Ah, summer 2024… the summer of the UEFA Euros in Germany, the Paris Olympics, and, most momentously, the end of a pilot project that I’ve been working on for the past year.
The goal of our project was to see what we could do, in 12 months, to create more opportunities for our PhD researchers at the University of Birmingham to meet potential employers, build their networks, and develop their skills and experience.
A big part of this past year has been Alice who, fresh out of her own PhD at the University of Bristol, joined our team to work on the project. From Alice’s work, we’ve learned a lots about how employers perceive people with PhDs, what employers look for, how equipped employers are to manage networking conversations with people with higher degrees… and it only felt fair to share some of that with those of you who are currently toughing it out in difficult job market.
So, here are three key lessons we learned about employers specifically relating to PhDs, and how these lessons can help you to level up your job hunting beyond academia.
1) Like attracts like
This might sound obvious, but research certainly suggests that if they have hired people with PhDs in the past, then an employer is more likely to do so again in the future.
For example, Garcia-Quevedo, Mas-Verdú & Polo-Otero (2012) surveyed 240 companies in Spain and found that having a ‘track record’ of hiring PhD graduates in the past made a company more likely to do so again. Garcia-Quevedo et al.’s study showed a ‘cumulative effect in the recruitment of PhDs,’ in which ‘the previous employment of PhDs increases the likelihood that a firm will hire new PhDs’ (2012: 618).
It goes without saying that once you know something is good, you’re more likely to go back for more of it: at least, that’s the excuse I give for the Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food habit I developed circa 2012 (other ice cream brands are available). It therefore comes as little of a shocker that a study conducted in the UK by Rubio and Hooley also revealed that the more experience employers have of hiring and working with PhD graduates, the more highly they rate their skills; on the other hand, most employers who said that they didn’t wish to recruit PhDs didn’t have any experience of doing so (2009: 2).
If you’re frustrated by the responses (or lack of) that you’re getting from employers, then targeting those with a track record of employing PhD graduates could be one way to try to reach a more willing audience. So, based on her research over the past year, I asked Alice for her top tips on how to identify potential pro-PhD employers.
Whilst some employers mention specific opportunities for PhD graduates on their vacancy websites, Alice explains, the best way to identify potentially pro-PhD employers is via LinkedIn.
If you have your eye on a particular company or organisation, go to their LinkedIn page, click the ‘people’ tab, and in the search bar within that tab, type ‘PhD.’ When you hit enter, LinkedIn will show you profiles of people working for that organisation who have (or are pursuing) a PhD. Take a closer look at these profiles… what roles do these people have? At what level did they enter the company? If you find that the organisation has already employed PhDs, then that’s usually a positive sign that they understand the value of PhD graduates. It’ll also give you some information about what the typical ‘entry level’ might be for someone with a PhD.
If you want to explore a wider range of employers, then a good place to start is your university’s LinkedIn page. Select the ‘alumni’ tab, and you’ll find a range of filters. Search for your subject area under ‘What they studied’, and add ‘PhD’ to the search bar within the alumni section to find profiles of alumni with a similar background to you. Where are they working now? What roles do they hold? Chances are that those employers and roles value PhDs.
On LinkedIn, you can also now find job resources and communities that promote vacancies with employers who value PhD experience, like Minerva Recruitment, and AltAc Jobs.
2) Many employers hire PhDs incidentally (not purposefully)
In some sectors like pharmaceuticals, biotech, or engineering R&D, some roles might be very close in skills and subject matter to someone’s PhD, meaning that a relevant PhD is named as a job requirement.
Elsewhere though, especially for those of us from humanities and social science backgrounds, there often isn’t quite the same synergy between what we did in our PhD and what an employer might need us to do. In these cases, a PhD in a specific subject wouldn’t necessarily be fool-proof evidence that you can do what an employer needs you to do. This is probably one reason why, in their study on the employment of social science PhD graduates in the UK, Elias et al. (2005) found that rather than actively seeking social scientists with PhDs, employers instead tended to recruit PhD graduates ‘incidentally’ as part of their general graduate recruitment intakes, rather than deliberately setting out to do so.
