I don’t know of anyone that enjoys being interviewed. It is a hard and stressful process, but there are things you can do to help you prepare.

Courses on interview techniques can be very helpful, and it may be that your current employer offers these. However, you may not want to show them that you’re thinking of leaving, so it can be hard to know where to turn for help.

Thankfully, jobs.ac.uk is running a free 30 minute webinar to help you ace that interview. The expert presenter is Sean Russell, an ex-Director of Careers Services from University of Warwick and University of Birmingham with over 10 years experience of interviewing people.

The webinar also contains an interactive Q&A sessions where you can ask your own questions directly to the expert!

So for all the tips and tricks register for free:

http://jobsacukinterviewtipswebinar.eventbrite.com/

For anyone who has an interview, is job hunting or is just wanting to brush up on their skills this is an invaluable opportunity to help your interview technique. I hope to see you there!

The restructure is almost always a cost-cutting measure but rarely if ever is portrayed as such. It is usually a “more effective”, “efficient” or “customer friendly” way of doing things.

This instantly creates an air of anger and resentment in those affected by the dreaded restructuring, with people wanting their employers to simply be honest with them. The extent to which this would help is debateable as I don’t know of any companies that have done this.

When a restructure leads to jobs being ‘at risk’ and in many cases having to re-apply for your own or a similar position leaves people feeling angry, insulted and de-motivated. It also leads to colleagues looking at each other with an air of suspicion, thinking that others are rivals for their job.

However hard it may be, it is important amid all the turmoil to try and stay positive. Being bitter and complaining is highly unlikely to change anything and if your boss and others see you getting on with your job you put yourself in a much better position when applying for a new role.

The restructure may even give you a chance to change your career for the better. This won’t be the case for everyone, but it is very easy to get stuck in a rut and stay in a job that is very comfortable, if that is the case use this as an opportunity to gain more skills and experience and take the next step in your career.

So if a restructure is affecting you try to stay positive, and make sure you brush up on your interview skills and CV writing in plenty of time.

In my experience, however, a degree is very helpful to working in HE, for several reasons.

1) It shows you have an interest in, and an aptitude for, the central service/product on offer by the university or college you are applying to – education is at the core of their business and their values, and you would be best placed if you can demonstrate the role it has had in your life as well.

2) Higher education is an increasingly complex and dynamic industry, and advanced studies lend themselves to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are valued in that kind of environment.  Having a degree doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be a flexible, adaptable, pro-active employee, but it may show that you have a pre-disposition towards this.

3) Working with others who have advanced degrees and/or who are at the top of their field – you won’t automatically be able to get the respect you deserve from a fellow staff member just because you’ve got some letters behind your name, but when you’re working in a place that places a great deal of importance on teaching and research, you may find it easier if you know your quantitative from qualitative evidence, and are able to demonstrate this tangibly not only from your professional working history, but also from having taken appropriate courses at some stage in your career.

All of this will of course depend to a certain extent the role that you have as well as your relationship with your peers and of course the institutional culture where you work.  But in my experience, you will likely find it easier to get settled in a new role if you have had some prior experience of university-level study and how a university organizes itself.  And certainly as a hiring manager, with all else being equal, I would certainly prioritise an applicant or a candidate for promotion who showed a continuing interest in their own personal and/or professional education, and would certainly encourage him or her to take courses at the institution.

Another option to consider is joining professional networks and memberships.  Most professionals working in higher education (on either the academic or administrative side) hold multiple memberships of relevant professional organisations, which are also selective and often also require studies at an appropriate level in order to gain membership.

There may be a “degree” of academic snobbery at work here, in that members of the academy expect that others in the organisation should have achieved a similar standard of education. But when you think about it in terms of an institution’s brand values and mission in society, what does it say if they conclude a degree isn’t important to success?

Why not try looking at a career in Higher Education? It may seem strange at a time when University funding cuts are being widely talked about but for me the pros far outwiegh the cons.

I worked in a corporate environment before I took a job in Higher Education and the contrast is startling. To work in an atmosphere that was not entirely focused on making money was a refreshing change. Most of the staff in HE both academic and non-academic are focused on improving the students’ experience. This is becoming increasingly so as the students are expecting more for their increased fees.

There are a wide variety of jobs (As the blog title says it’s Not Just Teaching) that are required in order to keep a university functioning. From marketing and PR jobs, careers advisers, administrators and even graphic designers, so any job in a university brings you into contact with a wide range of people with differing skills.

The pay and benefits are also good at most UK universities – they haven’t suffered the pay freezes that the public sector have and wages are still competitive with similar roles in the private sector. Many universities offer cut-price childcare and gym membership as additional benefits.

