Job Opportunities for Maths/Stats PhDs – ATASS Sports

Looking for something a bit different from your future career? Wondering what else you could be doing with your maths or stats PhD? A career with ATASS Sports in Sports Statistics could be the answer.

ATASS Sports is a statistical research consultancy, and we provide high quality modelling and analysis for the sports industry.  We are looking for highly-motivated and passionate people to join our research and analytical teams.

If you like the sound of this, then further information can be found on our website – www.atass-sports.co.uk/careers  – or by contacting Richard Hill on (01392) 440 408 or rich.hill@atassltd.co.uk.

PhD Life Science Careers – Why should UCL PhD students apply to IMSCG?

The last in our series of guest blogs by PhD holders who work at IMS Consulting Group. You will find more information about PhD life science careers and IMS Consulting Group in our in our Careers in Clinical Research, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Forum for PhD/research students which will be held on 28th February 2012. Go to the Forum page on the Graduate School website for more details about this event.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Currently there are more PhDs in IMSCG than I can count. PhD students typically apply for consulting because they find that they can apply their problem-solving skills in new ways, work in team settings which can make a measurable impact, and be exposed to a variety of different projects in a short amount of time. In contrast to your PhD, at IMSCG we work on projects that are around 12 weeks long and often can be much shorter; as a result, the breadth of topics is extensive.

In addition to the formal introductory training, everyone in the organization, from peers to senior team members, is interested in your learning and progress. On projects, you will therefore receive on-the-job training and informal mentoring support, which greatly contribute to your professional growth. Furthermore, every new starter is assigned a coach who is part of the senior team – your coach offers mentoring support and advice, and tracks your progress within IMSCG in order to identify particular development needs.

One aspect of IMSCG that I have come to appreciate is that client management comes when you advance to consultant, which is significantly sooner than in other consulting firms. In addition, going to and presenting at client meetings often occurs at the analyst level, which offers the opportunity to witness firsthand how clients think. Given that as a PhD I had presented at few conferences and frequently at weekly scheduled lab meetings, I relished the opportunity to join and present at meetings, which I found to be a welcome challenge and a great opportunity for professional growth.

Overall the environment at IMSCG has many of the things I like about the university environment without the long, drawn out project work or failed experiments. At IMSCG, as in academia, you think of creative ways to solve a problem, you have a network of people who can support and you have the opportunity to work with really smart people.

Maria Kosmaoglou, IMS Consulting Group

Focus on Management Launch Event, 29th February, 1pm

 Focus on Management Launch event – Sponsored by PwC

Time and Date:  Wednesday 29^th February 2012, 1pm

Location:  The Careers Service seminar room

The popular 2 day ‘Focus on Management’ course will be held 31^st May – 1^st June this year and will be launched at this one hour event.   Come along and learn more about what is involved in the 2 days and how you will develop great skills like team working, problem solving and presenting by working with real employers.  You’ll also hear about tops tips on how to complete the application and have a chance to meet the PwC team who are hosting the event.

Attendance is by registration only so please sign up at  http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/skills/focus 

Please note:  you don’t have to attend the event to apply for the Focus on Management course.  Applications will open on Monday March 5^th.

PhD Skills Workshop – Personality Profiling and Effective Teamwork (with IBM), Tuesday 6th March

Teamwork has been identified by graduate employers as one of the key areas where PhD students often lack skills and can slip up in the recruitment process. This session will enable you to understand more about your strengths and qualities and how you can capitalise on these in a team environment. In this workshop, which will be run by a careers adviser and with IBM,  we will use the Myers Briggs Type Indicator to provide a framework for learning more about your personality type. The workshop will also include practical group exercises similar to those that you may encounter within an assessment centre. Please note, you will need to attend for the full length of this workshop to benefit properly from it.

Date/Time: Tuesday 6th March, 1-4.30pm
Venue: Room G08, Chadwick Building, Gower Street, UCL, London, WC1E 6BT

You will need to register for this workshop. See further details and register at the Graduate School website.

NHS Scientist Training Programme 2012: Open for Applications

The application system for the 2012  STP is now live (as of Monday 13th). A key thing to note is that the deadline for applications is before the end of the month, February 27th, so you’ll need to get cracking if you want to submit your best effort and avoid a last minute rush. Full details of the process can be found on the official STP website. Don’t forget, you can get careers adviser feedback on your application – visit the researchers career pages for more information.

