What’s Next for You?

The early stages of an academic career can be exciting, uncertain and daunting, all at the same time. Our top tip is to find out what is needed to progress in your subject area as soon as possible, then decide how to use your time in Oxford to boost your chances of getting more senior, independent roles.

Remember, careers in academia are no longer as linear or predictable as they once were, making it all the more important to think creatively and investigate the diverse opportunities available in universities around the world.

We suggest you ask yourself some questions to check whether you are working on the basis of assumptions, or evidence:

Will I thrive in academia?

For all its celebration of freedom, creativity and innovation, academia has a strong work culture in the sense of traditions, expectations and systems for how things are done. Some of this can feel restrictive or repressive, particularly in the early to mid career stage - a fact that is increasingly recognised by initiatives to improve academic research culture (e.g. by Vitae, and the Royal Society). But such change takes time, probably longer than you are prepared to wait to decide  your next steps...

So, try to gauge how happy you think you could be in academic roles in the near future (likely these will be short-term contracts) and if you manage to secure a more permanent position. It can help to separate what it is you love about research from the things you enjoy or struggle with in academia. 

Do I know enough about the range of jobs I could do?

• See our academia & higher education career briefing for insight and resources

Do I understand the pathways available in my discipline and in the region where I aim to work?

• The routes to academic progression vary widely between subject areas. Check you have a full picture by  talking to others in your department beyond your immediate colleagues, and to researchers in your field at other universities.
• Some countries have highly structured systems for academic progression (e.g. Germany, the US), along with an annual hiring process made up of specific steps beginning up to a year before the role is expected to begin. Check your facts via sites listed in the external resources list in our page on Academia and Higher Education.
• The League of European Research Universities (LERU) has produced a set of Maps of academic career paths in nine European countries, including the UK. These outline the typical trajectory for researchers, the kinds of posts available at each career stage, how posts link to funding structures and points of transfer between routes and stages.

Am I fully aware of what people hiring for these roles look for in a candidate?

• Check your sense of what it takes to be competitive and strategic
• Get practical tips on thriving in academia from our Early Career Researchers blog - from a top-class application to deciphering the 'subtext' of interview questions...
• Read research on the contexts in which some progress while others struggle, for example:
  • Scaling the Ivory Tower: Merit and its limits in academic careers (in USA) (2018)
  • Mid-career academic women’s reluctance to overtly pursue prestige (2018)
  • The value given to competencies not made explicit in job descriptions (2014) such as
    • Vision: knowing what your contribution to knowledge will be in 20 years
    • Management and Leadership in research teams, funding bids etc.
    • Strategy: pro-active scanning and managing both personal horizons and those of your research group or department.
    • Boundary-Spanning: being able to interact across sectors, including through public engagement and impact work.

Do I know how to prepare myself to move forward?

• Vitae's pages on Pursuing an academic career are a great starting point for tips on how to prepare for an academic application.
• See our pages on writing Academic Applications and Interviews.
• For a North American perspective, see Scholarly Pursuits, a resource produced at Harvard.

Am I prepared for the likely emotional challenges ahead?

Career development experts often witness the high emotional costs of competing in the academic job market or even anticipating next steps. These can include anxiety, fear, loss of confidence or joy in their work, imposter syndrome, strain on relationships and depression. It is very important to gather a support team around you and practice self-care. See our tips in our page for researchers titled Responding to Change or Setbacks.

Gaining independence as a researcher

A framework can help you assess and plan your professional development. We suggest printing out the full version of Vitae's Researcher Development Framework (RDF). Because it shows the wide-ranging skills valued in academia, the RDF can look overwhelming. We recommend that you:

• identify key skills in your academic area on the circle diagram (consult your peers if in doubt);
• look at the table below to see what level of each skill is expected for your next step between completing a PhD and becoming independent;
• work out which skills you are already developing (and have evidence for), and identify any gaps;
• plan how to fill gaps in your study/working role or via training; discuss these with your supervisor, PI and/or a Careers Adviser, and plan your time accordingly.

Remember: postdocs and all research staff are encouraged to take dedicated time for professional development of their choosing within their contracted time according to University policy.

You don’t have to use your annual leave, and we advise planning development time into your year.

Now that the University has signed the Concordat for the Career Development of Researchers, it is anticipated that all fixed term research staff will be entitled to up to 10 days professional development leave per year doing activities of their choosing. This 10 day entitlement already applies to all research staff within the MPLS division, and similar policies are expected in Humanities, Social Sciences and Medical Sciences (the latter currently states up to 5 days). If you are unsure how to approach taking professional development leave with your PI, seek advice from your departmental administrator or HR manager.