Holidays too are generous with most universities giving around 5 closure days/concessionary days over the year including a long break at Christmas without any extra holidays taken.

Opportunities for progression are often very good with opportunities across various departments allowing you to develop a wide range of skills.

Of course there are downsides too and not everyone will have found their experiences as good as mine; Funding cuts are a cause for concern and some smaller universities may merge which would cause some job losses. However, I think for those of us who are lucky enough to work in Higher Education should take the time now and again to appreciate how much worse our working lives could be and how fortunate we are.

1)      I want to change jobs because I can’t stand my manager: Even if this is true, you should never ever badmouth your current employer/manager/colleagues in an interview, no matter how right you can be feeling this way. Your prospective employers just don’t want to know about it and are likely to think that it’s you who is the trouble-maker and the problematic employee.

2)      I’m interested in this position because the money is good: Certainly, when deciding to apply for a new role, the money it pays is something you have considered. But this is different to admitting that money is your sole motivation for wanting this job – not the challenge of it, not the career development, not the good prospects, just money. If you say this, your prospective employers will think that you may leave them as soon as a better financial opportunity arises.

3)      I want to relocate to be with my boyfriend/girlfriend: Although I have heard of cases in which the candidate got the job even after such a response, it’s better not to risk giving it. If your assessors are more conservative, they may reject you for an answer like this, as they may think that you’re only interested in the job because it will help you be in the same city as your partner.

4)      I want the job because I like dealing with people: This must be by far the most commonplace answer given in interviews, as well as the most content-insignificant. Working for a University (and for most organisations), you do deal with people on a frequent basis, so that’s taken for granted. Beyond that, your prospective managers will want to hear more about what motivated you to apply, what your career aspirations are and how you see yourself within the role and the organization.

It goes without saying that each one of us has different resolutions in mind, but here are some of the most common ones and some tips to make them work.

Resolution #1: Find a new job – if this is your goal for the new year, make sure you keep a constant eye on print and online job adverts, network as much as you can and make your entourage aware that you’re looking for a new job. All these may give you good leads. Once you find the positions you’re interested in, make sure your applications are tailored to each specific one and that they clearly demonstrate what benefits you can bring to the organizations you’re applying to.

Resolution #2: Get a promotion – you will first need to talk to your managers and find out what their plans are for promotions or new positions that are of a higher level than yours, which you may be suitable to apply for. Make them aware that you are eager for progression and development and work hard to prove to them that you’re worth considering for a promotion. How? There are lots of ways but generally speaking, showing willingness and flexibility, approaching your work with interest, working towards achieving better results and grasping any opportunity for training and development should communicate your message.

Resolution #3: Stay unaffected by the any job cuts: In such tough times for higher education, your goals may be more realistic, such as to simply keep your job. Although redundancies can affect anyone at any time without necessarily meaning that the persons affected were not good in their job, try to follow the tips in resolution #2. They will help you stand out as an invaluable employee and your managers will think twice about letting you go if they have to face the dilemma.

1)      Relevance to your experience or background: Although the UK higher education industry is generally more open than other industries to diverse work profiles, you still stand a better chance of being successful if the job spec fits your professional background.

2)      Relevance to your professional goals: Especially if you’re looking at new positions to apply to as a way to help you go further and develop your career, this is very critical. You need to make sure that you apply to those posts that will help take this next step and go where you aim to go.

3)      Levels of enthusiasm about the post: If your feelings about an advertised job are moderate, then it may be better to re-think about it. Although you may not realize, your enthusiasm (or lack of) will reflect through your application and your writing style, so a moderately or fakely enthusiastic application will probably be rejected in favour of the more genuine ones. So why waste your time in the first place?

4)      The actual job spec: It may sound odd, but lots of people don’t look through the job description before making an application. Make sure you do read through it carefully and thoroughly as it’s this description that will tell you what you can expect to do on a daily basis. If the description fits what you had in mind as a satisfactory role, then go ahead. If not, don’t bother, as you’ll quickly become miserable even if you are offered the position.

5)      The organization advertising the post: Make sure you do want to work for the organization concerned, or that you do want to try and see how it is. In other words, if you have positive feelings about your prospective employer, it’s probably worth trying. If for any reason you have doubts or concerns, then maybe you should think twice before applying.

6)      The commute: How far away is the organization from your home? How far away are you prepared to travel and how would you commute on a daily basis? Would you have to drive there or is it accessible by public transport? Would your daily commute be easy / tolerable for you or would it quickly turn into a daily nightmare? The final choice is always personal, but as general advice, try to apply to places that are no farther than an hour away either by car or by public transport, or it may become too tiring after a while.

