Approximately 70% of PhD do not work in academia after completing their Doctoral research. If you are a current PhD student, what can you do to start planning for your potential transition to a non-academic career?
Making a career decision…
The rewards and challenges that motivated you to undertake doctoral research are also available in non-academic sectors. Increasing your self-awareness will help you to make sense of these options. If you were inspired by collecting, critically analysing and interpreting data during your research, then a career in data analytics, operational research or software engineering for example, may appeal. If you excelled at conferences and enjoyed engaging with and influencing an audience as you presented a paper, a career utilising your communication and presentation skills in consultancy, marketing or public relations may ideally suit you. Understanding what motivates you, your skills and values, as well as the opportunities that exist in the graduate labour market is a good starting point.
What options have I got?
The short and not particularly helpful answer is, a lot! There are recruiters in quantitative finance, for example, that specifically target numerate PhD graduates for the unique skill set and expertise that they offer. You may start your career in a graduate programme and athough this may feel like a step backwards, there is evidence that PhD recruits progress through a graduate scheme more quickly than other candidates.
How do I market sell myself to a non-academic employer?
This will require a different mind-set and approach. Remember that you will be submitting an application to an employer who may have no understanding of your area of expertise, or of how his or her business might benefit from your subject knowledge. You may not be asked about the nature of your research in an interview and indeed you may find it difficult to explain it to a non-specialist. The employer may, however, value your skill set. How you articulate the transferability of the project management, analytical, problem-solving, communication and research skills that you have developed and enhanced to a high level during your research will determine the success of your application.
The importance of highlighting the transferability and relevance of the skills you have demonstrated in your academic career, to the specific role applied for, is emphasised by Dr Chris Humphrey where he describes this process as
“The ability to present yourself and your capabilities in a language that your prospective employer can understand and relate to.”
Consider how your experience as a researcher can evidence the skills and attributes an employer requires. Successfully organising an academic conference for example demonstrates planning, organisational skills and attention to detail; completing your PhD is testament to your ability to work on your own initiative with little supervision and to deliver a project on time – attributes that all recruiters will value.
Making the transition from academia to employment – some tips…
- You may have never experienced a work environment other than academia. Try gaining experience through work shadowing, volunteering, part-time work or extra-curricular activities. This will evidence your skills in a non-academic environment to any future employer as well as informing your thinking about the type of career you want.
- Highlight your expertise to employers – present yourself as an effective project manager, an analyst, an innovative and creative problem-solver.
- Change the emphasis of your CV and cover letters – remember that you are not making an application for a post-doc and an employer may not understand the relevance of your research and publications record. Evidence the particular skills that the employer requires as described in the person specification.
- Use the networking skills you have displayed at conferences and with your academic peers to find out more about job roles and to discover potential opportunities.
- Your intellect alone will not be a sufficient reason for an employer to make you an offer. You have to describe your academic career in a convincing way that demonstrates your potential and suitability – take the opportunity to have a mock interview to practise ‘telling your story’.
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