Careers In Your Ears

In this episode we are joined by Jennifer Jackson, Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary and a Kings alumna. Join us for a positive and uplifting conversation covering Jennifer's experience of resilience (and what it's not!), leadership, career progression, confidence and changing the system from within. Kings PGRs and research staff can access careers support from KEATS. Search for 'Careers & Employability' and look for the 'Researchers' menu option. Find us on Twitter @kcldo1thing Look out for teaching and related opportunities such as Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) roles and supporting students with their study skills through the King’s Academy ‘Academic Skills for Learning’ programme.

In this edition of Careers in Your Ears, Kate Murray talks with Alexandria Mitchell, PhD student in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre at King's College London, about her reasons for deciding to do a PhD, the application process, how she funded herself, and how being a PhD satisfies her desire for research autonomy.  Alexandria also considers some of the differences in studying in the UK, from the US, and talks about what's needed for a more diverse research environment.

We talk to Andrew Wright, Head of Employer Engagement, in the Careers & Employability team at King's College London.  We're hearing a lot about recession and unemployment in the news everyday.  This can be disheartening for anyone who is job hunting.  We ask Andrew for his perspective on current labour markets which interest researchers from academia through to the creative industries.  Andrew encourages us to look beyond the headlines and understand what's going on in different sectors in a more nuanced way. Here are the resources which Andrew refers to in the podcast: Virtual work experience: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=3322146 Self employment and freelancing (with link to IPSE membership for King's PhDs): https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=3221799 Charlie Ball's blog on labour markets: https://highpeakdata.wordpress.com/author/highpeakcharlie/.  You can also find his updates and other helpful articles here: https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/ EMS

Shelly-Ann Gajadhar is a PhD student at the Business School at King's College London. She owns her own career coaching business and is a former criminal prosecutor.  In this episode, she talks about career change and managing multiple tasks and priorities, with a particular emphasis on looking after her own wellbeing. We also discuss the Black Lives Matter movement and what it might mean for achieving equality in academia and beyond.

In this episode we're joined by Donald Lush, Careers Consultant for Researchers, King's College London (KCL) to talk about how we can use social media to support our career thinking.  Donald's positive and relaxed approach to using social media shows us how easy it is to develop our networks at a time when we may be feeling isolated from our colleagues. From collaborations to conversations, he talks about having fun and enjoying your new connections as well as providing some excellent tips on how to ensure it is productive. If you are interested in knowing more you may find LinkedIn Learning (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/learningteaching/ctel/technologies/linkedin-learning) useful on how to develop your profile on LinkedIn as well as our resources on KEATS here: Networking for Career Inspiration (https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=41567&section=12).  You can also Book an appointment with a Careers Consultant for Researchers at KCL (scroll down to the bottom of this page) to discuss your o

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Kate Daubney, Head of Careers & Employability, King's College London (KCL).  Kate tells us about her own research and her journey from PhD to heading up the careers team at KCL. She also shares her ideas about how researchers can go beyond the immediate knowledge content of their research to discover the skills and attributes they're developing along the way, and why now is an important time as any to start exploring all the brilliant things researchers have to offer.  In this episode Kate refers to a couple of resources which you may find helpful: 'What do I have to offer' module on KCL's Careers & Employability KEATS pages. 'Mindset', a book on positive approaches to learning by Carol Dweck, PhD [she also has a good TedTalk on this subject] Book an appointment with a Careers Consultant for Researchers at KCL (scroll down to the bottom of this page) Also you can find the "Women Working in Tech (part 2)" episode which we refer to, wherever you're lis

In this short episode, Careers Consultants for Researchers at King's College London (KCL) discuss what action can be taken in these uncertain times and share with listeners how to access support through new online careers lounges for PhDs and Research Staff at KCL and this new series of the podcast. Online appointments and webinars are being offered as normal. Find out more about our support for researchers here: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=2932966 Follow us on Twitter @kcldo1thing

Today’s joint episode with Researc/hers Code, is the second part of a conversation we had at the end of 2019, with Ella Fitzsimmons, Charlotte Fereday and Chloe Tartan, who each have PhDs in different backgrounds (religious studies, language and linguistics and photonics respectively!)  and are now working in tech roles. In this episode, they talk to Victoria Carr from Researc/hers Code about their thoughts on diversity in the tech sector, barriers they faced, factors which attracted them to the sector and finally, top tips for researchers wanting to go into tech roles. Please get in touch with us @kcldo1thing if you have ideas/thoughts about people we could interview for the podcast, or topics you would like us to cover.

Today’s joint episode with Researc/hers Code, is the first part of a conversation we had with Ella Fitzsimmons, Charlotte Fereday and Chloe Tartan, who each have PhDs in different backgrounds (religious studies, language and linguistics and photonics respectively!)  and are now working in tech roles. They talk to Victoria Carr from Researc/hers Code about their journey from academia to their current job, what they’ve taken from that academic experience into the tech space and what’s surprised them about this new sector. Join us in the new year for the 2nd part of this conversation which focuses on diversity, barriers faced and top tips for researchers wanting to go into tech roles.