It’s up to you to choose how best to use this time – conferences (where these are going ahead) can be great for networking, but there’s much more out there. See our Boosting Your Employability page for ideas.

Preparing to teach

A track record of teaching experience is required for lectureships and other teaching roles.

Finding opportunities to gain experience at Oxford is easier in some departments than others. Wherever you are, take the initiative: let senior colleagues know your availability and what you can offer.

It can be frustrating that Oxford’s tutorial approach offers relatively few openings to get involved in teaching undergraduates. Remember that the Oxford system is highly unusual, and that the vast majority of universities look for experience in delivering lectures to large numbers of students and running weekly seminars. You can get gain relevant experience by giving talks, facilitating or contributing to seminars in your department, local schools, youth groups or adult education settings. If you are a postdoc with some experience, consider taking the PGCert qualification, as outlined below.

Oxford-trained researchers have secured lectureships having done some part-time teaching in another nearby university. Keep an eye out for short-term or part-time positions, and reach out to your equivalent departments in Warwick, Oxford Brookes, Reading, Bath, one of the London group or even the Open University, to offer a module related to your specialisms.

Teaching qualifications also help. The Oxford Centre for Teaching and Learning offers a range of courses and other forms of support to all DPhils and staff involved in, or keen to start, teaching. Postdocs looking to consolidate existing teaching experience are welcome to apply for a place on the one-year, part-time course to gain a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The programme is designed to fit around work commitments, and actively encourages trainees to look outside Oxford to how teaching is designed and delivered elsewhere, plus ways of teaching inclusively and using technology.

Be aware that senior academics appointing new teaching staff in many UK universities will be thinking about how candidates will help them score well in the next TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework). Read up to make sure you understand what is being measured, and talk to people in departments advertising roles to identify their priorities for retaining or improving teaching quality.

More and more people are choosing to do a PhD, many with an initial plan to become an academic. Most quickly discover that the academic job market in Europe and the US has not grown at the same pace, meaning fierce competition for relatively few permanent positions.

Combining an academic role with others is increasingly common. For some, this is a short-term strategy to muster the publications or other credentials for a competitive academic application. For others, it is a career choice to achieve variety and develop expertise in different sectors. The trend is stronger in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and is growing in the Sciences.

Researchers who are shrewd, seeing where their technical expertise can add value beyond the university, are often very successful in getting work as an independent consultant to organisations looking to influence policy or innovative R&D. 

With time and experience, these roles can be the bridge into permanent positions in organisations that rely on sound research, or the basis for straddling academia and practice through research partnerships or fellowships with an applied angle.

Look for initiatives offering short, part-time opportunities, for example ReShape Co, Oxford Strategy Group and consider joining our Researcher Strategy Consultancy skills programme as a first step.

For more insights into how combining roles can work in practice, see our pages on Freelancing and Portfolio Careers, plus the related workbook to help you plan this well: Portfolio Careers: How to optimise and manage them, available in the 'Our resources' section of the page.

You can find further guidance and entry points via:

• Networking
• Our contacts list for local employers who participated in the most recent OX and Start-Ups Fair: Remember; these organisations have paid to feature in the booklet because they want to receive enquiries and often especially from researchers. Ask them to suggest ways in which you can gain insights into the company or explore possible work experience opportunities.
• Finding Work in Oxford
• Using recruitment agencies

There are two bits of (fun) research you need to do to explore effectively.  The first is to understand yourself, and the second to understand the world of work out there.

To discover more about yourself (what is important to you, what you enjoy and are good at) try a relevant online PhD careers planning tool (listed below under Looking for Ideas?) or Oxford's new Career Weaver.

And to learn about a range of work opportunities available to you, start by looking at what others with similar backgrounds or interests have done ...

Read the profiles of doctoral graduates and former research staff now working in diverse, rewarding roles on research-careers.org. You will be surprised and encouraged to see where people are now using their research skills, and what helped in their transition from academia.

LinkedIn is a vast database stretching across the globe. You can always find at least a dozen people with similar background and interests, and see where they now work, in what role and the steps they took between a PhD or postdoc and their current position.

If you now have ideas about attractive work areas, browse our relevant sector webpages to learn about different roles, entry points, any prior experience needed and job search strategies.

Talking to people working in any given sector will give you the best flavour of their working world, and can open opportunities to visit, do some work-shadowing or an internship to gain more insight. Make sure you hear about events and opportunities offered by employers keen to recruit from Oxford. Sign up to receive these email invitations via CareerConnect and keep an eye on our termly calendars.

