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Non-academic research careers: Pros, cons and skills required

As an early career researcher, having completed your PhD., or first postdoctoral position, you may be passionate about working in a research environment. However, what if you’re not convinced that academia is the right career setting for you? In this article, we will give you a practical insight into the diverse research opportunities available outside of academia, discussing the skills needed alongside the pros and cons of making the move.
Written on Mar 01 2017

As an early career researcher, having completed your PhD., or first postdoctoral position, you may be passionate about working in a research environment. After all, this is precisely what your training has geared you towards to date. However, what if you’re not convinced that academia is the right career setting for you? In this article, we will give you a practical insight into the diverse research opportunities available outside of academia, discussing the skills needed alongside the pros and cons of making the move.

Reasons you might consider non-academic research

After finishing a doctorate, the traditional academic career path often involves taking on a succession of short-term postdoctoral positions of two to three years. The main aim being — to bolster your publication record and experience, so you can apply for a permanent lectureship or research fellowship.

There is a natural attrition in the number of positions available from PhD to postdoctoral level, and subsequently to lectureship level. Effectively, there are a relatively large number of PhD positions available when compared to lectureships posts, forming a career pyramid. Competition for permanent or tenure track roles is high, as a result. This can leave some early career researchers referring to the period where they move between short-term contracts as being in ‘post-doc limbo.’

 

Competition for permanent or tenure track roles is high...this can leave some early career researchers referring to the period where they move between short-term contracts as being in 'post-doc limbo.'

 

Once you obtain a permanent position, finance for your research needs to be secured by the ongoing submission of grant or fellowship applications to relevant funding bodies. This academic career path does not appeal to everyone. If you don’t feel strongly motivated about gaining a lectureship but do enjoy research, the good news is, there are many other career paths available.

Industry research careers

There are multifarious employers for researchers in the private sector that you may not have considered, including: contract research organisations; (CRO’s); the pharmaceutical industry; biotechnology firms; physical science related industries (including energy, security and defence); the chemical industry; engineering firms; companies involved in social and risk assessment; telecommunications; software and IT; informatics; cosmetics and food and drink manufacturers, to name a few.

Recruitment and skills

If you’ve decided to make the transition, it’s worth looking at how you shape up against the key skills sought by industry. Aside from specific technical expertise they are advertising for, they will also be looking at how adaptable you are. A demonstration of flexibility is seen as a key asset, as you may change projects and work in interdisciplinary teams.

Any direct prior industry experience, however small, is also highly valued. Don’t forget to include any industry funding received during your studies. In addition, sociability, including your capacity to work as part of a team, give presentations and communicate with peers, is also seen as essential.

 

“Any direct prior industry experience...is highly valued.”

 

The recruitment process varies between employers but the initial screen is usually your CV, (although in some cases you may be required to fill in a standardised application form instead of the latter) and a cover letter. Remember to tailor anything you send in to the company you are applying to, which will involve some background research. It’s best to limit yourself to a two page length for CV and include the most relevant experience on the first page. (For more tips, see our recent article on CV writing for research posts).

Industry employers may also include a screening interview over the phone and a personality test sent to you in electronic format. Some companies invite you to attend a dinner or a lunch with colleagues as part of the interview process, to ascertain how you interact with peers. It is important to note that this is part of the recruitment process and to treat it accordingly.

As part of the interview, you are frequently required to give a presentation either on your current research, or on a specific topic or question that your recruiter provides you with beforehand. Preparation with plenty of practice thrown in, therefore pre-empting potential discussions and questions should stand you in good stead for a successful outcome here. Standard aptitude tests under timed conditions could also be part of the process.

Remember to talk to anyone in your network who works for the industry you are applying too. A useful approach is to speak to someone who is a few years ahead of you in their career path. They can still relate to your position, and also comment on the progress they have made. Make sure you glean some additional information about the company’s approach and on what to expect from the recruitment process.

Pros for working in Industry

Researchers who make the transition to private companies, often cite gaining a permanent position as being a motivating factor. Additionally, they quote that the starting salary is typically higher than their counterparts in academia, adding there are more opportunities for promotion. They feel that there are more personal benefits offered like private healthcare, childcare provision and private pensions. Also, they face fewer funding restrictions for their work. Some state that they enjoy the element of applied research, where there is a commercial end-point and application.

Day to day, they often have to work in multi-disciplinary teams and foster good communication with colleagues with non-research objectives, e.g business development and senior management. This can help to expand your experience. If you want to broaden your skill set, a smaller company may suit your needs. Individuals are often asked to take on tasks beyond their training, as there are a limited number of employees. If things do go well, and the company expands to become successful, you will have played a fundamental role in its early growth. Note that there are some downsides to working in smaller companies and start-ups that are discussed in cons, below.

