Careers in Your Ears

In this episode we are joined by Jennifer Jackson, Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary and a Kings alumna. Join us for a positive and uplifting conversation covering Jennifer's experience of resilience (and what it's not!), leadership, career progression, confidence and changing the system from within. Kings PGRs and research staff can access careers support from KEATS. Search for 'Careers & Employability' and look for the 'Researchers' menu option. Find us on Twitter @kcldo1thing Look out for teaching and related opportunities such as Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) roles and supporting students with their study skills through the King’s Academy ‘Academic Skills for Learning’ programme.

In this edition of Careers in Your Ears, Kate Murray talks with Alexandria Mitchell, PhD student in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre at King's College London, about her reasons for deciding to do a PhD, the application process, how she funded herself, and how being a PhD satisfies her desire for research autonomy.  Alexandria also considers some of the differences in studying in the UK, from the US, and talks about what's needed for a more diverse research environment.

We talk to Andrew Wright, Head of Employer Engagement, in the Careers & Employability team at King's College London.  We're hearing a lot about recession and unemployment in the news everyday.  This can be disheartening for anyone who is job hunting.  We ask Andrew for his perspective on current labour markets which interest researchers from academia through to the creative industries.  Andrew encourages us to look beyond the headlines and understand what's going on in different sectors in a more nuanced way. Here are the resources which Andrew refers to in the podcast: Virtual work experience: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=3322146 Self employment and freelancing (with link to IPSE membership for King's PhDs): https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=3221799 Charlie Ball's blog on labour markets: https://highpeakdata.wordpress.com/author/highpeakcharlie/.  You can also find his updates and other helpful articles here: https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/ EMSI: https://www.economicmodeling.com/ [This episode was recorded in August 2020]

Shelly-Ann Gajadhar, a PhD student and career coach with a background as a criminal prosecutor, shares her dynamic career journey. She discusses navigating transitions with resilience, emphasizing self-advocacy and the recognition of personal strengths. Shelly-Ann dives into the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement, urging listeners to address uncomfortable truths. Her insights on well-being in academia challenge existing support systems while advocating for innovative solutions. She emphasizes the importance of diversity in teams and balancing work with self-care for better workplace culture.

Join Donald Lush, a Careers Consultant for Researchers at King's College London, as he explores the power of social media for career advancement. He shares his positive approach to networking, emphasizing fun and productive online connections. Donald discusses the evolution of platforms like Twitter in education and how they foster community among researchers. He also provides practical tips for enhancing your professional online presence, focusing on personal branding and visibility. Tune in to discover how to maximize your social media for career growth!

Dr. Kate Daubney, Head of Careers & Employability at King's College London, shares her inspiring transition from academia to supporting researchers' career paths. She emphasizes the value of self-advocacy and recognizing transferable skills, especially in challenging fields like technology. Kate discusses the importance of self-reflection for career transitions and encourages researchers to explore their unique strengths. With practical resources at hand, she motivates academics to embrace the journey ahead with confidence and resilience.

In this short episode, Careers Consultants for Researchers at King's College London (KCL) discuss what action can be taken in these uncertain times and share with listeners how to access support through new online careers lounges for PhDs and Research Staff at KCL and this new series of the podcast. Online appointments and webinars are being offered as normal. Find out more about our support for researchers here: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=2932966 Follow us on Twitter @kcldo1thing

Today’s joint episode with Researc/hers Code, is the second part of a conversation we had at the end of 2019, with Ella Fitzsimmons, Charlotte Fereday and Chloe Tartan, who each have PhDs in different backgrounds (religious studies, language and linguistics and photonics respectively!)  and are now working in tech roles. In this episode, they talk to Victoria Carr from Researc/hers Code about their thoughts on diversity in the tech sector, barriers they faced, factors which attracted them to the sector and finally, top tips for researchers wanting to go into tech roles. Please get in touch with us @kcldo1thing if you have ideas/thoughts about people we could interview for the podcast, or topics you would like us to cover.

Today’s joint episode with Researc/hers Code, is the first part of a conversation we had with Ella Fitzsimmons, Charlotte Fereday and Chloe Tartan, who each have PhDs in different backgrounds (religious studies, language and linguistics and photonics respectively!)  and are now working in tech roles. They talk to Victoria Carr from Researc/hers Code about their journey from academia to their current job, what they’ve taken from that academic experience into the tech space and what’s surprised them about this new sector. Join us in the new year for the 2nd part of this conversation which focuses on diversity, barriers faced and top tips for researchers wanting to go into tech roles.

Emma Davenport teaches Critical and Contextual Studies for the Design department at The Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design, part of London Metropolitan University. She researches what people wear at work with a particular interest in academic dress. In this episode we explore how academics dress at work, crossing academic disciplines and establishing a career in a highly competitive labour market.