07410938888
hellen.parraflorez@codeswitchconsultants.com
Register for our programme and become a Code-Switch Associate Research Consultant
Placements and internships are difficult to come by for many researchers. Our Full Switch™- Research Consultancy Programme offers an innovative solution for researchers to gain work experience as research consultants with the full support, training, coaching and feedback of the Code-Switch Team. The Code-Switch Consultants (CSC) consultancy method combines formal project management and consultancy training with MBA-style project-based experience, focusing on collaborative learning by doing. Researchers do not need previous consultancy or business experience.
Working on a Code-Switch consultancy project is a great opportunity to learn how to apply research expertise to a real-world context, collaborate and co-create solutions with business clients in interdisciplinary project teams, and experience the positive direct impact of research for businesses. During the programme you:
Researchers come from a wide range of SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy) and STEM disciplines from Social Anthropology to English Literature to Physics. Whatever your field of research, you can bring unique skills and benefits to businesses and this programme will show you how – it is not about your research background but your research know-how!
This programme will support your career and professional development whether you want to pursue an academic career, work outside academia or are not sure about your options.
Pursuing an academic career: Knowledge exchange and impact are important trending topics in academia. Research funders expect you demonstrate the impact of your research (25% of REF). Impact is usually a result of effective knowledge exchange with an external partner. When working as part of a multidisciplinary project team in one of our projects, you engage with a client for six months to deliver research and recommendations that bring immediate benefit to their company. Researchers who have taken part in the programme have reported how this experience helped them to stand out from the crowd and secure a postdoc role. Furthermore, the project management skills you develop are directly applicable to your thesis or research project.
Working in industry: Code-Switch’s Research Consultancy Programme combines learning with practical experience and enables researchers to demonstrate a broad range of competencies: consultancy; project management; teamwork; business acumen; stakeholder engagement; risk management; customer relations; leadership; reporting; influencing; problem-solving; and adaptability to name a few. Researchers also develop commercial awareness and a considerable understanding of a specific area of industry. This programme has supported researchers secure a range of industry roles.
Not sure what you want to do: Participating in one of our projects will expose you to new ways of working, frameworks and tools. Researchers who have completed the programme have reported increased confidence in their skills and ability to combine research and industry skills in different contexts. By the end of the programme, you will have become more agile and versatile and will have a much better understanding of the options available to you.
On successful completion of the programme and delivery of the consultancy project, researchers are awarded a digital badge providing portable and verifiable information about the skills, experience and achievement.
The CSC Method provides researchers with a robust framework for successfully delivering a research consultancy project and gain in-demand industry skills. Code-Switch provides high-quality training in consultancy and project management and coaches the teams as they directly apply the learning to a live project with real business clients.
How it works
The CSC Method is broken down into four distinct stages, see below.
Initiation Stage – 9 weeks
The objective of the initiation stage is to analyse the brief and co-create the project with the client.
Associates collaborate with Code-Switch professionals, consult the client and apply project management tools and techniques to analyse, define and plan the project. The key output of this stage is a Project Initiation Document (PID) which, once approved by the client, acts as the contract between the project team and the client for the delivery of the project.
Delivery Stage – 9 weeks
During the delivery stage, associates manage project delivery, risks and issues using our project management software and provide formal updates to Code-Switch and the clients using modern dashboard reporting.
Reporting Stage – 4 weeks
The objective of the reporting stage is to effectively communicate the research findings and recommendations to the client. It requires the project teams to finalise their research reports and translate them into a business report and a business presentation (code-switch!).
Evaluation Stage – 2 weeks
Associates learn how to effectively evaluate and close a project. Project teams use recognised techniques to confirm client acceptance of the products, assess and document project performance from different perspectives and ensure all stakeholders benefit from the lessons learned.
