Career Options for PhD Students Wednesday 1 st February 13.00 – 14.00

1. Career Options for PhD StudentsWednesday 1st February13.00 – 14.00 Dr. Tracy Bussoli Careers Adviser for Researchers

2. What are my choices? How can I choose? What to do next? Today’s Topics

3. Customarily PhD graduates either go into: Academic careers Alternative Careers A combination of both Academic career with ‘real world’ input Non-academic career with research credibility Possible Careers

4. An Academic career?

5. Lecturer (Professor/Assistant Prof (US)) Postdoctoral Researcher Teaching Fellow Research Fellow Research Officer/Project Manager Academic Administrator (e.g. head of research degrees office, research grants officer, development advisor) Academic Roles

6. Research assistant or research officer (p/t) Graduate teaching assistant (Law, SEMS,SBCS and other departments) Demonstrating (Lab- based PhD) PhD Representative Tutorial fellow or lecturer Journal editor or sub-editor Book reviewer Consultant to outside bodies (govt or others) Career-building opportunities during your PhD

7. Get experience: Teaching Designing courses Supervising student coursework/dissertations Examining/assessing student work Undertake GTA training Get PGCAP/CILT (need to be teaching to do both) How to stand out: Teaching

8. Publish articles in good refereed journals or book chapters in edited volumes Present papers at academic conferences to raise your profile and get feedback Review books for journals and act as consultant to outside bodies Get experience of research as an ORA, RA or RO How to stand out: Research

9. Attend conferences and seminars in your field to meet the ‘big players’ and make contact with peers Look out for non-academic forums for relevant info/contacts as well Get involved – join postgradraduate networks, conference organisations, national and international professional bodies etc. Building an academic network

10. Publications, publications, publications! Understand REF and the nature of HE funding Relevant teaching experience Research experience, especially on funded projects Credentials – have they heard of you? Presentation skills and admin experience What academic employers look for

11. Alternative Careers

13. Teaching schools/colleges • Publishing books/journals • Project Manager • Journalism • Management Consultant • Research Institute • Charity • Consultancy firm • Think Tank • Independent Consultancy • (self-employed) • Policy Advisor • Analyst (finance) • Postdoc • Research Fellow • Teaching Fellow • Lectureship • Research Associate • Administrative roles • Research Grant • Facilitator • Grant Advisor, Public • Engagement • Start your own • business • Any grade graduate • job • SME • Accounting • Marketing Narrow Horizon Known and safe but insecure A little wider But still university - based Still research but transferring research to another setting Using knowledge and understanding but not research Using transferable skills rather than specific knowledge Increasing risk and research effort to investigate Increasing likelihood of retraining

14. Six months after graduating 53% % of QM PhDs went into academia (2009/2010 data) QM PhD roles are diverse and include R&D software developer, Early Modern Record Specialist, Lecturer, Power Systems Analyst. Alternative Careers N = 105 All disciplines

15. Build on your specialist expertise Direct pursuit of research interests in real world Applying subject expertise in other contexts Continuing to evolve subject expertise e.g. Consultancy or policy development in your field (corporate, govt, or independent) e.g. Communicating your subject to lay audience Jobs that evolve from your Subject

16. PhDs have lots of transferable skills These can be summarised into role types: e.g. researching, communicating, advocacy, problem solving, project management You might need to learn a new sector, but your core adaptability is high Broader opportunities generated by this search Jobs where you can use your transferable skills

17. HE………academic and many roles outside of academic positions Banks ……in analyst roles as quants/financial modelling 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 Sectors where PhD is rated

18. Research – find out more information Talk – to your network Try – it out: intern, volunteer, shadow Reflect – think it over, is it right for me? Talk to a Careers Adviser How can I choose?

19. Generate a network list then add your contacts’ jobs This generates individual roles, not just job types Do your contacts have jobs that interest you? Find out more – analyse for skills, challenges, opportunities Work outwards from specific roles Using your Network to find work

20. Researching your options is essential Getting relevant experience also really helps Consider internships, work-shadowing or volunteering Full/part time; paid/unpaid; project or ongoing Use your network Apply speculatively What’s next?

21. Consider what you want from an internship Source organisations to offer useful experiences Consider what you can offer them Full/part time; paid/unpaid; project or ongoing Lots of formal internship schemes exist – are they right for you? Use your network to source opportunities Apply speculatively – create what you want, where you want Internships

23. Dr. Tracy Bussoli 30 minute appointments (up to three a term) Mondays: 11.00 – 14.30 Tuesdays: 11.00 – 14.30 Call 020 7882 8533to book an appointment Look at events calendar on blog http://qmresearcher.wordpress.com/ One to One Appointments