Content:

1) Where do doctoral graduates go?

2) Presenting your skills to different employers

3) Accessing the hidden job market

4) Job sites for doctoral researchers

5) Building relevant experience

6) Career options outside academia

1) Where do doctoral graduates go?

Many people assume that most people with a PhD go on to be university lecturers or principal investigators (PIs). However, evidence shows us this is not

the case. Doctoral researchers move into a broad range of employment sectors after graduating or later in their careers.

In the short -term, there is a large variation in the number of doctoral graduates remaining in the higher education sector, depending on their discipline. A

2013 Vitae report, looking at the 2010 longitudinal DLHE data, showed that 57.5 % of arts and humanities doctoral graduates were working in the higher

education sector, three years after graduation, compared with 33.9 % of physical science and engineering doctoral graduates. On average, across all

disciplines, a total of 43.9% of doctoral graduates were working in the higher education sector three years after completing their PhD. Typical roles within

higher education, following a PhD, included postdoctoral researchers, part-time teachers and research-related roles, such as administration.

The longer-term destinations of doctoral graduates are less clear. However, a 2009 report from the Royal Society suggests that few science doctoral

graduates, at least, continue to work in higher education/academia in the long term; 3.5% of doctoral graduates secured permanent staff positions at the

later stages of their careers and less than 1% secured professorships.

Since most doctoral graduates will work outside of higher education/academia in the long term, it important to explore all the possible career options

open to you in the future. Having some idea of what you would like to do next will help you identify the skills and experiences you need to develop

during your PhD.

2) Presenting your skills to different employers

Let’s think about the value of your PhD to employers across a range of sectors. This will enable you to be flexible in your career decision-making and open

your mind to different possibilities. Getting a PhD is a huge accomplishment. The challenges you face during your PhD build resilience and independence.

Such characteristics are often seen as a ‘given’ by doctoral researchers and taken for granted. However, it is important to remember that these

characteristics are vital assets sort by employers.

Discussing and presenting your skills, in a way that is relevant and meaningful to employers is important. It is easy to assume that everyone will understand

what you have to offer, but they will not! The onus is on you find out what employers want and then to spell out how you have what they want! The

language of ‘industry’ is often different from the language of academia. Essential outputs and results in academia, such as publications, may not be so

valuable in other sectors.

So how do you present your accomplishments? Doctoral researchers need to do some research into sectors of interest, to ascertain the skills and

experiences that are being sort. Also, get a feel for the language of different employers. A 2018 report from Nature talks about how to carry out effective

market research during your job search. The article states one of the errors that early career researchers make:

They wait for a job advertisement to appear and then submit a CV — a compendium of every element of their research career so far — and hope that

their background and research experience will merit further review.

This approach will not work because employers will not take the time to work out how your background is relevant to them. You need to do your market

research and adapt how you write about your skills. The type of skills and experience required by employers will vary, depending on the role you are

applying for, but let’s generalise for the purposes of illustration. A 2016 report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) surveyed 350 executives across 9

industries in 15 of the world's biggest economies. It listed the top ten skills that will be most desired by employers by 2020. The skills were cognitive

flexibility, coordinating with others, complex problem-solving, critical thinking, negotiation skills, service orientation, judgement and decision making,

emotional intelligence, people management and creativity. Many of these skills are developed during the PhD.

If some of the above skills were included in the requirements on a job description, how would you provide evidence that you have these skills on your CV?

The table below illustrates some ways to evidence four of the above skills, and independent working, on your CV. You can use the table to guide you on

how to evidence other relevant skills, which you have gained from your PhD, on your CV. When providing evidence of skills on a CV, look at the job

description and name the listed skills on your CV. As more employers use robots (e.g. Applicant Tracking Systems) to carry out CV screens, it is vital to

include key words, such as skills, on your CV. If you fail to do this, your CV may not get through the first screen and reach the eyes of a human being!

Skill Description Evidence from PhD: How to describe on a CV

Cognitive flexibility The ability to see and understand a problem from several perspectives. Adapting your communication style, depending on who you are talking to.

Presented research findings to diverse audiences, including engineers and academics, once a month.

