The EPSRC CDT in Metamaterials hosted it’s annual summer Oversight Board (OB) meeting on 18 July 2018 in Exeter’s Northcott Theatre. The Management and Oversight Boards came together to discuss latest developments for the current and future CDT, however, this year’s meeting saw a twist to the usual agenda and put the main focus on interactions between Oversight Board members and PGRs beyond the traditional poster session.
“It was an opportunity to engage more informally with the OB, and bridge the gap a little; understanding some of the motivation behind their work with the CDT. Secondly, it was useful to compare and learn skills/techniques for interviewing/networking with someone with very significant experience.” [Jacob Roth, 2nd year PGR]
Following feedback from both, the OB and our PGRs, to identify new ways of using the OB members’ time to the benefit of the PGRs, we introduced indvidual 1-to-1s / 2-to-1s sessions for PGRs and OB members, where PGRs could spend 30 minutes with Oversight Board members of their choice to ‘practise’ conversations with more senior academics and industry representatives.
The lunch arrangement for PGRs, OB, and MB members, alternately placed around tables in groups of 10, provided a relaxed and interactive atmosphere to get to know eachother further: “What’s in the bag?” is as easy as effective – a selection of questions (in this case mainly standard interview questions) to be drawn from a bag is all you need to provoke some quite revealing, amusing, or thoughtful answers. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time? What is the biggest challenge you have faced in the last month? What’s your biggest achievement?…” There was much to learn about all participants experiences, dreams, and ambitions.
We would like to use this opportunity to thank our OB members, who still show so much engagement and interest in the CDT. It is a pleasure to work with them and we are extremly grateful for their continued support.
“I found it really useful that the OB and MB members gave us advice based on their side of the recruitment process and I learnt that things that might not look obvious for the applicant can really make all the difference. They told us that we shouldn’t stop applying for a job just because we don’t fulfill all the requirements, and we should always give prove of why we are the right candidate (make our cover letter short and personal). I also find these kind of activities a good way to improve my confidence when talking to somebody who is more senior. It is great to be reminded that they all started where I am now and that they struggled with the same issues that we need to deal with now.” [anonymous PGR]
“I learnt that talking to academics who you don’t know isn’t as scary or daunting as I thought.” [Elizabeth Martin, 2nd year PGR]