That said, experience tells me it’s unlikely that Elias et al.’s participants hired PhDs completely by accident… these candidates still must have stood out to them as well qualified and capable. And so, my next question for Alice was… based on her conversations with employers, what can PhDs do to convince an employer that they’re the one for the job, especially if they don’t deliberately look for candidates with a PhD?
If you tell them that you have a PhD, then an employer will probably assume you’re super-smart, says Alice. However, they might be less convinced about your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to the problems they face in their business. So, when you talk to an employer or an industry contact at an event, an interview, or in an informal chat, consider their business and show them how your expertise can contribute to it. Research them beforehand: understand their goals, challenges, and needs. Then, connect the dots with your own experience. Does your research align with their goals? Show them how you can help them to solve their problems.
Something else you can do is address the “Why a PhD?” question. Employers might ask why you undertook a PhD. If they do, see if you can connect your answer to the employer’s needs, and to your desire for continuous learning, professional growth, and openness to take on new challenges. Link your research experience to skills the employer values: are they going to be immediately interested in the subject of your PhD? If not, then don’t bog them down with the details: you can talk instead about things like how your PhD has helped develop your ability to analyse information, evaluate and assess options, make informed decisions, and be flexible when things go wrong.
3) Prepare for mixed messages
As part of her research, Alice trekked around both university and external careers fairs. And she wasn’t just there for the freebies (although a haul of three bottle opener key rings, a reusable coffee cup, and a portable phone charger shaped like a gecko was pretty impressive) … she was there to ask exhibiting employers about their perceptions of PhD graduates, and whether they welcomed applications from people with PhDs. The messages were mixed:
It’s surprising how many employers are unaware of their past PhD hires, she explains. Often, employers I spoke to didn’t know if their organisation had hired PhDs before, or was open to hiring them. Many also lacked an understanding that PhD graduates might actually be interested in pursuing a career beyond academia. While STEM employers who hired PhDs for specific technical roles tended to be more informed, this awareness was still inconsistent across different career fairs.
Alice’s research showed one thing for sure: that the information you receive from employers at an event like a careers fair can vary greatly depending on the staff representative. Alice gives an example: For instance, I encountered the same company at two different fairs, each time with a different representative. The representative at the first fair was receptive and well-informed about hiring PhD graduates, providing insights into specific areas within the company where PhD skills were in demand. However, at the second fair, a different representative from the same company claimed they did not hire PhD students at all.
Erm… confusing!! And indicative of the importance of doing your own research before attending these kinds of events.
So, what can PhD researchers and graduates do in face-to-face situations with employers to try to navigate this confusing picture of mixed messages and patchy info? Alice shared some tips:
- Before attending an event like a careers fair, do your homework. Check if the employers have previously hired PhD graduates using the LinkedIn tips mentioned earlier, and bring this up in your conversation.
- When approaching an employer, keep an open mind. If a representative responds negatively or vaguely about hiring PhD graduates, don’t panic. Instead, use this as an opportunity to showcase your skills and engage in a meaningful conversation (for both you and them). Ask about their current hiring needs, and how these might connect with your experience and interests.
- Be confident in explaining that most PhD graduates don’t stay in academia. In fact, in the UK around 70% leave, so assure employers that you are interested, and that they aren’t just a ‘back up’ plan for you.
- Once employers understand your skills and interests, they are more likely to highlight recruitment options. If you are interested, ask for contact details from the stand representative – either through LinkedIn or an email address. After the fair, take time to reflect on your interactions and follow up with relevant connections.
So, there you have it… knowledge and appreciation of PhD skills may vary not just between employers, but even between different representatives from the same organisation. Whilst this ‘patchiness’ can lead to confusion and mixed messages as to where you stand as a PhD holder, there are still things that you can do to take charge of the conversation, and not take ‘no’ for an answer.