Key Dates
The programme is very flexible and it’s 100% online. There are only a few set dates and times for events that researchers are expected to attend. The remaining engagements and activities can be arranged by the project teams within specified windows of time based on their availability. This is done to ensure that researchers can fit the programme around their other commitments. The key dates for our upcoming summer programme are:
01/07/24 Introduction to the programme 17:00-19:00
04/07/24 Managing your Consultancy Project 1 17:00-19:00
08/07/24 Managing your Consultancy Project 2 17:00-19:00
10/07/24 Managing your Consultancy Project 3 16:00-19:00
26/07/24 Coaching 2 – Project Management Consultant 16:00-19:00
03/09/24 Delivery stage expectations session – Research Report development and project updates 16:00-17:30
20/11/24 Planning and Producing Effective Business Reports Coaching 17:00-19:00
05/12/24 Evaluating a project 17:00-19:00
Time Commitment
It is a 6-month programme with an average commitment of 7 hours/week. This estimate is averaged over the course of the programme. During this time, researchers work in interdisciplinary project teams of 5-6 members.
Attendance
Associates should attend all workshops, coaching sessions, meetings and presentations. If you have important commitments which cannot be moved on any of the key dates, you should contact Code-Switch in advance to explore the options.
Upon registration, researchers submit a summary of their research expertise and select all projects they would like to work on during the programme. You can find the project summaries here.
Code-Switch uses this information to match researchers to projects, creating interdisciplinary teams with diverse skills and ensuring the mix of skills is appropriate for the requirements of the individual business challenges.
Working in interdisciplinary teams, our Associate Research Consultants have successfully helped businesses solve a wide range of challenges, including:
See the summary of projects available for our upcoming programme here.
During the delivery stage of the programme, Code-Switch publishes project case studies on our website, LinkedIn and Twitter. We do this to increase the reach and impact of the consultancy work and raise individual researcher profiles amongst prospective employers.
Our associates come from a wide range of SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy) and STEM disciplines, including:
SHAPE
STEM
The cost of the programme is £1100. PhD researchers may be able to receive funding from Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs), universities’ ESRC Accelerating Business Collaborations scheme or internal pots of funding. We advise researchers to contact their DTPs, Placement Officers, Researcher Development Teams or Impact Accelerator Account Officers to enquire about potential sources of funding for the programme.
Postdoctoral researchers have also secured funding from their institutions and have undertaken the course as part of the Researcher Development Concordat. The Concordat requires universities and funders to support postdocs’ engagement in a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year.
Our Summer Full Switch™ – Research Consultancy Programme starts on 1st July 2024 and registration is now open. The deadline to register is 15th June 2024.
Hellen is Code-Switch’s Founder and Managing Director. She has 10 years experience of providing careers advice and training and development for PhD and postdoctoral researchers. She has overseen the successful delivery of more than 30 consultancy projects involving researchers from all over the UK and overseas. Hellen is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner.
Code-Switch’s Project Management Consultant. Anna is an experienced project and programme manager. Anna has significant recent experience of public sector business transformation and business management and now works for the private sector where she is Programme Manager for a national UK banking initiative.
Kat is the Research Consultant at Code-Switch. Kat has held several postdoctoral roles at Leicester, Bristol and Greenwich universities. Her expertise are in quantitative research methods and statistics, research design and the preparation of bids for ESRC and The British Academy grants.
Alicia is an experienced senior business manager, consultant, MBA graduate and long-standing tutor for the University of Manchester Business School’s (AMBS) acclaimed MBA programmes. She has been teaching International Finance and Strategic Project Management for MBAs and Executive Education programmes over the past ten years. Alicia has over 20 years’ experience in international business and organisational development.
Naomi is a Research and Impact Consultant. During her 18 years in academia, she delivered multiple impactful research projects and has recently brought her research knowledge to market as a children’s book. As a consultant and business owner, she now provides evaluation, impact measurement, knowledge exchange, research training and coaching for organisations across the UK. Naomi is also a qualified career Coach and Mentor for researchers and academics.
Kristi is a sociologist and consultant specialising in qualitative research, small business transformation, community outreach and evaluation involving multi-level processes and outcomes. She has 8 years of teaching experience in academic, industry and community contexts and has delivered successful projects with complex stakeholders engaging policy, media discourse, and UX research for growing SMEs in the UK and US.
