Arts & Humanities Researchers' Society

Key points covered in the session ‘How to Get Hired in Academia’

researcherssociety — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:07:44 +0000

Professor Andy Pratt (CMCI) and Dr Alice Taylor (History) shared their knowledge and experience of the application and interview process at the Arts & Humanities Researchers’ Society event ‘How to Get Hired in Academia’ held on Tuesday 17^th January.

A basic summary of the key points mentioned in the talk:

- PUBLICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS – you need publications to get a job. End of story.

- Do not send the same application information and covering letter to all jobs you apply for, make them specific. Address it to the correct person and always provide most recent experience first.

- In the covering letter, write something really compelling that makes you stand out.

- In the interview don’t assume everyone will have read your application thoroughly. Whatever they ask, make sure you convey your unique experience and expertise that is required for the job, even if you are repeating your CV, application form and covering letter.

- Be doing everything you can now (as a PhD student) to get the experience needed such as guest lectures, presentations, seminars etc.

- Writing – show evidence that you are writing all the time, that you have something in the pipeline to submit to a journal.

- Reputation – yep, that’s right, even at this early stage in your career you are expected to get noticed and network in your field.

- Check out your competition

- Don’t be downhearted about rejections as there will be quite a few. Think about it in terms of perfecting your interview technique.

- Sign up to a jobs website such as jobs.ac.uk for latest positions

- Doing a postdoc after your PhD allows you to build up the teaching and publications record required to get hired

- An interview panel can consist of 3-15 people, but the average is usually 5-6 academics asking you questions

- At the end of an interview, they always ask you ‘Have you got any questions for the panel?’ Make sure you’ve got questions and don’t ask about pay.

- Choose references carefully. It helps if it is a famous person in your field.

Dr. Alice Taylor ended the session by emphasizing that if this is the career path you truly wish to follow and you believe your research really matters, then the challenges of getting hired in academia are surmountable.

You are warmly invited to the next event, ‘Alternative Careers to Academia’ on Tuesday 21^st February 1-2pm in the Old Senior Common Room, Strand Campus.

Video Flyer for Upcoming Events

researcherssociety — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:36:58 +0000

EVENT: ‘Alternative Careers to Academia’ 21st Feb

researcherssociety — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:52:30 +0000

If during your PhD, you’ve become increasingly aware of the difficulty of getting a job as a lecturer, or you’ve realised academia isn’t for you, then find out about the other options available to you at the event ‘Alternative Careers to Academia’. King’s Postgraduate Careers Advisor Terry Jones will be speaking along with Nikoletta Farkas, a former King’s Classics PhD student who now works for Deloitte.

Refreshments will be served courtesy of the Graduate School

1-2pm Tuesday 21st February 2012

Old Senior Common Room, Strand Campus

KCL Arts & Humanities Seminar List

researcherssociety — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:30:27 +0000

Here is a list of links to the various Arts & Humanities events and seminars going on across King’s College London that might be of interest to PhD students and Postdocs.

Centre for Hellenic Studies

London Shakespeare Centre

Centre for Late Antique and & Medieval Studies (CLAMS)

Menzies Centre for Australian Studies

Classics

Digital Humanities

American Studies

KCL Postcolonial Network

Poetry at King’s

Malthus Reading Group

Genre Fiction Reading Group

English Department Poetry Reading Group

The Abstract – English department postgraduate seminar group

English Department Doctoral Seminars

PhD Skills Lunches

Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (Department of European and International Studies)

European Studies postgraduate workshop

Film Studies

French

Late Antique and Byzantine Studies

Modern Greek Seminars

History

Middle East and Mediterranean Studies

Music

Philosophy

Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

Centre for Culture, Media and Creative Industries

Theology and Religious Studies

Queer @ King’s

Ethnography Seminar

Language, Discourse and Communication

Sensible Flesh: Rethinking the Body in the 21st Century

EVENT: ‘How to Get Hired in Academia’ 17th Jan

researcherssociety — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:03:13 +0000

‘How to Get Hired in Academia’

Want to be a lecturer? On the academic job market soon? Then come to the talk ‘How to Get Hired in Academia’ and listen to Professor Andy Pratt (CMCI) share his experiences and tips on how to get hired having sat on several academic hiring committees. Telling the other side of the story of the application and interview process is Dr Alice Taylor, a recent academic appointment in the History Department.

1-2pm Tuesday 17th January 2012

Old Senior Common Room, Strand Campus

Launch Event 6th Dec: ‘What is the value of interdisciplinary research?’

researcherssociety — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:26:22 +0000

‘What is the value of interdisciplinary research?’

Tuesday 6th December 1-2pm
Location: CMCI student workroom (formerly known as Old Senior Common Room), Strand campus.

We warmly invite King’s Arts & Humanities early career researchers to our Christmas themed launch event ‘What is the value of interdisciplinary research?’

Guest speakers:
Professor Willard McCarty (Digital Humanities)
Dr Rosa Mucignat (Comparative Literature)

Free mulled wine, mince pies and other refreshments will be served courtesy of the Graduate School.

Welcome to the Arts & Humanities Researchers’ Society Webpage

researcherssociety — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:21:05 +0000

Welcome to the webpage of the Arts & Humanities Researchers’ Society at King’s College London. This site is where we will be posting information about the society and the upcoming events we are hosting.

We are a new student-led organisation aiming to foster a friendly interdisciplinary research forum for Arts and Humanities early career researchers at King’s, with a focus on career progression and personal development. Find out more on the ‘About’ page.

We hope you will join us for the monthly lunchtime seminar series which will be held throughout the academic year 2011/12. Please note down the date of our launch event on the 6th December 1-2pm, more information to follow.