What: Free participation, accommodation and meals for members of C1net and other participating NIBB networks
When: 12 April 2017
Where: Firth Hall, Firth Court, University of Sheffield
CBMNet_Careers_Booklet_36pp_Digital_FINAL
Report
by C1net member and attendee Pawel Piatek
The careers fair in Sheffield this April proved to be an important date in my calendar, especially as a final year PhD student. There is general feeling shared amongst final year PhDs, as to what to pursue after submitting their thesis and completing the viva, and career fairs such as this offer excellent insights to the long list of opportunities awaiting a completed PhD. What surprised me was how relevant a PhD will be with regards to careers that at first glance may not seem too obvious. Numerous pharmaceutical/multi-national/small-to-medium startups were representing themselves through presentations, explaining what they do and how they operate, some shared a lot with what we do in the SBRC-Nottingham, others alluded a more general microbiology/biological career.
You could walk up to a company stand and ask questions, but what made the career fair special were the 1-2-1 sessions that you could pre-book in advance, sort of like speed dating (I assume). Each session comprised of a 10 minute chat with one of the representatives, to which you could ask detailed questions, or describe your lab work and see how that could fit in their company. Along with the 1-2-1 company sessions, there was a useful CV clinic for people wanting to improve their CV presentation skills.
“I would highly recommend going to these events as they are completely paid-for and offer excellent networking opportunities, a good insight into future prospects after your PhD, and it goes without saying, a free lunch”.
”I just wanted to say thanks for organising the event yesterday – it was great to have the 1-2-1s and catch up with some of the others there.” Dr Matthew Hodges, Strategy & Business Development, Oxford Biotrans Ltd.
”The most interesting part for me was the 1-2-1 talks with representatives of the industry and the academia as it allowed me to ask them specific questions that I had. I also found very interesting the talks from the industry because they helped me understand how important transferable skills are and what kind of jobs I could do in the industry.” – CBMNet Early Career Researcher.
“I enjoyed the 1 to 1 interviews, and found them helpful and that they improved my confidence.” – CBMNet Early Career Researcher.
* Participating BBSRC NIBB: CBMNet, C1net, HVCfP, BioCatNet, FoodWasteNet, Phyconet, ADnet & LBNet