For further inspiration and an understanding of what counts in career progression: read biographies of people in a range of work sectors, or listen to The Life Scientific, the Reith Lectures and even Desert Island Discs. Many invited guests did a doctorate and/or significant research at some point in their career.

Researchers can be excellent entrepreneurs – whether through their original ideas or a love of thinking creatively with others. With so much going on around the University and city to support entrepreneurial activity, keep an eye on Enterprising Oxford  to see how you can learn more. Remember, this is for everyone, not just those who may have an idea for a start-up!

There are many ways to dip your toes into a new work area that cost very little time or energy.

Our top tip: Think strategically and creatively about the overlap between your research and the interests of local or national organisations. Once you have identified these connections, you can mention these when making a speculative approach expressing your enthusiasm to learn more about their work and contribute in practical ways. For example, you might propose assisting them with short projects, designing an internship that would best suit their needs, or work-shadowing.

Internships or part-time projects are a great way to gain insight into a new field, develop your skills and strengthen your professional networks. Many lead to job offers.

• Employers list a range of internships, (non-academic) fellowships and part-time roles on our opportunities page in CareerConnect, the majority of which are open to all researchers - whether staff or students - at Oxford.
• If you are keen to set up a bespoke internship, start with our tips on setting up your own internship or work experience and finding a research internship, plus look out for our regular seminars on Securing an Internship as a Researcher (open to staff and students).

All research students can apply to all our summer internships and termly micro-internships. Sign up to the internships alert mailing list (via 'Keep Updated' on the internship homepage). You can book an appointment with an internship specialist for advice on your application or how to approach organisations via hello@careers.ox.ac.uk.

If your DPhil is funded by a research council, ask your department about Doctoral Internships. These excellent schemes let you choose the organisation, cover all costs and give you an extension on your submission date. They are currently offered in Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Humanities and Social Science. Other research councils may offer them soon.

If you are not funded by a research council, ask your department about Knowledge Exchange or other grants that allow you to propose an experience with an external organisation related to your research or in a sector you might want to work in.

SEO Careers focuses on helping students with disabilities or from under-represented and under-served communities to secure places on some of the most rewarding and competitive internship programmes in the UK. Opportunities for Black and minority ethnic (BAME) students are also available through Rare Recruitment.

Get a broad perspective

Although data on post-PhD or post-postdoc transitions isn’t collected as consistently as the post-bachelor degree data, some larger-scale insights on what researchers do next are available.

Two Vitae reports provide a useful overview of early career researcher development. The first (2009) report analyses data collected from PhD students at UK universities on their post-PhD employment. A more recent (2016) report details the career progression of early career (postdoc) researchers.

Zoom in to individual experiences

Individual accounts of how other researchers have used their training to develop fulfilling career paths may inspire career thoughts if you are currently unsure what your next role might be.

• Research-Careers.org, developed by early career researchers in Oxford and beyond, features a expanding number of profiles of researchers who have transitioned out of academia.
• Vitae’s website contains an expansive set of researcher career profiles including academic/research as well as non-academic roles.
• The Royal Society’s website also contains some interesting researcher profiles; including some transitions back into, as well as out of, academia.
• A growing range of podcasts and blogs chart the extraordinary variety of possible post-academic ('alt-ac') careers; try Cheeky Scientist and PhDCareerStories for starters.

Networks matter. We see this through our work with researchers, and the insight is backed up by an article in FEMS Microbiology Letters about PhD student and postdoc job-searching: “Making meaningful connections and building relationships can be more valuable than other job-related skills… to progress within many professions.” (Blackford, 2018).

While you are in Oxford, make the most of your opportunities to build cross-disciplinary links and get actively involved in groups where you can meet people with different experiences and perspectives. Students have ample opportunity to network through colleges, doctoral training groups and student societies. If you’re employed here, join the Oxford Research Staff Society (OxRSS) for a warm welcome, a wide variety of social and professional networking activities, and the opportunity to express your views through departmental voice reps. Most student societies are also open to early career researchers.

Signing up for divisional training events is a great way to meet others outside your direct field of study, exchange ideas about potential career moves, all in addition to strengthening your skills profile.

The university’s inter-disciplinary research centres, such as The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), the Oxford Martin School, the Global Priorities Institute or Oxford E-research Centre (and many more) provide excellent opportunities to connect with researchers beyond your discipline.

Tap into resources in your department to find out where alumni in your field now work. Ask your departmental administrator how you can get involved in alumni events and/or use the alumni database.

