Skills Expected frm Graduate Students in Search f Emplyment in Academic and Nn- Academic Settings Faculty f Graduate Studies and Research Renee Plziehn (Revised January 2011)
Skills Expected frm Graduate Students in Search f Emplyment in Academic and Nn-Academic Settings Making lists f sft skills and ffering sessins t students may be the first step t getting graduate students t think abut what they can ffer future emplyers. Niclas (2008) wrte that, withut an verall framewrk and withut a link t the research prject, we are wasting time and creating superficial knwledge in ur graduate students. The Statement f the UK Research Cuncils' Training Requirements fr Research Students prvided an excellent framewrk t layut the expectatins we have f dctral students research skills in their pursuit f an academic career, and t superimpse the requirements nn-academic emplyers have fr ur graduate students. The granting agencies NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR, in cllabratin with the Canadian Assciatin f Graduate Studies and the Sciety fr Teaching and Learning in Higher Educatin tk initiative in 2007 t create their wn Statement f Principles n Key Prfessinal Skills fr Researchers. In Nvember 2008, the Canadian Assciatin f Graduate Students published a summary f this wrk that stressed fur areas that wuld have a strng cnnectin in the university milieu: cmmunicatin, management, teaching, and ethics. This dcument was initially prepared as a tl t guide the directin f prfessinal develpment prgramming fr graduate students at the University f Alberta. A greater purpse wuld be t prvide graduate students encuragement, supprt, and cnfidence t develp and realize their graduate prgram was an pprtunity t gain valuable emplyable skills. We can better guide graduate students t prepare themselves fr the current jb market by using the structure presented by Bildeau (2008) 1 that utlines cmmn graduate student activities assciated with these skills, and cmbining the mst sught after skills by emplyers. Nine f the ten skills nted belw were cnsidered imprtant by Tri-Cuncil and the tenth was added frm the UK Research Cuncil s Training Requirement fr Research Students. The reprt will expand n each f these abilities, fllwed by suggestins, albeit nt cmprehensive, that graduate students can use t demnstrate their cmpetencies. Als nted are the crrespnding skills sught after by nn-academic emplyers. 1. Cmmunicatin and interpersnal skills 2. Critical and creative thinking 3. Persnal effectiveness 4. Integrity and Ethical Cnduct 5. Teaching Cmpetence 6. Scietal and Civic Respnsibilities 7. Leadership 8. Research management 9. Knwledge mbilizatin and knwledge translatin 10. Career Management * 1 Prepared by Bildeau in cnsultatin with members f Tri-Cuncil and STLHE. Permissin was given t use the draft fr the basis f this dcument. 2
1. Cmmunicatin and interpersnal skills researchers t be able t: cmmunicate effectively, cncisely, and crrectly in written, spken, and visual frms t a variety f audiences using a wide range f media use effective cmmunicatin depending n a variety f interpersnal skills including listening, asserting, influencing, persuading, empathizing, and exercising sensitivity and diplmacy recgnize the imprtance f ther aspects f cmmunicatin including bdy language and ther frms f nn-verbal cmmunicatin listen t and receive feedback frm peers, supervisrs, and junir researchers give cnstructive feedback and respnd perceptively t thers experiment and apply their interpersnal skills thrugh team building, cnsensus building, negtiatin and cnflict management develp and maintain cperative netwrks and wrking relatinships with supervisrs, clleagues, and peers within the institutin and the wider research cmmunity demnstrate self-understanding and a willingness t build their persnal skills Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Cmmunicatin Skills Interpersnal Skills Cmputer/Technical Literacy Skills Teamwrk skills Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Public Speaking: research presentatins at seminars, cnferences, psters sessins, thesis defense, cmmittee meetings, and lab meetings; artistic perfrmances; interviewing test subjects fr research purpses; asking/answering questins at seminars; general presentatins t industry, public, r gvernment; participating in debates and speech events; vlunteering fr cmmunity events Writing: submitting publicatins t jurnals and curses; jurnal editing/reviewing, designing research psters, writing grant and schlarship applicatins; prviding prgress reprts, writing prpsals and dissertatin; writing letters, emails, blgs, and articles fr general public Accepting a variety f rles: mentr, teacher, clleague, leader, student, cmmittee member where ne can be in a psitin t give and receive feedback, as well t respnd t varius situatins requiring differing cmmunicatin strategies Multi-Media: participating in blgs, wikis, twitter, vide cnferences; sharing data electrnically; using technlgy in yur presentatins/teaching 2. Critical and creative thinking researchers t be able t: gather their infrmatin frm varius senses, including ral and/r written expressins, reflectin, bservatin, experience, and reasning analyze and slve prblems f varius natures (disciplinary, prfessinal, persnal, scial), t seek t think utside the bx and maintain an pen dispsitin, allwing them t imagine the impssible and nurture their creative thinking develp a high degree f innvatin, riginal thinking, and risk taking 3
