Could you repair and tweak superstar physicist Stephen Hawking's robot voice box and gadget-laden wheelchair? If you reckon yes, then the celebrated author and cosmologist wants to hear from you.
He has a technical assistant job going, with a modest graduate salary, and it involves maintaining the electronic systems that allow him to speak in public and meet others in the rock'n'roll globetrotting world of physics.
Ironically, the position involves working for one of the University of Cambridge's top theoretical scientists yet performing rather practical tasks. If chalkboards and equations are your game because tangled wires and humming circuits scare you off, then this probably isn't the career path for you.
It's implied that Prof Hawking's go-go-gadget wheelchair isn't well documented and, as you can see from the picture below, rather ad-hoc. There's no technical support for the gear - whoever gets the job will be the technical support.
The Brief History of Time author has motor neurone disease, which has left him almost completely paralysed, and the black hole probing boffin lost his voice after a tracheotomy operation in the 1980s.
He relies on his souped-up wheelchair to get out and about, and various bits of gear to translate small hand movements into words, spoken in the monotonic robotic voice that - outside the arena of particle physics - he is best-known for. The supercomputer wielding, alien invasion fearing prof also controls things like the lights and doors, TV and other gadgets in his home and office by remote control from his wheelchair.
According to the unconventional job advert: "It is not a PhD or post-doc position for academics looking to study physics, but a purely technical post to allow Prof Hawking to function within the physics community and as a public speaker. The original purpose of this position was to aid Professor Hawking in those areas which he has difficulty due to his disability. The job has since expanded."
Duties include booking travel arrangements for the prof and his entourage (including yourself), developing and fixing his speech systems, repairing his adapted van, help prepare his lectures, fend off journos, maintain his website and deal with the public.
Most importantly, the ideal candidate must be able to work under pressure, maintain "black box" systems with no instruction manual or technical support, be a whiz with computers and electronics, be able to speak to large audiences and show others how to use complex systems.
Not a big ask, then. The salary is roughly £25k ($38.5k) and the start date is somewhere between February 20 to 27.
Source: Chris Williams, Theregister.co.uk, Friday 30th December 2011
Jobsbody provides a dynamic forum in which businesses can view and connect with graduates.
Showing posts with label University of Cambridge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Cambridge. Show all posts
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Cambridge graduates wooed with signing on fees in fight for talent
The salaries being paid to attract the best graduates in Britain have increased by some £2,000-£3,000 in the last year according to Cambridge hi-tech recruitment specialist, ecm.ecm director, Martin Constantinides said this applied to Cambridge graduates in the UK elite.
Software , hardware, maths modelling and support engineer roles are seeing higher rewards.
Salaries for software roles at the fresh graduate/PhD level are – for the second year running – significantly higher than the previous year (up £2k-3k).
A number of companies are even offering a signing-on bonus for graduates as they seek to secure the best talent emerging from Cambridge and other universities.
Hardware/electronic role salaries are also up but not by as much.
Senior, hands-on positions in mechanical engineering have paid up to £4k-£5k more in 2011 than in 2010.
Constantinides also reports “a significant increase in salaries for support engineer roles.”
ecm’s latest annual Salary & Benefits Survey gathered data during the final quarter of 2011 – both directly from client companies and indirectly from job seekers, vacancies and placements.
Its findings allow companies to compare salary levels and benefits packages, to ensure they retain key staff and continue to attract the most highly sought-after candidates.
Constantinides said that the hi-tech sector had proved notably robust throughout the year. “Those who do still have money to invest, faced with very low returns elsewhere, have been attracted by the prospects of early-stage technology companies, and the Cambridge area has maintained its pre-eminent position.
“As a result, companies in the local areas are continuing to hire and to compete for the very best candidates. As last year, we have seen increased salary scales at the more junior end in response to sustained competition for the top talent.”
Source: Matt Dean, Businessweekly.co.uk, Tuesday 27th December 2011
Software , hardware, maths modelling and support engineer roles are seeing higher rewards.
Salaries for software roles at the fresh graduate/PhD level are – for the second year running – significantly higher than the previous year (up £2k-3k).
A number of companies are even offering a signing-on bonus for graduates as they seek to secure the best talent emerging from Cambridge and other universities.
Hardware/electronic role salaries are also up but not by as much.
Senior, hands-on positions in mechanical engineering have paid up to £4k-£5k more in 2011 than in 2010.
Constantinides also reports “a significant increase in salaries for support engineer roles.”
ecm’s latest annual Salary & Benefits Survey gathered data during the final quarter of 2011 – both directly from client companies and indirectly from job seekers, vacancies and placements.
Its findings allow companies to compare salary levels and benefits packages, to ensure they retain key staff and continue to attract the most highly sought-after candidates.
Constantinides said that the hi-tech sector had proved notably robust throughout the year. “Those who do still have money to invest, faced with very low returns elsewhere, have been attracted by the prospects of early-stage technology companies, and the Cambridge area has maintained its pre-eminent position.
