PostGradual
We’ll get there…
From PhD to Consulting: An Insider’s Guide
‘The key is that you are not selling your subject knowledge, you’re selling your methodology.’ – Pierbruno Ricci, author of From Science to Consulting Whenever I talk to PhD researchers one-on-one about career options (which is, well, a LOT of the time…), I often ask them to tell me if they’ve looked at any options…
What does ‘industry’ mean if you’re a humanities PhD?
‘Society needs more, not fewer, people […] who can read, critique, and synthesise complex and competing arguments.’ – Katina L. Rogers, Putting the Humanities PhD to Work When I was coming towards the end of my English Lit PhD in 2011, there was very little ‘academia to industry’ chat happening. Had there been, I envision…
‘What if I hate life beyond academia?’ When the move doesn’t go to plan
I’ve never been much of a fan of romantic comedies. I mean, even before spending 8 years as a humanities student analysing and deconstructing narrative tropes and gender stereotypes (!), I never bought the way that so many of them end with the wedding, as if to say ‘ok, job done, it’s official now… story’s…
I have a PhD but don’t meet all the requirements for this job. What do I do?
‘How many of the criteria do I need to meet to be considered for a job?’ It’s a question that never goes away. It’s a particular bugbear for researchers looking to move into sectors beyond academia, as you try to grapple with industry jargon and decipher exactly what it is that employers are really looking…
Repackage your PhD: How to pitch your skills to any employer
I remember the day when weekends away with friends would begin by comparing the new outfits we’d each bought for the holiday. Now we’re into our 40s, it seems that comparing new threads has been replaced by comparing what medications we’re all on. C’est la vie. Anyway, one weekend over the summer I realised that…
Getting a Book Contract: Lessons and Takeaways
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write a book. In fact, some of my most vivid memories are attached to writing experiences, including: If you’re curious, to rectify the latter I managed to rejig, cut a chapter, and submit it elsewhere as a journal article… all fiiiiiiine in the end. Anyway……
Understanding employers beyond academia: tips for PhDs
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…
Teach It/ Consult It/ Represent It: Using your research for a portfolio career
Portfolio Career (n.): ‘working style where you combine multiple streams of income—often creating a mix of full or part-time employment, freelancing or working as a consultant.’- Caroline Castrillon writing for Forbes. Twice a year for the past seven years I’ve had the treat of spending time with our distance learning PhD researchers from arts &…
‘Where The Magic Happens’: How to raise your profile on LinkedIn (for PhDs)
“LinkedIn is ‘where the magic is happening,’ because you can start to become known more widely and also get in contact with a lot of people you might never meet in real life.” – Elena Hoffer: Co-Founder and CEO of Alma.Me **This post is a follow up to the June 2023 post focusing specifically on…
Research Skills Redefined: Leveraging simple thesis tactics to work out your next steps
‘Your research skills are by no means limited to a particular subject area. You can – and should – apply research skills to the job search itself.’ – Katina Rogers, Putting the Humanities PhD to Work (p.106) Picture the scene. It’s a Monday afternoon and you’re having lunch/coffee/PhD moral support chats with a pal. You’re…
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