This presentation was given during the CALRG seminars at the Open University. It focuses on strategies and opportunities to find a job (establish a career) after finishing a PhD.

1. Is there life post-PhD?
Strategies & opportunities
Inge (Ignatia) de Waard

2. Beyond the PhD?!!! AAAHHHHH
• Where to go next? A team/network that suits your persona, a job that
makes you tick, with opportunities, fitting your life (family/balance)
• How to find a job? In academia: your network (social media), funding
• What to do? Get your stars out (CV, strengths), Work Out Loud (open
science rules: e.g. blog, slideshare, academia/researchgate)

3. Standing out by Knowing Thyself
• Be you: follow your passion
• Me: I need to move around, be part of an inspiring team, enjoy doing
my own thing and philosophy+technology

4. Read job profiles
• Teaching opportunities (then set up courses, join Brilliant Club)
• Learn to present (better): find online and f-2-f opportunities (add to CV)
• Collaborate & network: positioning yourself for EU/international funding opportunities
… be more YOU!

5. Identity change
Established
Practitioner
PhD student
Early/senior
researcher?

6. Hindsight
Lacking structure (writing, academic speaking) and theoretical background
(methodologies, evaluation tools, theories)
Building on organising and leading projects
Build on
strengths
Attract & learn
new skills

7. The importance of side-kicks/PhD-peers
• Finding PhD role models (similar age/method: Jacqueline Bachelor)
• Identifying partners in crime (Ronda Zelezny-Green, Michael Sean
Gallagher: co-writing, support)

8. Being visible helps… a LOT
• Update your resume (add awards, publications, invited talks…)
• Organise events! Take the lead on setting up SIGs (Special Interest Groups),
conferences (chair, conference committee), workshops… put yourself out there
• Become a reviewer (find journals, ask to become reviewer)
… show initiative

9. Face-to-face contact whenever you can
• Attend conferences: let others know you are looking for a job
• Be specific: relate to your strengths, keep contact if they said “maybe
something will come up”
• Work Out Loud on every opportunity

10. Grow trust and network
• Get yourself written into a bid that a senior academic is writing
• Co-author papers: not only with supervisors, but with research peers
• Help-out: if you hear about a position, share in your network

11. Social networks WORK
• Get into social media (the one’s that work for you): ResearchGate,
Academia, LinkedIn, Twitter…
• Most jobs via friends of your PLN (Personal Learning Network): let
them know you are looking for a job!

12. Classic job hunting options
• Tips from Matt Might (really good pointers)
• Papers: e.g. Guardian: academic jobs
• Specialized online publications: e.g. Chronicle of Higher Education / job section
• Professional organisations (per region): Computing Research Association
• Professional social network options: LinkedIn, Academia…
• Job pages of different universities

13. Academic job offers
• Most academic jobs: posted Sep – Nov,
highest number in October (interviews
Jan/Feb): first in = more attention
• Relate to universities (teams) you like:
you work with people

14. International job?
• Financial differences: e.g. Kazachstan: interesting job, international
intentions => worth considering => UNESCO, UN
• Cultural differences to consider: e.g. same sex partner with child.
• Learn job title jargon: tenure, lecturer, docent…

15. Moving with family to Country X
• Becoming the Other
• Isolation (partner): voluntary work (e.g. charity shops)
• Country differences: e.g. cost of child care (toddler/pre-school: 700 pounds
per month for 3 days/w); high rental cost
• Moving costs covered?

16. No job landed (yet)? Be inventive
Find alternatives adding to your professional profile – grow your CV:
• Corporate options (consultancy, instructional design,…), start-ups,
jump-in for people you know…
• Get projects started… e.g. secondary school initiative.
• Co-publish about the projects, write a book
• Write magazine articles: pays a bit, increases your expert visibility

17. Questions, networking…
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E-mail: ingedewaard (at) gmail.com
Blog: ignatiawebs.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Ignatia
Publications:
http://www.ingedewaard.net/pubconsulpres.htm
Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/ignatia
linkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ingedewaard
All the wonderful comics: Jorge Cham