Tosin is a technical project manager. Her project management experience has ranged from energy research and net-zero projects, energy (oil and gas) operations and consulting. She is currently supporting the delivery of a £7.9m project (HyPER Phase 2) and teaching on the Risk and Reliability Engineering module at Crandfield University. Tosin won the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Top 50 Women in Engineering award in 2022 and has published several peer-reviewed research articles.
Thanks Hellen! Congratulations on putting together a fantastic research programme. It was a pleasure working with you and the research team: Juliane, Lee, Meng, Emily! Looking forward to future projects.
Founder at Veo, the sustainable marketplace.
Hellen Parra-Flórez SFHEA a big thank you to codeswitchers and the research team, we really enjoyed working with you all and got a great outcome from all your hard work, thank you from all at LCMB Building Performance Ltd.
I help Directors of Estates & Property transform the impact of their tea…
One of the more challenging aspects of transitioning from academia into another career, is gaining work experience relevant to your target sector or industry. It’s the age-old problem of not being able to get a job without experience, but not being able to get experience without a job!
Fortunately Hellen Parra-Flórez SFHEA has set up Code-Switch Consultants (CSC) to help researchers crack this problem. By joining CSC’s Research Consultancy Programme, researchers get to use their skills and knowledge on real-world business projects, helping them to develop consultancy and project management skills and experience (see video).
Team Leader, Change Delivery Team – Triodos Bank | Careers Consultant – Jobs …
This has been an amazing experience and big thanks to my fantastic research team Alexandra Ciocănel, Arinze Ekwem and Alina McLellan. So exited for the final analysis and insights. Great thanks to Hellen Parra Flórez SFHEA for all her support in helping me put the initial proposal together.
Giving women the knowledge and education to make confident financial …
A great program to be involved with that will add value to your companies development! Knowledge share and business
tranformation impact to BreachAware® that will be carried forward to its client base.
Co-Founder & Managing Director at BreachAware®
My primary motivation for joining the Full Switch programme was to gain a real sense of how consultancy works, as I hadn’t participated in similar activities at university. I was looking for a comprehensive experience, from start to finish, of a consultancy project. The programme certainly delivered; it exceeded my expectations. The team dynamic was also excellent, which I think is crucial for the success of such a programme. The skills and experience I gained have been valuable; I’ve added them to my CV and, particularly I found the project management training session very helpful. It will be very valuable as I will be writing research grant proposal applications, as far as I am aware of, setting milestones and work packages are essential for planning a research project.
PhD researcher in Aerosol Science at The University of Bristol
The Full Switch programme emphasised the power of organisation and project management and it convinced me that Ph.D. programmes should include project management as a core module. The structured approach of project management expedites tasks and streamlines workflows even in academia’s flexible timelines
PhD researcher in Psychology at The University of Bristol
I particularly enjoyed the conversation with Alicia (guest speaker – Management Consultant) and her perspectives on what type of research business needs. It was also helpful to hear Hellen’s story (Code-Switch Founder) and how it is very possible to pivot from your plan A – to a successful plan B!
PhD Researcher in Design at Northumbria University
The opportunity to engage with pre-session activities during the Short Switch programme highlighted and focused the learning outcomes and augmented each session. I felt inspired that the skills I am garnering and honing have real currency within and beyond academia…I feel empowered to keep pushing forward and develop my ideas.
PhD Researcher in Textile at Ulster University
Quick Switch was a great programme. The explanations of what consultancy and project management actually ‘are’ and some really tangible examples of what you would do day to day were brilliant. I now feel more ‘qualified’ to read job descriptions and attend interviews for these roles and feel like I have a good understand of what the roles entail. The job tips in the last session were also good: advocating for informational interviews and the tip around how to search on job websites were useful.
PhD researcher in tobacco control at King’s College London
The Knowledge Exchange and impact session was particularly interesting and very thoroughly explained all of the key terminology whilst providing some examples of how to produce research with impact/ Knowledge Exchange as a key focus
PhD researcher in cognitive ageing and lifestyle intervention at The University of Northampton
I liked the clear breakdown of sessions in the Quick Switch course and the practical tips I can apply to my own career path in consultancy, knowledge exchange and project management
PhD Researcher in Criminology at The University of Leicester
My current job involves engaging clients, understanding their pain points, and offering solutions. Although in a different field, this is exactly what the Code-Switch consultancy project I participated in was about. Having the right scientific background for the job was very important, but I believe that showcasing the business competencies that I acquired through my experience with Code-Switch during the interview process gave me the edge to land the position.
