Planning your research career (for trainers) 10.car devttt

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No 643330

Development

for early-career researchers

Dean Hogan


What is Researcher Development?

• Knowledge and Intellectual Abilities• e.g. Discipline-Specific Knowledge, Problem Solving, Critical

Thinking

• Personal Effectiveness• e.g. Career Development, Time Management

• Research Governance and Organisation• e.g. Project Planning, Research Grant Development, Research

Integrity

• Engagement, Influence and Impact• e.g. Teaching, Publication, Impact Awareness, Outreach, Enterprise


The Importance of Researcher Development

• Should improve the researcher’s ability to successfully complete their research programme and fulfil their potential.

• Preparation for future employment either in academia or other employment


EU FundingThe Commission identifies the need to increase the number of researchers, stating that the EU will need at least one million new research jobs if it is to reach the R&D target of 3%, and that the number of actual researchers required is significantly higher as many researchers will retire over the next decade. As a result, the European Commission calls on EU Member States to strengthen their capacity to attract and train young people to become researchers, so as to offer internationally competitive research careers to keep them in Europe as well as to attract high quality researchers from abroad.

UKRO Europe Unit, Briefing Note E-2010-12


Career Development

This approach to career development training is based on Career Coaching methodology and is determined by the end purpose of enabling you to make rational, informed and appropriate career-related decisions.


Career Development

By raising self-awareness and a better understanding of yourself, you can identify what you want professionally.


Career Development

The training should end with a personal action plan that is based on clear, sequential and complimentary goals.

This allows the you to engage in a career decision-making process that assists you to find satisfying and fulfilling work-related opportunities that will motivate you to reach your potential.


Career DevelopmentWhat do we want to help you to do?

• Understand yourself better

• Recognise and utilise your resources

• Identify what you want

• Assist you to find satisfying work opportunities

• Make rational, informed and appropriate decisions

• Make plans based on clear goals


Career DevelopmentWhat do we want to help you to do?

• Take action to get what you want

• Solve problems and difficulties

• Process and address issues such as coping with an end-of-

contract situation and change, work stress, managing

relationships at work, work-life balance

• Become skillful in how to manage your career and

working life into the future


Career DevelopmentThe need to seek assistance is often triggered by a perceived gap between what you can do and what you want/need to do.

• Can’t get what you want • Need to change• Experiencing dissatisfaction• Desire for something new


Career DevelopmentThe need to seek assistance is often triggered by a perceived gap between what you can do and what you want/need to do.

• Facing difficult problems• Feeling under pressure/stress• Feeling stuck• Confused and unsure about how to proceed

We want to help you bridge the gaps.


Career DevelopmentAssumptions in this process

• People have the ability and freedom to make career choices• They can be involved in a range of work roles across their

lifespan• The reasons why individuals enter particular occupations/

sectors/specialties vary according to the amount of importance placed on personal preferences (e.g. interests, personality) or external influences (e.g. labour market trends, location, expectation of others)


Career DevelopmentAssumptions in this process

• Career decision-making is not something that happens only once in a person’s life but, rather, is an ongoing process that might take place at any age.

• Work is valuable, it can enhance the well-being of the individual and contributes to the success of

society.


Career Development

This professional development process is completed through

exploring the four areas of:

• Values

• Interests

• Personality Traits

• Skills

(VIPS)


Career Development

Skills

You will do a personal skills inventory, using your CV as a

reference. Not just on the important generic and specific

research skills but skills obtained from previous (or even part-

time) employment. When the inventory is complete you

will invariably find that you possess a lot more skills

than previously thought.


Career Development

Skills

The collated & listed skills are then divided into:

• Motivated Skills (skills that I enjoy using)

• Development Skills (skills that I would like to develop and use

more often)

• Burnout Skills (skills that I would prefer not to use)

• Skills that are not considered relevant or important

at this time.


Career Development

Interests

• What career themes am I attracted to?

• Why?

• Are my interests social, enterprising, investigative, practical

focus, creative, systematic?

• What gets me out of bed in the morning?


Career Development

Personality Traits

• How do I like to work?

• How do I work with others?

• What kind of work do I enjoy?

• Dislike? Why?

