presented by Dr. Matthias Zach
Date: 03 November & 04 November, 2022 (Part I); 09 November, 2022 (Part II)
Time: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm or 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Format: Online Webinar (Zoom)
// General
“How to find a suitable job?” and “How to get it?” are questions that every doctoral student faces in the final stages of their thesis. With graduation within reach, finding a matching job is as exciting as it is challenging.
The aim of the workshop “Planning and Developing Your Career” is for each participant to identify, and reflect upon, your own professional and personal competencies and to know different ways of finding suitable job profiles on German academic and, in particular, non-academic labour markets. Based on this, the application training presents suitable strategies and methods for presenting your own knowledge and skills both in the written application and in the job interview. In an additional individual coaching session, you may then continue to explore your individual questions and concerns in greater depth.
// Content and Topics
Part I “Planning and Developing Your Career: How to Find Suitable Jobs on the German Labour Market”
03 November, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm & 04 November, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Clarifying the situation: Academic careers in Germany vs. job prospects on the non-academic labour market
- Career paths in the postdoc phase: What do habilitation, junior professorship, tenure-track professorship, etc. mean?
- Further development of my academic career: What accomplishments do I need to bring to the table? Which achievements do I already have?
- My professional and personal competencies as a starting point for search strategies on the non-academic job market
- Which opportunities does the non-academic job market offer for PhD students and graduates? How do I find out what kind of jobs are suitable for me?
- Job Search in the different sectors
- Timing and goals: Reflecting upon your career goals and planning your next steps
Part II “Job Application Training”
09 November, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
- Relevant differences between applications in academia and for positions on the non-academic job market
- How to read a job advertisement
- What should I research beyond the job advertisement?
- How to adapt my application documents to the advertised job
- How to write a good cover letter
- How to present competencies and fit in the CV
- How to write a convincing unsolicited application
- Preparation for the job interview
- How to present my profile and my competencies well
- What are typical interview questions?
Following the course days questions and individual needs related to the workshop content can be discussed with the Trainer in a 30-60 min of Individual Coaching*.
- Questions about the workshops
- Individual input for career planning and development
- Applications for (specific) positions
- Discussion of individual challenges in career development
- Etc.
*Exclusive for members of RTG 2498, Appointments will be arranged individually.
// Organization Details
- This workshop is addressed to PhD students of Life Sciences at the final stages of their doctorates and graduates.
- The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 12.
- Methodically the workshop will include impulse lectures, group work, plenary discussions, work with worksheet, and internet research.
- All participants will receive a certificate of successful participation.
- The virtual webinar will be held in English.
// Trainer
About Dr. Matthias Zach: Scientific education in Oxford, Paris and Tübingen; many years of experience in research, teaching and science management at universities in Great Britain, France and Germany as well as freelance translator; main focus in career consulting for academics: national and international careers of scientists, application processes on the academic and non-academic job market, competence development.
// Registration
The participation in this webinar is elective for internal and associated PhD students of RTG 2498. Furthermore, members of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) related to Institutions of Natural Sciences are welcome to take part if free spots are available.
Registration open until 28 Oct, 2022.
Please note that the workshop Part II is fully booked! Further registrations may end up on the waiting list.