Field Application Specialist at Sartorius Stedim Biotech
Really enjoying working on this project and can’t wait to share our recommendations with Tracy!
Doctoral researcher in Linguistics, Teaching Assistant & WP Fellow
Thank you Code-Switch Consultants for this brilliant experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed this 6month placement programme, learning from industry and our client John O’Brien, your programme (Hellen Parra-Flórez SFHEA Anna Brady, the project and my brilliant teammates Jingwen Zhang Seyi Awosika.
This programme had given a huge range of transferable and specific skills in #research #consulting #programmemanagement #communication
#engagingwithindustry that I am extremely grateful for and which will be invaluable to me.
I would highly recommend any #earlycareerresearchers and #phdstudent to look at this project to develop their skills and confidence in these and many more areas.
Thank you so much and I look forward to see where this experience opens up new doors in my career.
ESRC PhD Candidate
The Full Switch programme significantly enriched my knowledge and enhanced my confidence. Currently, as I navigate my postdoctoral journey, this programme has provided me with a reassuring backup plan. Should I choose to venture beyond academia or face an unexpected end to my contract, I am now well-equipped to transition into the consultancy field
Research Staff, University of Manchester
The project has granted me vital experience in the business sector, and I now feel more than capable to apply for similar positions. Had I not been involved with the Code-Switch project, I might have been more hesitant about stepping into consultancy or project management, questioning my preparedness or suitability. However, now I stand at a different point, one filled with confidence and self- assurance. I have been trained, I have gained experience, and I feel competent.
Former Research Fellow (Mechanical Engineering) at Brunel University London & Project Manager at Rayspec
Before the Full Switch programme, I was uncertain about the skills required to be a consultant or if I possessed them. However, I’ve realised that consulting is essentially about applying your existing knowledge to address and resolve problems. This experience has shown me that I do have the capabilities to offer consultancy services, which has opened up new possibilities for my career.
Postdoctoral Research Associate at The University of Manchester
The Code-Switch experience provided really good training to me in terms of what I can do to make my research ‘REF-able’, what I need to do to translate my research into solutions for users in society and to demonstrate impact
Postdoctoral Research Associate at Manchester Institute of Innovation Research
I got a job directly as a result of doing the Code-Switch programme
Business Development Manager at Neuronostics Ltd
Thanks Hellen! I feel lucky to take part in the program and have an experience of applying my research skill inthe business field. It’s a learning and rewarding journey for me. As a first-year PhD (in lockdown cohort), my teammates Seyi Awosika and Victoria Christodoulides are my valuable new friends who have given me so much support! Also, Anna Brady, Hellen Parra-Flórez SFHEA and Dr Katarzyna Kucaba, you three are a wonderful couching team! Appreciate a lot 🙂
PhD student Ageing and Health| Quantitive Methods
I was delighted with CodeSwitch’s approach to this training. There was a brief misunderstanding at this end around which Hellen was extremely accommodating, and the feedback from programme participants was excellent. The proof of the pudding will, of course, be the number of attendees who adopt a consultancy career, but I have every confidence in the training to have suitably supported such a step!
Interim Deputy Director (Research Services) at Anglia Ruskin University
Code-Switch Consultants provided an enlightening and useful practical experience for a number of PhD students from a range of faculties at Bristol on the full-switch programme. The level of challenge and support was pitched just right for this demographic. One of the biggest learnings was that you can flex your skills to contribute to a project or industry that doesn’t necessarily align to your narrow research field and still gain satisfaction. This is transformative for the confidence of many PGR students
Postgraduate Researcher Development Officer at Bristol Doctoral College
Thank you Hellen and Code-Switch Consultants for delivering the Quick Switch Industry Engagement Essentials workshops for PGRs at the University of Manchester. PGRs really welcomed and valued your insights and left the sessions feeling more confident and equipped with tools and techniques to put into action.
