You could even involve your software programmers or engineers in after-sales functions through client visits. Make sure you prepare them for this eventuality by sending them to personal development seminars to help them hone their communication and interpersonal skills beforehand.2. Teamwork is nurturedAs you give employees additional roles that go beyond their usual scope, they get to work with other members within or outside their own team. Collaborative learning results in the processâ€"helping the company achieve its goals of streamlining inter- or intra-departmental processes. Not to mention, raising the level of productivity among employees.evalYou also cannot underestimate the bond that is formed as teams or employees grow with one another and own up a particular assignment or project.3. Employees have a better chance at their tenureevalWhile having credentials like finishing MBA programs or business courses help raise an employee’s qualifications at work, there’s nothing more tangible than demonstrating the ability to handle special projects as part of an employee’s journey to lateral growth.Management is always on the lookout for employees who can be real assets to the business, so although no employee is said to be indispensable in a company, those who show potential for lateral growth will be harder to let go of.Alth ough the monetary gains of lateral growth may not be that attractive for employees, the long-term benefits of tenure can very well compensate just the same.4. Companies can have more leeway during tough timesevalPromotions and staff hiring are the first ones that usually take a backseat on days when business is not doing so well. At this time, companies can leverage the lateral growth approach to tide themselves over until business prospects improve.It may eventually be an eye opener for companies to incorporate lateral growth strategies into their organizational structure, giving the company a new lease on life, so to speak.5. The corporate culture evolves more dynamicallyIn today’s highly creative and competitive business space, innovation can take your company to greater heights. While a number of companies have had success in keeping a traditional hierarchal type of organization, others are also starting to see the wisdom behind moving away from this norm for good reasons.Empl oyees are seizing the opportunity to learn and grow, and the company is continuously discovering a new way of doing things for everyone’s benefit.The concept of lateral career growth is perfectly suitable for those who refuse to think and do as everyone else. It’s a bold, courageous, and out-of-the-ordinary move, all right, but it’s one that sets the most flexible and well-rounded professionals and organizations apart from the rest of the crowd.

Top Careers for a People Person - CareerAlley

Top Careers for a People Person - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Not everyone has a knack or a passion for being able to work with and help other people. If youre one of the lucky ones that possess both of these attributes, its a good idea to try and incorporate your caring and social skills into your work life as doing so could prevent you from going down a career path that will lead to misery and possibly failure. Ive given the subject quite some thought and below Ive listed the top careers that are absolutely ideal for a peoples person. Lets take a look: Suggested Reading:Hospitality Career Opportunities: Learn Secrets to Get Jobs in Hotel, Restaurant Cruise Industry The Hospitality Sector The hospitality industry is hospitable by nature and it requires a certain attitude and skills to succeed in it. With interaction and communication being key fundamentals in the travel, tourism and event-planning sector, its an industry thats ideally suited to those that relish in the fact of having to deal with other people on a daily basis. Entrepreneurship Although it requires many other qualities in addition to social skills, running a business is said to be one of the best careers for an articulate and organized person whose passion it is to work with people. Aspects of entrepreneurship include providing an exceptional service and/or product to customers and working with business suppliers and partners to effectively run the business both of which are ideal situations for a peoples person. Having said this, its important to get the balance just right and once a business starts to scale, its important for entrepreneurs to take a step back and use services let the likes of www.ciphr.com take over the management of human resources. The Healthcare Industry With communication and empathy being two of the necessary employee personality traits, employment in the healthcare industry allows for the effective use of social skills. And with this being a sector that is necessary regardless of the state of the economy, its easy to see why so many people aim to secure employment in this area. Sales and Marketing This is one particular area where those that do not possess any social skills can really struggle. The success that can be achieved in sales and marketing based careers ultimately depends on how well a person can connect and network with their co-workers and members of the public too. Whats deemed to be an idealistic career for social butterflies, sales and marketing can be a very lucrative career choice for those that have the skills that are needed to succeed. Public Relations Those that work in public relations must demonstrate a mastery of the skills of negotiation, relationship building and customer service. All of the skills that have just been mentioned come naturally to a peoples person making PR a very enjoyable and somewhat easy job to do for someone of this personality type. Having read the above, I think youll agree that not everyone is suited to a career that involves the need for the ability to empathize and work effectively with other people. With so many opportunities being available in the entrepreneurship, healthcare, hospitality, PR and sales and marketing industry, some would say that its easy for people persons to find a job thats both financially and personally rewarding. Career Tip of the Day:Leveraging Social Media in Your Job Search We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Being Your Best - Hallie Crawford

Being Your Best I once worked for a Managing Partner at one of the Big 4 consulting firms.  He was a great speaker and in one of his speeches he told us that he looked in the mirror every day and asked Have I Been the Best I Could Be Today?  That simple, but loaded question has stayed with me to this day.  It begs the question though of what is your definition of best.  Here are ten questions to ponder:    What are your values your moral compass?  Have you honored them today?    What are your strengths did you use them today?    Have you pushed yourself outside your comfort zone by learning something new?    Have you helped another person learn and grow?    Did you connect with someone today just to further build your relationship with them?    Did you accomplish a goal today?    Did you take time to nourish yourself physical, mental, emotional?    Did you show empathy for someone today?    Did you laugh? Were you able to feel a sense of accomplishment? Being your best each day is a great motivation for embracing the world and giving it a gift which is you.  Sometimes during our careers, we forget that we play a vital role in our organizations success.  If every single employee did their best every day, wed have companies performing at the highest levels.  And, there would be a lot more happy campers! We hope this is helpful to you! Katie Weiser, Career Coach at HallieCrawford.com.

