Careers advice

[kimbleshi]

I went to a careers advice session at New Hall today.  It was useless. So I am throwing it open to the world. What is the most useful thing that you have learnt about employment? What to do, what not to do, who to work for, how much to work for, interview tips, application tips, everything.  PhDs don't appear to be going my way so I'm thinking of

Comments

[meihua]

All of these are once in a professional job:

• If you don't get on with your manager, you're not getting anywhere. Cultivate another manager and get transferred to them, or leave the company.
• Keep a list of "good stuff" you do during the year and present it during your annual review. Most people won't bother to do that, so you will look good. Even if it feels like plain stuff. Argue that on the basis of this you should have a raise.
• Take on additional responsibility without being asked, make it visible (but not too visible) and point this out in reviews as well. If you don't get a raise for it, you've got the wrong manager, see my first point.
• It's a lot easier if you accept that whatever job you do, you'll be dealing with dumb people sometimes, and there's nothing you can do to get away from that.
• Find ways to communicate with people which don't make them feel attacked. You can make a huge difference just by communicating constructively.

[kimbleshi]

Thank you :)

[cosmic_elephant]

Hey,

Can't advise too much at the moment, as I am extremely lost, career-wise. I would recommend going to the Careers Service and getting an appointment there. They may be useless, they may help - you never know until you try!

Plus it depends on what kinds of jobs you're thinking of going for - pharmacology stuff, general science stuff, just any odd job? For the first two, a lab technician or a research assistant could be something to go for...

I don't know.

[briggsy]

I've been hearing a lot today about how crap that fair was!

Advice? Be enthusiastic (which you are very capable of!) in interviews, realise you aren't beholden to a company - i.e., leave whenever you life, although I have stayed to the end of projects before. The people you work with are important (they are half your awakened hours, if not more of your life, it isn't worth working with a bunch of cunts for a bit more money).

Realise once you hit the real world that other people can be very stupid sometimes. You may need to develop patience skills. However this also means that many are easily impressed by what we might think are obvious common sense solutions.

As a graduate some companies will offer graduate pay rises - i.e., you start off low, but ramp up quickly as you gain experience. I don't know how the current economic climate will affect things.

Also you'll find things that apply to you as you do more and more work. Eventually the daily grind will make you long for exams again, etc ... :p