Introduction to Career ChoicesResearch Staff

Dr. Tracy BussoliCareers Service

t.j.bussoli@lse.ac.ukBook an appointment: 020 7955 7135

Book an appointment: careers@lse.ac.uk.

Today’s objectives

• How do you decide what to do next?

• What are your options after a post-doc position?

• Action to take

Defining the current climate

On a post-it note write down:

• A positive feature of the current job climate for researchers?

• A negative feature of the current job climate?(How do we overcome these?)

Some StatisticsThe Good

• 70% of employers would welcome applications from people with PhDs (Vitae survey of > 100 employers)http://vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1271-205101/More-than-70-of-employers-would-welcome-more-applications-from-doctoral-researchers-a-new-study-finds.html

• Greater Earnings British men with PhD (26%) > British men with Bachelors

degree (14% more) > British men that chose not to go to university Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management

Some StatisticsThe Bad

• 2005 – 2009, USA produced 100,000 PhDs. There were 16,000 professorships offered in the same period. ‘Academic Pyramid’ (Economist Dec 16th 2010)

• Fewer full-time, permanent posts

• PhD commands 3% pay premium over a Masters!

• Competition from hard sciences! Government cuts particularly to A&H and Social Science funding

Either…Or…

Academic Career• Research fellowship

• Lectureships

Non-Academic Career• Policy Researcher• Research Strategy• Applications of your

specialism (public or private sector)

• Something completely different….

…or both?

• Increasing interest in a dual track career• Sustain academic research profile alongside

other career• Vital if you want to keep door open to return

to academia• Harder work, but keeps your career/earning

options open

• Career management no longer about what you want but what you can get

• Undertake key activities now to build for future choices

• Identify areas you can strengthen to enhance your chances

…or both?

Working in Academia

Maximising your success

In small groups, brain storm as many activities as possible that academics are

involved in their work.

Which of these are you currently doing?

What do you need to do more of to increase your chances of success?

Publishing in high impact journals/books

Writing research grants Supervision of research students

External PhD examining

Gaining Academic DistinctionsEditing of Journals

Grant ReviewingCollaborations with external organisations

Invitation to speak at National and International Meetings including invited keynote papers

Sitting on academic Committees

Being lucky … in the right place at the right time

Lots of networking

How do you diversify?

• Where is your own research going?– Disciplinary divergence, new topics, collaborations

• Potential to join existing research projects – Related or similar topics on others’ agendas

• The ‘compromise’ of a lectureship. Remain flexible.

• Keep your profile high – publish & present

Alternative Careers

Maximising your success

Using Self-Audit to make choices

• How can I use my skills in other markets?• Are there other audiences for my expertise?• What are employers looking for?• How do I adapt what I know for other (less

specialised markets)?• Have I neglected choices because they seem

‘beneath me’?• How (globally) mobile am I?

Self-Audit

• Not just about ‘what job do I want next?’

• Review full range of your strengths objectively– Skills– Expertise– Network

• Identify areas for development

Imagine you are talking to an employer within a think tank.

In pairs, explain to your partner how you have used your communication

skills during your time as a researcher.

Increasing your Chances of Success

Self-Promotion

• What is your professional profile?

• How are you perceived in the academic world and beyond?

• How healthy and useful is your network to you?

Using Self-Promotion to open up opportunities

• Polish your professional identit(ies)– CV, Business Card, Email tagline, Verbal– Use the right language to sell yourself– Be more than ‘Hi, I’m a post-doc at LSE…’

• Assess how you could broaden your academic reputation

• Audit your network – Build, broaden, maintain (Linked-in, professional

associations, conferences, public events)

Self Promotion and Networking

• In pairs/group think about NEW ways in which you need to promote yourself and network. What particular types of self-promotion to academics use in your field?

• Feedback.

Identify Prospects

• Look at external markets for your expertise• Broaden your vision by searching for jobs

– By Subject– By Role– Use specialised websites and trade press– Use your network– Speculative applications

• Identify grant and research project prospects

Creating Opportunities

• Volunteering• Internships• Speculative Applications

– Non-academic organisations– Newly funded research projects

• Conferences, seminars (organising and presenting)• Join other research centres as an unpaid member

Assessing your level beyond academia

• Can be difficult to know what you are worth – Financial, level of responsibility, degree of professional

independence • Some compromise is likely, so be realistic• Work hard at selling what you offer in transferable

terms – skills, language etc.• Learn to see yourself from the outside• Express how a job fits in your career development

Get Fresh Perspectives

• Confidence is key• Positive attitude to yourself, looking forward• Speak to others – get feedback and support

outside the academic environment• Don’t assume you’re not qualified for

something – what is your added value?

Further Support

• One-to-one guidance sessions; application feedback

• Careers Seminars for PhD students – Developing Career Choices– Applying for Academic Jobs– Applying for Non-Academic Jobs– Succeeding at Interview

Academic CareerResources

• Academics Support Kit (ASK). Boden, R., Epstein D., Kenway, J. 2004. SAGE Publications (www.sagepub.co.uk). Building your Academic Career; Getting Started on Research; Writing for Publication; Teaching and Supervision, Winning & Managing Research Funding; Building Networks.

• The Academic Career Handbook (reference copy in Careers Service), Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., Tight, M. 2001

• Cracking the academia nut. Newhouse, M. 1997 Surviving Your Academic Job Hunt – Hume, K. 2005. Advice for

humanities PhDs. Moving on in your career: a guide for academic researchers and

postgraduates. Graham, Barbara; Ali, Lynda. Routledge Falmer (17 Feb 2000)

Successful research careers - a practical guide Delamont, Sara et al. Open University Press (1 April 2004)

LSE Careers Website https://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/CareersAndVacancies/careersService/

internal/InformationCurrentStudents/PhDNew/AcadCareers/Home.aspx

Alternative CareersResources

1) Beyond the PhD for Arts and Humanitieshttp://www.beyondthephd.co.uk/

3) What do PhDs do? http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/14769/What-Do-PhDs-Do.html

4) Prospects. For graduates but a useful starting point for everyone looking at a new career. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/p!eLaXi

5) General books on career choice/developmenthttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Rainbow-Management/dp/185252300X

LSE Careers Websitehttps://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/CareersAndVacancies/

careersService/internal/InformationCurrentStudents/PhDNew/Non-academic%20careers/Home.aspx