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Exploring Careers Outside Academia. October 2012
- 1. Careers Exploring Careers Outside Academia RC500 Dr. Tracy Bussoli Careers Consultant for Researchers t.j.bussoli@qmul.ac.uk
- 2. Careers What’s covered? • Beginto identify the skills that PhDs have which can be used outside academia • Start to give you an idea of what types of jobs/sectors/companies employ PhDs • Help you with strategies to research, pursue and apply for alternative career options.
- 3. Working outside academia Two Groups Group One: A PhD is a valuable qualification beyond academia Group Two: A PhD is not a valuable qualification beyond academia
- 4. Careers If you arethinking of leaving Academia You are not alone!
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- 7. Career Planning Model Who am I? What’s out there? What are my skills? (Research) (Self Knowledge) Review, evaluate, adjust How do I get there? (Action Plan)
- 8. Careers Think about….. • WorkValues • Skills • Organisation • Career Drivers • Working Conditions • Growth, variety, learning • Career Potential • Pace • Change
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- 10. Careers How EmployersRank Researchers Skills data analysis drive and motivation problem solving commercial awareness interpersonal skills leadership project management http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/Recruiting_researchers_employer_survey_2009.pdf
- 11. Careers How EmployersRank Researchers Skills 1. data analysis 2 problem solving 3. drive and motivation 4. project management 5. interpersonal skills 6. leadership 7. commercial awareness http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/Recruiting_researchers_employer_survey_2009.pdf
- 12. Match your competences, knowtheir fears PhD Competences Recruiter Perceptions of PhDs • Analytical skills + Maturity • Research skills + Research ability • Writing skills + Analysis and critical thinking • Dealing with information + Initiative, self-reliance, effectively independence • Capacity for self-direction + Project management • Ability to accept supervision + Alternative perspective • Project management • Communication skills – Too narrow in interest and • Presentation skills outlook • Teaching/mentoring skills – Lacking commercial awareness • Networking – Lone worker not team player • Organisational – Unsophisticated social skills awareness/political sense – Speak a ‘different language’ • Perseverance – Would find it hard to integrate • Subject specific knowledge into any non-academic culture – May have unrealistic expectations
- 13. In small groups,discuss the ways in which you can overcome some of the negative perceptions of employers • What activities can you become involved with? • What skills do you need to develop?
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- 17. Skills exercise Look atthe Vitae Handout and look at some of the examples of skills from the CVs of PhD students. Using these examples as inspiration, take two skills from the list and write down how you have used these skills within your PhD.
- 18. Careers But what elsecan I do?
- 19. Widening Horizons •Teaching schools/colleges •Publishing books/journals •Project Manager •Research Institute •Journalism •Postdoc •Administrative roles •Charity •Management Consultant •Research Fellow •Research Grant •Consultancy firm •Teaching Fellow Facilitator •Think Tank •Start your own •Lectureship •Grant Advisor •Independent Consultancy business •Research • Public (self-employed) •Any grade graduate Associate Engagement •Policy Advisor job •Analyst (finance) •SME •Accounting •Marketing Narrow Horizon A little wider Still research Using Using Known and But still but knowledge transferable safe university - transferring and skills but insecure based research to understanding rather than another but not specific setting research knowledge Increasing risk and research effort to investigate Increasing likelihood of retraining (but not always)
- 20. Careers Sectors where PhDis rated • Banks ……in analyst roles as quants/financial modelling • HE………many roles outside of academic positions • Patent Lawyers • Government • International Organisations • Your own business/consultancy • Consultancy Firms • Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Medical Communication Companies/Science Publishing • Tech Companies/software developers such as Google, Microsoft • Think Tanks • Research Management/Project Management • Start-Ups
- 21. Careers Who offers and enhanced salary for PhDs (average starting salary)? • Banking and finance: £50,000 • Energy and Utilities: £36,250 • Science and Pharmaceuticals: £30,000 • Engineering: £26, 200 Vitae: Recruiting Researchers. Survey of employer practice. 2009
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- 23. On the wall,write down all the different approaches that you could use to explore and find a job outside of academia Prioritise them with most effective at one end and least effective at other
- 24. Careers Job Searching • Useall media Online, Newspapers, specialist magazines. Look at press releases – hidden opportunities? • Speculative Applications Strong covering letter matching four or five of your key areas of experience to the employer’s needs. • Scrutinise job ads to identify companies Think about applying directly • Encourage an employer to create a new job for you!
