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.

Looking for a side hustle as an academic or PhD student? Discover five profitable side hustles to help supplement your income whilst remaining connected to your research field.

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.

Landing a promotion in the workplace is often seen as the benchmark for success. However, most academics don’t approach this in the right way. To help achieve a promotion it’s important to leave our feelings at the door, keep the conversation open, and to start the discussion as early as possible.

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.

Throughout our academic journey, it’s easy for our career to be the reason we get up in the morning, thus we start living in order to work. However, a new perspective of working in order to live may encourage you to explore other opportunities, leading to a better routine and happier lifestyle.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Policy careers align with the PhD journey and your PhD skills. Policy careers provide a blend of research, report writing, and science communication whilst still having a positive impact on the world. If you loved academia, policy careers are for you to.

Research is the bread and butter of all PhDs. Being able to apply these skills to market research careers will enable you to stand out, access new career prospects, and thrive in a non-academic setting.

An analyst is a term which covers a broad set of skills and career options. As a PhD student, analytical skills and problem-solving are your key strengths. Understanding how these skills apply to non-academic analyst jobs will uncover some exciting opportunities.

Glassdoor is another great search engine to find the career you’re looking for. Company insights via reviews, salaries, additional benefits, and the interview process can inform you in your post-PhD job search.

Project management becomes so instinctive as a PhD student we forget it is even a skill. Being able to juggle your PhD and everything else that’s going on in your life should not be overlooked as a transferable skill.

Becoming an entrepreneur requires a broad set of skills that are complimented with incredible determination, resilience and motivation. Completing a PhD gives you all the core ingredients necessary to become a successful entrepreneur.

Consultancy is the most commonly discussed career path outside of academia after your PhD. This post covers what consultancy is, the skills you possess to excel, and potential caveats to consider for this career. 

Transitioning from a PhD to industry is hard enough as it is. This can feel ten times harder if your PhD is in a non-STEM subject. This post discusses how career change away from academia, and really optimise the value of your non-STEM PhD.

Not sure what you can do with your PhD? After you’ve identified your transferable skills, you can start identifying post-PhD career paths by mapping these skills to a range of opportunities.