“As a result, companies in the local areas are continuing to hire and to compete for the very best candidates. As last year, we have seen increased salary scales at the more junior end in response to sustained competition for the top talent.”
Source: Matt Dean, Businessweekly.co.uk, Tuesday 27th December 2011
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Students dodge dodgy jobs market
More than one in three University of Cambridge graduates chooses to continue their education rather than enter the job market, according to the most recent graduate destination statistics.
36 per cent of Cambridge graduates pursued further study, with only 55 per cent successfully gaining full-time employment. Five per cent were left completely unemployed.
Employment rates for University of Cambridge full-time, first-degree graduates were consequently nearly 10 per cent lower than the national average, which stood at 63 per cent, according to results from the Higher Education Statistics Committee (HESA).
However, this was due simply to the greater proportion of Cambridge students choosing further study – the national average stands only at 16 per cent, with seven per cent combining studying with part-time employment. Consequently the rate of unemployment was also lower than the national average of nine per cent.
Statistics for specific courses within the University showed that Law had the greatest number of students continuing their education, at 59 per cent, followed by Natural Sciences at 53 per cent and Theology at 47 per cent.
Classics, Philosophy and Mathematics were close behind, all with 39 per cent of finalists opting further study rather than pursuing full-time employment.
Architecture, Linguistics and Manufacturing Engineering had the lowest rates of further study, and correspondingly the highest rates of employment.
Meanwhile, History of Art and Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic had the highest rates of unemployment, at 14 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
The choice of so many University of Cambridge students to continue their education is perhaps unsurprising, as more and more statistics point to a continuing crisis in the job market.
A study at the beginning of the year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that one in five recent graduates were unemployed, the highest rate for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, UK unemployment on the whole has now risen to a 17-year high of 2.57 million, the ONS also revealed last month, with an unemployment rate of 21.3% for the 16-24 age group.
President of the National Union of Students (NUS), Liam Burns said: “Times are tough for young people at the moment with rising unemployment no matter how well qualified they are.”
New statistics from HESA, meanwhile, show that more than one in four graduates from 2007 still does not have a full-time job, three and a half years after leaving university. However, 6.5 per cent were still continuing their studies, and 5.3 per cent were combining work and study.
A gender gap was also seen in the report: while 14% of men in full-time work who graduated in 2007 were now earning between £30,000 and £34,999, only 9.3% of women achieved this salary bracket. 29.4% of women were earning between £20,000 and £24,999, compared to 15.6% of men.
With such difficulties for graduating students, questions are being raised about the value of getting a degree, particularly with the tuition fee rise coming into effect in 2012.
Universities minister David Willetts said: “A degree remains a good investment and is one of the best pathways to achieving a good job and a rewarding career.”
Yet, the Office for National Statistics revealed this summer that one in five graduates earns less than a person who left school with as little as one A-level.
A poll commissioned by the bank Santander found that 60 per cent of the businesses it interviewed would hire a secondary-school leaver with two years of work experience rather than a graduate.
“The reality is that as a country we haven’t been very good at creating graduates who are specialised in areas that employers are demanding,” said Mike Fetters, Graduate Director at totaljobs.com. “The economic downturn exposed this brutally in the form of high graduate unemployment.
“The only benefit that we can see in the disappointing decision to, in effect, triple fees is that it may focus the minds of those wishing to go to university on which skills are most in demand in the jobs market, which degree will best enable them to pay off debts most swiftly and create more focus on their chosen career direction.”
The National Union of Students said the government risked “losing a generation to low skills and high unemployment” by failing to support young people sufficiently.
However, some evidence suggests that things could be looking up in the graduate job market.
A recent report by the Association of Graduate Recruiters showed a rise in the number of graduate vacancies for the first time since the beginning of the recession, although starting salaries remained at a median of around £25,000 per annum.
Meanwhile, a survey in May by High Fliers Research of 2011 graduates showed a renewed faith in the banking profession after a noticeable decline during recruiting seasons of the last two years.
High Fliers managing directory, Martin Birchall, said: “During 2008-2009, applications for investment banking fell by a third. When we spoke to people in March, more people had applied for banking than any other sector.
“At least three banks are rumoured to be paying £50,000 starting salaries, and that’s before any bonuses. All of the banks were back on campus with a vengeance in the last 12 months, promoting themselves very hard. Most of the best-known City names are recruiting at 2006-2007 levels.”
The survey also found that finalists began job hunting earlier than normal and made on average a third more applications than the previous year.
Earlier this year, the Guardian reported that several universities had proposals to award extra marks on some degree courses to students showing evidence of corporate skills or other experience in the job market.
Fetters, of totaljobs.com, said: “It isn’t just students that need to adapt their behaviour; there are also roles for universities and business. Universities must look to offer more courses aligned to the jobs market and incentivise them if necessary. In turn, businesses should engage with the education sector to ensure that the skills they need are incorporated into university courses.”