Why move internally?

Here are the best reasons for you to consider applying for an internal vacancy in your institution, as opposed to joining a new institution.

1)      Familiar environment: If you’re afraid of changing environments, then moving to another department in the same institution will solve this problem for you. You won’t have to change your commute, your daily routine or your familiar surroundings, and you will still know a lot of the people you will be meeting on a daily basis.

2)      Less competition: Positions advertised internally are not available to the general public, which greatly eliminates competition to just a few applicants. While externally advertised positions tend to attract between 30 and 60 applications per post, internal positions normally attract much lower interest – in some cases no more than 2 to 3 applicants. If you also consider that not every applicant may be well suited for the position, you can see how your chances of being offered the post are very much boosted.

3)      Known competitors: One of the most stressful parts of a selection process is knowing that, no matter how good a candidate you are and how well you are prepared, there’s always a good chance that someone may come across as even stronger. When applying for an internal vacancy, it’s likely that you may actually know who else in the institution is going for the position, which will give you the rare chance to prepare for the interview knowing your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

4)      It’s still a change: You may stay within the same institution, but you will also get the change you were looking for. You will still move into a different department, meet new people, find yourself with new work conditions and policies, and possibly the challenge of a different work subject.

So, are you still thinking about it?

Here are a few tips to do well:

1)      Focus on delivering results: As mentioned above, the situations you are given to face as part of the role playing task may be purposefully exaggerated, in order to add to the tension you are already feeling. Your assessors will add difficulties as they will want to see how easily you give up, so prove them wrong. Never give up and try to find ways to resolve the situation no matter how difficult it is. Your aim should be for the difficult “client”, “colleague” or “manager” to feel satisfied.

2)      Keep calm: Role playing can indeed be quite nerve-wracking, but don’t give in. Stay calm and keep your composure even in a challenging scenario. If you break down and let your stress and/or discomfort show, this can be as serious as to disqualify you for the position, as your assessors will get the impression that you can’t stand pressure.

3)      Never lose your temper: Another challenge of a role playing exercise is that it can make you lose your temper. Especially if someone is yelling at you throwing offenses, it can be quite tough not to return the bad behaviour. But don’t fall in this trap. It is just role playing after all. If you can’t keep your composure in what you know is a staged task, then your assessor will have every right to think that you can be ten times worse if something similar happens in real life.

4)      Mind your body language: Just like in an interview, your body language in the role playing will matter. Keep good eye contact, maintain a confident body position, avoid fidgeting or showing nervousness, and remember to smile when appropriate. This will help you come across as a positive and suitable candidate.

A few tips to do well:

1)      Keep a balance: What the assessors are looking for in a group exercise may vary according to the position you are being assessed for. If you are applying for a managerial position, for example, it’s much more likely that they’ll be looking for good leadership and persuasion skills. In any case though, don’t overdo it with either dominating the conversation or sitting back and letting others take over, as it’s the balance between the two behaviour types that is usually sought.

2)      Contribute to the task: Make sure your contributions are of substance. If you speak just to be heard speaking without saying anything that will help the task go forward, your assessors will quickly pick up on that. And guess what – it will count against you. So make sure you pay attention to the conversation, and that you voice your opinions or critique clearly - ideally, backed up with evidence.

3)      Show team spirit: This means, show some basic courtesy – don’t interrupt others when they speak, don’t raise your voice even you disagree with something, don’t over-dominate the discussion, and do bring other members of the group to the conversation. It’s also essential that you listen to what other people have to say and that you show interest.

4)      Don’t lose your temper if others do: There is always a possibility that things can go wrong. One of the big challenges of bringing together a group of people who have never met before and who may even be competing for the same position, is that someone becomes impatient, angry or even verbally attacks other members of the group. Don’t fall in this trap as you’ll be automatically eliminated. If the fight doesn’t involve you, don’t take sides, but it may be a good idea to calmly remind to the group that fighting isn’t going to help the task and encourage them to move on. If the attack is against you, things are more complicated. Still, do try to remain calm, don’t argue with the person who’s insulting you and remind them that you’d rather get on with the exercise than fight.

5)       Choose an active role: Surveys have shown that people who choose the role of time-keeper or note-keeper in a group exercise, are less likely to be hired because they tend to become over-consumed with the task they’ve given themselves and forget to contribute to the exercise itself. While this is certainly not the case all the time, being active in the group is a tip to keep in mind.