PERCAT Workshop: Interview Skills for Fellowship Interviews - 2 March 21

Dedicated and motivated academic scientific researchers change the world for the better, and being successful in scientific research requires dedication, hard work, intelligence, and sometimes a little luck. Breakthroughs are made when the talent of scientists meets the opportunity to develop a funded programme of exemplary research, and such opportunities are fiercely contested through the various funding schemes.  For you to be successful in acquiring this funding, it is not good enough to just have written an application to the funder describing an exemplary programme of research and to rely on luck during the selection process, because the next step is also critical too – personally representing your ideas to a panel of interviewers in a way which gives them supreme confidence in you as the leader of your visionary research proposal.  How confident and effective are you in positively influencing a panel of experts to invest in you and your research programme?

This one-day Interview Skills Workshop has been designed to help you develop your confidence and your skills as an interviewee, so you may learn to communicate your ideas and capabilities effectively to the people who have the final decision on whom to give the research funding to.

We will cover:

• How to structure and express the value and impact of your proposed research during interview conditions.
• How to communicate your true capability and potential to lead exemplary scientific research.
• How to effectively respond to challenging interviewers and ‘difficult’ questions.
• Practice as the interviewee, receiving developmental feedback.
• Insight into the technique and motivations behind interviewers’ behaviours.
• How to manage your mind-set and behaviours during the interview process to enable you to give your best.

Workshop Style:

During this online workshop you will engage in the same type of interactions as if we were in person – whole group and small group discussions, sharing and discussing techniques and ideas, and having practice activities with feedback. This is an interactive practical workshop, and digital resources will be given to support learning. Maximum session time on-screen is 90 minutes before we have a break, and three breaks are scheduled within this workshop. Some preparation will be required and will be communicated to you in good time ahead of the workshop date. There is no reason why a workshop about interviewing skills needs to be dull or pressured, so we will collectively make it our purpose to co-create an enjoyable and uplifting learning experience, where you can subsequently choose to look forward to being interviewed with a “bring it on” attitude and spring in your step, because the world needs to hear about your outstanding research!

Julian Shreeve 

 Julian has thirty years of experience of working in learning and development and with clients in commercial, government, charity/third sector, and Higher Education, where he has designed, run, and evaluated workshops and programmes covering a wide variety of professional skills for a wider range of delegate types who represent a vast array of occupational types and organisational positions, including leadership programmes and selection assessment centres. Julian has also been trained in advanced facilitation techniques, assessment interviewing, and has run trainer training sessions and assessed trainer capabilities. Julian has worked with University based research applicants since 2013 as an external coach and facilitator, supporting individuals and groups prior to their Mock Fellowship Panels in readiness for the funders’ assessment.

How to apply

To apply for the workshop email Jennifer Thomson setting out clearly the following information:

• Details of the funding scheme you have applied to or intend to apply to.
• Whether you have already submitted your application or been short-listed for interview, and the timescales for this.
• If you have not already submitted your application the proposed submission deadline and how far you have progressed with your application.

Places are limited and applications will be prioritized.

Deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 12^th February 2021.