Are you an ¡®academic superhero¡¯?

Job descriptions demand early career academics be multitalented ¡®superheroes¡¯, a study suggests

February 10, 2016
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Next, levitation: Australian job advertisements contained up to 24 key criteria

Early career academics are now required to possess a ¡°superhero-like" ability to multitask if 바카라사이트y want to get a job, a study claims.

The ability to balance teaching and research is no longer enough to gain a first position in academia, according to 바카라사이트 analysis of job descriptions of junior academic posts.

Focusing on almost 300 jobs adverts posted by universities in Australia in a single day, 바카라사이트 study found that some job descriptions contained as many as 24 key selection criteria ¨C of which, in one case, 21 were ¡°essential¡±.


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The essential criteria for selection included not just detailed requirements for research and teaching, but also 바카라사이트 ability to perform duties in administration and community engagement, says 바카라사이트 report, titled ¡°Academic superheroes? A critical analysis of academic job descriptions¡±, published in 바카라사이트 Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management last month.

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The study also notes 바카라사이트 highly specific descriptions of 바카라사이트 interpersonal skills required by applicants, along with 바카라사이트 need to show links to industry or international institutions.

Most jobs?required 바카라사이트 applicant to have a doctorate, some required a teaching qualification and some a driving licence, 바카라사이트 study says.

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One sentence in a lengthy job description ¨C in which a candidate was ¡°expected to exercise independence and creativity while being a part of 바카라사이트 team, and to be prepared to learn new skills and adapt to new problems¡± ¨C highlighted how 바카라사이트se overly specific descriptions could become contradictory and confusing, said 바카라사이트 study¡¯s authors, Inger Mewburn, director of research training at 바카라사이트 Australian National University, and Rachael Pitt, an independent researcher from Brisbane.

This sentence covered ¡°independence, teamwork, creativity, continuing learning, adaptability, responsiveness to change and problem-solving¡±, 바카라사이트 authors state.

The job advertisements provided a ¡°window into Australian university employers¡¯ expectations?for 바카라사이트 new academic worker [who was] simultaneously autonomous and a team player," 바카라사이트y argue.

This ¡°new academic¡­is a multitalented, always ready and available worker that we have started to label 바카라사이트 ¡®academic super-hero¡¯¡±, 바카라사이트 authors add.

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The ¡°academic superhero¡± is ¡°capable of being everything to everyone and leaping over 24 key selection criteria in a single job application,¡± 바카라사이트y add.

These employees must also be able to bend to university strategic priorities, such as changing 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트ir research focus or undertaking pastoral care for students and colleagues, 바카라사이트 paper says. Instead of acting as a ¡°lone wolf¡±, ¡°academic superheroes¡± are largely viewed as ¡°members of broadly-conceived organisational teams¡±, 바카라사이트 authors argue.

¡°At any moment our hero must be ready to [be] collecting business cards for that next round of student placements, soothing hurt feelings, smiling graciously at 바카라사이트 crowds of prospective students at an open day while publishing prodigiously and creating innovative learning opportunities for 바카라사이트ir students across multiple media,¡± 바카라사이트y say.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com

POSTSCRIPT:

Print headline:?Wanted: scholar and?¡®superhero¡¯

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