How can you find research opportunities in the public sector using your professional network?

Leverage your professional network to uncover research opportunities in the public sector. Start by actively engaging in relevant conferences, seminars, or workshops where experts in your field gather. Network proactively, seeking informational interviews or collaborations with professionals already embedded in public sector research. Engage in online forums, social media groups, or professional associations related to your domain, fostering connections and staying updated on potential openings or collaborations. Moreover, consider offering your expertise through volunteering or contributing to public sector projects. Enhance your visibility by nurturing these network connections continuously. Finally, DO NOT give up too soon! Persevere.

In many ways this could mean putting the cart before the horse unless you are very familiar with the public sector. I would start with what the public sector wants or needs in terms of research, I.e you are demand-driven. So this is where researching the sector begins and also querying your network

Finding research opportunities in the public sector using your professional network requires strategic networking, active engagement, and ongoing relationship building. By cultivating and leveraging your professional connections, you can gain valuable insight into potential research opportunities, secure mentorship and sponsorship, and ultimately establish a successful career in the public sector research field.

A good place to start is to look at the kind of job opportunities in the public sector research environment & do further study to gain the qualifications that will make you an attractive candidate. There is generally a big gap between the core goals, work environment & workplace politics of an academic research environment versus a commercial one in my experience. Be aware that commercial environments for a researcher may bring up ethical challenges to the integrity of your scientific/research work purely because of the large amounts of top-down pressure to produce a specific outcome that advantages the company value rather than to make rational decisions based on solid data & operate your research within quality guidelines.

Identify the aspects of public sector research that resonate with your personal and professional objectives. This alignment will not only help you find opportunities but also ensure that you pursue projects that genuinely interest and fulfill you.

Uma excelente op??o para pessoas pesquisadoras em políticas públicas no Brasil é a utiliza??o do aplicativo BORA. Ele funciona como um app de relacionamento que conecta pessoas que trabalhem na gest?o ou na pesquisa de políticas públicas, e que estejam em busca de oportunidades de networking, consultorias, presta??o de servi?os, bolsas, troca de conhecimento etc. Basta criar seu perfil e come?ar a buscar.

Your mentors and public sector contacts are an excellent source of information and guidance as well as often knowing about jobs in the pipeline before they are advertised. Talk to public sector employers directly and ask them what it is they are looking for in a researcher. Learn to adjust your language from the world of academia to the different vocabulary of the outside world. Find out from recruiters what kind of CV format they are looking for in selecting candidates.

One of the key issues is the translation of scientific and technical jargon into policy. By understanding the landscape of your appropriate sector it may make it easier for to communicate in a manner that people can relate to. This will then drive policies that is beneficial to all.

Generalmente, la mayoría de investigadores o incluso, uno mismo pertenece a equipos de investigación que están registrados en alguna base de datos gubernamental, es importante y más eficiente revisar estas bases de datos para identificar qué equipos de investigación se especializan en el tema que se pretende investigar, que puede ser el equipo al que uno pertenece o alguno con intereses afines, contactarlos y exponer las s datos básicos de la investigación que se pretende realizar.

One important point to consider is to know exactly what will benefit the public sector and try to speak their language. Sometimes building trust between the private and public sectors is challenging and needs a lot of time and effort. But when the trust is formed, there is potentially an exponential growth of research products and higher chance of bridging the gap between academia and industry.

Networks are important. In this case the question to ask is whether your network has members conversant with or linked to the public sector. You may have to forge new networks to gain suitable referrals and insights.

The world has changed a lot from a time when your network was the only way to access certain jobs. Your network is important but increasingly it is seen as unethical for friends and colleagues to directly assist in appointing their network members. The recruiting environment we now exist in it is just as important to also have all the required keywords within your CV & cover letter documents. You might also want to include the results of online team psychometric testing. If you do not have sufficient keywords in your submitted documents then even if you are the ideal candidate for the role the automated systems now used by recruiters and company HR departments will exclude your application sight unseen. Look this up online to find out more.

Ciertamente identificar en las bases de datos de los investigadores o grupos ya establecidos de investigadores que se dedican a temas específicos de investigación relacionados con el tema que se pretende investigar es de la mayor relevancia así como contactar antiguos profesores, colegas y expertos en el tema que se pretende abordar a quienes se puede contactar a través de plataformas como LinkedIn, seminarios y creadores de contenido sobre el tema en cuestión.

Ask a variety of people how they get their jobs in the sector you are interested in. This will help you direct your efforts towards strategies that are more likely to work.

Academic research values publications above everything else. While the public sector values your ability demonstrate that you are capable of completing specific tasks to a certain standard and to use established tools to complete these tasks. So when structuring your CV, focus more on what practical aspects you can bring to a public sector role rather than making your publication list and impact factor the showcase of your application.

Make sure to show how your skills and experiences will be beneficial for the research and how you will bring about change by conducting this research.

Some public sector problems and issues require tools. Academics aiming to make impacts on the public sector should start using their knowledge and skills to develop tools.

Tal vez lo más importante para que un investigador sea considerado experto en un tema específico son sus publicaciones sobre el tema, pero no cualquier publicación, es relevante la calidad de estas, a través de qué institución fueron realizadas o respaldadas y que se encuentre en revistas o publicaciones indexadas.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile with keywords related to your research interests. Highlight relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. Use AI-driven tools to enhance your profile and make it stand out.

Recruiters who are familiar with your abilities and aware of what kind of roles you are interested in working on is a positive step to finding roles you suit in public sector. Just because you don't get a role you interviewed for doesn't mean that attending the interview had no value. Because you are now known to the recruiting team and if you impressed them sufficiently they may well contact you to interview for a different role in future. Don't burn bridges now that you might need to travel over again in future.

According to my mentees this has been the greatest quick advice I have given. Following up with other researchers has allowed many of my students to find scholarships, internships, doctorate studies, and even job positions they would not have been able to get if they didn’t follow up with the people they networked or researched about.

The public sector in general is a huge bemoth. By its very nature its slow, risk averse, wary of change and hierarchical. Its important to understand this before jumping in. The particular sector may not want research, in particular ones that officials belive may ask them to change.