However, many critics, including academics, argue that such schemes, which aim to churn out “job-ready” graduates, are adding to the process of undermining the role of universities in society.
Source: Samantha Sharman, Varsity.co.uk, Friday 28th October 2011
36 per cent of Cambridge graduates pursued further study, with only 55 per cent successfully gaining full-time employment. Five per cent were left completely unemployed.
Employment rates for University of Cambridge full-time, first-degree graduates were consequently nearly 10 per cent lower than the national average, which stood at 63 per cent, according to results from the Higher Education Statistics Committee (HESA).
However, this was due simply to the greater proportion of Cambridge students choosing further study – the national average stands only at 16 per cent, with seven per cent combining studying with part-time employment. Consequently the rate of unemployment was also lower than the national average of nine per cent.
Statistics for specific courses within the University showed that Law had the greatest number of students continuing their education, at 59 per cent, followed by Natural Sciences at 53 per cent and Theology at 47 per cent.
Classics, Philosophy and Mathematics were close behind, all with 39 per cent of finalists opting further study rather than pursuing full-time employment.
Architecture, Linguistics and Manufacturing Engineering had the lowest rates of further study, and correspondingly the highest rates of employment.
Meanwhile, History of Art and Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic had the highest rates of unemployment, at 14 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
The choice of so many University of Cambridge students to continue their education is perhaps unsurprising, as more and more statistics point to a continuing crisis in the job market.
A study at the beginning of the year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that one in five recent graduates were unemployed, the highest rate for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, UK unemployment on the whole has now risen to a 17-year high of 2.57 million, the ONS also revealed last month, with an unemployment rate of 21.3% for the 16-24 age group.
President of the National Union of Students (NUS), Liam Burns said: “Times are tough for young people at the moment with rising unemployment no matter how well qualified they are.”
New statistics from HESA, meanwhile, show that more than one in four graduates from 2007 still does not have a full-time job, three and a half years after leaving university. However, 6.5 per cent were still continuing their studies, and 5.3 per cent were combining work and study.
A gender gap was also seen in the report: while 14% of men in full-time work who graduated in 2007 were now earning between £30,000 and £34,999, only 9.3% of women achieved this salary bracket. 29.4% of women were earning between £20,000 and £24,999, compared to 15.6% of men.
With such difficulties for graduating students, questions are being raised about the value of getting a degree, particularly with the tuition fee rise coming into effect in 2012.
Universities minister David Willetts said: “A degree remains a good investment and is one of the best pathways to achieving a good job and a rewarding career.”
Yet, the Office for National Statistics revealed this summer that one in five graduates earns less than a person who left school with as little as one A-level.
A poll commissioned by the bank Santander found that 60 per cent of the businesses it interviewed would hire a secondary-school leaver with two years of work experience rather than a graduate.
“The reality is that as a country we haven’t been very good at creating graduates who are specialised in areas that employers are demanding,” said Mike Fetters, Graduate Director at totaljobs.com. “The economic downturn exposed this brutally in the form of high graduate unemployment.
“The only benefit that we can see in the disappointing decision to, in effect, triple fees is that it may focus the minds of those wishing to go to university on which skills are most in demand in the jobs market, which degree will best enable them to pay off debts most swiftly and create more focus on their chosen career direction.”
The National Union of Students said the government risked “losing a generation to low skills and high unemployment” by failing to support young people sufficiently.
However, some evidence suggests that things could be looking up in the graduate job market.
A recent report by the Association of Graduate Recruiters showed a rise in the number of graduate vacancies for the first time since the beginning of the recession, although starting salaries remained at a median of around £25,000 per annum.
Meanwhile, a survey in May by High Fliers Research of 2011 graduates showed a renewed faith in the banking profession after a noticeable decline during recruiting seasons of the last two years.
High Fliers managing directory, Martin Birchall, said: “During 2008-2009, applications for investment banking fell by a third. When we spoke to people in March, more people had applied for banking than any other sector.
“At least three banks are rumoured to be paying £50,000 starting salaries, and that’s before any bonuses. All of the banks were back on campus with a vengeance in the last 12 months, promoting themselves very hard. Most of the best-known City names are recruiting at 2006-2007 levels.”
The survey also found that finalists began job hunting earlier than normal and made on average a third more applications than the previous year.
Earlier this year, the Guardian reported that several universities had proposals to award extra marks on some degree courses to students showing evidence of corporate skills or other experience in the job market.
Fetters, of totaljobs.com, said: “It isn’t just students that need to adapt their behaviour; there are also roles for universities and business. Universities must look to offer more courses aligned to the jobs market and incentivise them if necessary. In turn, businesses should engage with the education sector to ensure that the skills they need are incorporated into university courses.”
However, many critics, including academics, argue that such schemes, which aim to churn out “job-ready” graduates, are adding to the process of undermining the role of universities in society.
Source: Samantha Sharman, Varsity.co.uk, Friday 28th October 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)