The Career Change Mindset

What can I do with my PhD?

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.

Keep reading

Deciding where to live after academia.

Academia often puts our lives on hold. We don’t usually get to think about or even choose where to live. As we approach the end of academia, we get to re-set and intentionally choose where to live based on our own happiness.

Keep reading

Landing a promotion: Top tips post-PhD.

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…

Keep reading

Elevating your visibility in the workplace.

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.

Keep reading

Your manager shadow post-PhD and beyond.

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.

Keep reading

The advantages of remote working post-PhD.

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.

Keep reading

Living to work, or working to live: A new perspective.

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…

Keep reading

Managing your pension after your PhD.

Nobody likes to read or study about a pension. However, our PhD and studying years typically set us back in understanding and growing our pension, so it’s imperative we get to grips with it post-PhD and begin to understand and define a strategy that sets us up for success throughout…

Keep reading

Post PhD opportunities: The truth.

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.

Keep reading

Complaining about your career: A new perspective.

We all fall victim to complaining and moaning about our careers at some point. This is a concern if it becomes a regular pattern we find ourselves in. Rather than accepting this we must take ownership over the situation and make choices that move us towards our happiness.

Keep reading

Delayed gratification during and after your PhD.

Delayed gratification comes relatively easy for most PhD students. This personality trait can enable you to thrive in your long-term career and life more generally. However, it’s important we don’t let delayed gratification prevent us from reaching our goals and full potential.

Keep reading

Tips for salary negotiations post-PhD.

Academic and PhD positions are known for relatively low pay alongside reduced opportunities for salary negotiations. After finishing your PhD, this can be an unfamiliar topic. This post breaks down the best tips for salary negotiations.

Keep reading

Building an impactful career after your PhD.

Being ‘impactful’ is usually a reason to do a PhD. After the PhD, there can be concerns around losing this sense of impact and fulfilment. This post discusses how to continue having impact after your PhD, whether you stay in academia or not.

Keep reading

The significance of social mobility.

Social mobility in your career pertains to obtaining new and exciting opportunities. Identifying your transferable skills is key to getting the ball rolling as it will help breed new opportunities and move you towards a career that is right and fulfilling to you.

Keep reading

Setting your post-PhD salary goals.

Working out what salary you deserve and should be aiming for after your PhD is difficult. This post breaks down how to approach setting your post-PhD salary goals in order to build a life you will be satisfied with.

Keep reading

Career options for non-STEM PhDs.

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.

Keep reading

Having a growth mindset whilst job hunting.

Adopting a fixed mindset, believing that you cannot change or that you will always be a researcher can harm your job prospects. A growth mindset allows you to think about ways to overcome your obstacles, challenge the norm, and move towards the life you want to live.

Keep reading

Should I leave academia?

Leaving academia shouldn’t be taboo, shouldn’t be a trade-off from doing what you love, and it most certainly is not a definitive choice which you can’t go back on. These obstacles shouldn’t influence your decision when trying to work out if academia is right for you.

Keep reading

The mindset for leaving academia.

Before leaving academia, career changing and entering industry, it’s vital to get your head in the right frame of mind. Re-defining your identity and working through any shame for leaving academia is needed in order to move forward.

Keep reading

Donate to show your support:

Make sure you never miss a new post!