Use several job search strategies to increase your chance of success. Don’t ignore the hundreds of advertised vacancies out there, whether in publications such as New Scientist and The Guardian, or other online sources. Speculative applications need to be targeted and require a certain amount of luck. Another approach is to post your CV on one of the internet job websites and wait for employers to contact you. Some academic departments organise these for PhD students. This can be effective if your skills are in short supply, though employers usually prefer you to contact them. If you are looking for a job directly related to your studies, want a place on a recognised scheme with a major employer and have some strong qualifications, skills and experience, there is every chance that these approaches will pay off. Hidden vacanciesMany jobs are not advertised. Employers often rely on contacts and some incentivise staff to introduce new recruits. When an employer has a vacancy, it is often easier for them to consider first someone they have met recently who could possibly do the job. Personal contacts account for a large proportion of the jobs that are filled without advertising, so the importance of networking should not be underestimated. For further information see job hunting tips. back to top Advertised vacanciesYour university careers serviceIf employers are looking for a new postgraduate, they often advertise through university careers services, most of whom post vacancies on their websites. Your departmentIf your research is in a sought-after specialism, employers may target your department. Keep an eye on both undergraduate and postgraduate notice boards for adverts or invitations to employer presentations. Specialist journals, magazines and professional associationsIf you are looking for a job in your specialist subject, you should know which journals or professional association magazines to look in. If you want to change fields, ask someone already in that field for tips on where to look for a job. Professional bodies and trade associations sometimes have vacancy pages or careers information on their websites. National pressBe aware that national newspapers advertise different job sectors on different days of the week. Make sure you know which newspapers advertise jobs in your chosen field and when. Graduate Jobsearch Online has details of the most commonly used publications. InternetThe wide range of web-based job sites includes PhD Jobs (specifically for PhDs) and Jobs.ac.uk for academic roles. Subject-specific jobs pages are often found on sites based around a specialism or the websites of professional associations. AgenciesEmployers ask agencies to find candidates who match the employer’s requirements exactly, including the skills, knowledge and experience needed to be effective in the job from day one. - Find local agencies in the Yellow Pages or the Thomson Local.
- Keep an eye on agencies that relate to your research specialism. They often advertise in professional journals.
- Agencies usually accept speculative CVs.
- Telephone first to see if they deal with people of your background.
back to top What vacancies are there for PhDs?When looking for vacancies, treat it as an information-gathering exercise. Unless a PhD is a prerequisite for the job, employers won’t necessarily mention it specifically in their advertisements. In a survey of 80 major graduate employers, over 95% were happy to receive applications from postgraduates, though more than 90% did not specifically advertise this. Most assumed that postgraduates would realise they were included in any ‘graduate’ vacancies. PhD holders are often sought when the job involves research, analysis, writing, teaching or consulting. Examples include: - PhD-level graduate required as senior research and analysis consultant for a global research company. The role encompasses consultancy, marketing and development, with exposure to local and global markets.
- PhD, from any science discipline, as conference researcher. The job involves investigating technical and strategic developments and trends in the broadcast technology sectors and developing them into full conference programmes for an international company.
- A PhD physicist required to review the marketing strategy of a Midlands-based glass company.
- PhD in maths, finance or physics with strong IT skills to join a multinational finance company as a junior maths developer to support and expand their existing products.
- PhD in a biomedical science to train as a medical writer. In addition to excellent technical qualifications, candidates should demonstrate a high level of energy and enthusiasm and an interest in drug development.
Surveys by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), suggest that many, but not all, employers are generally prepared to pay a premium for PhD graduates in the region of £2,500 p.a. back to top When should I start looking?Some recruitment in the public sector and large companies is cyclical and follows an annual scheme, but most recruitment takes place on the basis of need and is ongoing. You should start looking for suitable vacancies at least a year before completing your PhD, especially if you are unsure which area you want to work in or are attracted to sectors such as lecturing, teaching, the civil service, financial institutions or the legal profession. In other areas, start at least three months before you want to be employed. The key to effective job seeking is to be clearly focused; know exactly what sort of post you want and be able to relate your knowledge, skills and experience to the employer’s needs. The graduate recruitment cycleEven if you don’t want a typical graduate job, you can use the graduate recruitment cycle to gain access to large firm employers. The cycle starts with campus presentations in the autumn. Your university department or careers service will be able to tell you what’s coming up. What if I need a job quickly?If you are about to graduate and need to find a job very soon, draw up a job seeking strategy. - Keep scanning relevant journals, bulletins and websites for adverts.
- If you have specialist skills that are in short supply, try a relevant agency.
- Talk to all your most obvious contacts - tell everyone you know what you are looking for and keep in touch with postgraduates and academics from your department.
- Try well-targeted speculative letters.
If none of these approaches produces a result soon enough, you may have to consider taking a stepping stone or temporary job while you keep searching. If you need to take a job just to keep solvent, consider part-time or shift work so you have time available during the day to look for jobs and attend interviews. Also see job hunting tips.
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