Research@Oxford

Research@Oxford is a new online search and discovery tool. It is accessible internally only for researchers, research facilitators, divisional offices, OUI, research students, senior management and others to find information about research activity across the University, and includes staff profiles, publications, grants, professional activities, and more. Research@Oxford delivers a wide range of benefits, and will help:

• users to identify researchers with specific expertise
• researchers to find potential collaborators across the university, through tags and keyword searches (e.g. public policy)
• staff to match researchers with potential funders, collaborators or policymakers, to maximise research and impact opportunities.

Research@Oxford is accessible internally only at researchers.ox.ac.uk via the Oxford University network (+VPN).

Oxford Alumni

My Oxford Network

A state-of-the-art networking platform exclusively for Oxford alumni, My Oxford Network has over 17,000 alumni willing to help.

150 Regional Alumni Groups

There are currently more than 350,000 alumni around the world and in excess of 150 regional alumni groups in over 90 countries; so wherever you are in the world you are sure to find Oxonians near you. Some of these groups are run jointly with Cambridge alumni. If you are new to a region, or just passing through, do contact the local group secretary to let them know!

Harness the power of LinkedIn

The search function on LinkedIn is an excellent way to identify former DPhil students and researchers whose fields of study or interest overlap with yours, see where they now work and what their current roles entail. You can use this technique for any university or institution with which you have a strong affiliation.

Having identified individuals with interesting career paths, you can then explore their employers’ websites to learn more about what those organisations do, whether you would be a good fit, and any potential opportunities. See our Networking guidance for more tips on how to do this.

Remember: Be specific with your keywords when you search because the LinkedIn database is very large. Include ‘Oxford’ (or other institution), your college or your department to pinpoint people whose training and experience correspond to yours. If you then decide to get in touch with someone whose profile you have seen, having those things in common may also increase the likelihood that you receive a response.

Take heart - you're doing the right thing in asking yourself the question 'Is an academic career path really the best for me?' It is often hard to see the many roles where researchers add value and find satisfaction when you're living in Oxford and surrounded by academics!

Yet the vast majority of researchers will review their career ambitions during their DPhil or research contract, ready to move into other sectors.

To begin reviewing your options, choose a relevant free online career exploration and planning tool. We recommend that you start with one of the tools mentioned below.

ImaginePhD is designed for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences, yet those from other disciplines can use this tool. It will help you to:

• assess your career-related skills, interests, and values
• explore 16 job families
• access and save links to extensive information about job families in one convenient place
• identify skills gaps related to different career paths of interest
• map out next steps for career and professional development success.

MyIDP (Individual Development Plan) is designed for science graduate students and postdocs. It will help you identify career goals that are right for you and develop a step-by-step plan to reach them. MyIDP is a four-step process which includes:

• Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests and values
• A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which best fit your skills and interests
• A tool for setting strategic goals, with optional reminders to keep you on track
• Articles and resources to guide you through the process

Career Weaver is a web-based application developed by the Careers Service to help you identify, take ownership of and clearly articulate

• what you love
• what you are good at
• why you do it.

It is designed for anyone, at any stage of study or work, to take a step back and think about what matters most at this point in life. You can use the results to inform your Career Planning or bring them to an appointment with a Careers Adviser.

If you're looking for data on researcher employment, stories from researchers on their career journeys or a planning tool that maps academic research training onto career development, go to the careers section of the Vitae website.

We think these tools are great. But remember - introspection can only get you so far. It is then time to start talking to people and trying out different kinds of work, whether through a placement, internship volunteering, or simply asking someone if you can work-shadow them for a few hours. For practical steps towards these, read the section above "Exploring beyond academia'.

If you would like to discuss any of the above, please make an appointment with a Careers Adviser, several of whom have postdoctoral experience in academia and other sectors.

For help with setting up a CareerConnect account or any other matter related to appointments, contact the Careers Service Reception team on hello@careers.ox.ac.uk or at 01865 274646.

If you are an existing University staff member, you can apply for jobs advertised on the internal jobs board via Oxford University's HR Self Service page; see the FAQs page for more information.

And if you have worked at the University continuously for two or more years, you may be considered as a Priority Candidate. Find out more via the HR pages.

In and around Oxford there are many organisations keen to employ researchers. Start by coming along to this and other upcoming Careers Fairs.

Another good way to learn about links between University research and local organisations is Enterprising Oxford  who host excellent meet-ups and other events, open to all.

For more ideas, see Finding work in Oxford.