Education – Page 5 – The Aspiring Professionals Hub

#PhDAdvice – How to ‘survive’ the viva experience!

September 7, 2015July 28, 2019by aspiringprofessionalshubLeave a comment

Are you a researcher, masters, PhD or doctoral candidate with your fated ‘viva/defence’ looming? In this article, Dr Nadia Anwar reflects on her viva experience and shares tips making your viva a positive experience. Good luck!

The term ‘viva’ comes from the Latin phrase viva voce, which literally means ‘by word of mouth’ or ‘with living voice’. It is somewhat surprising that many people, although possess sufficient information about oral examinations and face to face interviews, have no substantial knowledge of the term viva voce and what really goes into preparing for it. The main reason for this is that popular terms used for viva in England are oral examination and post-submission interview or assessment. In countries like India and the US, the word is translated as verbal defence which has pretty much the same connotation as the word viva. The difference is that whereas the former is conducted in a form of seminar or presentation in front of a large group of specialists and non-experts – sometimes including colleagues, friends and family – followed by rigorous Q&A, the latter is done in the privacy of a room and under the critical eye and observation of examiners.

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#CareerChat – 5 Reasons why you need to develop your leadership skills!

August 18, 2015December 16, 2016by aspiringprofessionalshub1 Comment

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘leader’? Do you think about political leaders, organisational leaders, religious leaders etc? Do you think about yourself? If you could spend an hour with any leader of your choice, who would you choose and why? In this article, Amara discusses why improving your leadership capacity is essential for achieving career success.

1. But I am not a leader or am I? – When I discuss leadership during academic and career development workshops that I facilitate, this point usually comes up in the first few minutes. ‘I’m just a first year student. I don’t know anything about anything really, why are you talking to me about leadership?’ or ‘My job role is at the bottom of the organisational chart. I have no supervisory responsibilities. Why do I need to learn about leadership?’ Regardless of ‘rank or file’, we ALL need to learn about leadership. Developing leadership skills means working on our people skills – increasing our capacity and competence in motivating ourselves as well as others towards a common goal. As you aspire to develop your career and be given more responsibility, expanding your leadership potential is an essential in your toolkit. The ability to work well with others is always an essential requirement in a job specification. Terms used differ – ‘team work’, ‘managerial’, ‘supervisory’ – but at the core is the question ‘Will you be able to get along with the other members of the team, motivate them if necessary to ensure the organisation’s mission is met?’

We all have the potential to lead but many of us do not develop the competence or capacity to do so!

2.Focus on building relationships and not just your position – Viewing leadership as only occupying a position of authority – usually over a large group of people – is limited. It is true that about 99.5% of us will never attain being the top dog of any organisation we belong to. At any given time, there is only going to be one CEO, one Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and one POTUS! It is a myth though that because you are not ‘the’ leader, you are not ‘a’ leader. While working in the voluntary sector, I learnt the importance of building relationships with team members and gaining influence naturally. Everyone influences someone! Volunteer organisations are a good place to develop leadership skills because it is a place where your team follows your lead because they want to and not because they have to! I have seen myself people fall into the ‘positional leader trap.’ We’ve all had someone like this on our team – the person who has to wield their title to get things done. If you always have to remind people you are in charge, you really aren’t. Think about a role you have been in where you were at your most productive, where you did unpaid overtime and always went the extra mile. How was your relationship with your boss or leader? When we learn to treat people with dignity and respect, we are not only developing our leadership skills, we are also increasing productivity for our organisation.

3. Authority = Responsibility – At the end of a meeting I had organised with another colleague, an attendee walked up to me and told me how great it must be to be so ‘powerful’ within my group. I was a bit taken aback by her statement and upon further discussion, I realised that where she equated leadership with authority, my perspective was from the point of responsibility. Good leaders recognise both their authority and responsibility. Leaders need to get things done and are usually under more pressure than the rest of the team realises. Leaders do have authority but this is because they have a big dossier of things and people they are responsible for. A first year undergraduate student may not see leadership opportunities but what happens when that student takes up the opportunity to become the student representative of their course? The student is given the responsibility for ensuring feedback from your colleagues is relayed to your Course Committee but being in this role also has some advantages. Leadership does have its perks – access, recognition, resources – but focus on your responsibilities. Keep first things first.

