Anthropology Beyond the Academy with Dr Xin Zhan

Dr Xin Zhan (University of Cambridge)

“Has my CV been screened out by AI?”

“Should I send out as many applications as possible, or tailor each one carefully?”

“When a job description says ‘qualitative research skills,’ what are they actually looking for?”

If you are asking these questions, this workshop offers a supportive, interactive space that invites students and job seekers at all stages to share experiences, compare strategies, and consider the broader structural forces shaping employment pathways.

Facilitated by Dr Xin Zhan, the workshop will also draw on insights from her ethnographic research on job seeking and hiring technologies. We will consider how algorithmic filtering, shifting skill requirements, and the language of employability affect access to work—and how technologies might be used, critically and tactically, to navigate these dynamics.

Participants are encouraged to bring questions, reflections, and examples from their own experience. The workshop aims not to offer fixed answers, but to support critical thinking and peer learning in a rapidly changing employment landscape.

If you plan to attend, please email Xin (xz434@cam.ac.uk) with a brief note about the roles you’re exploring and any applications you’ve submitted. This will help us tailor the session more effectively to everyone’s needs.