The training Career Prospects is meant for PhDs in their third or fourth year and for postdocs at the end of their contract to prepare them for their next career step. The course is organized three times per year.
In this 5-day-training, you will learn how to translate your competences, knowledge, and skills acquired during your PhD to the demands of employers in various sectors, by describing them in tangible results. You’ll learn about your competencies and your career values, you’ll see the thread in your development, and discover what a good job context is for you. This helps to develop focus in your career. You will also train your application and networking skills and learn to get the most out of LinkedIn. This all provides valuable input for your networking and application process.
RESULT
- At the end of the course you have formulated a personal job seeking strategy.
- You have an overview of your competences and skills acquired during your PhD, both by your own description and through 360 degrees feedback.
- You have a collection of examples of achievements (based on the STAR-method) to share your work experience, competences and skills in networking conversations and job interviews.
- You can translate your experience to employer’s requirements, both inside and outside of academia.
- To broaden your career perspective, you determine your career values, career field preferences and your search direction on the labour market.
- You will have a good LinkedIn profile and will also know how to use LinkedIn for networking.
- You have explored different career possibilities through informational networking conversation.
- You can present an Elevator Pitch.
- You will have a good CV and will know how to adjust your CV and cover letter to different vacancies.
- And you will know how to prepare for networking conversations and job interviews.
CONTENT
Day 1 Competences and achievement stories
We will discuss the assignments ‘Finding your talents’ and bring them a step further by sharing achievement stories, working with the core quadrant model and receiving feedback on your competences.
Day 2 Career values and personal profile
We will discuss the assignments ‘Search directions’ and discuss the result of your MBTI-test, your career values, and your preferred career fields.
You will also write a personal profile for your CV.
Day 3 CV, LinkedIn, cover letter, and networking conversations
Day 4 Elevator pitches and guest speakers
All participants present an Elevator Pitch.
You learn how to best prepare for a job interview. And guest speakers from different career fields, invited by the participants, share their career story and information about their current workplace and position.
Day 5 Job interviews, next career step, and personal job-seeking strategy
We will practice job interviews, and you will get feedback on your job-seeking strategy.
ORGANIZATION
Before the start of the course, you’ll have a short phone call with the trainer to introduce the assignments and to ask you what you want to learn in this course.
To prepare for the first day of the course, you receive assignments to help you discover and describe your skills, qualities, and achievements. They will cost you approximately 4 hours to finish.
To prepare for the second day, you receive assignments to help you make a career choice.
For the other 3 course days, you will prepare your CV, cover letter, LinkedIn, Elevator pitch, and job interview.
The results of the assignments you make at home will be further deepened during the course.
On the first day of the course, we form buddy groups of three participants. These buddies meet in the period between course days to discuss the assignments and help each other to reflect more consciously.
All UT courses are offered in English.* This is a good opportunity to further develop your English communication skills. If you experience any difficulty in expressing yourself in English during the course, the trainer can always offer assistance.
*unless all participants who registered for the course have Dutch as their first language.