cnceive new ideas, gds, services, and practices with the intentin f imprving the current state f knwledge r applying it t a specific purpse in an innvative way make cnnectins between disciplines and engage in meta-learning, enabling them t cntribute nvel ideas, assess the relevance and imprtance f ideas in varius cntexts, and critique and challenge current ideas, practices, and paradigms Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Analytical/Research Skills Prblem-Slving /Reasning Skills Creativity Skills Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Writing: prpsal and thesis writing; jurnal submissins, patent submissins, thesis submissin, curse wrk, schlarship applicatins Research Activities: cllabrative research; develping theretical cncepts; applying methdlgies frm ne discipline t anther; attending seminars related t discipline; participating in a jurnal club; bringing new methdlgy int research grup; identify future research questins t develp frm thesis Teaching 3. Persnal effectiveness researchers t be able t: engage in meaningful reflectin abut the histrical develpment and present place f their discipline in the wrld and where and hw they fit in it have a keen sense f self-awareness f their persnal and intellectual strength reassess their psitins, values, and future plans in light f their life experience and critical selfanalysis achieve an apprpriate life-wrk balance and t deal effectively with challenging situatins and challenging peple fllw a flexible curse f actin that will lead t self-sufficiency and satisfying persnal and prfessinal achievements understand the imprtance f time and stress management t handle several assignments with cnflicting deadlines simultaneusly regularly access and manage up-t-date infrmatin regarding career pprtunities, the wrk envirnment, and prfessinal develpment Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Planning/Organizatinal Skills Detail Oriented Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Research Awareness: Prepare a literature review, give research/pster presentatins 4
Prgress: have an annual meeting with cmmittee t evaluate prgress; develp research plan; update CV annually at minimum, identify successes Demnstrate multiple cmmitments: research, teaching, cmmittees, vlunteering, athletic pursuits, family, persnal interests 4. Integrity and Ethical Cnduct researchers t be able t: be are aware f and adhere t prfessinal cdes f cnduct and standards in and beynd their disciplines be sensitive t ethical cnsideratins in situatins invlving cnflict f interest, apprpriate authrship, and intellectual prperty attributins display impartiality and rigr when perfrming research and when analyzing and reprting research results be sensitive t the ethical aspects f multidisciplinary and multicultural situatins, taking int accunt scial and envirnmental cnsideratins demnstrate respnsible cnduct in research and adhere t the standards fr academic citatin in writing in specific disciplines t handle cmpeting bligatins ethically and t negtiate and manage ethical dilemmas t engage in critical analysis f rules and standards t ensure that they are fair and equitable Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Multicultural Sensitivity and Awareness Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Ethics and integrity requirement: Graduate Ethics Training curse, Institutinal Animal User Training Prgram Certificate, Ethics Apprval fr use f Human Subjects; Acknwledgement: prper use f citatins, references, cpyrights and intellectual prperty Rle Mdel: abiding t research and teaching cntractual bligatins, adhering t Cde f Student Cnduct and prfessinal cdes f cnduct, awareness f human rights Teamwrk activities 5. Teaching Cmpetence researchers t be able t: explain cmplex cncepts related t the cntent, skills, and prcess f their discipline in varius wrkplace cntexts prvide clear, explicit instructins that facilitate thers understanding and learning understand the imprtance f identifying the learning utcmes, first and fremst, t facilitate the selectin f apprpriate cntent (what t teach/learn), as well as the mst effective teaching tls (hw t teach/facilitate learning) 5
