Academic Career Perspectives

T he School of Graduate Studies presents a four part series designed give you a taste of key aspects of academic life.

The aim of this series is to help you:

• Understand the expectations and what's involved in an academic career.

• Decide if academia is a right profession for you.

• Get a head start in your academic career.

We will invite guests from across the university to speak on the following topics:

Session 1 - Introduction to academia | 1 November

An academic workload typically involves: teaching, research and service. In this session we will discuss each of these components, and talk to guests about what a typical day / week / month in their work life looks like. Questions for guests: What does being an academic involve in your discipline? How did you get your first job? What do you like about being an academic? What does a typical week/month look like? Is there anything you wish you knew before starting out?

Guests: Dr Enrique del Rey Castillo, Senior Lecturer and Associate Dean, Faculty of Engineering | Dr William Cheung, Senior Lecturer, Business School | Dr Moeata Keil, Lecturer, Faculty of Arts.

Session 2 - Teaching | 8 November

Teaching is a core component of an academic position. In this session we ask our guests to describe what engaging teaching in higher education involves. Questions for guests: What does it mean to you to be a good teacher? What do you like about teaching? How can you prepare to be a good teacher? What strategies and advice can you share with candidates who want to be engaging university teachers?

Guests: Associate Professor Kirsten Locke, Faculty of Education | Associate Professor Janine Wiles, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences | Dr Brendon Dunphy, Faculty of Science.

Session 3 - Research | 15 November, 10-11am

Research and building a strong track record in publishing is a core part of academic life. In this session our guests will share their perspectives and advice on how to become an excellent researcher, getting published and the review process. Our guests will talk about:

• What makes a good researcher and how to become one
• Publishing perspectives from an editor: The role of journal editors and reviewers, understanding the review process and how to respond to reviewers’ comments.

G ests: Professor Christine Rubie-Davies, Faulty of Education and Social Work | Associate Professor Justin Fernandez, Auckland Bioengineering Institute.

Session 4 - Service and Getting a Job in Academia | 22 November, 10-11am

Service is another important component of academia. Engaging with opportunities to be an active citizen in your institution and the wider educational community, can be a rewarding aspect of academic life. In this session, we ask guests to discuss academic citizenship and things to consider when preparing for a career in academia, including building an academic CV.

In our final session, we ask guests to describe:

• What academic citizenship is, why it is important and what can it look like.
• How candidates can begin to demonstrate citizenship as they prepare for an academic career.
• How to develop an academic CV and what it should look like.
• How to get a postdoc position.

Guests: Professor Cathy Stinear, Pro Vice-Chancellor Equity, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences | Dr Alex McAuley, Faculty of Arts.

W e recommend you follow-up this workshop by attending the Career Development and Employability Services' Doctoral Futures Careers Event on Tuesday 28 November 2023