Please note: applications for the 2024 Prosper cohort are now closed. For Prosper events, see our upcoming events calendar.
The cohort will move through the three main themes of Reflect , Explore and Act, spending two months on each.
In the first two months you’ll meet your career coach, the rest of the cohort and start to get clarity on your skills, values, strengths and attributes.
In the middle two months, the focus will be around broadening your understanding of the career options available to you, together with building your knowledge and confidence to take the next step.
In the final two months you will gain tips and tools to enable you to set actions to move your career development forward in the direction you wish to go.
Cohort activities in summary
- 1 career development session per month.
- 1 cohort-only session per month (additional sessions may occasionally be offered but are not compulsory).
- Career coaching – one initial 30-minute one-to-one, followed by a one-hour long group coaching session per month for the 6 months of the cohort. Each coaching group will not exceed 10 postdocs in size.
- Cohort accountability buddy scheme – you’ll be randomly assigned into groups (3-4 people per group), and as a group you can pick the frequency and duration of your check-in meetings (30 mins, once a month recommended). The groups will be remixed after 3 months (so you get to spend 3 months with each buddy group).
- We anticipate cohort members spending around 6 to 7 hours (approximately one working day) per month, for six months focusing on their Prosper cohort career development. This is well within the University’s commitment for all research staff to spend a minimum of 10 days per year pro rata on their career development.
Cohort session schedule (both development and cohort-only sessions) - February to July 2024
Note that sessions are open to all and are typically 60 to 90 minutes long, with some exceptions.
| Theme | Session | Date and time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cohort induction | Cohort induction (cohort only) | Tuesday 13 February 2024, 12:30 - 14:00 pm | In person - Library space, School of the Art's Library |
| Reflect | Skills audit and values | Wednesday 28 February 2024 , 14:00 - 15:00 pm | Online |
| Reflect | Career decision making | Tuesday 12 March 2024, 14:00 - 15:30 pm | Online |
| Reflect | Career identity (cohort only) | Wednesday 27 March 2024, 10:00 - 11:00 am | Online |
| Explore | How to explore a range of career options | Wednesday 17 April 2024, 12:00 - 13:00 pm | Online |
| Explore | Sunk-cost fallacy (cohort only) | Thursday 25 April 2024, 13:00 - 14:00 pm | in person |
| Explore | Harnessing AI for job hunting | Wednesday 8 May 2024, 12:00 - 13:30 pm | Online |
| Explore | Knowing when you’ve done enough research into a career option, role, sector or pathway (cohort only) | Tuesday 21 May 2024, 13:00 - 14:00 pm | Online |
| Act | Facing set-backs | Date in June 2024 TBC | Online |
| Act | Job boards/sharing intelligence/CV/LinkedIn profile swap* (*cohort get to pick which topic we run) | Wednesday 26 June 2024, 10:00 - 11:00 am | Online |
| Act | Becoming a STAR (how to sell your skills) | Thursday 11 July 2024, 12:00 - 13:00 pm | Online |
| Cohort end | Maintaining your career development momentum (cohort only) | Tuesday 16 July 2024, 12:30 - 14:00 pm | In person - Library space, School of the Art's Library |
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