• What working environments suit me?


Career Development

Values

• What matters most to me?

• What do I value most in a role?

• What do I need to be fulfilled?

• What are my core values?

• What type of roles agree/disagree with my values?


Career Development

Action Plan

The training outcome is a personalised Action Plan that covers the immediate, medium, and long-term future. The Action Plan can be updated every 3-5 years depending on changing professional, lifestyle, and family circumstances. Finally the researcher and trainer subject the Action Plan to a SMARTER analysis (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timed, exciting and relevant).


Career DevelopmentSkills

Many studies have been carried out by researchers such as

Salgado and colleagues and Bertua et al verifying that skills

are a good predictor of job performance and therefore are a

critical consideration when choosing roles. Prediger and

Vansicle (1992) also carried out extensive research on

skills and their classifications linking them with Interests

as a further predictor of job performance.


Skills

Discussion of skills is an important aspect of professional

development. When you realise that you do indeed have a large

range of skills, both general and highly specific, this can be a

great confidence booster and can be quite empowering. When

discussing skills in a professional development context

you need to be sure that you understand the following:


Skills

• Every role requires skills and every researcher has skills

• Every researcher has strengths in certain skill areas and indeed

certain roles suit people with these skill strengths

• Researchers will have specific technical skills as well as skills

that are transferrable to other roles.


SkillsOpen Participation Exercise:

Using Your CV as a reference, make as comprehensive list as

possible of the skills you have acquired to date.


SkillsOpen Participation Exercise:

Every role involves transferable skills. These are important to

look at when considering future roles, even a very different role.

As you list your skills, make a note of transferrable skills.


SkillsOpen Participation Exercise: Page 5


SKILLSOpen Participation Exercise:

Generic Research Skills

• Data Management

• Project Management

• Intercultural Communication

• ‘Traditional’ & Social Media utilisation

• Correct usage of English within a scientific context

• Academic Writing


SKILLSOpen Participation Exercise:

Generic Research Skills

• Various Areas of Public Engagement and Outreach

• Intellectual Property Rights

• Funding Applications

• Scientific Integrity & how to access information,

resources

• Publishing and understanding your options

• Research Methodologies


SKILLSSkills I Enjoy Using

Motivated Skills (Skilled): Skills you enjoys using and are good

at. This is your preferred skill set, and these are skills that your

work role should draw heavily on. These skills should be

explored carefully to generate possible role/development ideas.


SKILLSSkills I Enjoy Using

Potential Development Skills (Unskilled): Skills you enjoy using

or think you would enjoy using, but currently have low skill levels

in. These may represent options for training and development,

as once skill level increases they may move across to motivated

skills.


SKILLSSkills I Do Not Enjoy Using

Burnout Skills: Skills you are quite competent in but do not

enjoy very much. You may fall into the situation of being asked

to do these skills because you are good at them but you get no

enjoyment from it and it can become a source of stress and

frustration. Ideally, work roles should not involve these

skills more than 20% of the time.


SKILLSSkills I Do Not Enjoy Using

Not Important Skills (Unskilled): Skills the I neither like using or

have any competence in. Realistic work roles are unlikely to

involve any of these skills. You do not need to spend a lot of

time on this area but they should be noted for possible future

use.


Skills

Exercise

Going through your skills list, please identify your skills as Motivated, Development, Burnout or Not Important


SkillsExercise page 6


Skills

Exercise

Take note of your transferrable skills(bottom page 4)


SkillsExercise


Skills

Exercise

Does your skills set lean toward Data, Ideas, People or Things?

What categories are more pronounced?


Interests

John Holland developed an influential theory of career choice

and he identified that when people work in areas that interest

them, they are more motivated and perform better. Further

research by Spokane et al (2000) conducted a detailed analysis of

interests as a predictor of job satisfaction and found there is a

strong relationship between these two factors and they

highlighted the importance of exploring interests when

choosing careers.


Interests

• There is an overlap between skills and interests, as people are more likely to invest time & energy in developing skills that interest them.

• However, an interest can be different to a skill. An interest is

when you are drawn to something, excited by it, attracted to it, energised by it, it intrigues you – it appeals to you, even though you may not have tried it before. • Therefore being interested in something is not the same as

being skilled in/at it.


