HOW TO
Apply For An Academic Staff Position
3-day online course
Overview
This 3-day course supports you in applying successfully for a permanent position in research or higher education. If you are struggling to understand what the academic job market is looking for, unsure of how to promote you and your work, or nervous in job interviews this course is for you! You work with your own application material and go through a mock application process for a currently existing job opening in your field. You practice all the main steps of the application process, from where to find the best job openings to the final stages of negotiating your contract.
You will learn how to pitch your CV so that it will exactly match the job openings which interest you. We put a focus on interviews including practicing the preparation for job interviews, giving a compelling job talk for a selection committee, and responding to their questions. We also cover the important matter of what to consider during campus visits, and how to make the best possible impression on your potential employer. You will also learn how to react when offered a position, and how best to negotiate. Find career success in your academic field!
What you learn
- How to locate and de-code job advertisements?
- How to write application letters?
- How to develop a CV?
- How to prepare for job interviews?
- How to prepare the job talk?
- How to make the most of campus visits?
- How to respond to a job offer?
- How to negotiate your contract?
Level
Advanced level, applying for positions on professorship/lecturer/researcher
ECTS
1.5
Participants
max. 15
Duration
3 days (9 am – 5 pm)
Instructor
Dr. Bärbel Tress
Mode
Live online or in-house
How We Helped Others With
Applying for Academic Staff Positions
“I really liked how practical the course was, focused not only on theory but mostly on practice. I really think this is extremely valuable. I walk out of this course with an updated formatted CV and a very nice cover letter that I will be able to re-adapt in the future. I learned a lot also on what to focus on when looking at other people’s applications. I learned how to make my own application stand out, in case the interviewers face a choice of multiple applicants with excellent track-record. I think this will be extremely valuable for me in the future!”
“Through this course I gained a different perspective on the whole academic selection process, from how to make myself stand out as a candidate, what my strengths and weaknesses are and how the selection committee are only human and it is actually much tougher to go through applications than I originally thought.”
“I enjoyed the course and learned many things that I’ll readily apply. Something that was a highlight to me was the possibility to try both the applicant and the evaluator role. The information one gets from being one or another are complementary and very valuable.”
“This is a very well-structured and interactive course. I liked that every participant could contribute their own experience from previous application processes. For me personally it was nice that the instructor had so much experience with Scandinavia, and as a more general comment is was great that she mentioned how the various processes differ in CH/D, UK, US, NL and Scandinavia. That added another dimension to the course.”
“What I liked most about this course was the clear structure and the fact that we touched on every detail of the long journey of a job search, from searching positions until actually starting to work at a new department. Moreover, the fact that it had an international focus helped me very much.”
“I liked the many small exercises in this course and that we got a lot of feedback on our own application material, as well as to the job interviews and our presentations of a job talk. We received many tips how to improve our applications for the future and we learned to look at our material from the point of view of a selection committee. Nice atmosphere and I found it very enjoyable to work with the other participants.”
“I really liked the exchange with other participants in this course, including seeing their application material and hearing from their experiences. I very much appreciated the cover letter and CV coaching. I liked the complete walk through an application process from the very beginning right to the end.”
“After taking this course, I know now exactly what kind of questions I have to ask myself: What do I really want to do in the future? What is my academic career about? Thank you for guiding us!”
“I particularly liked that we got feedback on our application material from the course leader, who is an expert!”
“I’d recommend the training to everyone applying for a post-doc/other academic position. We learned so many helpful steps that we can easily apply when looking for our next positions.”
“I have more confidence now, the entire process is less scary and I feel encouraged to apply.”
“The course helped to focus on the next steps in our career. By changing the perspective I found out what informations are relevant to get across and how to deal with difficult situations in the application process.”
“I feel confident now not to drop out because of badly compiled material for the application.”