inspire, mtivate, mentr, and develp thers adapt their instructinal and mentring activities t address different learning styles, recgnizing different mtivatins, backgrunds, and experiences, in rder t address learning needs in a systematic fashin Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Cmmunicatin Skills Interpersnal Skills Multicultural Sensitivity and Awareness Leadership Skills Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Teaching: experience thrugh sessinal teaching, teaching assistantships and demnstratrships; presenting t elementary and secndary schl students; mentring and tutring undergraduate and high schl students; participating in teaching sessins and wrkshps; caching and teaching in cmmunity rganizatins Administrative rles: leading discussin grups, chairing meetings, rganizing cnferences 6. Scietal and Civic Respnsibilities researchers t be able t: cntribute t sciety thrugh their rle as a member f varius lcal, natinal, and glbal cmmunities value civic respnsibility, citizenship, and diversity, and they are able t cmmunicate with members f ther cultures in ways that are apprpriate in their prfessinal cntext demnstrate a brad understanding f the cntext, at the natinal and internatinal levels, in which research takes place cnsider the interests f sciety by taking respnsibility fr the impact f their research activities n ther researchers, stakehlders, custmers, citizens, cmmunities, and the envirnment, and by accepting the respnsibility fr cmmunicating the nature and results f their research t the brader cmmunity Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Leadership Skills Management Skills Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Research Prmtin: cntact Public Affairs t cmmunicate research relevance t cmmunity; participating in wrkshps and presentatins fr the cmmunity; publish research in academic and nn-academic surces Cmmunity Engagement: serving as an expert r resurce fr industry, gvernment, and cmmunity rganizatins 6
7. Leadership researchers t be able t: influence, mtivate, mentr, guide, and enable thers t cntribute t the effectiveness and success f an rganizatin f which they are members, whether in a lab, in the field, in an institutin, r in sciety acquire and apply ther imprtant skills such as cmmunicatin, critical thinking, and prblem-slving skills use effectively their knwledge and credibility t mtivate and guide thers articulate a visin, identify prblems and slutins, empwer and enable thers, and facilitate teamwrk adapt t challenging and changing envirnments and influence thers t adapt as well manage thers, including recgnizing and rewarding the cntributins f thers Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Leadership Planning/Organizatinal Skills Detail Oriented Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Supervisry Rles: mentr, supervise, and delegate research respnsibility t undergraduate - high schl students in hnrs prjects r summer internships; take n a chair/executive psitin in rganizatin with respnsibility f managing thers Research Experience: establish research plan; prblem slve; manage time; pririty management Administrative Rle: grup facilitatin; participate in team prject/cmmittee; reflect and dcument utcmes f cnflict reslutin 8. Research management researchers t be able t: rganize the envirnment in which research is being dne fr the purpse f seeking new knwledge and the adaptatin f that knwledge fr practical use pssess suitable rganizatinal skills and an apprpriate knwledge f financial management, peple management, and prject management wrk efficiently in situatins invlving many prjects with different bjectives, different timelines, and different stakehlders apply effective prject management thrugh the setting f research gals and intermediate milestnes and thrugh the priritizatin f activities plan, prepare, and manage budgets; set up, interpret, and maintain accunting recrds; and develp, evaluate, and negtiate cntracts understand the cncept f results-based management f research activities and utilize established practices t reprt t the apprpriate fficials in the institutin, gvernment, and/r industry 7
Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Management Skills Flexibility/adaptability Multi-tasking Skills Cmputer/Technical Literacy Skills Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Research Experience: manage diverse and large amunts f infrmatin; review budget plan f supervisr s grant applicatin; submit a grant applicatin; prvide annual prgress reprt Life Balance: participate in cmmittees, research, teaching, and persnal pursuits Cmmunity Building: develp prfessinal netwrk; establish relatinship with mentrs 9. Knwledge mbilizatin and knwledge translatin researchers t be able t: translate research results int knwledge understandable t nn-specialists in rder t facilitate the uptake and use f knwledge and generate the best scial and ecnmic benefits t sciety identify, create, represent, and distribute knwledge fr use by thers thrugh knwledge mbilizatin/translatin raise awareness and learning thrugh publicatin (ral and written), intellectual prperty prtectin (cpyrights, patents, industrial designs, trade secrets), and technlgy transfer as activities f knwledge mbilizatin/translatin be familiar with knwledge mbilizatin/translatin as a prcess within the research cycle understand the value creatin chain related t their specific discipline, and the nging relatinship that links research and decisin making acknwledge the need fr lng-term partnerships and cmmunicatin between researchers and knwledge users Related Skill Sught in Nn-Academic Sectrs: Cmmunicatin Skills Analytical/Research Skills Prblem-Slving /Reasning Skills Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Research Prmtin: pparticipate in events fr general public, gvernment, r industry; develp ideas with TEC Edmntn; publish articles in nn scientific frums; identify scietal impact f research Prepare Research Philsphy 10. Career Management graduate students t be able t: take wnership fr and manage ne's career prgressin, set realistic and achievable career gals, and identify and develp ways t imprve emplyability 8
appreciate the need fr and shw cmmitment t cntinued prfessinal develpment demnstrate an insight int the transferable nature f research skills t ther wrk envirnments and the range f career pprtunities within and utside academia present ne's skills, persnal attributes and experiences thrugh effective CVs, applicatins and interviews Graduate students can demnstrate these skills thrugh: Career planning: jb applicatins, CV writing, interviewing, netwrking and self-marketing, attending prfessinal develpment sessins/wrkshps, gal setting, grant writing Mving Graduate Educatin int the Future Graduate educatin is abut creating individuals wh have a capacity t ask interesting, demanding, and difficult questins. It is als abut skill develpment that takes the student beynd cultivating a strng analytical mind. In the recent review f graduate educatin fr the 21st century, Walker et al. (2008) make the fllwing bservatin: Many are ill-prepared fr the full range f rules they must play, be they [graduate students] in academe r beynd, and ften the experience is marred by a mismatch between the pprtunities available t students as they cmplete their wrk and their expectatins and training alng the way. Suggestins t lead graduate students in a directin that will leave them well prepared fr the challenges they face in a glbal envirnment include a strng fcus n prfessinal develpment, mentrship by faculty, establishing milestnes t mark achievement, integrating practice int research, and creating a cnnectin t the cmmunity. Recgnize that while research skills are essential in an academic pursuit, there are many skills that graduate students can sharpen during this time. During any dctral prgram, graduate students need t be aware that emplyers will evaluate candidates n the basis f hw their diverse skill set can enhance their wrkplace, and hw their persnality will cmplement their new cmmunity. References Bildeau, Pierre. 2008. Statement f Principles n Key Prfessinal Skills Requirements fr New Researchers. NSERC. Pp 1-6. Draft V. http:// www.ucalgary.ca/prskills/files/prskills /NSERC%2520Draft%2520v5.0.dc+tri-agency+statement+f+principles+n+key+prfessinal +skills+fr+researchers&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca Canadian Assciatin fr Graduate Students. 2008. Prfessinal Skills Develpment fr Graduate Students. http://www.cags.ca/media/dcs/cags-publicatin/prf%20skills%20 Dev%20fr%20Grad%20Stud%20%20Final%2008%2011%2005.pdf NACE 2008. Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers' Jb Outlk Graduating Student and Alumni Survey. Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers, Bethlehem, PA http://www.jbweb.rg/studentarticles.aspx?id=2121 9
Hansen, Randall, and Hansen Katharine. 2010. What d Emplyers Really Want? Tp Skills and Values Emplyers Seek frm Jb-Seekers. Quintessential Careers. http://www.quintcareers.cm/jb_skills_values.html Niclas, Jean. 2008. Researchers fr tmrrw. www.affaresuniversitaires.ca. February. Pp 9-13. UK GRAD Prgramme. 2001. Jint Statement f the UK Research Cuncils' Training Requirements fr Research Students. UK GRAD Prgramme http://www.vitae.ac.uk/cms/files/rcuk-jint-skills- Statement-2001.pdf Walker, Gerge E.; Glde, Chris M.; Jnes, Laura; Cnklin Bueschel, Andrea; Hutchings, Pat. 2008. The Frmatin f Schlars: Rethinking Dctral Educatin fr the Twenty-First Century, Jssey- Bass/Carnegie Fundatin fr the Advancement f Teaching. Pp 1-232 10