Researcher Career Development

At MaREI, the student experience is about more than just the research.

We appreciate that your research will be your core focus, but we at MaREI strive to ensure you get a holistic, empowering and innovative learning experience. Our core aim is to produce high-quality graduates skilled in research, but also with the attributes, skills and values that enable and empower students to identify, create and succeed on their chosen life and career paths. It is part of the overall MaREI responsibility towards students to maximise their employment opportunities and overall employability.

MaREI provides workshops, seminars and information sessions on a wide variety of topics, from entrepreneurship and innovation to networking and career planning. Through strategic partnerships with the UCC Careers Service, HR Excellence in Research & external providers; we have a robust range of personal and professional development courses available.

Please see below for  a selection of topics :

  • How to Plan your PhD to be career ready when you Graduate
  • LinkedIn – Using LinkedIn to increase your visibility
  • Adapting your CV for a role in Industry
  • Job Search Strategies
  • Planning for a career beyond Academia
  • Sourcing & Accessing Non-Academic Career Opportunities
  • Career Planning for You & Listening to your Team
  • Developing your Career with Confidence
  • How to prepare a Non-Academic CV
  • Project Management
  • Entrepreneurship & Commercialisation

We are guided by the Irish Universities Association PhD Graduates’ Skills Statement and so we focus our energies in generating awareness and providing learning and development solutions in the areas of:

Research Skills & Awareness

Ethics & Social Understanding

Communication Skills

Personal Effectiveness/Development

Team-Working & Leadership

Career Management

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Whilst the research will be your main priority during your PhD programme, it is worth taking the time during this period to focus on and build your own profile and brand. The MaREI Centre aims to produce high-quality graduates skilled in research, but also with the attributes, skills and values that enable and empower students to identify, create and succeed on their chosen life and career paths. This profile building will prove extremely worthwhile once you enter your final year and you are thinking about and possibly exploring further employment opportunities.

Each MaREI PhD & Masters Student has the opportunity to invest in and avail of training and conference opportunities nationally and internationally. The majority of PhD budgets make provision for this. MaREI also holds an Annual Symposium focused solely on our research community where each Research Area is given the opportunity to showcase their work and key outputs. Your input to these events, workshops and conferences is fundamental to your success as a researcher; allowing you the opportunity to highlight your work to your peers.

All of the team in MaREI will support you at every step of the way.