BOOST: Career Development for Researchers

BOOST has a range of opportunities. Some are targeted to particular audiences or career stages, for example PGRs and research staff, and other sessions are available to all.

We cover a broad range of topics including: 

• Professional development 
• Career planning 
• Applying for a job (both academic and non-academic) 
• Communicating your skills 
• Fellowships, grants and funding

We also run regular drop-ins to support researchers with the new narrative CV format (also known as the Résumé for Research and Innovation). Check below for the next drop-in date.

No - BOOST is a 'pick and mix' programme, meaning you can attend as many or as few sessions as you like.

You may wish to attend just one, or you may want to schedule in multiple sessions over the year. It's up to you!

That’s not a problem! Our sessions enable you to develop your skills, confidence and preparedness for any career, academic or otherwise.

7 October, 1-3pm, on campus

Unlock your potential by disarming your ""saboteurs"" – those inner voices that undermine your productivity and well-being. Join our workshop based on the Positive Intelligence framework, tailored to address the unique challenges faced in academia.

Delve into the core principles of Positive Intelligence to uncover how these critical voices create unhelpful narratives about you, others, and academic life. Learn strategies to diminish their power. Participate in creative group discussions and interactive exercises to identify your top saboteur, recognise its patterns, and develop effective methods to overcome it.

Join us to enhance your resilience and gain insights into the impact of saboteurs on yourself and the broader research culture.

About the facilitator:
Dr Anne Marie Sowerbutts worked as a health service researcher at the University of Manchester for over a decade before becoming a researcher developer, so knows the joys and challenges of research life. Anne Marie is dedicated to helping researchers unleash their full potential and flourish in their careers. Her true passion lies in seeing stressed out researchers transform into calm and creative thinkers. She is a certified coach and trained in Positive Intelligence methodology. She applies her knowledge and skills internally at the University and running workshops in her own external practice.

30 October, 12-1pm, online (Join meeting)

If you're applying for funding, you may have noticed a new form of CV called the 'narrative CV' (also known as the Résumé for Research and Innovation/R4RI).

As part of BOOST, we offer drop-in sessions for any researcher who is developing a narrative CV and who would like feedback, advice or guidance on how to do so. Sessions run roughly every 6 weeks, alternating between online and in-person.

There's no need to book - simply turn up on the day with your narrative CV, or any questions you have for us.

Before you attend the session, we'd encourage you to review our resources on Creating your Resume for Researchers or Narrative CV. You can also read our article on 'Narrative CVs/R4RIs: The top 5 mistakes researchers make'.

5 November, 10am-1pm, on campus

As researchers we can often find ourselves in positions where we have a great deal of responsibility but little authority. A key professional development skill is being able to influence others even without formal 'power'.

In this session, we’ll explore how we can build more effective relationships, and so influence ‘upwards’, with our managers, supervisors, PIs and steering group members (and indeed everyone else).

Specifically we’ll focus on:

• Our own style, needs and drives
• How to understand the agendas and motivations of our managers
• Assertive communication, feedback and negotiation techniques
• Build a toolkit of skills and approaches that may influence different stakeholders

We’ll also briefly focus on difficult relationships and situations that are in need of repair. Our approach will mainly be proactive and pre-emptive (i.e. build better relationships) than surgical (i.e. ‘help - my boss is er... challenging’).

13 November, 11:30am-1:30pm, on campus

The principles of design thinking have long been used in manufacturing to design and redesign products or services. Join us in this interactive session to find out more about how this technique can help you to solve stumbling blocks you might have in your own research work. Design thinking approaches consider problems or issues from a variety of perspectives, embracing creativity, collaboration and alternative perspectives.

28 November, 10am-12:30pm, online

A good CV can make a big difference when applying for jobs or funding. CVs outside of academia follow a similar structure, with concise summaries of your skills, achievements, and experiences. Academic CVs differ, however, in format, length and content.

Despite this, writing an academic CV presents many of the same challenges as non-academic CVs. Common questions include:

• What should I include (or leave out)?
• How should I format my CV?
• How detailed should it be?

In this online session, we’ll cover two types of academic CV: the traditional long-form CV, and the new short-form narrative CV. We’ll analyse examples of the two formats, compare their similarities and differences, and give you the chance to identify the areas of your CV which need development.

4 December, 10am-12pm, online

Your CV is often the first thing that an employer sees when applying for jobs. A good CV will showcase your skills and experiences to employers, demonstrating your ability to successfully carry out a job.

However, it can be a challenge for some academics to effectively communicate their academic skills and experiences and relate these to the very different requirements of non-academic roles.

In this workshop, we’ll consider:

• How academic and non-academic CVs differ
• How to translate your academic skills and experiences for a non-academic audience
• How to effectively communicate your abilities, and convince the employer that you’re the best person for the job.

10 December, 10am-12pm, on campus

Are you worried that one day people will find out that you are not as good as they think? You are not alone! Imposter syndrome is a common fear, especially amongst high-achieving, intelligent and talented professionals. As academia is a place where intelligent, talented high-achievers congregate, it is no surprise that the imposter syndrome is such a familiar experience amongst staff in the university sector.

In this session, we will look at what imposter syndrome is, how it shows up for each of us, and what we can do to overcome this unwelcome feeling of being inadequate. You will have ample opportunities to think about your own situations when the impostor syndrome takes hold of you, identify common patterns and then go on to develop your own personal strategies to overcome this debilitating feeling.

We will do some simple but effective exercises, through writing, exploring and thinking – all in a safe and constructive environment. Please note that this is not a counselling session! Instead, the session offers a gentle and supportive approach to help us find more effective coping strategies. You can choose to work on your own or in pairs and share as much or as little as feels comfortable. To gain as much from the session as possible, join us with an open mind and plenty of curiosity to explore this phenomenon.

10 December, 12:30-1:30pm, on campus (OD&PL Seminar Room 1.34)

If you're applying for funding, you may have noticed a new form of CV called the 'narrative CV' (also known as the Résumé for Research and Innovation/R4RI).

As part of BOOST, we offer drop-in sessions for any researcher who is developing a narrative CV and who would like feedback, advice or guidance on how to do so. Sessions run roughly every 6 weeks, alternating between online and in-person.

There's no need to book - simply turn up on the day with your narrative CV, or any questions you have for us.

Before you attend the session, we'd encourage you to review our resources on Creating your Resume for Researchers or Narrative CV. You can also read our article on 'Narrative CVs/R4RIs: The top 5 mistakes researchers make'.