Coordinated and delivered an interdisciplinary research project called I don’t want to go the dentist mum. Worked with a team of 20 people which included public health professionals, dentists, academics and policy makers.

Coordinating with others (team work)

Being able to collaborate with others and adjust to the needs of others.

Supported and coached two Masters (MSc) students during the final year of my PhD. Taught students research methodology and coached them through challenging research and personal situations.

Carried out a research project, The Use of Green Fuel, in collaboration with an industry partner (insert name). Adjusted targets and expectations for research outputs in line with academic manager’s expectations and industry goals.

Complex problem solving

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Analysed data from market research questionnaires qualitatively and quantitively, using Excel; used data to guide change implementation.

Analysed large genome datasets as part of a project looking at mutations in cancer genes. Interpreted and presented results which were subsequently published in a well-known journal (Nature).

Critical thinking / Synthesising and critically assessing substantial amounts of data

The objective analysis of information/data /facts to form a judgement.

Routinely analyse large data sets related to (insert name). Collate, evaluate and interpret results for publication and dissemination. Have published research in three academic journals.

Researcher and interviewer on collaborative trans-European project on diplomatic working group dynamics. Interviewed 100 policymakers and politicians, collated results and used data to draw up policy recommendations.

Independent working

The ability to take ownership of a task, without the need for regular supervision and management. Able to set own goals and priorities.

Completed a three/four - year research project exploring (insert name). Worked autonomously in a variety of locations e.g. archives, from home and at the University. Set own goals and deadlines - met Supervisor once a month for progress updates and project input.

Carried our laboratory research for thee years, designing own experiments and methodology. Set own goals and deadlines – met Supervisor once a month for progress updates and project input.

You should also present material from your academic CV in a separate way, for employers outside academia. The table below shows you how to align some

content, such as teaching and publications, with skills that employers are often seeking. Once again, you can use this as a guide to think about other

elements of your academic CV and how to present them.

Presented on an academic CV Presented on a CV for employers outside academia

Teaching

Delivered first year module, 20th Century Film in Britain, to 100 undergraduate students.

One seminar per week with twelve students for ten weeks. Designed, planned, wrote and led seminars.

Comment: Teaching is a recognised skill required for most academic careers. Using a ‘teaching’ heading on an academic CV is therefore appropriate and conventional.

Presentation Skills

Designed, planned, wrote and led a module on 20th Century Film in Britain to 100 undergraduate students at the University of Reading. Used a variety of media to ensure participant engagement, including PowerPoint slides, film clips, visits to the cinema and talks from invited speakers. More than 90% of participants rated the course as very good or excellent.

Comment: Try to rethink what your teaching experience has given you that might be useful in a role outside of academia. Try to include any outcome measures to show the standard of your work. Many organisations are interested in metrics and outcome measures, so include these when you can.

Publications

L. Kromer, J. D. Douglas, A. R. Black, C. Moor, M. R. Guy, D. Holland, L. G. Rush, J. H. Lake, W. R. Evans, P. J. Brendan, D. E. Monk and G. S. Baum. Thiolactomycin as a novel anti-mycobacterial agent targeting Fas-II condensing enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Biol. Chem., 2017, 276, 16857 – 16864.

L. Kromer, B. B. Reinhold, M. R. Guy, E. M. Beckman, D. E. Frederique, S. T. Furlong, S. Ye, V. N. Brendan, P. A. Size, R. L. Moor, G. S. Black and S. A. Pratchett. Structural requirements for glycolipid antigen recognition by CD4a-restricted T cells. Science, 2016, 280, 283 – 286.

Comment: It is important to list authors, as well as title and journal. These are all relevant and meaningful within academia, where publications are one of the main outcome measures.

Written Communication Skills

Produced two publications about anti-mycobacterial agents in scientific journals; one publication was in a prestigious, high-impact journal called Science.

Comment: The specific details of the publications may not be relevant in some sectors. Illustrate your publications as concrete outcome measures from your research.

If you would like to see examples of CVs written by PhDs and Postdoctoral Researchers, Vitae have researcher CVs on their website.

If you would like to explore your skills in more detail, the following links are useful:

The learning needs analysis on the Reading Researcher Development Programme website.