Researcher Development Manager at The University of Manchester
Thank you Hellen and the Code Switch Consultants for delivering the Quick Switch Industry Engagement Essentials workshops for PGRs at the University of Manchester. PGRs really welcomed and valued your insights and left the sessions feeling more confident and equipped with tools and techniques to put into action.
Principal Investigator – ESRC Impact Acceleration Account – University of Leicester
Hi Hellen, I wanted to say how pleased I was to work with you and Code Switch Consultants. Your professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm were much appreciated by me and by our researchers. The support you gave them was of a high standard, they were fully engaged with the program and gave very good feedback on the involvement of Code Switch.
Student Support and Development Officer (School of Social Sciences) at University of Manchester
We worked with Hellen and her team through the ESRC-funded Accelerating Business Collaboration (ABC) programme and funded 17 participants to participate in full Codeswitch Programme. The PGRs had valuable experience, saying they had learned a lot and benefited hugely, including feeling more confident about embarking on their academic and industry career paths. They demonstrated a greater awareness and understanding of commercial concepts and how their knowledge and skillsets wore of value to industry. From the outset, Hellen’s rigorous approach to planning and delivery gave me a lot of confidence to support students into their programme. She remained in contact with our team throughout, informing us progress, developments and any issues and shape her evaluation to suit our needs and those of our funders. She was an excellent person to work with and I readily recommended the services of Code-Switch to other Universities.
Partnership Development Manager / Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University
I was delighted with CodeSwitch’s approach to this training. There was a brief misunderstanding at this end around which Hellen was extremely accommodating, and the feedback from programme participants was excellent. The proof of the pudding will, of course, be the number of attendees who adopt a consultancy career, but I have every confidence in the training to have suitably supported such a step!
Interim Deputy Director (Research Services) at Anglia Ruskin University
Code-Switch Consultants provided an enlightening and useful practical experience for a number of PhD students from a range of faculties at Bristol on the full-switch programme. The level of challenge and support was pitched just right for this demographic. One of the biggest learnings was that you can flex your skills to contribute to a project or industry that doesn’t necessarily align to your narrow research field and still gain satisfaction. This is transformative for the confidence of many PGR students
Postgraduate Researcher Development Officer at Bristol Doctoral College
Thank you Hellen and Code-Switch Consultants for delivering the Quick Switch Industry Engagement Essentials workshops for PGRs at the University of Manchester. PGRs really welcomed and valued your insights and left the sessions feeling more confident and equipped with tools and techniques to put into action.
Researcher Development Manager at The University of Manchester
Thank you Hellen and the Code Switch Consultants for delivering the Quick Switch Industry Engagement Essentials workshops for PGRs at the University of Manchester. PGRs really welcomed and valued your insights and left the sessions feeling more confident and equipped with tools and techniques to put into action.
Principal Investigator – ESRC Impact Acceleration Account – University of Leicester
Hi Hellen, I wanted to say how pleased I was to work with you and Code Switch Consultants. Your professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm were much appreciated by me and by our researchers. The support you gave them was of a high standard, they were fully engaged with the program and gave very good feedback on the involvement of Code Switch.
Student Support and Development Officer (School of Social Sciences) at University of Manchester
We worked with Hellen and her team through the ESRC-funded Accelerating Business Collaboration (ABC) programme and funded 17 participants to participate in full Codeswitch Programme. The PGRs had valuable experience, saying they had learned a lot and benefited hugely, including feeling more confident about embarking on their academic and industry career paths. They demonstrated a greater awareness and understanding of commercial concepts and how their knowledge and skillsets wore of value to industry. From the outset, Hellen’s rigorous approach to planning and delivery gave me a lot of confidence to support students into their programme. She remained in contact with our team throughout, informing us progress, developments and any issues and shape her evaluation to suit our needs and those of our funders. She was an excellent person to work with and I readily recommended the services of Code-Switch to other Universities.
Partnership Development Manager / Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University
