When you are job hunting, you are browsing many job ads. If you are anything like me, reading through the job requirements makes your stomach turn. At first glance, you do not seem to have any of the qualifications. No point applying for the job then?
Stop! Reconsider. Maybe you have the qualifications or work experience without even realizing it. The following helps you to realize that you have a lot of experience. So apply for interesting positions.
Your have more publications than you think
A publication list is required for applications in academia or as a scientist. Unfortunately, junior scientists might not yet have published any peer reviewed scientific articles.
Consider to list other pieces of scientific communication. These could be grand proposals or interim/final reports for funding bodies. Add whitepapers you co-authored to the publication list.
Contributions to conferences are of interest, too. Did you give a talk? Did you presenta poster?
Have you given an invited talk at another institute?
List all these things on your publication list.
You have leadership experience
You have no experience as line manager of employees reporting to you. No problem. This does not mean that you do not have any leadership experience.
You may have gained leadership experience by supervising interns or students during your PhD for example .
If you lead or coordinated a project, you even gained matrix leadership experience. Don’t be shy to mention it.
Experience in project management
Let’s start with elucidating what a project is. According to the English Cambridge Dictionary, a project is a piece of planned work that is finished over a period of time. It is undertaken to achieve a particular purpose.
For example, your masters or PhD research is usually a project. Trouble shooting a complex problem could be a project. Your temporary work assignment could be part of a project.
You have at least some basic project management experience if you were in the lead of or helped to keep timelines and deadlines for the project. You acted as a project manager, if you ensured that the project stays in budget, or made sure that the work is done to the required quality.
Work experience everybody has
You are looking for your first employment after finishing university. You think you have nothing to show for in the work experience department. Are you sure?
If you have done a PhD, count this towards work experience. Do this regardless whether you finished your PhD.
If you have ever tutored students, supervised courses, or assisted in class, this is work experience. Also, your internship counts towards work experience.
If you ever had a side job, summer job, or volunteer assignment list it as work experience, too.
Teaching experience
Teaching experience might be needed when applying for teaching jobs or a position in academia.
You have never been a teacher or given lectures? You might still have teaching experience though. Maybe you have tutored students, supervised classes, or given laboratory courses. Or you helped the neighbors’ kids with their homework.
At work, did you ever on-board and train a new colleague? Did you ever mentor anybody?
If realizing that you already meet al lot of job requirements is not enought to motivate you on you job hunt, check out this blog post to stay motivated when applying.