My IDP from Science Careers: A skills and values questionnaire for science doctoral researchers; it matches your skills and values with potential

career options.

Vitae Understanding Yourself: Contains links to the Researcher Developer Framework (RDF) which divides researcher skills into four domains.

3) Accessing the hidden job market outside academia

To find a job outside of higher education/academia, you need to step outside of the sector; virtually (online) and physically (in-person). There are two

reasons why this is essential:

To do your market research and find out about jobs and sectors that interest you. Working within an academic context means that you will

understand the idiosyncrasies of the higher education sector, but other sectors will be different. Companies have diverse cultures.

Look at websites such as Glassdoor and RateMyPlacement which contain insights about company culture. If you have not worked within a sector

outside academia, companies will expect you to have done as much research as possible into the company and their culture. You will often have to

address the “Why do you want to work here?” question on application forms, cover letters and interviews so arm yourself with the relevant

information. To research company culture further, search online for terms such as ‘find out about company culture’ or ‘differences between

industry and academia.’

To help people remember you. Estimates suggests that more than 80% of jobs are never advertised and 50% of jobs are obtained by referrals i.e.

someone recommends you. This means that an application that is submitted without prior preparation, research and networking, is less likely to be

shortlisted.

Stepping outside academia, virtually and physically, will help you access the hidden job market i.e. find jobs that are not advertised. In a crowded job

market, many employers find employees through their networks rather than simply relying on screening applications.

Stepping outside academia – online

Set up a LinkedIn profile and connect with people on LinkedIn

Search on LinkedIn for companies that you might want to work for. If their employees are on LinkedIn, then you should be too. Although LinkedIn is not

used widely in academia, it is outside of academia, with more than ten million organisations registered. Many large organisations use recruitment

companies to find candidates and most recruitment companies use social media to find candidates. Search online using terms such as ‘how to be found on

LinkedIn by recruiters’ to find out more about how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out.

Try to think about how you will come across to employers outside academia. Let’s say you are a doctoral researcher working in healthcare research, looking

for a job as a policy advisor. It might be better to have Healthcare Researcher with an interest in policy as your headline rather than PhD Student. Start to

professionalise your profile during the final year of your PhD.

Now start connecting. It is most appropriate to start by connecting with ‘warm’ contacts on LinkedIn i.e. people that you know or that you have something

in common with e.g. people you have studied with/worked with and/or University of Reading alumni. Look at how to connect with people that you know

and the University of Reading alumni page to get started.

When sending a connection request, always personalise your request. You can do this if you connect from your desktop, rather than your mobile phone.

Say why you would like to connect, e.g.

“Hello Robert. I notice that you did a PhD at the University of Reading and that you are now working in a biotechnology company. I have a PhD in molecular

biology and am very interested in the biotechnology industry. Could we connect please?”

Start by building a network of first degree contacts. Your first-degree contacts may then be able to introduce you to their first-degree contacts on LinkedIn,

if appropriate. For example, Robert (mentioned above) might know someone working in a company you may like to work for. Robert might agree to meet

you for an information interview (see below for more details) and subsequently agree to introduce you to his contact.

Get Active on Twitter

Follow relevant people, companies and hashtags on Twitter. Contribute to threads; ask questions, contribute appropriate ideas and thoughts.

You can follow people and organisations that address issues related to careers outside academia e.g. @PhDCareerGuide, @VersatilePhD, @cheekyscientist

or @jobsontoast.

You can also follow companies, to keep up to date with their activities e.g. @BCG, @GSK, @WHO, @nationaltrust etc. Knowing what organisations have

been doing over time will form vital evidence of your motivation to work at that company. Many companies also Tweet job opportunities.

Write or contribute to a blog

Be creative and write and/or post on a blog e.g. write an article about Management Consultancy for the Reading University Careers, Placement and

Experience Centre (CPEC), if you are looking to move into this career. This will begin to build evidence of your motivation to work in a new sector

and develop your writing skills for a broad audience, if this is a skill that you need.

Speculative applications

Small and medium size organisations (SMEs) do not always have formal recruitment rounds as recruitment can be expensive and they may not have a

dedicated HR team. They may invite speculative applications on their website or you can send them a speculative application, uninvited.

