Career Strategies for PhD Students Session 3: Options outside of academia

Rebecca Valentine

Career Adviser

Introductions

Orientation

Participation

Confidentiality

Mobile phones switched off

Course handbooks

Introductions

Session objectives

To be aware of some of the career options outside of academia that are available to PhD graduates

To be aware of sources of further information and how you can research your ideas further

To consider how to market your PhD experience to potential employers

To understand employers’ approaches to recruiting PhD graduates

To hear from some Business School PhD Alumni about their career experiences

Generating ideas Resources listed in course handbook p 3: www.ed.ac.uk/careers > Guide to Occupations What do researchers do? Vitae career paths for doctoral students Vacancy databases including SAGE Careers fairs and employer presentations TargetJobs Careers Report / Prospects Planner Professional associations Company directories and databases

What do researchers do? Business and Management research graduates are the

largest group within social sciences Highest employment rate 6 months after graduation (86%) Education and teaching professionals (HE & FE) – 51% Commercial, industrial and public sector managers – 23% Researchers – 10% Business and financial professionals – 8%

See www.vitae.ac.uk > Publications > What do researchers do? (First destinations and three years on)

Teacher – explaining fractions to a class of 7-year-olds

Careers adviser – finding ways of engaging students with career planning

Town planner – how to solve traffic congestion outside local primary school

Tax consultant – how to minimise the tax liability of a company

Civil engineer – how to reduce the problem of ‘bounce’ on a bridge

Environmental officer – how to meet re-cycling targets

Personnel manager – how to introduce new patterns of shift working without alienating the workforce

Academic – how to manage the departmental budget for maximum benefit

Problem Solving

Generating ideasExample based on “Problem Solving”

Speed group activity

Each group has a flipchart with a different skill/competency

Come up with some jobs where that skill would be important and suggest how it might be used

After 2 minutes, pass your flipchart on to the next group

Researching career ideas

www.ed.ac.uk/careers > Guide to Occupations (Occupational profiles, Day in the Life series, Connect.Ed database)

www.prospects.ac.uk > Types of Jobs www.vitae.ac.uk > Career profiles and research vs non-

research careers Professional associations Work shadowing/experience Networking including informational interviews

Networking Creating opportunities to gather information and connecting

with people with a shared interest Start with your existing networks – family, friends, colleagues,

academic staff, other University departments… Other resources:

Connect.Ed databaseCareers fairs and employer eventsProfessional bodiesSocial media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter,

Academia.edu… Online can be a good place to start if you lack confidence

Informational interviews Short meetings or phone conversations with someone

about their work, organisation or sector Particularly useful if you can visit the interviewee’s

workplace to observe their work environment Valuable source of occupational information Could be followed up with work shadowing/experience Keep in touch! Page 23 of handbook – tips for setting up interviews Page 24 of handbook – list of possible questions to ask

Informational interviews - tips Be specific in your requests You only need around 20 minutes of the person’s time to

ask some questions Explain that you are considering their field as a career

option and would appreciate the chance to learn more about it

Emphasise that you are asking him or her for information and advice (not a job or work experience)

Remain true to this agenda Make a good impression by dressing appropriately and

arriving in good time

Informational interviews - tips Have focussed, meaningful questions prepared in advance Stick to the agreed time limit At the end of the meeting, make sure to ask for

suggestions on other people you might talk to Follow up your meeting by writing a thank-you note Keep your new contact informed as you make progress –

your paths may cross in the future!

Informational interviews - questions About the Individual e.g. What do you enjoy most about

this industry, the company, and your job? About the Job e.g. What do you do in a typical day or

week? About Skills e.g. What are the most valuable skills in your

job? Which experiences enabled you to develop these skills?

About the Company e.g. What do you see as the biggest competitive challenge for your company?  

About the Industry e.g. What have been your biggest surprises in this field?  

About Me e.g. What kind of job responsibilities could I expect as a new entrant?

Coffee break

Marketing your PhD experience

Discuss in pairs:Positive perceptions of PhD graduates among employers (5 mins then feedback)

Negative perceptions (5 mins)

Now join up with another pair and discuss strategies to overcome negative perceptions (5 mins then feedback)

Positive and negative perceptions Positive – more mature, analytical and research skills, ability to

work autonomously, project management skills e.g.:“We like PhDs in our business sector – they never take anything at face value.

That is a real bonus in a business compliance function. Their philosophical training and critical judgement have a direct application in business services, whatever the topic of their research”.

(Head of Graduate Recruitment, Big 4 Professional Services Firm)

Negative – narrowness of interest, lack of interpersonal skills, lack of team work skills, too old to mould to huskiness needs, over expectation in terms of salary and career progression e.g.:

“We are concerned that they are isolated by their background in research. They may not fir into the team environment. They may also be too specialist in that they are only interested in their topic and don’t make connections to other issues”

(Empress Report)

Approaches to recruiting PhD graduates

BIS (2010) 4 types of employers of postgraduates: Trawlers (employers recruiting to general requirements, PG

applicants treated the same as first degree applicants) Spear fishers (seeking PG applicants with specific

capabilities, PG qualification a requirement) Anglers (employers expect PG applicants to have distinct

advantage but first degree applicants might also be suitable) Harvesters (employers using multiple means to attract and

retain PG applicants for different parts of the business) Baitless (employers who do not seek PG applicants)

Understanding the bigger picture

Globalisation – complex job market, relocation of industrial activities, greater competition and wider opportunities

Within sector trends – hot topics and key growth areas/trends (e.g. environmental concerns, IT/manufacturing off-shoring, power and renewable energy)

The wider economy – impact of the recession Geographical variation – clusters or distinct regional areas

or widespread opportunities? Organisational changes – outsourcing (eg IT and HR),

breaking down of boundaries or who does what (eg use of consultants, contractors, interim managers

A different perspective

In small groups Look at the statements on the card, discuss and put into

order of popularity (5 mins) Feedback and discussion What does this mean for your job search strategy?

Moving forward - Developing a strategy and action plan

Why?

Encourages systematic exploration rather than random searching

Gives you a framework which helps you see that you are making progress

Gives you a timetable for action so you can meet deadlines and move forward

8 Steps to Action Planning1. Identify your overall goal2. Set SMART objectives -

Specific, Measurable, Advantages, Realistic, Timebound

3. Split your goal into smaller tasks

4. Consider any constraints and challenges

5. Identify help available

6. Map out opportunities and resources

7. Create realistic timescales

8. Review your progress & evaluate outcomes

Further support3rd floor Main Library, George SquareTel 0131 650 4670

careers@ed.ac.uk

www.businessandeconomicscareers.wordpress.com

http://researchstudentcareers.wordpress.com/

Other sessions

Marketing yourself effectively (CVs, applications and interviews)Planning an academic career: Job search and application strategiesIntroduction to MBTI

Experiences of PhD graduates