You’ll find a few examples of the workshops I have developed below. These are usually based around a 3 hour format but can be adjusted. I am also able to develop bespoke workshops so please contact me for more details and to discuss your specific needs. You can either scroll through the workshop outlines below or click on the links to jump to specific sections:
VITAE PROGRAMMES
I am able to facilitate many of the Vitae training programmes including:
- GRADschools
- Leadership in action
- Engaging researcher: Getting started in public engagement (co-author)
- Digital researcher (co-author)
- Broadening horizons
- Effective researcher series
- Part-time researcher series
CAREER MANAGEMENT
Choosing a fulfilling career
When your work matches your motivations and values, life is usually good, you’re happy and content. However, if your values do not align with your job, that’s when dissatisfaction and stress creeps in. For example, if your core value is family but you have to work a 70 hour week, you are likely to feel internal stress and conflict. Or maybe you value autonomy and independence, in which case working in a tightly structured role will kill your enthusiasm and productivity. Knowing which work values are most important to you will help you make more informed decisions about the direction of your career.
This workshop will help you identify your values using the Career Anchors tool. Career Anchors, developed by former MIT Professor Edgar Schein, represents your unique combination of perceived career competence, motives, and values. By participating in this workshop, you will explore what you really want from a career and understand how to make choices in your career that will help you feel happy and satisfied.
Conversations to move your career forward: Getting the best out of coaching and mentoring
Are you stuck? Maybe you would like to be more effective in your work, get out of a rut or discover a new way to approach something. Coaching and mentoring are ways to help you successfully solve problems in your life and career to achieve your full potential. This workshop will get you started in having coaching and mentoring conversations to move your career forward. By attending this workshop you will:
- Gain an overview of coaching and mentoring
- Understand how to find coaching and mentoring support in your institution and beyond
- Know which approach is the most appropriate for different situations
- Have the opportunity to practice the basics of coaching and mentoring to solve issues you are facing now
CV Clinic
Are you thinking about your next career move? Then now’s the time to brush up your CV. This hands-on workshop will help you get your foot in the door to your dream job. In the session we will cover:
- The different types of CV
- How to identify and evidence your skills
- What recruiters are looking for
- How shortlisting for vacancies happens
- Identifying gaps in your CV and creating a plan of action to fill them
You will need to bring a copy of your CV to get the most out of this session.
(Optional extra: Personalised CV feedback and/or CV coaching)
Getting ahead in academia
This workshop helps you to understand what it takes to achieve a long term career in academia. This workshop will cover:
- The different academic career paths
- Academic CVs and promotions
- Raising your profile in your research field and institution
- Action planning to develop your own academic career
Interview skills
No matter how experienced you are, interviews are always a daunting prospect. This practical workshop will help you perform at your best in your next interview. This workshop will cover:
- How to prepare effectively for an interview
- The types of questions you will likely be asked
- What employers are looking for and how the recruitment and selection process works
- Further resources and sources of support
It will also provide an opportunity to gain practical experience of an interview therefore you will need to bring a CV and a job you are interested in.
(Optional extra: Personalised interview coaching)
Taking control of your career
Not sure where your career is heading and how to get there? Wondering whether an academic career is for you? This workshop is an opportunity for participants to take control of their career planning. By attending this workshop you will:
- Reflect on your life and career to date to discover what your career values and drivers are
- Recognise the transferable nature and wide variety of skills you already have
- Understand the range of career options outside academia
- Receive practical advice and identify actions to help you make the right career choices
PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Building research networks
Collaboration is a key skill for researchers working in today’s competitive global environment. This workshop will help you understand how to be better connected for your research career. By attending this workshop you will:
- Learn the tools and techniques used in building and sustaining collaborative relationships
- Understand the essentials of strategic networking for your career
- Reflect on your skills as a collaborator and how you can build on these
Making time for your research
Do you find yourself so busy that you never have time to read the latest research or write your next article? This workshop will help you be more organised so you are able to find time to conduct your research and write about it too! By attending this workshop you will:
- Understand what helps you make progress in your research and what gets in the way
- Learn how to avoid distractions and stay focused
- Be able to plan and prioritise more effectively to get the important tasks completed on time
Optimising your writing
Writing is a core skill for researchers and academics however it’s not an easy thing to do well. This workshop will help you improve your writing techniques by covering the following topics:
- How to write more quickly
- How to overcome writers block
- How to create flow in your writing
- How to engage academic and lay audiences
SOCIAL MEDIA
Introduction to social media for researchers
This workshop provides an introduction to social media in a research context. It looks at why it is becoming increasingly necessary for researchers to have an online presence or profile and to use various social media to network and collaborate with colleagues. It introduces a number of tools and methods and encourages you to evaluate how these technologies can assist in helping you to raise your research profile, communicate with colleagues, and manage information effectively in an online space.
This workshop is aimed at researchers who are new to social media. It provides a taster to the range of social media technologies that can be used to enhance your research practice and profile, and extend your research connections.
Using social media to enhance your research practice and profile
The way in which researchers work, communicate and collaborate is changing. Social media is becoming integral to effective academic practice in a global environment. To help you stay ahead of the game, this workshop will explore how the use of social media can benefit your research, publications, networks and profile. This workshop will cover the following areas:
- Avoiding information overload and keeping on top of the literature in your field
- Increasing usage and citations of your publications
- Facilitating research collaboration and discussion
- Managing your online communication and profile
You will be given the opportunity to share experiences and issues with peers and create a personal strategy for engaging with social media.
(optional, local institution to provide case study) These areas will be brought to life in the workshop by researchers who have used social media in their research practice.
(optional, for longer sessions) By attending this workshop you will get hands-on experience with a range of social media tools and techniques.
Social Media Masterclass: Building Reputation
Your online reputation is becoming increasingly important. Forbes Business magazine argued in 2012 that the Curriculum Vitae will disappear within the next 5 years and be replaced with your ‘digital footprint’. This short interactive masterclass will explore how you can enhance your reputation using social media. In particular we will focus on:
- The personal and professional divide – what do you want your online presence to say about you?
- Tools and techniques to take control of your digital footprint
- Making the right impression and maximising personal impact online
- Developing a strategy to improve your digital identity and online reputation
Social Media Masterclass: Managing Information Overload
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of information available on the internet? Unsure of which sources you can trust? This short interactive masterclass will explore how social media can help you to find and manage information for your research. In particular we will focus on:
- Tools and techniques you can use to manage information more effectively
- Creating a passive, personalised experience where the right information comes to you, rather than you actively looking for it
- Personal and professional boundaries and how to maintain a healthy work-life balance
- Developing an information management strategy that works for you
Social Media Masterclass: Working Collaboratively
Research is a collaborative process. From formal collaborative projects to peer review and networking, working effectively with other researchers is an essential part of academic life. This short interactive masterclass will look at how social media can support your collaborations. In particular we will focus on:
- Using social media to boost your opportunities for collaboration
- Tools and techniques to work online with other researchers
- Expanding your network using social media
- Thinking strategically about collaborations
Emma Gillaspy 