Posted by Calum Leckie, UCL Careers Service

PhD Life Science Careers – A Day in the Life of An Analyst

Another in our series of guest blogs by PhD holders who work at IMS Consulting Group. You will find more information about PhD life science careers and IMS Consulting Group in our Careers in Clinical Research, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Forum for PhD/research students which will be held on 28th February 2012. Go to the  Forum page on the Graduate School website for more details about this event.

My current project is in the area of Pricing and Market Access, which is one of three practice areas of IMSCG. As an analyst, I am also exposed to projects in Brand and Commercial Strategy (analysing commercial models and optimising brand strategy) and Strategy and Portfolio Analysis (pipeline forecasting, therapy area value assessments, pharmaceutical portfolio management). I enjoy the variety afforded by this broad competency model, as I learn more about a range of aspects relevant to the pharmaceutical industry.

I currently work with IMS colleagues in Cambridge, New York and San Francisco. This means that as soon as I wake up I need to check progress the US team has made while I’ve been sleeping! There is no “typical day” but currently, when I arrive at the office the first call I make is to the consultant I work with in Cambridge. We are in constant contact with each other to ensure that we can plan our time and manage our workloads as effectively as possible. Working with a consultant also provides a great level of support, as there is always someone to point me in the right direction and help me out. As a result I have been able to quickly pick up a wide range of skills and learn new methods of data retrieval and analysis.

Typically, we decide to work on slides for a client meeting next week and catch up later in the afternoon. I use the rest of the morning to research pricing and reimbursement regulations in several European Union countries, and do some more background reading on the therapy area. It really helps to have a good knowledge of the mechanism of a drug and disease it is intended to treat in order to create summaries of the treatment landscape to share with the wider team, and members of the client company who may not have been directly involved with the development of the drug.

After lunch with other analysts, I spend time talking to three aspiring analysts in a break between interviews. This is one part of my job I really enjoy, as quite clearly I remember being in their position – it gives them the opportunity to relax a little between case studies, and ask questions about the recruitment process, training and starting work. They are particularly interested to learn about training on the job, as they are from scientific backgrounds with little previous exposure to the business world. Luckily IMS is very strong in training – my first week was spent on an intensive consulting skills course, so I reassure them that they will quickly pick up the skills and knowledge they need to start contributing to projects.

Back upstairs, it’s back to work on preparing the presentation for our client. Mid-afternoon I lead a teleconference call with IMS colleagues in Italy and Spain to organize two day-long workshops with influential doctors in Milan and Barcelona. I take them through a presentation to give them background about the project and decide on final logistics. We are really lucky to have a good relationship with our international colleagues, as their local insight and contacts are a great help in making final arrangements. I finish around 7pm and prepare for tomorrow, as I will be travelling to the IMS Cambridge office for face-to-face meetings with the project team.

Rachel Rowbottom, IMS Consulting Group

Environment Careers Week – w/c 20th February 2012

Are you thinking about a career in the environmental sector?
Not sure what’s out there or how to start? Then come to Environment Careers week!

Week commencing 20th February 2012

UCL Careers Service present a week of activities designed to help all levels of student to find out more about opportunities in this popular sector including information on routes in and how to gain valuable work experience.

Tuesday 21st February 5.30-7pm Careers in Environmental – Policy, Campaigning and Consultancy
This forum event will reflect the range of green career options available for students featuring organisations from the public and private sector and NGOs, engaged in environmental policy, campaigns and advisory work.

Hear from;

• Civil Service Fast Stream (DEFRA and Government Legal Service)
• Oakdene Hollins
• Worldwide Fund for Nature
• Palmetto Climate
• UCL

The industry panellists will speak about their role, how they got there and offer a few tips to students and graduates who might wish to follow in their footsteps. This will be followed by questions from the floor. We will also allow some time at the end for informal networking.

Wednesday 22^nd February 1-2pm Starting Out in Your Career
So you have an idea of what you want to get into, but there isn’t a graduate scheme out there?
Or you want to sample some career areas while you are still at university?

This networking event will allow you some time to chat to charities and organisations about how you can start out getting some volunteering or work experience in different environmental areas or how to get into specific roles within these types of organisations after graduation. This is a very informal event in which you can come and chat to one, two or all the representatives in person and ask your burning questions, or simply hear a bit more about what they can offer to you right now. Please book your place but feel free to turn up at any point during the hour.

