The Applicant and The Applicant and The Academic The Academic PositionPosition

Building the BridgeBuilding the Bridge

A/Prof Barbara Adkins

1 The Applicant1 The Applicant

The PersonThe Person

The Animator The Animator

The TranslatorThe Translator

(a) The Person(a) The Person

Self:Self: IdentityIdentity SkillsSkills DispositionDisposition

ss

© The University of Edinburgh.

 

The Postgraduate Project

Life

© N Y TimesWork

(b) The Animator(b) The Animator

Turns the person and Turns the person and what they have done what they have done into an object to into an object to translate (animates)translate (animates)©  photos.com

(c) The Translator(c) The Translator

Describes the person Describes the person and what they have and what they have done with a view to done with a view to another audience – the another audience – the prospective employer prospective employer (translates)(translates)

© Texas Tech University

The Person Matrix: A The Person Matrix: A Resource for the Resource for the AnimatorAnimator

The PG The PG ProjectProject

LifeLife WorkWork

SkillsSkills

DispositionDispositionss

IdentityIdentity

2 The Academic 2 The Academic Position: The Tasks and Position: The Tasks and the “Whole Story” - the “Whole Story” - Learning the LanguageLearning the Language

ResearchResearch

Teaching and LearningTeaching and Learning

Administration/ServiceAdministration/Service

Hint: Go to University Website and find their research, teaching and learning and engagement plans and learn the language!!

The Research ContextThe Research Context

Increasing competitiveness for research funds Increasing competitiveness for research funds requires people who:requires people who:

Can help write grant applicationsCan help write grant applications Can work on projects independently – Can work on projects independently –

researching, publishing, organising, recruiting etcresearching, publishing, organising, recruiting etc Can relate well to team members and Can relate well to team members and

stakeholders outside of immediate discipline areastakeholders outside of immediate discipline area ForFor you: get yourself a “track you: get yourself a “track

record”!!!record”!!!

The Teaching and The Teaching and Learning ContextLearning Context

Increasing competitiveness for student numbers Increasing competitiveness for student numbers requires people who:requires people who:

Can engage, support and retain students from Can engage, support and retain students from diverse backgroundsdiverse backgrounds

Can translate concepts well Can translate concepts well Can communicate across disciplines and distil Can communicate across disciplines and distil

generic principlesgeneric principles Can work independentlyCan work independently For You: Develop a Teaching Portfolio: For You: Develop a Teaching Portfolio:

assessments, emails from students, assessments, emails from students, innovations etcinnovations etc

The The Administration/Service Administration/Service ContextContext

Can pertain to Research, Teaching and Learning Can pertain to Research, Teaching and Learning and increasingly University-Community and increasingly University-Community Engagement: Organisational work oriented to:Engagement: Organisational work oriented to:

Engaging, supporting and keeping studentsEngaging, supporting and keeping students Engaging and supporting research teams and Engaging and supporting research teams and

industry partners, promoting collaboration etcindustry partners, promoting collaboration etc For You: Keep a record of your For You: Keep a record of your

service and engagement capacities service and engagement capacities and activitiesand activities

3 Building the Bridge3 Building the Bridge

The Applicant

The Application: Animating and Translating the person

The Position

Bridge ExerciseBridge Exercise

Choose one or two of the key Choose one or two of the key attributes in teaching, research or attributes in teaching, research or service (any combination is fine) and service (any combination is fine) and build a bridge between the applicant build a bridge between the applicant (you) and the attribute (you) and the attribute

– – animate your key qualitiesanimate your key qualities – – translate them into the attributes you translate them into the attributes you

have chosenhave chosen

Sell it to the person sitting next to you.Sell it to the person sitting next to you.

Application ExerciseApplication Exercise

Creative ways of working the Creative ways of working the pitch into your application pitch into your application