- 25. Job Searching Careers • Conduct information interviews This will deepen your understanding of sectors and improve your contacts • Register with relevant job boards and talk to relevant recruitment consultants • Maintain a strong on-line presence Through appropriate use of social media such linked- in. Join groups and forums on-line. • Undertake temporary or project work May increase your visibility to decision makers
- 26. Information Interviewing • Thinkabout who you would approach • How will you speak to them e.g. phone or in person. • Use the opportunity to find out about working in the sector. • What types of question do you want to ask? -How they got into the role? -What experience/background does someone need to secure a job/specific role in the company? - What does an average day entail? - What are the best/most challenging bits of the job?
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- 28. Careers DR GIOIA CHERUBINI ROLE: Business Development Management ORGANISATION: Queen Mary University of London QUALIFICATIONS: PhD Genetics and Molecular Biology, University La Sapienza, Rome PREVIOUS ROLES: Postdoctoral Researcher in Paris, Postdoctoral Researcher, Barts Cancer Institute, QMUL Spoke to people doing the role and did an internship
- 29. Careers DR VILMA GRAUPNER ROLE: Senior Medical Writer ORGANISATION: Health Interactions QUALIFICATIONS: PhD, University of Dusseldorf PREVIOUS ROLES: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Department for Molecular Oncology and Imaging QMUL Attended Careers events, researched the area and attended Network Pharma event.
- 30. Careers DR SAMUEL PACHOUD ROLE: Management Consultant ORGANISATION: Ernst & Young, London QUALIFICATIONS: PhD Computer Vision Lab, School of Electronic BSc Engineering and Computer Science QMUL Researched the sector and went in at graduate level
- 31. Careers DR TOM SEBRELL ROLE: Managing Director ORGANISATION: American Civil War Experience QUALIFICATIONS: MA History, PhD History Started a business using his research knowledge
- 32. Case Studies • Lookat the case studies 1 – 5 and identify key job hunting strategies that are used within each
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- 35. Careers Support • Call Careerson 020 7882 8533 for a one to one appointment to see me • Alumni and Employer Events
- 36. Careers Broad Research: Career Resources 1. Career Exploration Tool http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/sortit/ 2) Beyond the PhD for Arts and Humanities http://www.beyondthephd.co.uk/ 3) What do researchers do? http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/Vitae-WDRD-by- subject-Jun-09.pdf 4) Career Profile of Researchers (Vitae) http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/107641/What-do- researchers-do-career-profiles-2009.html 5) Prospects. For graduates but a useful starting point for everyone looking at a new career. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/p! eLaXi 6) General books on career choice/development http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Rainbow- Management/dp/185252300X 7) The Source Event http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/sourceevent/london- 2009/index.html 8) Researchers Career Blogs http://qmresearcher.wordpress.com/ http://manchesterpgcareers.wordpress.com/ http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/students/phd/blog/
Editor's Notes
- #2 Introduction about myself and my background. What I have seen over the last two years….PhDs to postdocs! Increasingly difficult to get jobs in academia particularly in Humanities and Social Science. Need to have an alternative job seeking strategy….requires a different approach and mind set to finding an academic position. Need to start looking outside of possible ‘comfort zone’ and area in which you are familiar. Takes courage and a belief in your skills. If you have never thought about your skills before now and how they can be used, this can be difficult.
- #10 There are two issues that I notice working with many research staff: They are highly skilled in different areas but do not recognise this.