Frontrunners for PhD Students

University is on Summer Break, and that means around 4 months of quiet around campus until the old and new undergraduate students arrive in October. Having been an undergraduate and postgraduate (MA and PhD) at the same institution, I have grown accustom to the life cycle of the University. This year is a little different, as I am working as a Alumni Development Frontrunner Plus in the Art History department, alongside the Marketing and Recruitment Frontrunner, and Library Frontrunner.

I'm certainly not the only PhD student doing one of these placements. At the Professional Skills Workshop (part of the training for the role), I met a number of research students doing all sorts of placements, from statistical data analysis, 50th Anniversary projects, to working in the children's law clinic. The Frontrunner Plus placements are particularly suited to older students - the pay isn't bad, the hours flexible and not too long so as to fit in with study (and other commitments, like family and friends), but the experience is 'good quality'.

By good quality, I mean it's not just about filing, making coffee, and agreeing with my superiors. I get a tangible influence over the work that I do, the people that I contact, and the projects that we develop. The placement has been going on for six weeks now, and already I've organised a conference (not just helped, but organised, sorting the budget and everything), made a number of strong professional contacts, started to implement new policies that will come into effect in October, and developed my management skills. All great things for my CV (both academic and professional).

Not only all that, but the placement is still giving me time to write up my PhD (I'm in completion), and is even helping because I spend my working hours on campus, in the departmental library - close to all the resources I need to get my own work done. After a few hours in the office, I am focused. I take my lunch break, and then head to the library, or my office at home, to 'continue' work - this time on my thesis.

So - if you're a University of Essex research student, I would definitely recommend Frontrunners. If you want to stay in academic, the short placements give you great experience working within an institution (which equates to developing commercial awareness in most cases), and can fill the over-the-summer lull if you have managed to secure teaching experience!