Colin McCullough, Ph.D.’s Post

Attention Research Park! 📣📣📣 Did you know one of the biggest benefits the Research Park offers is the ability to hire FAU students as interns? Why should you hire one? Check out this video from the FAU Career Center to learn more!

📣 Calling University of Glasgow PGRs! We have no fewer that FIVE awesome internships available to work with our team. 12 hours / week for a year. ⭐ You seen adverts for 3 Minute Thesis? You could run it! ⭐ You read articles on the PGR Blog? You could edit it! ⭐ You had thesis mentoring? You could plan and organise it! ⭐ You been inspired by other people's career stories? You could collate them! ⭐ You care about researcher representation? You could run Assemblies! ⭐ You loved (or hated) Uni webpages? You could update them! ⭐ You benefited from researcher communities? You could lead them! ⭐ You appreciated having an induction? You could bring that to new PGRs! Our interns are a completely integral part of our team. You'll be part of the end-to-end of everything we do, getting the 'insider view' on how the support services that help you be a researcher work. This is hybrid work, so you will need to be at campus quite regularly, but can be flexible in working from home too. Previous interns have found their time with us has built their CV with practical experience that has directly helped them get into jobs quickly after their doctoral studies. Plus: we are super nice! Apply through the Student Opportunities Hub by 02 October (https://lnkd.in/e9Tv9qiT)

Attention Kansas City students, 2025 ProX applications are open! 💡 Why should you apply to ProX Summer? 1️⃣ Get paid $1,250 for exploring your passions. 2️⃣ Gain real-world experience to build confidence. 3️⃣ Make connections that can shape your future. Applications are open! Apply now at prox.org #ProX2025 #StudentSuccess #CareerExploration #ProXGoals #ExploreCareers #CareerDevelopment #CareerLiteracy

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending over an hour with a group of final-year Computer Science students at the University of Southampton Malaysia for an industry talk. A big thank you to Dr. Marwan D. Saleh for the kind invitation. I shared my career journey— I was once a student, becoming an engineer, moving up as a department head, and eventually into my current role as an entrepreneur. One of the key topics I touched on was the final-year project. It's your opportunity to solve real problems and show what you’re capable of, especially when it comes to job interviews. Your grades matter, but your final-year project is your mic drop moment—the one that really leaves an impression. We also talked about what most employers are looking for. It’s not just about what you can do alone—it’s about what you can achieve as part of a team. Being a good team player, knowing how to collaborate, and having a positive attitude are the traits that truly set great candidates apart. The energy in the room was fantastic, with plenty of interesting questions from the students. I always get asked this question, "What is the number one trait employer looking at?" My answer is always the same: "Attitude." What’s your take on this? #CareerJourney #ComputerScience #technology

In case you are interested

✨ What is the output of your research degree? Do you think it could be .. you? While you will be making contributions to your research discipline or field, you will also walk away with new and transferrable skills to apply across a broad range of careers ✨ Our HDR Career Educator Karen Cavu (FHEA) is here to help you recognise these new skills + guide you to evidence these as you start to apply for a range of jobs. Karen has designed a way for our graduate researchers to take staged steps throughout their degree, so that you are better prepared for your career post-graduation. Here's how the QUT HDR Career Planning Model takes you through 8 steps across the three stages of your research degree: 🚶♀️ 🚶♂️ Take BIG steps at the start of your degree, when your research commitment is less During the early stage of candidature, discover your working preferences before thinking widely about the range of careers available to you, both inside and outside of academia. This is also the perfect time to start promoting yourself and your work by building a digital footprint to tell your research story and connect with networks. 🏢 Find some time to engage with industry  The mid-stage of your candidature is a busy research time. Build in networking where you can and take advantage of industry engagement opportunities to gain real-world experience and learn new skills. Start thinking of the skills you're developing as an HDR: critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, collaboration, project management, professional communication, commercialisation and entrepreneurship. 📷 Turn your focus to practical job search support During the final stage of your research degree, we are ready to help with support for where to find jobs (including those networks you've already made) plus how to build successful job applications and stand-out at interviews. QUT graduate researchers and early career academics can access the model here >> https://lnkd.in/g5ERWa8Q For external researchers we have two career planning models delivered through the QUT eGrad School. Find out more here >> https://lnkd.in/g-ejsCHf #hdr #quthdr #eca #quteca #researchercareers #careerplanning #careerdevelopment

Opportunity for graduate students

For the students looking for a PhD program, particularly in Europe: You don't even need to wait for job postings to appear; instead, the majority of your applications ought to involve getting in touch with potential supervisors. Why? Here are four reasons. 1️⃣ This way of hiring is preferred by many professors because it chooses the most motivated applicants—those who have contacted them directly, are familiar with the group's work, etc. 2️⃣ You're undermining your best option if you're looking through job ads because you're biased towards positions that are available rather than the ones that are the best fit for you. 3️⃣ Once the advertising is released, it might be too late. Professors frequently post job openings online merely to comply with legal requirements, but they have probably already selected the applicant (the one who contacted them six to twelve months prior, or the one who is currently a lab intern). 4️⃣ Direct communication provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the ongoing research projects within a department or research group. There might be some other opportunity within his group/colleague group. They may recommend you for that. Humans in Education #phd #international #career #research #student

Quick question: Have you started thinking about summer yet?  It’s only January, but some of the best pre-college summer program deadlines are coming up soon. Want to major in science, the arts, or something unique? Believe me, there’s a program for you out there. Last year, I helped a student find something she ultimately loved—a research course at UCLA, and it really helped her figure out what she wanted to do in college. So, don’t wait - check out summer opportunities now. But if you don't know where to start?  Message or email me. I can help! Tip: interested in nanoscience research? https://lnkd.in/gzRv5bBU

Are you a fan of our gold nanoclusters? Curious to know what our ERC-CoG awarded Hand project is all about? Come by this afternoon and we will answer all your questions. #cluscatlab #goldnanoclusters #catalysis #HANDproject