Oxford University Reviews

Pros

Oppurtunity to work with best of the best

Cons

None that i can remeber now

Pros

Exposure to cutting-edge projects in the fiels.

Cons

Very competitive and hard to get a permanent position.

Pros

Fantastic, stimulating science, immense possibilities for research, so much to learn, so many interesting people to meet (including from many other disciplines), great support from academics and researchers for your project, great equipment, all of that surrounded by wonderful architecture, nature, all withing cycling distance; one of the best times of my life.

Cons

Short term contracts, which makes it hard to program long term research (as usual in academia).

Pros

Lovely place to work: friendly culture and colleagues, interesting work with opportunities to learn and develop and some opportunity for flexible working (depending on role). Offered a fantastic work life balance.

Cons

The basic salary reflects the benefits you get above and with a rising pension contributions is less than other employers. The departmental/divisional structure means it is harder to have a clear career development pathway, needing to apply to move to more senior roles in different departments/divisions - makes the progression from junior to senior levels potentially slower and more difficult

Advice to Management

Put in place ways to identify talented staff in departments at a divisional/central level and provide clearer career pathways for them. Continue to maintain the flexible, friendly culture.

Pros

Great academic benefits and good working hours

Cons

None to declare. Good institute to work for, but long hours.

Pros

- Prestigious university - Department (chemistry) had new facilities, although they were already suffering from overcrowding - Good support services like mechanical and electronics workshops and IT within the department (chemistry), although all had long lead-times

Cons

- Low pay compared to local housing costs. I believe pay bands are set nationally so the University/department may not be completely at fault, but they refused to negotiate even within the band: required to start at the bottom salary - Did not seem like anyone ensures that PIs run their groups in healthy ways. This leads to potential for extremely long hours to be demanded of staff - this did not happen in my case but...

Pros

Very flexible working hours, as long as the work gets done

Cons

Not always a good option if the end goal is not academia

Advice to Management

Have more career development opportunities

Pros

good university, good work life balance, trustworthy employer

Cons

poor funding opportunities, low pay, high living costs