A speculative application involves proactively approaching an employer to seek out opportunities that have not been advertised. Although evidence for success rates are unknown, there is strong anecdotal evidence to suggest that this approach can work. Speculative applications should, therefore, form part of your job searching strategy. It is best to send fewer, high quality, targeted applications than dozens of generic applications.

Stepping outside academia – in person

It takes a lot of time to meet people, but it is more effective than sitting behind a computer screen applying for jobs. The idea of ‘networking’ feels

uncomfortable and some doctoral researchers are not convinced that they have enough skills and experience to offer. Before you start meeting people,

remind yourself why having a PhD is an advantage. Knowing what you have to offer employers, will build your confidence and help in your discussions as

you begin to network. Try to think beyond your technical skills, remembering the professional skills developed during a PhD e.g. your ability to find answers

to questions, your ability to work independently as well as in a team etc. You should also do a skills assessment, as discussed in part 1, before you begin

your meetings.

Go to meetings and conferences

Start by looking for meetings and conferences that are attended by relevant people i.e. those in the field you wish to work in. Try to strike a balance

between attending academic conferences and attending meetings and conferences attended by a broader audience. As universities work more

collaboratively with external organisations, it is important to look out for conferences where you will have the opportunity to meet a wide audience.

Look at events run by Reading University Careers Placement and Experience Centre (CPEC); many employers visit campus to talk about opportunities which

are often open to doctoral graduates. Look at Eventbrite for a list of relevant events in your area e.g. search using the terms ‘networking and Reading, UK.’

Attend Career Fairs at the University of Reading and jobs fairs, more broadly, to gain information and contacts.

Go along to meetings and events as a curious, fact finder, ask questions and think about whether there may be a role for you within different

organisations. Treat your visits to meetings and conferences as market research rather than feeling you need to ‘sell yourself.’ If you are engaged and

interested in people and organisations, you will build rapport naturally, helping people to remember you.

Conduct informational interviews

Informational interviews are short meetings with people who are in the type of role and/or organisation in which you might like to work. The primary

reason for carrying out an informational interview is to find out more about a role and an organisation. It should be treated as a piece of market research

with the same mindset that was discussed earlier i.e. be a curious, fact finder and show a genuine interest in the people you are talking to. Informational

interviews can also be a useful way to get yourself known in the hidden job market. There are a few rules to informational interviewing:

Say what you want in your request to the interviewee: State exactly what you want in your email, LinkedIn message or telephone call i.e. a brief

discussion about the person’s role and how they got there.

Keep it short: When requesting an informational interview, request a short meeting or subsequent telephone call i.e. no more than 20 – 30 minutes

of their time. People are more likely to say ‘yes’ to a request if the request is specific and it does not take up too much of their time.

Listen: Be curious and interested in the person you are interviewing. Asking questions and listening carefully can build rapport. People tend to

remember how they felt when meeting someone rather than what was being said.

Search online using the term ‘informational interview questions’ to get an idea of typical questions asked during these interactions.

Talk to everyone you meet about their job

Many people uncover work opportunities by chance. Career stories on the Vitae website highlight how planned happenstance plays a part in people’s

career paths. Talk to different people about your research and your career aims. Ask about their work and the company they work for. You never know

what opportunities might arise out of such discussions!

The diagram above shows you how to spend time accessing the hidden job market. The larger circle on the right indicates that it is more effective to spend

time meeting people rather than spending most of your time behind a computer screen! In a crowded job market, it is easier to be remembered if a person

has met you.

4) Job sites for doctoral researchers

Using the techniques above can help you to uncover opportunities that are hidden but there are many job sites where roles are advertised.

If you are looking for jobs for doctoral graduates, they are likely to fall into one of four categories; PhD entry level jobs, PhD- specific jobs that are being

advertised on general websites, graduate jobs and experienced-hire jobs.

Relevant links are outlined below.

PhD entry level jobs

There are a small number of entry level positions that are open to doctoral researchers. Organisations recruit on a yearly basis and competition is stiff.

Consultancy firms e.g. BCG , McKinsey and Company and Bain and Company.