4. Competence and character – To succeed as a leader means learning as much as you can about leadership BEFORE you find yourself in a leadership position. Think about any great world leader, they learnt how to influence people while still in the trenches. Barack Obama spent years as an organiser on the streets of Chicago before he rose to the position of POTUS. Develop your competence in leadership from where you are right now – even if that means setting your personal and career goals and working towards achieving them. Good leaders develop competence in their attitude, prioritising, problem solving, team building, mentoring and self-discipline. Leadership is not just about what you are able to accomplish though but about who you are as a person.

I love football and my best way to relax and ‘unwind’ is by going to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play. For the 90 minutes of the game, I cease to be an academic and I transform into the most prolific football manager in existence. I would have played ‘x’ in that position and not ‘y’. Surely, ‘A’ should be substituted for ‘B’ now. Why 4-2-3-1 Mr Van Gaal??? A wise man explained this as being an ‘arm chair’ critic. It is always easy to volunteer recommendations and advice where you have no responsibility. Leaders usually have a different view from followers and while we may not always agree with them, we should try and be as supportive as we can. Do not be the person who always complains about the boss but never proffers any solution that could help make the leader’s job easier. Everyone likes problem solvers on their team, learn to be one.

If you are in the position your leader is now, what would you expect from the people following you? Is that what you are doing now?

5. There are no perfect people so there are no perfect leaders. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with recognising the weaknesses of the people who lead you. The desire to innovate, create or find a way of doing things are leadership traits. It can also be frustrating working for someone who has not developed their leadership capacity but do not violate your position or the trust of your leader. Be a person of integrity and follow the Golden Rule.

Every aspiring professional must develop the capacity to lead. Use the early years to develop productive relationships at work and take up more responsibilities. Great leaders empower others to attain their professional development goals. Remember the words of Mark Twain – “Great people are those who make others feel that they, too, can become great.”

About our writer – After completing a PhD in Microbiology and Food Science, Amara is developing her career in academia – providing teaching and learning solutions in UK FE and HE Institutions as well as conducting research in Food Microbiology. Amara believes in the combined power of education, mentoring and productive relationships as essential tools for building successful careers.

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So You Want to do a PhD? – Your Survival Guide (Part II)

August 3, 2015June 8, 2016by aspiringprofessionalshubLeave a comment

Despite the fact that more PhD candidates are successfully completing within the allocated time, a significant proportion of PhDs do not graduate. We were overwhelmed by the response and feedback to the first part of this guide where Amara discussed some pointers to support current and prospective PhD candidates in navigating the journey towards successful completion. In this article, she shares more food for thought that can help you to not just survive your PhD but enjoy and enhance your experience.

Begin with the end in mind – You’ve committed or are committing the next few years of your life to undertaking extensive research on a specific subject in order to make an original contribution to knowledge within your discipline. Having a mental picture of what the ‘end point’ of your research study looks like will help you persevere through the tough times. On a personal note though, what does completing your PhD look like? What do you want to get out of completing a PhD? A specific job title? A career? A great salary? Improved skill set? Recognition within your discipline etc? All the above? How does this fit in with your life and career goals?

Avoid viewing a PhD as just an end but more as a means to an end. Embarking on a PhD with a personal end point in mind will enable you keep the next few years in perspective of the big picture of your life and career goals. Furthermore, you will recognise opportunities outside the sphere of your research study that can fast-track your progress.

Write now, write better! – Writing is an essential skill you need in your PhD survival toolkit. It isn’t a PhD if it isn’t written up! Regardless of discipline or research topic, all PhD candidates are de facto writers. You will be writing research proposals, progress reports, journal articles for publication and the mother of them all – the thesis. Writing is unavoidable, so how do you feel about it? “But I’m not a natural writer and I find writing difficult.” Welcome to the club. Even international best-selling authors find writing difficult sometimes.

