Posted on by Rachel Cork

HDR Development Bulletin (August Summary)

 

 

 

Have you been keeping up with the HDR development bulletin? Each week a different aspect of the Research and Employability Skills Training (REST) Program is spotlighted to help HDR students’ identify opportunities to progress with their skill development. The skills covered so far include Career planning, Thesis writing and Research practice.

See below for what was covered and full details further on. For personalised advice, email HDR.Development@flinders.edu.au and we can help 😊


Skill Spotlight: Research Dissemination (7 August 2023)
The skill we are focussing on this week is Research Dissemination. This skill relates to the art of communicating your research in different formats with differing complexity. It involves a lot of decision-making, content refinement and self-awareness.

Skill Spotlight: Skills Week Edition (14 August 2023)
This week we encourage you to embark on a choose your own skill development adventure because it’s Skills Week at Flinders. It is the perfect chance to work on any skills you identified as a high priority in your last Skills Needs Analysis.

Skill Spotlight: Career Planning Check In (21 August 2023)
Instead of covering another skill this week – its check-in time! Can you believe we covered Career Planning over a month ago? If you missed this, you can find a summary of the July Bulletins here.

Skill Spotlight: Research Strategy (28 August 2023)
This week we are tackling the topic: Research Strategy. Resources associated with this skill can be accessed here on the REST FLO site. Your research strategy involves thinking beyond this month, this year or even beyond your current HDR project to your next steps as someone with highly developed research skills.

 

Skill Spotlight: Research Dissemination

Monday 7 August 2023

The skill we are focussing on this week is Research Dissemination. This skill relates to the art of communicating your research in different formats with differing complexity. It involves a lot of decision-making, content refinement and self-awareness.

Whether you are discussing your research with non-specialists such as friends and family, or presenting to audiences with increasing disciplinary expertise, you need a clear story. This means tailoring your terminology for the audience and thinking carefully about what message you want them to take away from your content. Some people are naturally gifted at this, but most of us have to work at it.

Throughout your candidature, there will be many opportunities to develop your written and verbal communication skills in ways that allow you to refine how you express your research. However, communication skills are transferable skills that form part of your personal branding. This means investing time in developing them has value far beyond the dissemination of your research.

If it has been a while since you focused on something other than your current research task, here are a few short activities that you can engage with to help you hone the way you communicate:

 

Skill Spotlight: Skills Week Edition

Monday 14 August 2023

This week we encourage you to embark on a choose your own skill development adventure because it’s Skills Week at Flinders. It is the perfect chance to work on any skills you identified as a high priority in your last Skills Needs Analysis.

To make the most of what’s on offer this week (and beyond), review the upcoming development opportunities section of the bulletin and check out the Skills Week event calendar. HDR Education Advisor Amy’s Skills Week top picks for HDR students include:

Activity Suggested Skill Mapping
Library search support drop-in sessions Literature review
Open art studio
(perfect for a study break – running weekly until November)		 Time management and work-life balance
Horizon Award workshops  
  • Thinking critically
Critical thinking
  • Dealing with conflict
Collaboration and leadership
  • Problem solving
 Critical thinking
 

Health and Community Careers Festival

  

Career planning
Generating and Testing New Ideas Entrepreneurship

 

Skill Spotlight: Career Planning Check In

Monday 21 August 2023

Instead of covering another skill this week – its check-in time! Can you believe we covered Career Planning over a month ago? If you missed this, you can find a summary of the July Bulletins here.

In those first few Bulletins we recommended you pick something do to progress your own development…so, how did you go?

We know our 3MT Competitors have been busy working on their Research Dissemination skills while refining and practicing their presentations for this week’s 3MT Semi-final. Make sure to come along and show your support to them (further details below). But were you able to work on something other than your HDR research in the past month?

If you have been able to fit something in, well done!! Did you remember to track this activity in Inspire? If not, do it now (future you will be thankful when you are preparing your next Milestone review).

If you haven’t had a chance yet, engage in some productive procrastination and make a start! There are plenty of career preparation opportunities scheduled over the next week or so, including this ‘Planning your Research Career’ event organised by colleagues in the Research Development and Support Team.

 

Skill Spotlight: Research Strategy

Monday 28 August 2023

This week we are tackling the topic: Research Strategy. Resources associated with this skill can be accessed here on the REST FLO site.

Your research strategy involves thinking beyond this month, this year or even beyond your current HDR project to your next steps as someone with highly developed research skills.

Do you know how to pitch yourself? Engage with stakeholders? Manage competing priorities? If you learnt about a Post-doc, fellowship, consultancy role or other dream job opportunity that you had to apply for by tomorrow… would you be ready?

This week we encourage you to pick a task that helps you work on your research strategy by building your career profile (such as creating or updating your Research Now profile or LinkedIn profile); or seeking out opportunities to present your work or grow your professional network.

To help you with the latter, here are some upcoming presenting, networking and funding opportunities you might like to consider:

 

 

 

 

 

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