Where are you going after

your MSc degree?

School of something
School
of Chemistry
FACULTY
OF OTHER

Job and PhD Applications

Dr Bruce Turnbull

What is your career route?

PhD degree

Industry

PhD/Academic job

Dont know.

What is your career route?

Finding the next position

Job/PhD Applications

Interview tips

What is your career route?

Industry job
(chemical/pharmaceutical/financial etc)

MSc degree

What sort of position are you looking for next?

Postdoc

Other scientific careers:

Science policy
Science publishing

Academic job

Ed Hayes MSc Chemical

Biology 2005-06

MSc degree

PhD degree

Permanent jobs
in public affairs

Internships

Short term
contracts

Finding the next position

Finding the next position

Websites/job adverts

Dear Sir, Dear Dr emails

Obvious route to jobs, PhD adverts etc

Just dont do it.

Networking

Let people know you exist!

LinkedIn

Visiting lecturers (academic and industrial)

Speculative emails

Can be useful but

Professor Sir
Fraser Stoddart
FRS

Finding the next position

Finding the next position

Speculative emails some tips

CVs some tips

Start with their name Dear Dr Turnbull

Keep it brief 2-3 pages maximum

Tell them why you are emailing (get to the point)

No big blocks of text bullet points are best

Show them you actually know what they do (e.g. research

Industry CVs emphasise key skills with examples that

area)

Keep it brief no epic personal statements

Keep CVs to a few pages

Dont send 20 Mb of exam certificates

If they seem positive, keep in touch

show you actually have those skills

Academic CVs emphasise your best module grades and

research experience

Keep the format clean, but beware of being too innovative

Finding the next position

CV format

CVs some tips

Keep it brief 2-3 pages maximum

No big blocks of text bullet points are best

Industry CVs emphasise key skills with examples that

show you actually have those skills

Academic CVs emphasise your best module grades and

research experience

Keep the format clean, but beware of being too innovative

CV format

CV format

CV format

PhD applications
some tips

Always contact the prospective supervisor

It makes them aware of you and shows you are keen

Follow the instructions on the application website carefully

Do they want CV, Personal statement, Cover letter, transcripts?

Academic- focussed CV- emphasise research experience

Keep cover letter or personal statement to 1 page maximum

Keep to the point tell them you want a PhD in their area, dont
start with visionary quotations

Other job applications

some tips

If there is someone listed for informal enquiries then make contact

It makes them aware of you and shows you are keen

Follow the instructions on the application website carefully

Do they want CV, Personal statement, Cover letter, transcripts?

Skills-focussed CV with examples

Keep cover letter or personal statement to 1 page maximum

Address each of the person specification criteria

Choose referees who can say something insightful about you!

Choose referees who can say something insightful about you!

Job advert
some tips

Job advert

Job advert

Person specification

Interviews (PhD)

some tips

We will help to arrange mock interviews for PhD or job interviews when

This is the list of criteria that they will use to score applications

you need them

Address each point in order

Make it easy for the assessor to see that you have evidence that
shows you meet each of the essential criteria (or as many as possible)

Dont just answer yes

Dont be put off if you miss one or two of the person specifications

A typical PhD interview will have a panel of people with different

backgrounds to you

Why do you want a PhD?

What personal characteristics are needed for a successful research student?

Tell us about your research experience give them the big picture first!

A technical question think on your feet and explain what you are thinking!

What is your broader interest in science do you read about science?

Any questions from you?