The most important thing to do if you can’t write is to…write! I cringe when I look at some parts of my PhD thesis. Hindsight is always 20/20! I am a better writer today because I have continued to write. There is no magic potion, you get better at writing by writing. Just like learning to drive or swim. You can attend writing sessions and be given all the tips in the world but you still have to write. In my academic writing coaching sessions, I am constantly telling my students that – ‘It needs to be written not perfect.’ No one can edit a blank page. If you are not happy with your writing skills, do something about it. Do not leave writing to the final year, this is a recipe for unnecessary stress. besides writing and submitting small pieces of work to your supervisory team enables you to create more opportunities to get feedback on your writing which you can learn from. If you are on Twitter follow #acwri and #amwri for more writing tips

Who’s on your team? – We all know about the isolation that occurs while undertaking PhD research so please do not underestimate the value of a support network. I would not have made it without my team which consisted of mentors, colleagues, family and friends. It may be emotional, academic or financial but at some point, you will need some support. I was speaking to some international PhD students who shared their struggles of managing their research workload in a new country without friends or family. If you are in a similar position, find out from your Graduate or Research Office if there are any peer support networks for PhD candidates and get involved. If there isn’t one, why not start one yourself? I have discussed the importance of mentorship in career success and the same is true for PhD candidates. I would advise that you choose wisely though. Be careful about the people who you allow into your private space and learn to differentiate between critical thinkers and critical people.

Take time off – This may come as a shock but you are allowed to have some time off. One of the best proverbs I have ever read goes –

‘Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade.’

Plan ‘breaks’ into your research plan or programme. After submitting my first draft of the final chapter of my thesis to my supervisor, she told me to take a holiday. That was her polite way of saying it was crap. I was stressed and broke and simply tired of writing. I am a perfectionist and totally ignored my advice in the preceding paragraph. My friend took me on a week’s holiday and I came back sharper and ready to face what was coming next. I rewrote the chapter from scratch and her comment was ‘Welcome back.’ Do not ignore the goose that lays the golden eggs. There must be a balance between production and production capability – the P/PC balance as described by Stephen Covey. Doing a PhD is one of the toughest challenges in academic life so give yourself permission to take a break when you need it. I have seen too many stressed, burnt out PhDs who either do not complete or worse still develop more complicated problems. Don’t let that be you.

P.h.D does not translate J.o.b! – This is an area where I wish someone had told me what I am about to share with you. Having a PhD should be an advantage in getting a job, it just doesn’t entitle you to one! I believe this holds true, regardless of whether you stay in academia or leave. The points we make in our article regarding graduate employment are valid whether you’ve achieved a BSc. or a PhD. Majority of PhD candidates will not work in academia – keep breathing! – as there is a shrinking proportion of openings for full time and permanent posts. However, a significant proportion of PhD candidates are unaware of the full range of career options available to them after earning their degrees.

I was unemployed for over six months after completing my PhD because I had not given any thought to what came next. My ‘begin with the end in mind’ map was very limited to ‘working in academia.’ Oh, that I knew then what I know now! If academia was not an option, what would your career alternatives be? How can you leverage your PhD in the job hunt? What are you doing today that will be of benefit to potential future employers? A friend of mine has just landed her dream job in science policy even before submitting her thesis. She decided early in her PhD that academia was not for her and started doing research for her dream job. She prepared for employment during her PhD – she didn’t just hope for the best.

About our writer – After completing a PhD in Microbiology and Food Science, Amara is developing her career in academia – providing teaching and learning solutions in UK FE and HE Institutions as well as conducting research in Food Microbiology. Amara believes in the combined power of education, mentoring and productive relationships as essential tools for building successful careers. ‘Ignorance can hurt more than sticks and stones.’

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Uncertain what to do next? – Career Options for Life Science Graduates

July 23, 2015July 24, 2015by aspiringprofessionalshub6 Comments

Wondered what to do after completing a degree in the Life Sciences? Have you considered the variety of opportunities available for you after you graduate? Over the next weeks, we will showcase a range of career options open to graduates of different disciplines with guest posts from professionals in some of the sectors. However, as scientists, we will start with some of common and not-so-common career options available to life sciences graduates and in some cases to non–graduates interested in working in the life sciences.

