Realising your potential using the Researcher Development Framework

Dr Emma Gillaspy, Vitae NW Hub Manager

Objectives

An introduction to the RDF and how it can be used to:

Prepare for developmental meetings

Identify your strengths and areas to focus development on

Prioritise development opportunities

Consider how your skills and experiences enhance your prospects

Are you engaged in PDP?

PDP is…“A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development.”

PDP cycle

Why bother with PDP?

Understanding how you ‘tick’:Strengths

Weaknesses

Directions for change

Learning style

Responsibility for your own development

Articulate your skills and knowledge

Focus, motivation, confidence

Make more informed choices

www.vitae.ac.uk/careers www.palgrave.com/skills4study/pdp

What is the RDF?

RDF is an operational framework for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers

How was it created? Core of the framework consists of data drawn from over 100 interviews

Phenomenographic method* – identified over 1,000 characteristics and their variants

Input from experts, specialists and stakeholders

Clustered into the 4 main areas or Domains

* See http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/167281/Background-documents.html for further details on method.

www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf

A2 - Cognitive abilities

B3 - Professional and career development

C1 - Professional conduct

D3 - Engagement and impact

Using the RDF

What do you NEED to have a successful career within/outside academia?

How can the RDF help?Personal and professional development

Self-assessment and review

Job applications

Thinking about promotions

Transferable skills…

www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfplanner

Choose a domain for self-

assessment

Access your report and other resources

I’ve always thought of myself as being quite ambitious, driven and focussed on what I want, but the framework made me

realise I can have a much larger visions.

It was very good for me to reflect. I realised that nothing is

stopping me but myself. The sky is the limit.

Think about staging the targets; what can I do

smarter, what training do I need to request and

what do I need someone else to facilitate so that I

can move forward

I now have a path that I would like to follow

I would see this [RDF] as a barometer...to give me a bit

more clarity about what areas I could develop and what might

be most important. It’s something I could keep

returning to

It put career development back into the forefront of my mind as it can often slip back when you’re

engaged in what you’re doing day to day.

The RDF “…identified areas for me that I needed to hone and really made me think about my career development. I’ve highlighted things now that I know I need to do.

What we’ve always tried to do with the postdocs [in Edinburgh] is say 'look this is your career and it’s your responsibility'.

Read it carefully and be honest about where you are. You don’t always have to aim for phase 5 - identify shorter term goals that are more achievable.

The RDF will encourage me to be more proactive about my career development as it provides me with a framework (list of milestones).

Articulating your evidence

Pick a descriptor

Articulate skills (evidence)

Encourage better answers

Critical & constructive feedback

Understandable?

Confident?

Waffle?

Jargon?

Improvements?

Image used: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bujiie/5440377935/

Action planning introduction

Career prospectsJob clip exercise

Browse through a large selection of job advertsPick the jobs that attract you or stand outLook at 1, 2 or 3 grades higher than yoursLook for common featuresWhat are the required/desirable characteristics

Use your networks / trainers / careers advisorsArrange job shadowingGet a mentorAsk your friends / family / colleagueswww.vitae.ac.uk/wdrd, www.vitae.ac.uk/careerstories

Careers in academiawww.vitae.ac.uk/cia11 13 September, Birmingham

You will: meet with current academics from a range of disciplines to hear about their experiences of an academic career and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to, but weren’t sure who to ask

explore how to market yourself for a career in academia, both within your department, and at interview

look at how to write effective grant/paper applications

discover what life is like as a postdoctoral researcher

work with fellow researchers and share experiences with other participants. “I cannot tell you enough how good this course was. Inspiring but also

practical. The enthusiasm of the tutors was infectious!” 2010 participant

Further information

RDF: www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf

RDS: www.vitae.ac.uk/rds

RDF profiles: www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfprofiles

RDF Professional Development Planner and screencast: www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfplanner

Contact: rdf@vitae.ac.uk

Research staff blog: www.vitae.ac.uk/rsblog

Vitae NW Hub:

Email: nwhub@vitae.ac.uk

Twitter: twitter.com/vitaenwhub

Blog: vitaenwhub.posterous.com/

Website: www.vitae.ac.uk/nwhub