PGR pathways
Postgraduate researchers from Nottingham work in a wide variety of careers and in a variety of job roles within and outside academia.
Using a broad pathways approach helps to initiate career action earlier and offers you a way of exploring your options before rushing to the job search stage.
Academic career
It is important to understand the career journey from PhD to academic. Exploring how you might need to develop as a researcher, teacher and manager can help to identify whether this is the career for you.
Find out about an academic career
Careers using professional research skills
Professional research skills such as exploration, analysis and critical thinking are used in many roles and organisations from charities to commercial businesses. Some PGRs will want to combine these skills with working in an organisation or role which will also use their broad academic discipline background. For example: policy analyst or research officer in a think tank.
Careers using specialist research skills outside academia
There could also be opportunities to focus on a particular skill or PhD experience and use that to investigate career options. If you have enjoyed writing and communicating, would a career in academic publishing be an option?
For some their specialist research area is in demand - wearable technologies and renewable energies would be recent examples.
Careers using your academic discipline
Another option for exploration could be generated by moving back into the breadth of your academic discipline and considering different roles and organisations within this context.
Some options in the vocational disciplines such as engineering and science would be obvious. For others, there may be a need to explore organisations connected to your discipline.
Recruiters of arts and humanities PGRs
Hear employers talk about the value of your skills and background, how your qualities can map across to different career areas, and how to communicate this effectively when applying for jobs. Find out how might to take the next steps in securing a role or placement.
Login to the Careers SharePoint site to view the recording of the webinar.
Alumni - please email us to access this recording.
Arts and humanities students: Communicating the value of your degree
Watch this presentation, aimed at arts and humanities PGRs, by Chris Humphrey, PhD from Jobs on Toast.
Login to MyCareer to watch this video
Graduate careers
The graduate career pathway is one that can be overlooked or seen as a 'step backwards'. Some PGRs do want to explore a complete change of career direction, it does not mean that they have been unsuccessful or have had a bad experience, they may simply want to do something different.
Find out more about graduate careers