Navigating Career Options After Your PhD

Abstract

In the final chapter of this book we look at life after the PhD. The first topic is letting it all sink in after the defense. We talk about the emptiness some people feel after finishing their PhD, how to deal with this, and how to answer the question of “What is next in life”. We also highlight the importance of celebrating the major achievement of getting your PhD, taking time to rest and reframe your thoughts, and then preparing for the next step in life. This discussion will bring us to the second topic: what are the options you have after your PhD? We look at preparing your resume, letter of purpose, and preparing for an interview – regardless of whether you are applying for a position inside or outside of academia. We will discuss how to highlight the skills you gained during the PhD, for example, to land a post-doc in a field that is only tangentially related to your PhD research, or to find a job in industry. The fourth topic discusses a career in academia, and how to win at it, combined with the fifth topic which contains tips for success in the industry. This chapter will close with the topic of getting an international perspective. We focus on exploring the international job market, academic nomadism, starting international collaborations, and the benefits and challenges working internationally brings.