Federation Career Series

In the academic year 2023-2024, we will offer our modules both online and in-person, depending on the format and content of each module. The series focuses on three key areas: Career Awareness, Career inside Academia, and Career outside Academia, always in the context of the Social Sciences and Humanities.

Modules 2023-2024

Career Outside Academia

You can sign up for the following courses, for more information see below.

_{Note: This Series is independent from the university wide Career Perspective Series . Please visit their site for more information about the different courses and workshops they offer. These are open to all PhD candidates of the University of Groningen and provide training in the area of soft-skills development.}

Federation & Career Services

The Federation Graduate Schools in Social Sciences and Humanities in collaboration with UG Career Services offers a selection of workshops to help PhD candidates start their Career outside Academia. The workshops will be presented by a professional trainer from career services, will be interactive and require full participation as you will receive personalised feedback.

The modules are designed to be taken as a whole, however they can be taken individually if you are only interested in a specific topic. Every workshop will refer back to the previous one, they will be scheduled in 5 consecutive weeks on the same day and time. You can find more information about the individual modules and the learning trajectory below.

Registration is open. There is a maximum number of participants, you will be invited to the Calendar event if you are among the first registrations. All modules are on a Thursday from 10.00 - 12.00 hours.

Learning Trajectory

Your professional identity

16 May 2024, 10.00 - 12.00 hours
We will kick off with Your professional identity. In this workshop, you will define your qualities and skills. How do you identify yourself as an academic, what are your unique skills and what motivates you? What are your values, what do you want to develop, and what conditions do you find important in a job? In this workshop, you will learn to reflect on who you are professionally and to think about what you want, a great starting point for entering the dynamic job market!

Networking in 6 steps

23 May 2024, 10.00 - 12.00 hours
The next step is to put your professional identity and personal brand into action! In this workshop, we will work on our Networking skills. If the thought of networking makes you nervous, we will help you gain confidence. If you already have networking experience, we will help fine-tune your skills. In your career, it is essential to gain and maintain the right connections. In this workshop, we will show you how to incorporate networking into your daily life. This way, the threshold to professional networking will be much lower. You will gain insight into your existing network, the possibilities of your extended network and how to use these possibilities effectively. All in all, a solid preparation for professional networking!

LinkedIn

30 May 2024, 10.00 - 12.00 hours
These days, networking and LinkedIn have become inseparable. The workshop is therefore all about LinkedIn!
You will get to know the basics of using LinkedIn effectively. How do you create a professional profile with a look and feel that fits you? How do you use this to further benefit your career and become visible to the right parties? We will talk about networking, search functions and more of the possibilities that LinkedIn offers to inspire you to take the next step in your field. This workshop is a great opportunity to become a LinkedIn pro!

CV

06 June 2024, 10.00 - 12.00 hours
You found a great vacancy and you want to apply. How can you make your CV stand out? In the application and selection process, your CV is one of the main documents. During this workshop, we will take a deep dive into the right layout, structure and what to include (and exclude!) on your CV. We will also look at how you can use your CV to stand out from the crowd, and match its contents to the vacancy. We will practice all this with multiple assignments. After this workshop, you are able to provide a professional CV for any interesting vacancy.  To get the most out of this workshop, we advise you to bring your own vacancy.

Motivation letter

13 June 2024, 10.00 - 12.00 hours
We will zoom in on your motivation letter. The optimal result from the previous workshops would be that you find a vacancy that really fits you and your profile. How do you make the match with the vacancy and make sure you stand out from the crowd? This workshop uses the input from the previous workshops and brings it all together. Preparation is key, and we will help you prepare well showing you how to tailor your qualities, experiences and profile to the employers wants and needs. After this workshop, you will have all the tools you need to write a compelling motivation letter!

Previous Courses

Career Awareness: Kick-off Session

The Federation GS SSH Career Series 23-24, Careers in the Social Sciences and Humanities , opens with an online kick-off session on Thursday7 December from 14.00 - 16.30h

Our Director, Dr. Konstantin Mierau, will present some facts and figures concerning the career prospects of PhD students, followed by a showcase of our programme throughout this academic year. Next up are a presentation of Make it in the North representing a career outside academia and a panel of early career researchers. They will discuss such topics as the transition from PhD candidate to an academic career and answer your questions.

This kick-off session is a moment for you to ask your questions about a path either inside or outside academia and how our programme can help you in your development!