InterestsExercise

Objective: To identify your interest types (i.e. what it is you love

doing, both inside and outside of the working environment) and

seek roles that you are passionate about, in order to increase

your levels of job satisfaction and performance.


InterestsExercise

Please go to the Interests section at the beginning of your Career Development Journal

You will be asked to choose your personal preferences from 6 areas of interest. Mark the following statements on a

scale of 1 – 10, with 10 being the closest to how you feel. Social Enterprising Investigative Practical Focus Creative Systematic


InterestsExercise, page 1


InterestsExerciseSocial

Working with people and making a difference in their lives is of

interest to me. I like roles where I can work with groups and

organisations that treat people well. I am interested in helping

people and communication skills. I’m usually less interested in

working with machines, mathematics, and work that is dictated

by procedures.


InterestsExercise

EnterprisingI’m ambitious and enjoy working toward goals and having responsibility. I tend to be good at dealing with other people and influencing others. I suppose you could say that I’m self-confident, see myself as a leader who is respected by others. I usually enjoy work that involves: Managing projects or people, making decisions, persuading others to see my point of view, selling ideas to others. I tend to be interested in communication, persuasion and leadership skills. I’m not really interested in repetitive work and ‘back-seat’ type roles.


InterestsExercise

InvestigativeI’m interested in solving problems and understanding why things happen. I like to ask questions, seek information and observe what is going on around me. I have an interest in roles involving mathematics, diagnosing problems, sharing ideas and generating solutions. I also like technical, mathematical and scientific fields of work. I’m not really into dealing with people, being a leader or repetitive work.


InterestsExercise

Practical FocusI tend to enjoy practical, hands-on work activities. My preferred work activities would include working with physical materials such as plants, animals, machinery and tools. I also like to dabble in building, fixing or repairing things or using my physical abilities as tools to complete tasks – e.g. using my strength, flexibility or dexterity. I like to think that I’m down-to-earth, concrete, practical and action-oriented. I don’t really like roles involving a lot of paperwork.


InterestsExerciseCreative

I’m interested in art, self-expression and how things look and sound. My preferred work activities typically involve designing and producing art forms – e.g. visual arts, drama, performance, music, dance or writing. I am drawn to work environments that are unstructured and offer freedom, variety, and change. I could be described as expressive, imaginative, intuitive, non-conforming and introspective. I tend to dislike repetitive or highly structured work such as clerical and business roles.


InterestsExercise

SystematicI like following set procedures, routines, and working with ordered numbers or information, such as an office environment. These roles can include working with data and details more than ideas. Usually I like a clear line of authority to follow. I feel comfortable around orderliness, organisation, security and routines. I like to think of myself as clear, logical and reliable.


InterestsExercise

Review the scoring of 1-10 that you gave to each interest area

List your top three areas of interest in descending order

Use the dialogue box to write down any related thoughts


Interests

Key Facilitation Points:

• Help researcher understand/confirm where their interests are

• Help researchers understand/confirm where their interest are

not

• Consider the interaction between skills and interests

• How could working in a particular role(s) suit their

interests?


Interests


• To what extent does the researcher’s current, last, or

considered future roles match their interests?

• What roles are being suggested by their interest results?

• Most people will be a mixture of different interest areas with a

predominance in one.

• Each description will not reflect the individual

researcher 100%. Explore and discuss.


Interests and Personality

Interests are a valid predictor when used in career choice, but

when personality is used with interests this becomes an even

more powerful predictor of suitable occupations.

De Fruyt and Mervielde (1999)


Personality and Personality TrendsExercise

This pertains to behavioural tendencies and the type of work that

might suit each person. This Personality exercise is based on the

WISER personality model, which consists of five major traits. Each

of the five major factors is made up of sub-factors


PersonalityExercise

Choose one of the two options and score it 1-10 with 10 being

the closest fit to your personality.