It is also worth remembering that you won’t necessarily be severing your ties with academia. There is some convergence between academia and industry, where companies provide funding to universities on specific collaborative projects. You could potentially supervise funded PhD and Masters students.

Cons against working in Industry

Research projects in industry can change swiftly, in response to changes in commercial direction. Therefore, a key quality to possess is the commercial sector is adaptability. Although jobs are usually permanent, mergers and acquisitions between firms are commonplace and come with associated redundancies. Equally, if a research product that’s been invested in heavily for development fails to make it to market, (an example would be a drug failing in late stage clinical trials), staff cuts may be needed to recoup losses. The commercial nature of projects can result in a pressurised environment with tighter deadlines than those typically observed in academia. Subsequently, the opportunity to innovate and run parallel experiments to further knowledge won’t be given priority.

Product development often has a confidential nature, so you could have less opportunity to publish in the industry sector. Although, employers do have hugely varying stances on the latter, so it’s worth checking the publication output for a department, before you join.

Researchers working in small companies, for example biotechnology start-ups or early stage spin-outs from universities may feel a sense of job insecurity. These companies are often reliant on seed-funding from venture capitalists or investment from business angels and, as a result, are under time pressure to become profitable. They can fold if they don’t make profit in a given time frame.

Public sector research

Research in the public sector can involve working for a whole spectrum of government agencies and departments, or at a more international level, a body like the World Health Organisation (WHO) — an agency for the United Nations. Other employers include independent research institutes funded by charitable trusts or research councils, and nationalised healthcare services, (for example the NHS in the UK).

Recruitment and skills

The recruitment process and the skills sought for research roles in the public sector are similar or in some cases, (for example in the case of research council funded institutes), identical to those in academia. Your technical expertise, knowledge of the field, ability to plan research projects and publication record serve as key assets in the process.

CV’s and a cover letter are often used as a primary recruitment screen for work in the public sector, although some organisations may also have online application formats. Be sure to include all the relevant skills, subject knowledge that are sought by the employer, alongside publications. Unlike industry, where a two page limit is recommended, CV’s for public sector applications can be extended. However, make certain that this is done solely to include information that’s pertinent to the job.

The second round of the recruitment process for the public sector involves an interview. Most candidates are expected to give a short presentation here, either based on their current research or a specific project that they could complete in the future, if they are a successful applicant.

Government jobs may include additional aptitude tests.

Pros for working in the public sector

Researchers moving into the public sector may not see a marked difference in the manner in which they conduct research, compared to academia. Certainly, research council and charitable trust funded institutes have an objective akin to universities, when it comes to advancing knowledge. Some researchers working in the public sector reveal that they receive better remuneration than in academia, although on average, the salary scale is comparable.

 

“Research council and charitable trust funded institutes have an objective akin to universities when it comes to advancing knowledge”

 

Additionally, they may have access to more personal benefits like private healthcare, help with childcare and with some of the larger institutions, on-site facilities like a gym. Specialised research institutes and government departments are geared towards a specific discipline area. This focus means researchers may have access to better research equipment and work-related facilities. There is also a similar approach to publishing, as in academia as the research doesn’t usually involve confidential product development.

Cons against working in the public sector

Employers in the public sector generally recruit early-stage researchers on a short-term contractual basis. Although, this can be extended to a full time position dependent on funding. Since many researchers cite this as a reason for leaving academia, they may have similar reservations about taking up certain public sector posts.

Whilst salary is comparable or above that in academia, it is generally lower than the private sector.

In Summary

There is a clear disparity between the number of people seeking permanent academic research positions versus the available roles. In this article, we’ve sought to highlight that there are many non-academic research opportunities available for early-stage researchers to consider.

The majority of these roles involve research in industry, or the public sector. When you compare and contrast with academia, there are some observable differences in the approach of recruitment and the research environments in these sectors. The academic research skill set you have acquired is a valuable asset to your industry or public sector employer, but additional requirements and qualities may be needed. This is most marked in the private sector.

It is essential to match yourself to the working environment that would suit your lifestyle and personality. Finally, awareness and research of the many options available to you as a researcher will help you make informed career decisions.

We’ll be interviewing individuals that have made the transition to non-academic research roles in Industry in our next article.

Good luck in your research career.

What are the pros and cons of non-academic research careers?

  • There are opportunities to do world class research, advance knowledge and potentially earn better pay.
  • The needs of alternative employers don't always match those of good science nor ensure job security
  • Nevertheless, academic skillsets remain valuable to industry and public sector employers

 

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