What next? Preparing for Life After the Doctorate 10 January 2019
Some housekeeping...
Outline for today • What's it like to have finished the doctorate? • What do doctoral graduates do? tea/coffee break • Career planning • Examples of career stories lunch break 1-2pm • Growing your networks • Developing your skills finish by 4pm
Introductions • your name • area of research • why you decided to do your doctorate • what you hope to get from today's session
What's it like to have finished the doctorate? Dr Nicola Palmer SHU Doctoral School
Finishing the doctorate: emotional responses • Elation • Relief • Sense of loss • Numbness • Identity crisis • Feeling 'lost' • Excitement Your emotional response may be • Neediness completely unexpected and unpredictable
Narratives on experiences of the doctorate • A whole book dedicated to this: – Lee, Elsa & Blackmore, Chloe & Seal, Emma. (2013). Research Journeys: A collection of narratives of the doctoral experience. but no mention of completing the doctorate and preparing for life afterwards! • Where are post-doctorate stories shared? – Weekly post-PhD ‘beyond the academy’ career stories on the University of Sheffield's @ thinkaheadsheff blog: https://thinkaheadsheffield.wordpress.com/catego ry/careers-beyond-academia-sheffvista/
Reaching the other side: you are not alone In all countries around the world doctoral production is growing (EFMD Doctoral Conferences 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Working life after doctoral research? • There is a demand for doctoral graduates – Recruiting researchers: survey of employer practice, Vitae 2009 surveyed 104 employers and found that most (73%) would welcome more applications from doctoral graduates and that nearly a third (31%) are already actively targeting doctoral graduates. • Life after PhD - (Ayangwe, 2011,The Guardian, Wednesday 27 th April) – Views from expert panel: • your motivations for doing a doctorate? Thinking • do you have realistic expectations? point! • do you know the desired skill sets? • are you networked (outside of your discipline)? • are you applying for jobs pre-viva?
Making employment choices post-doctorate • First job, promotion, career change? • Sector of choice? – "When they choose their first job after completing their PhD, the cost of switching from academia to the private sector or vice versa depends on whether or not they collaborated with the private sector during their PhD and on the intensity of publication" (Campostrini, S. (2011). After the PhD: a study of career paths, job and training satisfaction among PhD graduates from an italian university. In Statistical Methods for the Evaluation of University Systems (pp. 209-222). Physica-Verlag HD).
My experience (potted) BA (Hons) (First Class) PhD Management Consultancy (Private Sector) Decisions University of Salford (Projects Officer - UK 20 YEARS around Project Leader for EU TACIS project) - non- these academic contract but with teaching (HE) choices Sheffield Hallam University - academic (teaching, research, consultancy) (HE) (Plus Not-for-Profit Charity Sector and self- employment)
Other experiences • Doctoral graduate destinations and impact three years on. Vitae, 2010 found that in the UK, only a minority of doctoral graduates (19%) work in higher education research (HE) roles three and a half years after graduating and 22% in HE teaching or lecturing. Most of the rest have moved into roles outside HE in sectors such as healthcare, education, engineering and business
What should you be doing to proactively prepare for life post-doctorate? • My tips: – Mental preparation Action point! – Research your options, consider your 'fit' – Have conversations with supervisors, mentors, post- doctorates, other people in your networks (e.g. ask an expert on LinkedIn) • VITAE tips: – Think about your values and motivations as well as the opportunities realistically open to you given your strengths, skills and personal situation. – Know what employers are looking for, how your skill-set matches this and how to articulate your strengths. If you find gaps in what you have to offer, make a development plan. – Consider job shadowing or gaining paid and voluntary work experience as this can give you an insight into a different sector or discipline and increase your likelihood of getting the type of job that you want.
Sheffield Hallam University Doctoral School What do Doctoral Graduates Do? Kent Roach Careers and Employability Service
Careers & Employability Service Careers Connect Phone 0114 225 3752 or email: careers@shu.ac.uk UniHub unihub.shu.ac.uk/students/events Careers Central careerscentral.shu.ac.uk Commercial Awareness l Team Work
Current thoughts?
Your PhD....What Next? www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate- study/phd-study/your-phd-what-next
What Do Doctoral Graduates Do? www.vitae.ac.uk/doing-research/are-you-thinking-of-doing- a-phd/what-do-doctoral-graduates-do Arts and Biological Biomedical Physical Sc & Social Total Humanities Sciences Sciences Eng Sciences Higher education 9% 27% 16% 19% 14% 17% research Teaching/lecturing in 37% 13% 17% 10% 44% 21% higher education Research outside 3% 21% 13% 16% 3% 12% higher education Other teaching 14% 4% 3% 6% 8% 7% occupations Other common Vitae Career 5% 19% 36% 30% 12% 23% doctoral occupations destinations by discipline infographics Other occupations 31% 17% 15% 19% 18% 19%
Career Destinations by Discipline www.vitae.ac.uk/impact-and-evaluation/what-do- researchers-do/career-destinations-by-discipline- infographics-1
Career Planning for PhDs www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/career- planning-for-phds-ebook.pdf • What to do after your PhD • Careers in academia • Getting a first post Going overseas in search of an • academic career • Non-academic career options • The value of your PhD • From PhD to business start up Actions you can take to open doors • to your future career
Career Development Toolkit for HE Professionals www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/career- development-toolkit-for-higher-education-professionals.pdf
10 Career Paths for PhDs www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/ 10-career-paths-for-phds.pdf 1. Industrial research and development 2. Pharmaceutical industry 3. Engineering industry 4. Central government 5. Research councils 6. Research roles within the NHS 7. Medical communications 8. Charity and voluntary sector 9. Finance 10. Consultancy
What do Researchers Do Next? www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/reports/vitae-what-do-research- staff-do-next-2016.pdf/view Almost three-quarters of current occupations were concentrated in six employment sectors. 27% in higher education • • 12% in life sciences and pharmaceuticals • 12% in public administration • 9% in charities/the third sector 8% in general manufacturing 6% in health and social work •
What do Researchers Do Next? www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/reports/vitae-what-do-research- staff-do-next-2016.pdf/view Four-fifths of those in work were employed in one of nine occupations: • Research and Development Manager 17% • Researcher 13% • Function Manager 11%, i.e. working in functions such as marketing and production • Research Policy and Administration Manager 8% • Vocational or Industrial Trainer/Instructor 7%, including researcher developers and careers advisers/ coaches IT and Technology Professional 7% • • Public/Science Engagement Professional 5% • Teaching Professional 5% • Journalist/Editor 4%
Supporting the Career Development of Researchers www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/reports/vitae-5- steps-forward-web.pdf • 52% of respondents recruited via open advert/listing • 22% via word of mouth • 72% fixed-term contracts • 1 in 5 on multiple short-term contracts 60% expect long-term • academic post
Preparing for Life After the Doctorate The doctorate is the start of your research journey, not the end…so what happens next and how can you take an active role in navigating your employment and life choices post-doctorate? Career Planning Tactics
Be aware of your Skills and continue building them Initiative Problem Commercial Creativity Solving Awareness Planning / Commercial Awareness Organisation Leadership Time l Customer Management Presentation Service Team Adaptability Work
Which picture resonates?....
One to One Advisers Guidance and Employability Advice Jobs Advice Careers Academic and Connect How can the non-Academic roles Careers & Employability Service help? Events, Online Workshops, Resources Fairs
Book an appointment... Tel: 0114 225 3752 Web: http://careerscentral.shu.ac.uk Email: careers@shu.ac.uk @SHUCareers Careers Connect Careers @ Student Services, City Campus Heart of the Campus, Collegiate
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