Afternoon workshops
'Dos and don'ts in CV and cover letter writing' (UCT, UGent)
In this workshop we will focus on the written parts of the application procedure: the cv and the cover letter. Authentic examples will be discussed in order to gain insight into general dos and don’ts. The participants’ own documents will be used as further class materials and will be handed back with an individual feedback. Please send in a copy of your cv and cover letter in English to catherine.verguts@ugent.be by 10 September at the latest. Should you want the documents to be made anonymous for use during the workshop, please clearly indicate this in the email.
'Pitching: When being right isn’t enough' (Bram Doolaege, Streetwize)
You’ve invested in yourself, your education and your talents. Should be pretty obvious to your future employer, right? Think again. Everyone has heard the stories of highly talented individuals who still haven’t landed the right job. So why is this? Well, like a good idea, talent does not sell itself. Whether directed at a potential employer, an investor or a company, somebody is going to have to do the selling. This session will elaborate on influencing and persuasion skills using ‘pitching’ as a framework. Understanding and applying these skills and techniques will increase your impact when you are out there selling yourself and your ideas.
'Personal Branding' (Resolved)
Personal branding can help you achieve your goals as an academic, whether it concerns making a name in your research field or landing a top job outside academia. These days your online personal brand is more important than ever. Don’t think personal branding is something only businesspeople, politicians or famous people should worry about. Your personal brand is already out there. It is the stuff people see when they google your name, the conclusions they draw when they meet you in person on a network event or watch you present your paper at a conference. Question is, is the message your personal brand is currently sending out, the message that will help you achieve your goal.
During this workshop, we will discuss the following topics, combined with practical exercises to help participants determine and market their own personal brand: (1) Who am I and what do I stand for? (2) What is my ultimate (career) goal? What do I want to achieve with my personal brand? (3) What do I want people to believe I can do? (4) How can I get evidence out there and make myself stand out in a crowded field?
'PhD's and the job hunt' (Lindsay Hofman & Joke Bosch, VDAB)
The academic world has been your habitat so far. As only a small number of you will be able to pursue an academic career, many of you will have to hunt for work on the private and/or public market. There’s a realistic possibility you will end up in a completely different field of expertise. So, with this in mind: expand your search area, link your skills to different types of jobs and/or companies, hunt for opportunities and map your possibilities. During this workshop we will navigate together with you today’s job market and help you discover your options.
'Career Opportunities in the Public Sector at National and EU level' (Lieven Tack)
This workshop consists of two parts: the first part deals with job opportunities in the public sector (at local/regional, national and EU level). All job opportunities for PhDs (especially in Humanities and Social Sciences) and all aspects of the recruitment process will be presented in detail. Specific hints and tips will be given to be successful in the recruitment process. The second part consists of specific classroom exercises related to the recruitment process and EU competitions. All solution techniques are explained in detail and applied for a number of recruitment tests (including verbal, numerical, abstract reasoning and professional tests).
'Creative thinking: where good ideas come from' (Flanders DC)
In this workshop you will learn several techniques for out-of-the box thinking. As quantity breeds quality, the more ideas you can generate, the better. Peter Bertels (Flanders DC) not only explains how to use these brainstorming techniques to quickly generate lots of ideas, he also teaches some selection techniques to come up with the best ideas.