PersonalityExercise


PersonalityExercise

WISER – Major Traits

Assertive Willing

I’m not bothered by arguments or conflicts I value getting on well with othersI will not sacrifice my own interests for others I encourage and support othersI can make unpopular decisions if necessary I’m patient with the faults of othersI enjoy competition – like to win I’m generally co-operative


PersonalityExercise


Self-Contained Influential

I’m reserved I’m extroverted, enjoy being with othersI enjoy alone time Enthusiastic, optimistic & action-orientedI’ve no problem working alone I like to work with others


PersonalityExercise


Emotional Steady

Experience emotions strongly – Highs & Lows I’m always relaxed and calmI can be excitable Pressure doesn’t bother meI may not like to work under pressure I rarely feel nervous or stressedHigh-pressure may result in stress I’m self-assured & level-headed


PersonalityExercise


Routine Experiencing

I’m comfortable with routine Open to new ideas & ways of thinkingI like to focus on facts I have a good imaginationI like to work in an organised way I’m always looking to try something new


PersonalityExercise


Carefree ReliableI am spontaneous I’m always planned and organisedHappy to do things on impulse – snap decisions I set challenging goalsI may not complete tasks in logical steps I can be relied on to complete tasks


PersonalityExercise


Review the scores that you have allocated to the various

personality traits and list the top-scoring three. In the dialogue

box you may enter any other thoughts or descriptive words that

come to mind.


PersonalityExercise

WISER – How I Work/Interact with Others (I)

Assertive - Willing

Sceptical (cynical) - Trusting (believing)Rule-Bending (dislike rules) - By the book (follow rules)Self-Centred (me first) - Altruistic (generous)Competitive (I want to win) - Co-operative (enjoy groups)Proud (wants recognition) - Modest (humble)Opinionated (likes to speak) - Sympathetic (likes to listen)


PersonalityExercise

WISER – How I Work/Interact with Others (II)

Self-Contained - InfluentialReserved (quiet) - Friendly (forward)Solitary (work alone) - Gregarious (very outgoing)Yielding (likes quiet life) - Assertive (wants to win)Easy-going (agreeable) - Active (wants to lead)Routine-Loving (order) - Excitement (easily bored)Serious (work is work) - Cheerful (good mood)

Choose your top two characteristics and include other thoughts in the dialogue box


PersonalityExercise

WISER – How I Like To Work

Carefree (no worries) - Reliable (responsible)Not Always Sure (hesitant) - Confident (decisive)Casual (no rush) - Orderly (on time)Independent (free thinker) - Dutiful (follow orders)Unmotivated (no interest) - Ambitious (enterprising)Unrestrained (act first) - Disciplined (think first)Spontaneous (act on instinct)- Cautious (careful)



PersonalityExercise

WISER – Thought Process

How I like to think, make decisions and solve problems

Routine (order) - Experiencing (excitement)

Logical (follow reason) - Imaginative (ask why?)Practical Interests (doing) - Enjoys Art (feeling or watching)Detached (unemotional) - Self-Aware (understands people)Habitual (same routine) - Adventurous (something new)I Like To Do - I Like To Think



PersonalityExercise

WISER – Pressure and Stress

Exploration of how you handle pressure and stressEmotional - Steady

Anxious (nervous) - Calm (relaxed)Temperamental(excitable) - Even-Tempered (steady)Pessimistic (fears worst) - Optimistic (positive)Self-Conscious (unsure) - Assured (confident)Extreme (intense)- Moderate (medium)Vulnerable (not strong) - Robust (resilient)



PersonalityExercise


• Your Three Strongest Personality Traits (Highest Scores)

• How You Interact With Others (Five words or phrases)

• How You Like To Work (Five words or phrases)

• Decision-making and dealing with stress

• What are your strengths? (Five words or phrases)

• Areas for development?

• Any Motivators Coming To Mind?


Personality

Shadow Side of Personal Characteristics

• We do not always have a clear idea of what our personal

characteristics are

• Although we say we believe in something, this does not always

match what we do – it remains a good intention

that we do not apply in practice

• Pressure and expediency often result in us

compromising as necessary


Personality

Points To Consider:

• Part of the process is also getting ideas on how you can develop yourself or moderate your behaviour in certain situations to your advantage.

• People rarely change drastically in their personality but they can stretch themselves and develop. They can become aware of areas that need development and compensate appropriately.


