Doctoral Researchers Career Exploration
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Careers adviser presentation on options inside and outside academia for PhD researchers
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Doctoral Researchers Career Exploration
- 2. • Self Evaluation • Careers Inside Academia • Doctoral Tutoring, Post-Doc Positions and Faculty Tracks • Academic Job Websites • Tips for Successful Applications • Careers Outside Academia • Translating Skills • Possible Career Paths • Non-Academic Job Search • Successful Move Tips • How to use the Careers Service Agenda
- 3. Reasons for staying in academia
- 4. • PhD with possible doctoral tutoring • Post-Doctoral roles • Faculty tracks Career ladder through academia
- 5. • May be called associate tutoring • Tutoring in your relevant study area • Could involve teaching in seminars/laboratories, supporting assessment/marking or course preparation • If you are interested in adding this to your CV do talk to your school office or research supervisor Doctoral Tutoring
- 6. • Fixed term typically between 12-36 months • Average salary in the UK is around £30,000 • Usually funded by a council or body • Work with a Principal Investigator (academic) on a particular project that they have applied for funding for • Can be the first step to an academic career but do be aware you may have to complete multiple post-docs Post-Doc Information
- 7. - www.jobs.ac.uk - www.timeshighereducation.co.uk - http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org or www.newscientist.com or www.naturejobs.com - Science - www.findapostdoc.com – Worldwide - www.academicjobseu.com – Europe - https://euraxess.ec.Europa.eu/ - Europe - www.higheredjobs.com – US - http://www.academic360.com/ - USA, Canada, UK and Australia - Institutions own websites - Professional body websites Academic Job Websites
- 8. • Get advice from your PhD supervisor/academic colleagues • Start building your networks early and develop skills • Find funding – look at website Research Professional • Consider opportunities outside your specialism • Look worldwide – should be mobile and willing to move • Follow the guidance provided when applying • Consider speculative applications (https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/feb/01/applying-for-a- postdoc-job-here-are-18-tips-for-a-successful-application) Post Doc – Tips for Successful Applications
- 9. Faculty Tracks Salary Grade Professor Research Professor Professorial Teaching Fellow Reader* Senior Lecturer Grade 8 Research Fellow B Teaching Fellow Grade 8 Grade 7 Research Fellow A Teaching Fellow Grade 7 Promo on Track: Research Fellow Track Teaching Fellow Track *the tle of Reader may be awarded to members of teaching faculty on any scale, but it is most usually used at Senior Lecturer level Senior Teaching FellowGrade 9 Teaching (and Research) Faculty Track Professor Lecturer B Lecturer A Senior Lecturer Senior Research Fellow http://www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/the-essential-guide-to- moving-up-the-academic-career-ladder.pdf - Useful resource on moving up
- 10. • Expertise is valued elsewhere • Cannot find a position in academia • Aspects of research that you do not enjoy • Have an entrepreneurial goal • To gain experience in a different sector Reasons for leaving academia
- 12. 1. Industrial research and development 2. Pharmaceutical industry 3. Engineering industry 4. Central government 5. Research Councils 6. NHS research roles 7. Careers in Medical communications 8. Charity and voluntary sector 9. Finance 10.Consultancy 10 possible career paths for researchers
- 13. - Provide handout on job search websites in the UK and internationally - Review our sector guides - http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/careerchoices/researchingcareers - Think about your interests and motivations - http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/careerchoices/interests - Help and advice with applying for job stages - http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/applyingforjobs - Working Internationally - http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/careerchoices/international Non-Academic Job Search
- 14. • Consider the ‘parameters’ and your non-negotiables such as location, salary • Examine your motivations and interests by completing some profiling • Build up your network • When applying for jobs, be ready to ‘repackage’ your PhD. Think about it in terms of the transferable skills you’ve developed and experience you’ve gained • If you have an extended job hunt, try to have something else running alongside (paid work / volunteering) so it’s clear to employers that you’re taking an active approach and are continually developing your skills. • Make the most of the careers service Tips on making a successful move outside academia
- 15. How to use the careers service - Review dedicated web page for researchers http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/aboutus/researchers - Arrange a careers consultation with one of our careers consultants - Attend one of our Effective CVs for PhD Researcher sessions - Look through the academic and non academic careers website sources provided - Attend other university employer events, skills sessions and careers fair http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/events
- 16. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- Split into groups and provide flipchart paper and pens. Spend 5 minutes on asking groups to write down the pros and cons of staying in academia. Each group to feedback to everyone.
- Ask the audience who is involved in doctoral tutoring and the benefits they feel it brings to them and their CV
- Get advice – from your supervisor and other academic colleagues. Who do they know in the field? How did the post-docs in your research group get their positions? Where did they look? Networks/Skills – go to conferences or see if you can visit labs or groups at other institutions. Can you complete any collaborative work before applying? Spend the remaining time on your PhD gaining transferable skills that will help you apply for post-docs such as teaching experience, leadership ability, fundraising and writing skills, resource and people management skills, and so on. Funding - If someone approaches a group looking for a postdoc the response they might get is: “We’re interested in you but we don’t have any funding – if you can find some then you can come here.” If this is the case, most universities subscribe to Research Professional, a big database of funding opportunities. Opportunities outside your specialism – think about how your PhD could apply to a wider range of opportunities. Look worldwide - You should be mobile and willing to move around to gain the best chance of securing a post-doc Read guidance - The number of people who don’t read – and therefore don’t answer – the questions that have been set as part of the application process is unbelievable. That’s the most common factor for rejections. If you’re applying for a position it’s really important to read the questions and guidance in detail. You must take the time to tailor your application to the principal investigator and his or her research. Generic letters are easy to spot, especially when people cut and paste the exact words from the advertisement and don’t even bother to match the font. Applications for postdocs will usually consist of either an application form and statement of your suitability and interest in the post, or a CV and covering letter. Speculative applications - In practice this means sending your CV and a covering letter explaining who you are, what you can offer and asking to be considered as a researcher on the academic’s future projects. It’s often easier to send speculative applications to people you have already had some contact with, so take note of the above advice about networking. Speculative covering letters should be addressed to a named person.
- Discuss typical faculty tracks here at Sussex. Salary guide as follows: Grade 7 - £32.5k Grade 8 – nearly 40k Grade 9 - £49k Professor – 58k Show useful resource from jobs.ac.uk on moving up the academic career ladder
- Now move onto considering careers outside academia. The majority of these reasons for leaving academia were probably identified in the flipchart exercise at the start of the session so refer back where appropriate. Most people believe the only reason for leaving is that there are not enough positions available but this is just one of the many reasons.
- Two exercises to help the researchers translate their skills to non academic employers. Discuss that they have gained a variety of skills from completing a PhD and these exercises show how they can translate these into careers outside academia. Use the skills exercise (page 3) in 10 Career Paths for PhDs – http://www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/10-career-paths-for-phds.pdf Another translating skills exercise if time (page 11) in Career Planning for PhDs ebook - http://www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/career-planning-for-phds-ebook.pdf
- The 10 Career Paths for PhDs goes onto talking about possible career paths for researchers in more detail. Provide handouts of what you can do with your PhD in Science, Social Science or Arts & Humanities depending on what is appropriate.
- Provide handout on job search websites in the UK and internationally Show researchers where key information is on our website using the links above