Although all institutions and roles will vary, using the University of Exeter’s Job Description Library is a useful place to start to help us work out what prospective employers will be looking for. Below is a table of the sorts of things you will need to show you have achieved. In the second column, we have added ideas for things you could do to build your experience in the areas during COVID-19. You can also download a pdf version of this.
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Personal Specification |
What could you do next during COVID-19? |
| Evidence of research activity (ideally including publications)
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Conferences
Most conferences are going ahead online during COVID-19. The presenting experience is different, but still an important was to disseminate your research and demonstrate research activity. Many conferences are also giving more varied opportunities to present, including pre-recorded and downloadable content. Some other opportunities include:
Publishing Opportunities to publish continue, and for those unable to conduct field or lab work at present, this might be an ideal time to focus on getting some of your work published. Researcher Development run a number of webinars that may be useful to get you started, including: |
| Knowledge of teaching methods and techniques
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Undertake LTHE Stage 1 and/or 2
Apply for Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy – Don’t have many opportunities to teach in your department? You can also teach through:
All of these opportunities are continuing online during COVID-19. Some are paid, and some are volunteering so there are different options to suit your needs. Don’t have enough teaching hours? LTHE/Aspire have agreed that facilitating PGR writing groups can count towards your assessment teaching hours, and be used as a case study/example. Don’t have any teaching coming up to be observed on? You can also get observation feedback on online teaching resources you have created, or recordings of teaching. |
| Excellent written and verbal communication skills | You may want to think about how the nature of communication has changed since everything has moved online. Communicating online has always been a valued skill, and will be even more so now. Think about how you have developed and evidenced your online communication skills during this time – online conference presentations, online teaching, online supervisions/research seminars? |
| Ability to build networks
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Building networks has become even more crucial now we are online. You can develop experience in this area in the following ways:
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| Strong administrative skills
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You demonstrate this in the management of your project, but you could also develop your experience further by helping to organise an online conference or applying for the funding listed below. |
| Able to identify potential sources of funding
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Whilst funding pots for conferences, to conduct data collection etc. many not be relevant at the moment, there are other opportunities to apply for funding.
The Doctoral College Researcher-Led Initiative awards are running this year, asking for applications for online/virtual events on the following themes:
Funding is available for applications of a maximum of up to £1000 per award to pay for external facilitators/speakers to support projects, events, and initiatives on these themes. You can apply using our online application form.
The Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Human Health run Research Initiation Awards support individual applicants, or community organisations, to build the relationships that initiate engaged research and generate the conditions for future engaged research. |
| Public engagement
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Creative/digital research communication
You can engage in creative and digital research communication to demonstrate public engagement. Research Development run the following webinars you may find useful: There is also the creative and digital research communication online resource.
Widening participation teaching opportunities:
Engaged research
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| Commitment to creating an inclusive culture
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There are lots of ways to get involved in creating an inclusive culture.
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