Thursday 23rd February 1-2pm Careers in Clean Energy
This event will target engineering and technical students who wish to develop careers in clean technology, and will feature speakers from two energy companies- EDF Energy and UK Power Networks- talking about their role and what their companies are doing in this field. There will be a chance to ask questions and network with the speakers.

You need to book to attend!  Go to http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/events/getinto/environment 

Please Note: Events are popular and booking for each will close when it is fully booked or, at the latest, 1 working day before the event. We recommend early booking to avoid disappointment. Location details will be provided when booking.

PhD Employer-Led Workshop – Transition to the Workplace with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, 20th February

The difference between how you manage your academic studies and how you manage in the workplace, either as a researcher, lecturer or in a non-academic role, has often been identified as a difficult transition for research students. This session will look at the key differences between being a research student and being an employee, and the skills that will be required to make a successful transition.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the behaviours and aptitudes needed to make a successful transition to the workplace
• Demonstrate an awareness of etiquette, dress codes and networking skills for interviews and different types of business interactions
• Approach workplace interviews and meetings with confidence and poise
• Communicate in a professional manner with workplace colleagues and potential employers in different contexts

Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Register to attend this session at the Graduate School web pages

 

Mock Assessment Centre, Monday 13th February – Last Chance to Register

If you missed the PhD Assessment Centre workshop yesterday evening there are still a few slots available for the Mock Assessment Centre taking place next week.

This event is a must for those currently applying for non-academic roles, as many top graduate employers use assessment exercises or run assessment centres as a method to select applicants.

The half day mock assessment centre is designed to equip you with the skills necessary to succeed, within a safe and non-judgemental environment. You will complete a competency based interview, group exercise, case study and presentation, and receive feedback on how you have performed in each area. You will also have the chance to network with the graduate recruiters taking part from Barclays Capital, BT, CIMA, Cushman Wakefield, Royal and the Air Force.

How To Book:

You must register online AND also pay a returnable £20 cash deposit (correct change only) in person at the Careers Service to secure a place. The closing date to book and pay by is Thursday 9th February.

Please go to http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/students/skills/assessmentcentres for more details.

PhD Life Science Careers – Why would IMSCG recruit PhDs and how can your PhD help you in a consultancy role

Here is the 2nd of our series of guest blogs by PhD holders who work at IMS Consulting Group. You will find more information about PhD life science careers and IMS Consulting Group in our  Careers in Clinical Research, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals  Forum for PhD/research students which will be held on 28th February 2012. Go to the Forum page on the Graduate School website for more details about this event.

IMSCG’s business is management consulting to the life sciences sector. So it makes sense that the company has two main priorities when recruiting:  the competencies required to be a management consultant and a strong interest in, and perhaps some background knowledge of, the life sciences sector. PhDs, especially those from the natural sciences, are therefore an excellent group in which to find promising candidates with this combination of characteristics.

The tendency for natural sciences PhDs to be interested in the life sciences sector is not surprising (although the emotive and pervasive nature of healthcare in our lives also attracts many PhDs from other disciplines). But what about the management consulting competencies?

A major part of the core skills of a management consultant is bringing objectivity, structured thinking and analysis to a complex and unstructured question. Consultants are curious people who enjoy problem solving. PhDs similarly tend to be curious by nature, interested in solving problems and combining objectivity and analysis in one form or another to a specific issue.

My PhD has definitely been a helpful starting point for these core management consulting skills. It gave me experience looking at a large and complex overall question and coming up with a way of approaching that question in individual steps. It gave me experience thinking about how to organize and present complex data and how to communicate the outputs of my research. And during my PhD, I took ownership for the outcomes of my own work, giving me a good sense of accountability.

That isn’t to say that my academic-type problem solving and analytical skills were enough on their own for management consulting at IMSCG. The thinking in consulting is much more explicitly structured and analytical than in academia; I therefore had to sharpen up on these skills before the interviews. I also had to learn how to do it in a much faster-paced environment, more intensively within a team, and with much shorter time periods for producing and showing people outputs of the work.

As my PhD was in the life sciences it also helped with understanding the more technical side of the life sciences sector. But if you don’t faint at the sight of words like atorvastatin or bevacizumab, then you can also learn that on the job!

Joel Hooper, IMS Consulting