While you could interpret the phrase “after the phd” in the headline of this post as something to be addressed once you know the date of your defence in your planning, it’s never too early to start considering your goals for the future.
If you want to pursue a PhD, it’s important to understand that you will need to have a lot of patience and tenacity (eazyresearchwp, 2020). The various job alternatives you have will be covered in today’s post. You probably already know that not every PhD student stays in academia after graduation. PhD holders are needed in all sectors of society, and your academic background has prepared you for a wide range of problems. Of course, you should also adequately prepare for the job for which you are appearing for an interview.
So let’s examine the various choices and routes you could take after earning your PhD:
Teacher’s position
Some people acquire an academic position right away without doing a postdoc first. Because you lack the post-doc years to increase your publications, you might be at a little disadvantage if you join a tenure-track academic programme right out of graduate school. As a young faculty member, you will often devote a significant amount of time to instruction.
You may be considering applying for a faculty post at the university where you received your PhD, but you may be aware that there aren’t many opportunities. You might discover that other regions of the world are scrambling to hire persons with a PhD title to join their faculty, though, if this is the career path you are considering and you are willing to make a shift and become an academic nomad. The best candidates for this choice are developing nations.
Working in an undergraduate institute
Undergraduate institutions are referred to as “hogeschool” in the Netherlands and Belgium; these schools exclusively award undergraduate degrees and conduct smaller-scale, directly applicable research initiatives. Similar systems can be found at institutions that are primarily colleges with a teaching focus in different parts of the world.
PhD holders are required to teach in these institutions and do applied research. Compared to larger, older colleges, these institutions often have closer ties to the industry.
Consultant to policymakers
A person who is knowledgeable about the technical literature and current research and who can convey the findings to legislators and policymakers to help them in their decisions serves as the link between researchers and decision-makers. We want to research to improve the world, but we also want that knowledge to be applied in real life. Policy makers’ consultants are involved in this step.
Commercial consultant
Even if you hold a PhD in neuroscience and believe business is not for you, prominent consulting businesses regularly hire PhD grads from a variety of disciplines. These businesses will watch out for you if you know how to manage enormous amounts of data. You can often join them for a weekend where you are given a business case to solve if you want to learn more about the work of these companies.
Turn into an entrepreneur
Why not launch your own business and create a salvable product based on your research? There is a programme called yes! Delft in delft that can assist you in beginning your project, and other colleges offer comparable programmes.
You can also launch a business unrelated to your PhD study right away. PhD holders establish businesses that serve as independent researchers, professional proofreaders, technical translators, career and/or research advisors to PhD students, and independent researchers.
Government
You could conduct research (academic roles), serve as the connection (position no. 6: adviser to policymakers), or enter the public sector and put your skills to use in a government organisation. You might be employed by one of the ministries, where your comprehension of complicated issues aids in making wise decisions. Making the best decisions, for instance, in the transportation industry, requires a thorough comprehension of a convoluted transportation system (remember that research has shown that building more roads only leads to more traffic and does not solve complex traffic problems).
Alternatively, you may use your sharp mind to rise through the ranks of a political party and finally, ideally, become a minister to serve your nation. The former prime minister of Belgium, who is credited with guiding the nation through the euro crisis, has a PhD in chemistry (Lantsogh, (2016).
Science journalism and science communication
Do you take pleasure in describing to your friends and family the larger significance of your work? You might be interested in a career in science journalism or science communication. Universities require scientific communicators because they serve as the conduit between the general public and the research article publication. Newspapers and periodicals rely on science journalists to stay abreast of new publications and present them in a more readable format that emphasises their effects on the world around us.
Your arena of experience
It is possible to work for a business in your area of expertise (in my instance, that would include anything from a bridge design firm to a significant contractor). While some view a PhD as a pointless additional degree and a waste of time (you could have gained practical experience in that time!), the majority of employers agree that PhD holders add value to their organisations and are qualified to take on more challenging tasks and apply their highly developed skill sets.
POST-DOC
Perhaps the most common progression in academia is getting a post-doc position. The duration of post-doc contracts varies (between 1 year and 4 years, typically). One choice is to continue working on your PhD-related project at the same institution where you received your PhD. During your post-doc years, you can publish the research you conducted for your PhD and expand your research network.
Anything you wish
You can advance your career. You don’t have to pick one (academics or business) and follow it for the rest of your life. Throughout your life, you will change jobs and careers some times, you can even work with best college essay writing service. Follow your passions. Stick to your nose. Enjoy the journey.
References
Eva Lantsoght (2016). Career Opportunities after the PhD. https://www.academictransfer.com/en/blog/career-opportunities-after-the-phd/
eazyresearchwp (2020). How to become a successful Ph.D. student. https://eazyresearch.com/blog/how-to-become-a-successful-ph-d-student/