Use An Up And Coming Resume Writing Service

Use An Up And Coming Resume Writing ServiceIf you are a high performing, extremely confident person who already have a great deal of experience in the kind of work you want to do, and who does not have many prejudices about how things are done in the industry, and you have a great deal of work experience, you might find yourself looking for an up and coming resume writing service in Sacramento, California. This city is one of the most dynamic and exciting cities to work in. Many people come here and never return. This fact makes the job opportunities in Sacramento available to anyone who wants them.A high quality, excellent resume writing service can help a person find the right jobs and help make it possible for them to attain the high standards that employers look for. Good companies are looking for strong, competent individuals with a history of making high impact. Since so many people prefer Sacramento as their preferred place to work, this is a good reason for an up and coming r esume writing service to be in the state.Resume writing services can help you learn about the various job opportunities available, what the employers are looking for, and how to produce a highly impressive resume that will win the lottery. You might be surprised to learn that you have been doing what you have been doing for a long time, and have been in the same place and job for the past 10 years. Well, you can still get a chance to improve your resume, but only if you use the resources available today.Your resume writing service will not only be able to help you increase your employment prospects, but will also help you make the best impression on your prospective employers. The reason is that employers are looking for unique personalities but also want to know whether a person is smart and organized. Good resume writing services to help you find out how to make a strong impression and show employers what they are missing. You can choose from more than a dozen skills which are kno wn to be important in employment.Good resume writing services can help you enhance your skills which can be of great help in finding high paying jobs. You can check out some sample resumes on their website, or you can get information on other kinds of resume writing service that can help you achieve better results. It is important to note that the resume must stand out. That is why it is a good idea to choose a good resume writing service in Sacramento, California.There are several websites which offer information about resume writing services. If you visit any of these sites, you will get an opportunity to see samples of some very impressive resumes that are excellent examples of how to impress employers. And, since they have been used by many people, you will get an idea of how well they have been successful in achieving results. So, if you want to stand out, get the services of a high quality resume writing service in Sacramento.These services are available in a wide range of sub jects and include: production, documentation, telecommunication, public relations, project management, advertising, accounting, marketing, government, healthcare, product development, engineering, tourism, management, entrepreneurship, law, etc. There are many other services provided by these services. However, the kinds you get depends on your specifications. Check out what you require and get the services of an up and coming resume writing service in Sacramento, California.

Restaurateur Danny Meyer Giving Workers Paid Parental Leave

Restaurateur Danny Meyer Giving Workers Paid Parental Leave Restaurateur Danny Meyer already broke with convention in a big way last year when he did away with tipping at the 13 New York City eateries in his restaurant empire, replacing it with a 10% service charge and higher menu prices. Now, he’s making waves in a way that has the potential to really benefit employees, introducing four weeks of paid parental leave for all workers starting next year. Both front- and back-of-the-house workers with more than a year at the company will get their full base pay for four weeks after a new baby joins the family. After the first four weeks, workers will have the option of taking an additional four weeks at 60% of their pay. It covers mothers and fathers in heterosexual as well as same-sex partnerships, biological and adoptive parents, according to Eater. Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions and subtitles off, selectedAudio TrackFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window. The initiative was rolled out at the corporate offices of Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group last year, Eater noted, adding that this new plan doesn’t include Shake Shack, which was spun off into its own company last year. Although the Family and Medical Leave Act requires that companies with more than 50 workers offer 12 weeks of unpaid leave, paid parental leave isn’t federally mandated and is practically unheard of in the restaurant and hospitality sector, although arguably the lower-paid staffers who make up the rank-and-file workforce at these companies are in need of this benefit at least as much as their white-collar counterparts.

5 Benefits Of Creating An Online Portfolio - Work It Daily

5 Benefits Of Creating An Online Portfolio - Work It Daily Online portfolios aren’t just for certain fields or industries anymore. The importance of having a professional online presence is more important than ever, and an online portfolio will certainly increase your visibility and presence. Creating your portfolio website allows you to share and showcase your work easily with the employers you’d like to work for. 5 Benefits Of Creating An Online Portfolio Here are five benefits of showcasing your work online: 1. Professional Way To Showcase Your Work Building a website about your brand and experience is a polished way to share your expertise with others. Websites can be more creative and innovative than traditional portfolios and are able to share with anyone in the world. Suggested resources: WordPress Weebly Wix DoYouBuzz Brand-Yourself Webs Carbonmade Flavors.me 2. It's A Great First Impression For Employers If an employer sees your website link in your signature or on your resume, they’ll likely click on it to see what you’ve built. Seeing you’ve taken the time to build a website featuring work samples, recommendations, previous presentations and more will be a killer first impression. 3. Increases Your Visibility And Online Presence When an employer Googles your name, your professional portfolio will be one of the first search results that pops up. 4. Shows You’re More Than Just A Resume Because of the flexibility of an online portfolio, you’re able to show your personality by choosing design, layout and the copy you write. 5. Flexibility With the click of a button, you can change content, videos, copy and pictures on your online portfolio. You can also constantly create new content to add to your site to show your continuous learning processâ€"whether employed or not. Do you have an online portfolio? What else would you add? Enjoy this article? You've got time for another! Check out these related articles: 4 Reasons Why You Need A Social Resume 10 Ways To Build Your Brand Reputation Online Why Having An Online Brand Matters Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!