Banks and other finance organisations e.g. Bank of England and JPMorgan.

Industrial research organisations e.g. GSK, Microsoft and AstraZeneca.

PhD - specific jobs advertised on general job websites

Jobs.ac.uk: This is a UK site for academic jobs, but they also advertise jobs outside academia. Search in the section called

professional/managerial/support services as well as academic discipline/field of expertise.

Quant Finance Jobs: An international jobs board advertising quantitative analyst role. Has a PhD section.

Find a Postdoc: A UK site advertising academic roles and jobs outside academia.

ResearchGate: Job adverts for the scientific researcher community.

Technojobs and ECM: Advertises jobs for PhDs with IT skills.

Research Research: A UK site advertising research support and administration jobs.

Also consider, aggregator jobs sites e.g. Indeed, Simply Hired, Careerjet, LinkedIn Jobs and Totaljobs.

Graduate jobs

Many doctoral graduates feel that ‘graduate roles’ are not appropriate for them as they have four additional years of experience compared to a first-time

graduate. However, graduate employers do not always see the relevance of your PhD unless the skills and experience you have gained are directly

applicable to the role you are applying for. It will be up to you to convince a graduate recruiter that you have all the required skills and more.

There are two types of graduate entry points into organisations; graduate schemes and graduate level jobs. Graduate schemes are offered by large

organisations. They are prestigious and highly sort after. They are usually structured training schemes, lasting a year or two, often leading to management

roles. They are frequently secured by able and experienced graduates who may already have work experience. Graduate schemes are another option for

doctoral graduates and can sometimes be the only route into an organisation.

Graduate level jobs do not have any formal training attached but may involve some initial support from the employer. An employee usually starts in the

role from day one. Graduate level jobs are also an option for doctoral graduates, but it is essential to show the employer that you do not feel such jobs are

‘below’ you. If this is the route you choose, again it will be up to you to show the employer that you have the right skills for the job.

To provide some reassurance, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that doctoral graduates get promoted more quickly within organisations, if they

enter via the graduate route.

You can search graduate jobs here:

My Jobs Online from Reading University Careers, Placement and Experience Centre (CPEC)

A dedicated jobs board for University of Reading students.

Milkround

A well-known website listing internships, graduate schemes and other types of work experience across a range of industries including science and

research, accounting, business, banking and consultancy.

Target Jobs

Another well-known website listing internships, graduate schemes and other types of work experience across a range of industries including science

and research, accounting, business, banking and consultancy.

Graduate Talent Pool

A government website designed to help new and recent graduates find internships across the public, private and third sectors.

Prospects

This website lists work experience and internship opportunities across a broad range of industries including accounting, business, banking and

consultancy.

Experienced hires

For some PhDs, it is also worth looking at roles that require experience. Some doctoral graduates have worked before their PhD, so this experience will

count. It might also be worth looking at whether your PhD work will count as experience e.g. have you developed considerable coding experience?

5) Building relevant experience

The most employable doctoral graduates have a broad range of experience that extends beyond their academic research. They may have developed

broader experience before embarking upon a PhD or they may have developed experience alongside their PhD.

The type of experience that you will need for your next role, depends on what you want to do. However, transferable skills can be gained from a variety of

opportunities available during your PhD. Here are some general ideas to broaden your skills and experience.

Internships

An internship is a fantastic way to build experience in another sector. If your PhD is funded by one of the UK Research Councils, you may be eligible to apply

for a policy internship. The BBSRC also run the PIPS scheme for students funded by the BBSRC.

If you are not funded by a UK Research Council, doing an internship during your PhD can be logistically difficult and not all supervisors are happy for you to

take time away from your research. It is, however, possible, to organise your own internship. Search online using the term ‘create your own internship

during the PhD.’ This will reveal some links on how to create your own opportunities.

If you are seeking advice on how to make the most from your PhD internship, Vitae have a Google hangout on making the most of PhD placements.

