As a busy researcher with many competing demands on your time, it can be easy to put off thinking about your next steps. However, building your understanding of yourself, researching options and growing your network from early on in your research degree can help to put you in a stronger position when the time comes to make your next move. It is never too early to begin exploring options and thinking about your next steps.
Doing a self-audit
If, after your research degree, you intend to apply for jobs that require a research degree, then everyone else going for those roles is also going to have one. This means that developing, and being able to articulate, skills and qualities additional to your subject-specific expertise is important. Alternatively, after your research degree you may apply for roles that don't specifically ask for a doctorate. Whilst some research-focused roles in certain sectors may ask for a PhD (or equivalent) as a requirement, many other roles that may correspond to your skills and interest may not. With only 1% of the UK population holding a doctorate, many employers may not be willing to narrow their hiring pool by making a higher degree essential for a role.
Equally, you may also not yet have any clear ideas about your intended next steps after your research degree. Wherever you're at, a useful first step is to undertake a self-audit and examine your skills, experience, motivations, needs and values. This will put you in a better position to choose the career that is right for you, and will give you some ideas about how you might market yourself to employers.
Career planning courses and information
Career options
Planning for:
Canvas
These self-guided online courses aim to encourage postgraduate researchers to explore the skills and motivations for a career either in or outside of academia:
- PGR careers beyond academia: a one-stop e-guidance course to help you understand your work preferences and explore your options beyond academia. The 'Panopto' section of the course also contains recordings of previous webinars and workshops on planning for careers beyond academia.
- PGR Careers in academia: the first section of this course outlines what you can do during your PhD to put yourself in a good position to progress in academia. The 'Panopto' section of the course also contains recordings of previous webinars and workshops on planning for careers within academia.
More career planning resources
One-to-one advice
- For face to face careers advice, you can book an appointment with the PGR Careers Adviser. Please email careersenquiries@contacts.bham.ac.uk and include 'FTAO PGR Careers Adviser' in the subject of your email.
- It is also a good idea to talk to your supervisor(s) or other academics and colleagues as they may also be able to provide you with useful information or assist you with planning your career.
- Use current contacts and resources like LinkedIn to connect with, and start to talk to, people working in areas that interest you. There is only so much you can learn about career options through desk research; in-depth career exploration is 'mixed-methods' research and should also include finding out more from people actually doing the jobs that you are considering.