Teaching – Teaching remains one of the oldest and long standing professions. Be it primary or secondary school teaching, we have come across many people who have commented on how exciting and rewarding teaching can be although like any other career, it comes with its challenges. To work as a teacher in either primary level or high school, you will need patience. If you do not like children, perhaps teaching may not be the best fit for you. There is always a need for teachers with a science background and with the declining number of people taking mathematics, there is a big gap to fill in the STEM subjects. To qualify for a job as a teacher, beyond your degree (2.2 or above), you will need to enrol on a teacher training program. Check out Routes into teaching (UK) for more information. If you would like to teach abroad, do some research on what teaching qualifications you will need.

Lecturing – To work as a University or College Lecturer on the other hand, the minimum requirement is a master’s degree qualification. A lot of Further Education institutions (colleges) accept Masters Degrees and in some cases, you can work as an Associate Lecturer at a University. In the Life Sciences, it can be difficult to get into lecturing in Higher Education without a PhD degree due to the high number of PhD graduates and Post-doctoral researchers in this area. If you feel lecturing is what you would like to do, consider doing a PhD first as you will need it to progress through the ranks. You will also have the opportunity to develop your research profile – which you will find important when supervising students projects and dissertations. If you are currently studying for your PhD and have no interest in postdoctoral research but would like to teach, consider undertaking a postgraduate teaching qualification at your University – usually for free! This qualification is usually called the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Completion of the teaching qualification leads to the professional recognition as Associate Fellow or Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK.

Research – For graduates interested in innovation, development and the technical side of the life sciences, research is a very appealing option. Remember that research is not limited to working in a University laboratory where you can work as a research intern, research assistant or technician. As a Life science graduate, you have a wide variety of options and location where you can be employed to conduct research. This could be in a drug development company, national health research centre such as National Institute of Health Research, NIH (USA), product development companies such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Medical Device companies or even SMEs. In these organisations, you can be employed as a Research Scientist and expected to conduct research in different areas. An advantage of a career in the sciences are the specificity of the technical skills and the array of transferable skills you have developed, which means you can work in similar organisations worldwide. For a career in research, a good degree qualification and the ability to demonstrate your laboratory and technical skills are the minimum requirements at entry level.

Sales – Are you a science student or graduate involved in charity events, soliciting donations from other students and academics (a tough crowd to get money from!!), or do you work as a sales person in a clothing store and not sure what to do after your degree? Well you are already developing skills in sales! With a good degree to belt, your communication skills, passion for selling and ability to convince difficult customers, you can embark on a career which could involve selling modern and hi tech diagnostic or scientific technologies to other companies and academic institutions. A career in sales can be very rewarding financially with many added benefits such as bonuses, car allowances etc. Remember that a role in sales will most likely involve travelling, but what’s not to love about travelling eh?

Transition to Medicine – A life science degree or a background in the life sciences can be a route for those who retain interest in practicing as medical doctors. As an International educational activities adviser, I am often confronted by parents and young students who are particularly interested in a career in medicine but find it difficult securing places on medical degree courses due to limited places and competition. Achieving a first class or 2.1 degree in the life sciences presents another opportunity into medicine either though the standard route (UCAS) or via the four year accelerated graduate entry programme (GEP). Some of the Universities and medical schools in Australia, the UK and Ireland require that you pass the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) to be considered. Whilst GAMSAT is one of the main routes into GEPs in the UK, the MCAT test is the required test for entry into medicine in the USA. Keep in mind that graduate entry into medicine is not limited to the UK or the USA, although they are preferred options. If you are passionate about getting into Medicine, put your research skills to work and find out what option works best for you.

Business management and Entrepreneurship – Yes, you can! Don’t be alarmed! As a science graduate, one of your career options is definitely in the commercial sector. The analytical skills of science graduates appeals to both scientific and non-scientific organisations. Employers can provide training on aspects of business and business management which as a science graduate, you may not have. Do you have a great idea and want to start your own business? A number of Universities are now embedding entrepreneurial training in their science courses as well as providing support for students who want to transform their ideas into a business.