Public engagement and outreach

The following schemes provide opportunities to do outreach, teaching and public engagement work: Students in Schools, STEM in Berkshire and Surrey, The

Brilliant Club, I’m a Scientist get me out of here and Vitae’s Three Minute Thesis. The following email list provides details of volunteering and other

opportunities in science communication: PSCI-COMM. The Graduate School at Reading also runs several competitions at the Doctoral Research Conference

each year. All these opportunities improve communication skills, which is one of the most sort-after skills amongst employers.

Business competitions

Entering business competitions can improve commercial awareness and help you understand the challenges you might face in an ‘industrial’ setting. The

following schemes are open to doctoral researchers: Young Entrepreneurs Scheme, Engineering Yes, Clean Tech Challenge, Design Council Spark, and Care

Innovation Challenge.

Work Shadowing

It is worth being proactive and seeing if you can observe someone in their role for a day or two. This will help you gain valuable insight into a role that you

might be interested in. If you know someone in an interesting role, and there are no confidentiality issues, it is worth asking if you can shadow them. Work

shadowing lends itself more to certain sectors, such as teaching, but it is worth asking and being proactive. Prospects offers some advice on how to apply

for work shadowing.

Project work and/or create your own work experience

Try to become involved in projects, beyond your research, to build broad experience. Reading University Student Union offer volunteering opportunities.

Get involved in organising a research collaboration to build your team-working skills, an academic conference to build your organisational skills or become a

PhD representative to build your communication and negotiation skills.

Look out for other opportunities on offer to doctoral researchers, such as those advertised by the Graduate School.

Remember to be proactive and create your own opportunities, if there are none being advertised. Many employers seek employees that are proactive,

problem-solvers. If you can build skills and experience alongside your academic research, that relates to the field you want to work in, this will impress

employers. This approach will provide convincing evidence of your motivation to work in your chosen field on your CV.

6) Career options outside academia

So what options are available to doctoral graduates? The table below highlights some possibilities. It also states whether a PhD is an essential qualification

for the role, looks at the skills required and provides useful links to enable further research*. This is not an exhaustive list as there are many options (see

later links). They have been separated into options for arts and humanities PhDs, social science PhDs and options for science, technology, engineering and

maths (STEM) PhDs. There is some overlap e.g. STEM PhDs can also work in teaching, higher education administration, academic publishing and research

funding organisations. Social science PhDs can work in similar roles to arts and humanities PhDs as well in policy and international development roles, for

example.

Some roles will require some specialist knowledge or experience in the sector which may need to be developed alongside the PhD e.g. if you wanted to

work as an editor in academic publishing, you will need to gain some editing experience during your PhD. Alternatively, if you wanted to work in technology

transfer you could enter science business competitions to get a better understanding of what ‘technology transfer’h means.

Option Example of role names Do you need a PhD? Use subject knowledge from PhD?

Examples of Transferable skills used Useful links to start your research

Arts and Humanities

Higher Education Administration and Support

- Programme Manager - Learning Services Manager - Grants Administrator - Researcher Developer - Careers Consultant

Can help, but not essential Useful for credibility in the sector

No Understanding of Higher Education/Academia Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management

1 2

School Teaching - Primary School Teacher - Secondary School Teacher - Tutor

Can help, but not essential Some schools like the prestige that a PhD brings to the school e.g. selective, state six -

Possibly, depending on subject taught

Teaching Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication

1 2 3 4

forms, academies or private schools

Writing Time management Project management

Writing - Bid Writer - Tender Writer - Technical Writer - Freelance Writer - Technical Author - Communications Manager

No Possibly, depending on subject matter

Writing Cognitive flexibility Independent working Communication Time management Project management

1 2 3

Academic Publishing

- Editor/Deputy Editor - Publisher's Representative - Proof-reader

Can help, as you will understand the content of the journal in relevant fields

Possibly e.g. for an editorial role in a STEM subject

Understanding of Higher Education/Academia Writing Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Time management Project management

1 2 3

Research Funding Organisations e.g. UKRI

- Research Associate - Policy Analyst

Can help, as the organisations are involved in research funding

Possibly, depending on the role

Understanding of Higher Education/Academia Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Consultancy - Management Consultant - Consultant - Higher

Educational (specialised consultant in a niche area/boutique consultancy firm)

Can help, but not essential Some strategy consultancy firms have a PhD stream

Possibly, depending on type of consultancy and/or organisations with whom you are working

