Employability Services for PhD Students
Key Careers Resources for Research Students
We suggest that you make full use of our services from an early stage of your PhD, accessing the careers development workshops during your first and second years and attending the the ‘marketing yourself’ workshops on CVs, applications and interviews in the final year of your PhD.
Careers Resources Available at Lancaster
Careers Interviews
One-to-one confidential interviews with a Careers Adviser can be booked at any stage of your PhD, whether you are just starting to plan your career and wish to discuss the opportunities available or whether you are at a later stage and wish to talk through a CV you have completed or a job interview you are due to attend. Find out how to book your careers interview.
Careers Workshops for PhD Students
A wide range of careers workshops are offered to Lancaster students on a weekly basis including a number designed specifically for PhD students covering subjects such as ‘Career Planning for PhD Students’, ‘Writing an Academic and a Non Academic CV’, ‘Academic Interviews’ and ‘Interviews and Assessment Centres for Non Academic Jobs’. Find out more about these Careers Workshops.
Careers Resource Centre
A wide range of careers and employer information is available in the Careers Resource Centre, located in The Base on the ground floor of University House. The Centre is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Lancaster University Research Training Programme
The Lancaster University Research Training Programme covers both research training and career development support for PhD students. Do make sure you make full use of all these opportunities throughout your time at Lancaster.
Lancaster Award
You might also consider increasing your employability by completing the Lancaster Award alongside your PhD.
External Links:
Vitae
Whether you are just starting out on your doctorate or are an experienced researcher, the 'Careers' section of the Vitae website will provide you with information and guidance about how you can manage your career. It will help you to think about what you want to do, navigate recruitment processes and manage your career over the long term.
The marketing yourself section in particular shows how you can market yourself in a positive and persuasive way when applying for both academic and non academic positions.
The regional hub of the Vitae programme organises free postgraduate conferences and events that are a great opportunity to present your work to other postgraduates and to find out more about the career opportunities available. For details of events, visite their web page and register with Vitae to receive their regular e-bulletins and newsletters.
What do researchers do? Labour market information is a new online resource from Vitae on the career destinations of doctoral graduates:
- Find out about the fifteen main employment sectors for doctoral graduates, including the current state of the industry, future projected trends, the roles that doctoral graduates have taken up in each sector in recent years and useful resources, including key employers within the sector
- Read profiles on sixty of the most common occupations for doctoral graduates, including numbers of doctoral graduates entering these jobs, a brief explanation of what the role entails, entry requirements, typical salaries and useful links
- Explore the career paths and destinations which researchers from individual disciplines and subjects have followed
Get advice on using labour market information to assist with career planning.
Also coming soon from Vitae – three new research reports and a combined overview on researchers’ career planning:
What do researchers want to do? The career intentions of doctoral researchers – A survey of over 4,500 current postgraduate researchers undertaking doctoral degrees investigated the career intentions and aspirations of doctoral researchers, their career decision-making to date and what influenced those decisions.
Straight talking: the role of non-specialist advice and social networking in career conversations for researchers – This study investigated the social aspects of researcher career development including sources of career help, networking behaviours and researchers’ career aspirations, attitudes and constraints.
The transition from doctoral study to a research career in higher education – This report investigated the factors influencing doctoral researchers’ choice to pursue a research career in higher education (HE), including employment experiences, career aspirations, perception of progression opportunities and other considerations that impact upon their decision-making.
University Researchers and the Job Market
A practical career development resource for research staff covering career choice, building networks, applications and interviews
What do Researchers Do?
First destinations of doctoral graduates by subject.
An Academic Career
An Academic Career is designed give a clear picture of the realities of an academic career, including lots of tips and video clips from current academics. It also has a useful section on making successful applications.
Academic Job Vacancies
This key source of university job vacancies also has links to useful careers-related articles written by current academics.
Vacancies.ac.uk
Vacancies.ac.uk is a guide to academic and other vacancies in UK universities.
Find a PostDoc
A site for PhD students looking for a related job on completion of their research.
EURAXESS
This site, hosted by the British Council, provides job information and advice for researchers and international researchers wishing to come to the UK and details of job vacancies for those looking for research work overseas.
Career Options Outside Academia
Offers career ideas and inspiration for those with PhDs who wish to move outside the HE sector.
PhD Jobs
A job board of vacancies for PhD candidates.
Prospects
The Prospects web site contains a wealth of information including an A to Z of career options, information about job vacancies, further study opportunities and an interactive career guide Prospect Planner if you have yet to decide upon your future career.
It also includes Your PhD What Next which looks at the wide range of career options open to PhD students.
The Concordat
The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, sets out the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders. It aims to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK and to improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of UK society and the economy.
The Researcher Development Framework
The Researcher Development Framework is a major new approach to researcher development, which aims to enhance our capacity to build the UK workforce, develop world-class researchers and build the UK higher education research base. It was developed by and for researchers, in consultation with academics and the public and private sector.