When you are gearing up to make the next step in your career it always helps to have a plan of action. You don’t need to stick with it rigidly and you can change it as you progress. Your action plan should cover: - knowing yourself and what you want;
- researching your options;
- decision-making;
- thinking what else you need.
Knowing yourself and what you wantThis is where to start. People who start their job seeking without first deciding what they have to offer or what they really want usually end up having to start again. When you have thought hard about what you can offer an employer and what you want to do then you are in a better place to market yourself. - Think hard about your strengths in both hard skills, e.g. languages and technical skills, and transferable skills, e.g. teamwork, initiative, organisation and problem solving. Remember that these skills are acquired in all your experiences, not just your research.
- What are you good at and where is the evidence for this?
Draw up a skills table and note the evidence that you have these skills: - Teamwork
- Leadership
- Organisational
- Analytical
- Negotiating
- Communication - oral
- Communication - written
- Commercial awareness
- Attention to detail
- Managing projects
- Motivating others
Be sure to include all the things you are good at - these are your strengths. Then: - Consider your weaknesses. Think of them as areas for development and either take action to cover them or avoid jobs where they are significant. Make a list of skills you need to learn and those you would like to improve.
- Ask friends if they agree with you about your strengths and weaknesses. What can they imagine you doing in the future?
- Talk to a careers adviser for independent, unbiased, professional advice.
- Find people who are already in the job you are considering. Do they think you can be successful in it?
- Ask an employer for a voluntary placement or work shadowing experience.
back to top Researching your optionsYou may already have a clear plan of what you will do next, but perhaps you have been too focused to consider a range of options. The information here may have given you some new ideas. It is important to research each option thoroughly before making a firm decision. Details of many jobs and what they entail can be found in explore types of jobs. Ask yourself:- How have other PhDs from my department progressed their careers? What are they doing now? Can I gain any information and valuable advice by talking with them?
- Do I want my career to be directly related to my PhD topic - e.g. research, teaching, or to use my knowledge indirectly - e.g. patent agent, health and safety, editing, or simply use my generic skills - e.g. consulting, administration, marketing? There are a range of opportunities within these three options. Decide, if you can, which of the three options attracts you and then research the possibilities within each one.
- Which jobs suit my skills, interests, values?
- Whichever I choose, who will employ me? - Trade association directories can help here.
- Is there work available where I want to be? Openings for some jobs, such as librarian or teacher, are available everywhere, while others, such as nuclear physicist or marine biologist, are only offered in a few locations.
- Will the experience in my first post-PhD job make me more employable later? Where will it lead? Try to discover how people in your chosen career have progressed.
- Does it offer the rewards I am looking for? How much money do I need to live on? Will transport to work, accommodation in that area be affordable?
- Will I need to develop my skills, e.g. lecturing or take further courses of study or training? If so, how will I make this happen?
- Can I successfully pursue this career in my personal circumstances?
back to top Decision-making- Having researched your options, decide on your first choice for action. When jobs in the area of your choice are very competitive, it may be necessary to have a plan B. It may be important to consider this, but don’t allow it to interfere with your motivation for your main objective.
- Some people prefer to gather information, reflect on it rationally and decide on their own how they want to progress.
- Others prefer to talk through their ideas with others - colleagues, friends, careers advisers, someone already doing the job.
- Make a list of the pros and cons of each option or use SWOT analysis (assess the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of each option) and compare one option directly with another.
- Consider how you feel about each option, not just the facts. If your gut feeling is that you would not be comfortable with a particular course of action, way of life, or geographical location, this may well override all the facts that seem more objective.
- If others are affected by your decision, involve them in your decision making. When career moves may affect relationships or cause other people to move location or change jobs, there is much more to consider. In some cases children’s schooling may be a priority.
back to top What else do you need?When researching your options, you will identify skills you need to develop. Consider laterally how to do this. - Lecturing experience may be available both inside and outside your university.
- Writing or editing experience can be acquired through professional and academic journals.
- Administrative experience can be developed by organising seminars and conferences.
- Tutoring students on a part-time basis can enhance your teaching experience.
- Your department or professional body may have committees you could join to develop committee work, taking minutes, etc.
- Discussions and networking with people working in the same field may be available through your professional body.
- Commercial or industrial experience can often be found with employers who sponsor PhD students on Co-operative Award in Science and Engineering (CASE) schemes or with the commercial links of your academics.
- Training courses in specific skills, e.g. time management and effective communication are often available in your Graduate School.
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