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2

Central Government

- Civil Service Fast Streamer – Project Delivery, Government Communication, Commercial, Generalist, Diplomatic Services

No Possibly, depending on project and/or government department

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management

1 2 3

Social Science – all the above plus below

Industry or Government Researcher

- Government Social Researcher

- Market Researcher - Consultant - Insight Researcher

Can help, as role is research-focussed

Possibly, depending on type of research carried out by the organisation

Research methodology Writing Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2

Policy - Government Policy Advisor - Policy Research Associate

(in a think tank) - Policy Fellow (in a Not for

Profit) - Policy Officer

Can help, as some roles are research-focussed

Possibly Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

International Development

- Charity Officer - Monitoring, Evaluation and

Learning Advisor - International Research

Officer

Can help as some roles involve research

Possibly, if your subject area relates to the work of the organisation

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management

1 2 3

Project management Quantitative

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths

Technology Transfer e.g. biotech, pharmaceutical, tech start-up etc.

- Assistant Technology Specialist

- Technology Transfer Consultant

- IP Manager

Necessary in some Institutions

Possibly, depending on service/product you are working on

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Industry Researcher

- Scientist - Research Associate - Associate Scientist

Yes Yes Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Consultancy - Management Consultant - Consultant – Technical,

Software, Engineering, Life Science (specialised Consultant in a niche area/boutique consultancy Firm)

- Analyst

Can help, but not essential Some strategy consultancy firms have a PhD stream e.g. Bain. Some life science consultancy firms see a PhD as a bonus

Possibly, depending on area of consultancy

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

As for Arts, Humanities and Social Science. Also: 1 2 3

Data Scientist - Data Scientist

- Data Analyst

- Data Architect

No Yes, technical knowledge developed e.g. coding languages

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing

1 2 3

Time management Project management Quantitative

Patent Lawyer - Patent Lawyer

- Patent Attorney

No, but many patent lawyers have a PhD

Sometimes e.g. if you are a PhD chemist and working in the pharmaceutical industry

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Finance - Quantitative Analyst - Analyst - Equity Quant Researcher - Data Analyst

Some banks recruit PhDs with a quantitative background e.g. maths and physics

Yes, technical knowledge developed e.g. coding languages

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Science Communication and Science Policy

- Science Information and Policy Officer

- Communications Manager (POST)

No Sometimes, depending on the role

Cognitive flexibility Team work Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Research, Clinical and Management Roles within the NHS

- Clinical Research Fellow

- NHS Clinical Scientist

For some roles Sometimes, depending on the role

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing

1 2 3

Time management Project management Quantitative

Pharmaceuticals - Regulatory Affairs

- Clinical Trials

For some roles Sometimes, depending on the role

Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

Medical Writing - Medical Writer

- Accounts Manager

Yes Yes Cognitive flexibility Team work Problem solving Critical thinking Independent working Communication Writing Time management Project management Quantitative

1 2 3

*Some of the links in the final column may be subject to change so it is worth conducting your own online research to find other resources.

Other useful websites to research career options:

All Disciplines

10 Career Paths for PhDs from Jobs.ac.uk

What do Researchers Do? from Vitae

Alternative Career Paths after Your PhD; Essential Checklist from jobs.ac.uk

PhD Careers Outside Academia LinkedIn Group from LinkedIn

PhD to Consulting LinkedIn Group from LinkedIn

Research Careers Outside Academia from The Careers Group

Research Student Careers Blog from The University of Edinburgh

Arts, Humanities and Social Science

Beyond the PhD from the UK Centre for Career Management Studies (CCMS)

Discovering Interesting Career Paths from The Versatile PhD (US website)

Career Alternatives for Art Historians from Charles Rosenberg (US website)

From PhD to Life from Jennifer Polk (US website)

Top 10 List of Alternative Careers for Humanities PhDs from The Cheeky Scientist (US website)

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

Top 10 List of Alternative Careers for PhD Science Graduates from The Cheeky Scientist (US website)

7 Industry Careers for STEM PhDs from Next Scientist

11 Alternative Careers for PhD Students from Next Scientist