Your Social Sciences PhD – what next? Jenny Keaveney: Careers Adviser Your Social Sciences PhD – what next?

What this session will cover Opportunities with your degree Careers in academia: what they demand and what you need to offer Alternative options Making decisions Presenting your PhD to employers Useful information resources How the Careers & Employability Service can help

What are my opportunities? What do you want to do? What interests you? Where do you want to work? Do you need a Plan B? What do you have to offer? Previous qualifications? Relevant experience? Transferable skills What else might you need?

Skills developed through postgraduate research Communication – written and verbal Analytical skills Critical thinking Planning and organising Investigative skills Attention to detail Problem-solving Innovation Motivation

What do research graduates in Social Sciences do? Source: www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/reports/what-do-researchers-do-wdrd-by-subject-vitae-jun-2009.pdf

What do research graduates in Social Sciences do? Source: www.vitae.ac.uk/impact-and-evaluation/what-do-researchers-do/career-destinations-by-discipline-infographics-1/social-sciences-career-destinations-infographic

Careers in academia – what you need Academic achievement Is your research on track? Have you begun to publish your work? Skills & knowledge Do you have the confidence to defend your work effectively? Can you communicate your work to a range of audiences? What evidence do you have of your ability to teach? Can you work effectively with different people? What is the demand for academics in your specialist field?

Careers in academia – what they demand Motivation Are you prepared to take on all the different aspects of an academic career – not just research but also teaching and administration? Can you take responsibility for developing your own career and handle multiple tasks under pressure? How long are you prepared to spend seeking an academic position? Flexibility Are you willing to work outside the 9-5 pattern? Are you prepared to relocate if necessary? Can you teach outside your specialist area of research?

Alternative options – some possibilities Careers in areas related to your subject of study Legal practice International development officer Psychologist Criminal intelligence analyst Social worker Research careers outside universities Government research Think-tanks Consultancies Professional support roles in universities Library and information Administration Everything else!

Making decisions Treat choosing a career/finding a job like a research project: You need to do your homework, especially if you are considering a career outside of academia. Research your options and plan your strategy. Analyse your skills and interests – there is more to you than your research: Think about yourself: what did you like and dislike about your research? What else have you done? (part-time work, extra-curricular activities, volunteering) – and what did you gain from it? Think about your key skills and how they could be used in different contexts What are your key selling points? What makes you unique? A good starting point: “What job would suit me?” www.prospects.ac.uk/planner

Presenting your PhD to employers “You don’t really ‘do’ a PhD at all … you actually ‘do’ a whole range of highly skilled tasks in the pursuit of your research topic”. As well as carrying out research, you may do some or all of the following activities in order to develop your dissertation and prepare for your viva. present your work; teach undergraduates; write grant applications; publish articles and reviews; defend your arguments; conduct fieldwork; organise conferences. (http://jobsontoast.com/doing-a-phd/)

Presenting your PhD to employers 2011 – 2015 PhD Researcher, Kent Law School Managed a research project in … Secured funding and managed an £11000 per annum budget and expenses Undertook qualitative and quantitative research and analysed evidence to find solutions Created and interrogated databases Carried out statistical analyses …. Communicated findings through written papers and at conferences Successfully completed a 100,000 word thesis on schedule Based on a Humanities PhD graduate

Useful information resources Vitae www.vitae.ac.uk Working in higher education Career opportunities outside HE Research v. non-research careers Marketing yourself An Academic Career www.academiccareer.manchester.ac.uk Is an academic career for you? Have you got what it takes? Get your academic career on track Find your next position Consider the alternatives Jobs on Toast http://jobsontoast.com - how to get a job after your PhD

More useful information resources Career Planning Guide for Postgraduates and Contract Researchers www.jobs.ac.uk – vacancies in all areas of higher education (both academic and support roles) and careers advice http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/ Your PhD – what next? www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/phd-study/your-phd-what-next Academic jobs Non-academic jobs Develop your skills Job applications and CVs

How the Careers & Employability Service can help Individual guidance on career choices and putting them into action Help with CVs, application forms and interview preparation Extensive website www.kent.ac.uk/ces

THE CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY SERVICE Open 9.00 -5.00, Tuesday-Friday (10.30 – 5.00 Mondays) Help and advice on career choice, CVs, application forms, interviews, further study and more http://twitter.com/#unikentemploy University of Kent Student Employability http://unikentemploy.wordpress.com/ www.kent.ac.uk/ces

The University of Kent Careers and Employability Service www.kent.ac.uk/ces