Skill stacking empowers academics and post-graduate students to thrive by combining diverse skills, expanding career prospects, and making a broader impact in the working world.

PhD graduates with strong research and analysis skills can excel in post-academic careers in industry, government, start-ups, tech, non-profit organisations, and academic roles beyond post-doc positions.

At some point we all google or search ‘what can I do with my PhD?’, only to be met with unhelpful advice and non-specific guidance. To really understand what we can do with our PhD we need to think about our careers differently and break the mould of academia.

As an academic you may be likely to have career gaps or be inclined to take one. Overall, a career gap is personal to your journey and important. When it comes to job searching, it’s important you’re able to explain your career gap positively and offer reassurance you’re ready to thrive in the world of work again.

Historically, you should stay in a job for a minimum of 2 years. It’s becoming more common for people to move after 1 year. Changing jobs comes with both pros and cons, here we discuss them in detail.

Knowing what to put in your CV and résumé is the first step. To take it to the next level it’s important to portray the same information but in a more aesthetic, simple, and professional way. Being able to express yourself and your personal brand from the first interaction will improve your chances of landing your dream job.

Academia is often siloed and a lonely journey. Knowing how to foster your career visibility in the workplace doesn’t come naturally to academics and PhDs. It’s an important skill to learn and develop when outside of academia. It will be essential to supercharging your career progression.

When it comes to career changing, it’s inevitable that you’ll be asked ‘why leave academia’. If you’re not careful, your answer could ruin the interview. It’s important to pause and use it as an opportunity to emphasise what attracts you to the current role, helping to elevate your personal brand.

Being a manager isn’t as straight forward as it seems. Having adept interpersonal skills to foster support and develop those around you is essential. As you progress up the ladder it’s important to think about your manager shadow - how others perceive you, model and emulate your behaviour.

Remote working has become increasingly easier to find, with it being a strong selling point for employers. This perk is not to be underestimated. If used correctly, remote working can drastically improve your quality of life in as many ways as you can imagine.

The word of tech is here to stay, with it drastically set to continue revolutionising the world of work. But what do you do if you want a slice of this pie? This post provides a breakdown on how to transition into tech no matter your background, and some career options to help you make the jump.

Starting your job search after your PhD can feel daunting and unclear of when to actually get a move on. As with most things this depends on a range of personal factors, but in this post we provide you with a timeline to keep in mind.

LinkedIn is one of the most effective and popular tools to search and identify jobs. Additionally, connecting with others via LinkedIn can help grow your professional network, identify careers, and validate your skills all at the drop of a message.

Freelancing is another career opportunity you could explore after your PhD. Being able to set up on your own can provide a different quality of life outside the 9-5, with significantly more flexibility on your working hours. This post breaks down how to get started with freelancing and what it consists of.

Often, we get caught up presenting ourselves as a well accomplished academic. However, if we’re looking to move out of academia it’s vital that we start rebranding ourselves and our skills in a way that feels more tangible and translatable. Here’s how.

It’s easy to believe that non-academic and academic opportunities post PhD are scarce. However, this isn’t the full truth – it isn’t necessarily easy, but we can guarantee you it’s nowhere near as hard as you think. You just need the right ingredients.

It’s easy to overlook the wider perks a job may offer. We usually look at the salary, location, the role itself and possibly the culture. Including perks into the decision making is important to ensure we’re moving towards our happiness and fulfilling our life values.

Leadership and mentoring skills are often hard to foster during a PhD due to limited opportunities. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t highlight it as a transferable skill or something you can consciously work on whilst in your PhD.

Academia will equip you with a range of skills that are well suited to careers in start-ups. Similarly, they provide a host of new opportunities that academia can’t offer. This posts outlines whether working in start-ups could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Recruitment is a career many PhD students overlook. However, much of the skills acquired during the PhD set you up for success for this profession. Here we break down the skills needed for recruitment and things to consider about this career option.