Friday, November 15, 2013

Don't miss our final meetings for 2013: The #alt-ac Track


Last week's session on alternative academic careers was extremely well attended - so we decided to run two follow-up sessions to help generate outcomes for our upcoming #alt-ac career development workshop at DHA2014.

Don't forget to put these meeting dates in your diaries:

Lost in translation: Preparing CVs for alternative academic careers

Fri 22 Nov, 2-3pm, iVEC boardroom (in Physics Building, opp Reid Library)

 

Questions for discussion

  • How can we translate academic skill-sets into CVs for non-academic jobs?
  • What additional experience and competencies are most advantageous - and how can we develop these during our candidature?
  • Technology has lowered entry barriers to develop technical skill-sets and make your ideas a reality. You don’t need to ask for permission to unleash your creativity. Take a look at Digital Humanist Tim Sherratt’s website and Wraggelabs as an example.
  • Is your digital footprint the new CV?

How should I prepare?


Imagining new spaces: Strategies to conceptualise and build alternative academic careers during your PhD

Fri 13 Dec, 2-3pm, Location TBC (Likely to be the UWA Club - pls bring a laptop or tablet)

 

Questions for discussion

  • Are there 'new rules' for completing a PhD in the humanities?
  • If so, how do they differ from conversational wisdom?
  • How can universities better prepare PhD candidates for non-academic careers? Can postgraduate students contribute to this kind of structural change?
  • Much of the literature regarding #alt-ac careers originates from North America. What specificities are unique to Australia?

How should I prepare?

  • Review the readings from our first #alt-ac session.
  • Many digital humanists have personal websites. Browse a selection of websites and consider how and why scholars express their values, experience, research interests and skills.
    • Tim Sherratt - Manager of Trove
    • Jason Ensor - Digital Humanities Research & Technical Development Manager, University of Western Sydney
    • Paul Arthur - Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Western Sydney
    • Bethanie Nowviskie - Director of Digital Research & Scholarship at the University of Virginia Library
    • Seb Chan - Director of Digital & Emerging Media, Smithsonian Museum, New York
    • Ryan Hunt - Postgraduate Student, University of Western Ontario