Heather Battles
Were there any particular personal or professional attributes that you think made you stand out from other job applicants, such as professional affiliations, language skills, leadership experience, lecturing/tutoring experience, number of papers published, and hobbies?
I made sure I ticked all the big boxes as far as I could (teaching experience, publications, leadership experience, etc.). My graduate program also required us to apply for external grants and to pass basic proficiency in a second language related to our research, so I was set up that way. But I think for the job I have now, what made a major difference was something less tangible that came across in my interview rather than on my CV: showing that I could fit in and see myself living in Auckland long-term, rather than using it as a stepping stone to ‘something better’, which is how some candidates come across and which makes employers wary of investing in you.
One of the most valuable experiences I had in preparing for the job market was serving as a grad student rep on a department hiring committee. It was really useful insight into the process. I also sat in on every job talk I could when candidates came for campus visits, and paid attention to how those talks were received – what did students and faculty like and appreciate? What turned them off?
Something else that was really helpful came from one of my volunteer leadership roles. As part of my activities with the Rotaract service club, I was often asked to give speeches to local Rotary clubs, and eventually to assist in delivering a workshop at their international convention. This public speaking experience in a non-academic setting was very valuable in helping me get used to talking to large groups. One of the topics I was often asked to speak on was the history of polio, which was part of my PhD research, so it was also a way for me to demonstrate community engagement.
Do you maintain a social media presence? How important are sites such as Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter etc. to networking and maintaining a presence in the academic/research world?
I haven’t found LinkedIn to be of much use in academia, though others might have a different perspective. I have however found Twitter particularly useful (my Twitter handle is @anthroetc). There is a large and growing academic presence on Twitter, which includes bioanthropologists and others in related fields. It’s a great source of writing advice, teaching ideas, research news, etc. and even allows you to follow content from conferences happening overseas in real time. It’s also an important way for you to get your own work noticed.
I would also advise creating a profile on ResearchGate and uploading content (as far as copyright allows you to). If your research has a humanities bent, you might also want to consider HumanitiesCommons.
Do you have any wonderful advice that you would like to pass on to students?
Take the time to get to know your fellow grad students – and not just those in your immediate cohort. These are your colleagues, and not only can they provide you with important emotional support during your studies, but they are priceless contacts in the future.
I made sure I ticked all the big boxes as far as I could (teaching experience, publications, leadership experience, etc.). My graduate program also required us to apply for external grants and to pass basic proficiency in a second language related to our research, so I was set up that way. But I think for the job I have now, what made a major difference was something less tangible that came across in my interview rather than on my CV: showing that I could fit in and see myself living in Auckland long-term, rather than using it as a stepping stone to ‘something better’, which is how some candidates come across and which makes employers wary of investing in you.
One of the most valuable experiences I had in preparing for the job market was serving as a grad student rep on a department hiring committee. It was really useful insight into the process. I also sat in on every job talk I could when candidates came for campus visits, and paid attention to how those talks were received – what did students and faculty like and appreciate? What turned them off?
Something else that was really helpful came from one of my volunteer leadership roles. As part of my activities with the Rotaract service club, I was often asked to give speeches to local Rotary clubs, and eventually to assist in delivering a workshop at their international convention. This public speaking experience in a non-academic setting was very valuable in helping me get used to talking to large groups. One of the topics I was often asked to speak on was the history of polio, which was part of my PhD research, so it was also a way for me to demonstrate community engagement.
Do you maintain a social media presence? How important are sites such as Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter etc. to networking and maintaining a presence in the academic/research world?
I haven’t found LinkedIn to be of much use in academia, though others might have a different perspective. I have however found Twitter particularly useful (my Twitter handle is @anthroetc). There is a large and growing academic presence on Twitter, which includes bioanthropologists and others in related fields. It’s a great source of writing advice, teaching ideas, research news, etc. and even allows you to follow content from conferences happening overseas in real time. It’s also an important way for you to get your own work noticed.
I would also advise creating a profile on ResearchGate and uploading content (as far as copyright allows you to). If your research has a humanities bent, you might also want to consider HumanitiesCommons.
Do you have any wonderful advice that you would like to pass on to students?
Take the time to get to know your fellow grad students – and not just those in your immediate cohort. These are your colleagues, and not only can they provide you with important emotional support during your studies, but they are priceless contacts in the future.