If this is an area you would like to develop whilst undertaking your degree or as a graduate, why not approach your careers department and ask for advice on what type of training programs or free workshops are available to help you develop business skills. You can also volunteer with business organisations, giving you an opportunity to see their operational challenges and how you can use skills you have developed from your science degree to solve them. To get into the business and commercial sector, you will still be expected to have a good degree (2.2 and above), good communication skills and be willing to take up the challenge of working under pressure in what is usually a fast paced environment!

Have you considered working as a Business Development Executive? in Project Management? as a Proposals Associate? These are opportunities open to science graduates and requires several skills such as excellent communication, initiative, attention to detail, flair for numbers and of course professionalism as well as the ability to work independently and in a team

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and found it helpful. If so, please like, share and follow! In part II of this article, we will conclude on other career options and pathways for life science graduates, so be on look out. If you would need further advice on how to get into these sectors, do not hesitate to contact us via email (info@aspiringprofessionalshub.com).

Watch this space for our career profiles, providing information on how to get into different career ‘spaces’ from people who have been successful at doing so. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us @AspProfHub.

The Entrepreneur’s Corner – Graduate Rejects

July 9, 2015July 10, 2015by aspiringprofessionalshub3 Comments

When you think about the term ‘entrepreneur’, what comes to mind? Major business oligarchs? Wealthy business moguls? Well think again! The idea of entrepreneurship is no longer a forlorn and unachievable dream. In the United Kingdom, there is a major drive to embed entrepreneurship into University curricula. In today’s post, we had the pleasure of interviewing Derek and Keara Mafohla, founders of ‘Graduate Rejects’, a social enterprise with the aim of improving educational standards for young children in Zimbabwe.

APH: Can you tell us about your educational and professional background?

DM& KM: The founders of Graduate Rejects are siblings Derek and Kearabiloe Mafohla. Derek is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Greenwich studying Computer Science whilst Keara Mafohla is a final year student at the University of the West of England studying Biomedical Science.

Can you give an overview about your business or enterprise?

Initially we formed Graduate Rejects as a charity in November 2011 but in January 2013 we adopted the social enterprise model.

Photo Credit: Nelson Vinod Moses

When we began, we concentrated on a small community in Tshabalala, Bulawayo the second largest city in Zimbabwe. We noticed that there was little educational activity within the community which left children and young adults engaging in drinking and other activities that made no contribution to a successful future. We (Graduate Rejects) decided to donate books to local schools and libraries with the hope of developing and encouraging a reading culture within the community.

What was the inspiration behind your business?

Our love for children and knowledge of the poor education systems they were exposed to were our biggest inspiration. Some schools in Zimbabwe have outdated educational systems and infrastructure. The resulting impact is that children fall into a cycle of attending school for a minimum of 11 years but failing to study further or achieving good grades. We are of the belief that if we are able to encourage proper and more modern ways of studying, children who cannot afford a good education can adopt self-study techniques. Importantly, we embrace the importance of a holistic approach to meeting the educational needs of children.

How important has social media and networking been to your business?

Interestingly for the past year we have been trying to raise money to build a website for our enterprise. We greatly acknowledge the importance of social media as it has helped us promote our work. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have been our social media platforms of choice since they are free and easy to set up. We engage with a lot of people whenever we write any posts but also we are constantly seeking to learn from others who are interested and willing to share with us.

What are the challenges, if any, you face?

We come from a politically volatile country and whatever form of business or charity you choose, you have to bear that in mind. Shipping costs for the books we donate has always been and remains our biggest challenge. We find that many people are willing to donate books to us but the costs to ship the books are often prohibitive. We are self-funded and that also presents its own challenges. We also think finding the right model for children and adults to get actively involved to further improve study is often tricky but we are dynamic and open to ideas on how to actualise this.

Have you made any mistakes and what lesson(s) did you learn?

Expecting things to work accordingly! It is important to remember that things do not always go to plan but to remember that obstacles do provide an opportunity for personal development and learning.

Finally, what advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?

In our experience so far, we suggest that if you are considering starting a business or social enterprise, keep a journal and document all your activities. This provides ‘fodder’ for reflection which is a useful learning tool. Finally, don’t give up when you are faced with challenges.

Please can you share your contact details

We can be reached on:

Facebook: Graduate Rejects Enterprise