Career DevelopmentValues

Edgar Schein (1993) developed the concept of career anchors/values. Values reflect deep and far-reaching aspects of the person and are aspects such as autonomy, independence, security etc. that a person would not give up even if faced with a difficult choice. Schein clearly identifies the necessity of taking account of values as they help to predict which occupations are likely to satisfy and which are likely to lead to conflict and dissatisfaction. (Work Psychology 2005)



Values are the beliefs, principles and standards that are

important to you and what you are looking for in a job and for

your working life.



When considering career development opportunities it is very

important to determine if your core values can be satisfied.

Many people do not take their values into account when making

a career decision.


Values

While every role involves some degree of sacrifice and/or

compromise, when a role is reasonably in line with our values it

results in greater job satisfaction, fulfillment and enhanced

performance in the longer term. A harmonious

relationship between one’s core values and those of the

role or employing organisation is important.


ValuesExercise page 4


Score the following “Values” from 1-10 with 10 being the most important to you

ValuesExercise


• Being Expert – Known as someone with special knowledge or skills

• Challenge – Demanding tasks that test my abilities• Teamwork - Work collaboratively with others• Low Pressure – Avoid demanding work environments• Influencing Others – Persuade people to come around to my

point of view• Variety – A diverse set of tasks and challenges at work• Status – Position that earns me privilege and prestige

ValuesExercise


ValuesExercise

• Adventure – Risk-taking role• Work/Life – Good balance between work and personal life• Routine – Work that is predictable• Fast-Pace – High pressure work environment• Family – Spending quality time with family and close friends• Precision Work – Detailed work requiring high level of

accuracy• Competition – Work activities which measure my

abilities against others


ValuesExercise

• Excitement – High levels of excitement and stimulation in work• Recognition – Receive acknowledgement and credit for work• Managing – Overseeing the activities and work of others• Security – Steady reliable employment with a pension• Health – Lead a healthy lifestyle• Achievement – Sense of accomplishment from work• Supportive Work Environment – Receive assistance

and encouragement at work


ValuesExercise

• Creativity – Generating new ideas• Independence – Freedom to make my own decisions• Moral Values – Work in accord with personal principles and

beliefs• Authority – Power to make decisions• Responsibility – Being accountable for my work and the work

of others• Autonomy – Freedom to plan and schedule my work• Friendship – Have strong relationships around my role


ValuesExercise

List five values that you have identified as being the most important to you

Understanding Your Core Values: Detailed explanation/exploration of your core values


Future VisionExercise page 7

Future Vision


Career DevelopmentAchievements – page 9


Career Development

Achievements: Identify what has worked well for me in the past. What were my top/favourite/best achievements

and when did they happen?

When I’m At My Best: Analyse tasks and roles that provided me with real satisfaction. Identify the key factors that are essential

for me to thrive.


Career DevelopmentExercise

What do I do with these results / this information?


Career Development

Goals

Brainstorm when thinking of goals for yourself. Don’t inhibit your thoughts. It’s just ideas.

The reality test can come later.


Career Development

Beliefs: Identify how beliefs shape decision-making and take appropriate steps to remove dis-empowering beliefs.

Empowering beliefs - Be positive and have self-belief – explore dis-empowering beliefs


Career Development

Barriers: What barriers do I face at the moment and what steps could I take to help me move past these obstacles? Skills gap,

training needed etc.


Career DevelopmentGoal Setting

Action Plan


Career DevelopmentGoal Setting

Combine the information you have built up about yourself to make up your mind on a number of career development steps. Apply the SMARTER test to goals:

S SpecificM MeasurableA AchievableR RealisticT TimedE ExcitingR Relevant


Career Development

Thank you for your time, attention and participation

Dean Hogan


Career DevelopmentPsychometric Testing

It is worth noting that in the areas of values, interests and personality traits psychometric testing is very helpful in that the testing moves the process forward by a few steps and saves a lot of time. The end trainer who will work with the researcher on a one-to-one basis can then ask the researcher a series of open-ended questions based on the testing results. This allows the researcher to clarify their thinking on the test results and take ownership of them.

Planning your research career (for trainers) 10.car devttt

Education

Transcript of Planning your research career (for trainers) 10.car devttt