PERCAT Workshop: How to Shine in Fellowship and Grant Interviews 1st March 2022

A grant or fellowship interview can have a profound effect on an academic’s career, so thorough preparation is vital. This means working on style as well as content. The way candidates conduct themselves, present ideas and respond to questions has a powerful influence on the way they are perceived. This becomes even more challenging when interviewing online via video.

• What are effective techniques for on-screen interviews?
• How can you come across in ways that do justice to both you and your expertise?
• How can you overcome nerves or self-consciousness, communicate with energy and keep your audience engaged?

This highly practical course will help you develop a clear, authoritative interview style that suits your personality and allows your ideas to shine through, whatever the medium. It will also bring out the personal leadership qualities that assessment panels are often looking for.

You will learn how to manage nerves and remain confident under interview pressures. The course will support you to achieve greater vocal and physical presence, so that what you say carries more weight and makes a stronger impression. We will explore how you can:

• Engage the panel and win their trust
• Handle interview questions
• Structure your responses under pressure

Who can apply

The workshop is for postdoctoral and early career researchers, in the Colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Life and Environmental Sciences, who will benefit from the training and who:

• Have been shortlisted for interview by a funding body
• Have submitted a grant application that has an interview as part of the selection process

or

• Intend to submit an application in the next twelve months

To apply for the workshop please complete the following online form:

https://bham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/how-to-shine-2022

The workshop is free to participate in, however places are limited and applications will be prioritized.

Deadline for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 8^th February 2022.  

After the course

After the course, you will have access to a course summary, follow-up material and the VOX Academy – an online repository of written guidance, lively videos and other resources to help you extend your learning and take your communication skills to the next level.

About VOX

VOX Coaching is a communication-skills training company with a loyal clientele in the higher education, business, government and health sectors. Its coaches have worked with some 30 Universities, including Bristol, Edinburgh, Imperial, Manchester and UCL, as well as with leading international business schools. They have coached vice-chancellors, CEOs, speakers at the World Economic Forum, judges and MPs up to Cabinet Level. VOX coaches are experts in helping people to communicate in their own style - but with more skill and a dash of inspiration.