S13 Ep5 | Q&A | Do I need GTA experience to progress in my career?

Dr Lindsay Parker and Laura Johnson (careers consultants for researchers) tackle a question around whether it is necessary to do graduate teaching assistant (GTA) work for your career development, even if you're not currently planning on being a lecturer.Got a careers question for our next episode? Complete this form: https://forms.office.com/e/JNyRpVd1eRHere are some resources and sites we mention:GTA one-stop shop on KEATS: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=42686King's Doctoral College Hub: https://emckclac.sharepoint.com/sites/KPRHKing's Academy: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/academyMore info on Advance HE fellowships: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/fellowshipBrilliant Club: https://thebrilliantclub.org/King's careers resources for researchers: https://keats.kcl.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=5279350&forceview=1

Could you apply your research skills to your career development and work out your next step? Our latest guest has taken this approach and recently wrote about it in this article in Nature. Matt talks to Laura about how he tested a few of his career hypotheses during his 15 years as a researcher (Start up? Publishing? Freelance?) and how it has helped him work out what he enjoys, what he's good at and how he likes to work. It doesn't have to take up all your time and it's a great strategy for exploring careers in academia and beyond.Matt's article, co-written with Dr Anne-Laure Le Cunff : https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02437-6Find Matt on Linkedin here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-betts-ph-d-12527857/If you are a researcher at King's, you can access our resources here: Careers resources for researchers on KEATSGot a careers question for our next Q&A episode? Complete this anonymous form

If you’ve ever wondered how to make that initial approach and use networking to create your own opportunities, this episode is for you. Dr Stella Toonen, Programme Director, Culture Within Newham joins us to talk about how building connections and having conversations has guided her career development.   We discuss Stella's current role, the importance of co-creation, and how her PhD experience has shaped her career. Stella shares insights on the differences between academia and community work, the value of networking, and the significance of gaining varied experiences. She emphasises the importance of using a PhD as a tool for building connections and gaining practical experience in the arts sector. Top tip “use your PhD as an excuse to speak to people!” If you are a PhD student or research staff at King's, find out more about how we can support you here: Careers support for researchers | King's College London

In this episode, specialist careers consultants, Laura and Anna answer a common question: How can I talk to my supervisor about my career goals when their only experience is academia and I'm worried that they won't want to discuss anything else.⁠Send us your question here⁠We explore:The reason why you should try and talk to your manager about your careerWhy it could be challenging for them tooHow to prepare for your career conversationWho is responsible for your career management?Our top tips for managers - how to have career conversationsSend us your question hereResources on KEATS: Support for Researchers: Talking to your Group Leader about trying out career options | KEATSJoin us on LinkedIn

“It was instrumental in me getting a job – this little boost of support.” How often do we ask for help? So many of us are afraid to saywhen something is difficult, to try out new things or tell people about our ambitions – it can make us feel vulnerable and fear of failure can get in the way.  But what our guest, Dr Tatjana Zoller, has realised is that when we ask for help, people are often keen to support and enable us to perform at our best, they can help us explore possibilities,diversify our skills and -  we concludedin our conversation – “people are generally kind aren’t they?” Who could you reach out to? Tatjana was awarded a PhD in Molecular Biology from theSchool of Neuroscience at King's College in November 2024 and she then left science to follow her passion for creating and (science) communications. She now works two-part time communications jobs within King's. Namely she workswith the King's Doctoral College and also serves as a producer for the "Between the Signals" podcast from the UK Dementia Research Institute at King's. She spends her free time documenting life through photography and video.Between the Signals - UK Dementia Research podcast Resources to support you in asking for ‘reasonable adjustments’https://www.acas.org.uk/reasonable-adjustmentshttps://employmentautism.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-interviews-and-assessments/https://dyslexiascotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JobInterviews.pdfhttps://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/ask-for-adjustments-at-interview

Got a question about your career? Ask us! We're launching special Q&A episodes to give you the opportunity to ask a specialist careers consultant your career conundrums - whether it's about careers in academia or beyond, or more general Qs about networking, CVs and more.Send your Qs in a message to our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/kings-careers-network-for-researchersLooking forward to receiving your questions.

“The main thing I realised is that we all have something to add.”Join us on this episode of "Careers in Your Ears" as we delve into the inspiring journey of Mariam Asaad, a fourth-year doctoral researcher at King's College London's Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery, and Palliative Care. Mariam shares her unique ‘squiggly’ career path, from her beginnings as a nurse in Saudi Arabia to her transition into academia and research. She discusses the personal challenges and triumphs that shaped her PhD project, which focuses on developing a tool to support parents of children with type 1 diabetes. Mariam also discusses her approach to, and the importance of, building a professional network by getting involved in different projects including the King’s Insights Programme* where she gained valuable consulting skills and explored the commercial side of research.  *The King’s Insights Programme is a 3 week virtual consultancy project with a live brief, working in a small group of PhD students. More information on our KEATS pages at www.kcl.ac.uk/careers

If you feel like you need a special dictionary to understand job descriptions or a thesaurus for talking about your skills: this is the episode for you!Dr Holly Prescott gives us a masterclass in telling your story in a way that will help the sector you are trying to enter understand how valuable your skills, knowledge and experience are - to them.We also discuss how to navigate the challenge of not knowing all the job titles, how to curate your LinkedIn experience to work for you and an avocado metaphor that is worth the listen alone!Online careers support for researchers at King'sHolly is a qualified career guidance practitioner who specialises in working with postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. She is the Careers Adviser for Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Birmingham (where she also gained her own PhD in English Literature in 2011), and also works as a freelance trainer running career development workshops for PGRs and ECRs for a range of universities, institutes and DTPs across the UK and Europe. In 2021 she started the post-PhD careers blog ‘Postgradual’ which has since attracted over 66,000 unique readers, and her book Navigating Careers Beyond Academia: A Practical Handbook for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers is due for publication by Routledge in 2026.Find Holly on LinkedInJob Hunting for the 21st Century: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modern PhD Available nowSubscribe to Holly's blog 'PostGradual' HERE

“You need to have input from other people. It's not something you can do by yourself.” Dr Ilyas Alav, recent recipient of the Wellcome Trust Early Career Award and Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham, shares his advice for progressing as an Early Career Researcher. We discuss the importance of being open to opportunities, developing a researcher identity and the value of collaboration as well as strategies for coping with rejection in academia. Ilyas gives insights into the fellowship application process as well as practical tips for developing collaborations, avoiding burn out and managing priorities strategically.  Early-Career Awards – Funding for Early-Career Researchers | Wellcome BBSRC fellowships – UKRI Support for Researchers: Careers in Academia | KEATS 

“All it takes is time, collaborative spirit and that connective tissue.” When navigating the transition between industry and academia, Dr Renasha Khan, Lecturer of Religion and Social Science at Kings, found that reaching out to others allowed her to both explore career options and build a support network. She shares how her love of storytelling led her from working as a TV producer to researching British Bangladeshi women and their digital experiences. She speaks openly about the challenges of undertaking a PhD, feeling like a fraud and how she found connection and community in academia. Renasha also highlights the importance of networking, taking opportunities, even if at first they seem outside of your comfort zone, and backing yourself!    Careers support for King’s students and researchers Department of Theology & Religious Studies at King’s  British Sociological Association