Emma Davenport teaches Critical and Contextual Studies for the Design department at The Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design, part of London Metropolitan University. She researches what people wear at work with a particular interest in academic dress. In this episode we explore how academics dress at work, crossing academic disciplines and establishing a career in a highly competitive labour market.

Nick Lynn, Senior Director at Willis Towers Watson talks with Vicki Tipton about his journey from Geography lecturer to Employee Engagement Consultant. Listen in to hear Nick's thoughts on the future of work and the increasing need and relevance of research skills in the world of business. Learn what it means to work as a consultant in employee engagement.  We’re always interested to hear from our listeners: get in touch if you have any ideas of who you’d like us to interview or specific questions you’d like us to ask people.  Tweet @kcldo1thing or email careers@kcl.ac.uk.

Kai is a senior lecturer at the Manchester School of Art, at Manchester Metropolitan University and was previously a research fellow at King's College London. She also has a very successful career as an artist. In this episode she tells us about how her skills and experiences as an academic and an artist have led her to her current role. We also explore equality, inclusion and neurodiversity in academic life and the importance of being yourself in job interviews. Apologies for the sound quality. This episode was recorded online and there is some background noise and distortion.

What does it mean to work in health policy?  What does a policy researcher do day to day?  And, if your research has been in one topic, how do you transition into another area?  Listen to this short podcast where Kate Murray talks with Dr Deborah Fenney from The King’s Fund and find out more about being a research ‘geek’.  We’re always interested to hear from our listeners: get in touch if you have any ideas of who you’d like us to interview or specific questions you’d like us to ask people.  Tweet @kcldo1thing or email careers@kcl.ac.uk.

This bonus episode was taken from our live recording at the Vitae International Researcher Development Conference earlier this month, where we led a Special Interest Session along with KCL’s post-grad student led 'Postdocalypse' podcast! This episode concerns how to get researchers’ voices heard and other reasons why we set up our podcasts. We have a few tips and advice for setting up podcasts, and some audience questions too. Enjoy! Postdocalypse podcast link: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/postdocalypse-kings-college-london-health-sciences/id1369174654?mt=2 Vitae - supports the professional development of researchers: www.vitae.ac.uk/ 

Stephanie Arnold, until very recently a King's PhD student, and now Senior Scientist at Astra Zeneca, talks to Careers Consultant, Vicki Tipton about how she worked out what she wanted to do after the doctorate.  She goes on to talk about the value of taking part in different activities - from committee roles to mentoring - which helped her to take her next steps.  

Vicki Tipton talks with Craig Dooley, KCL's E-Learning Development Advisor in the Centre for Doctoral Studies. In this edition of Careers in Your Ears, Craig and Vicki focus on part time and remote PhD students. How do they manage their career thinking and planning with everything they already have to juggle? What support is available at King's to help part time and remote PhD students.  Information for King's PhD Students and Research staff on how to book an appointment and links to resources:  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/careers/Current-Students/Researchers  

In this episode Donald Lush talks to Julia Yates and Tristram Hooley, two academics who research career thinking and planning. We discuss the latest research and the practical advice emerging from it as well as considering how the world of work is likely to change over the coming decades. Finally, we talk about whether careers advice and career planning should have an ethical dimension and, if so, how.

In this episode Kate Murray, Careers Consultant, talks with Dr Alessandro di Bona, an EU Exit Policy Adviser. You'll hear about Alessandro's time as a PhD student and whether it connects to his current role. He has some top tips too, for those aspiring to change careers. 

 This edition of Careers in Your Ears, the podcast for researchers at King’s College London, is hosted by Kate Murray, Careers Consultant for Researchers and Deputy Head of King’s Careers & Employability.   Kate was on site at Roche, the pharmaceutical company, at their Welwyn Garden City site, and talked with Dr Max Bourgognon, a former post-doc at King’s and now Insights Manager; and his colleagues Dr Jessica O’Neill, Franchise Insights Lead, Neuroscience; Dr Claire Gibson, Franchise Insights Lead, Rare Diseases; and Dr Chiara Marchetti, Insights Manager.  The four talked about their decision-making in moving away from academia and give valuable tips and advice on navigating the post-PhD and post-doc period.  

It's International Women's Day 2019, and the campaign this year is 'Better the Balance, Better the World', so in today's bonus episode we talk to Dr Sarah Barry, a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Biology at King's College London about her career in academia and why the gender balance in chemistry isn't really there yet.  At the end of the podcast Sarah refers to a report by the Royal Society of Chemistry on the diversity landscape of the chemical sciences and an article by Carolyn Bertozzi about achieving gender balance, we've included them here for ease of reference: RSC Diversity Landscape Report Carolyn Bertozzi Gender Balance Article #betterforbalance