Careers and Employability Services Resources for PhD researchers

The OU Careers and Employability Services are here to help you plan your career and explore your next steps forward.

Whether you’re looking for a career in academia or starting to investigate other possibilities, the OU Careers and Employability Services can help you to start exploring the options open to you.

The Careers and Employability Services website is full of information, advice and activities to help you consider your future.  You can explore the options open to you, the skills you have from study, life and work and learn more about how you can communicate these to potential employers.

In our Plan your career section you can work through activities to help you better understand yourself and get ideas about the kind of work that might offer what you’re looking for. You can also explore and identify your skills and qualities and employability skills.  

Whatever sector you’re exploring, it’s worth taking some time to communicate your skills to an employer in a tailored way that’s meaningful to them. To help you do this we’ve got lots of information and advice on our website to help you with CVs, applications and interviews.  There’s support on choosing the right type of non-academic CV, CVs for different scenarios and you can create a non-academic CV from scratch using our CV builder. Check out the CVs: an overview section for more information.

You’ll also find advice on subjects like presenting your skills when applying for jobs and applying for jobs in the academic sector too.

If you’re looking out for what employers have on offer, sign up for OpportunityHub our online vacancy service, for the latest job vacancies and placement opportunities available to current OU students and recent graduates from our partner employers.

We’ve also developed Your career planning guide to take you through key stages in planning and managing your career. You can work through it from start to finish or by using relevant sections as you need them.

• Knowing yourself
• Exploring possibilities
• Making decisions and taking action
• Getting the job
• Equality and diversity issues
• Next steps.

You’re eligible to access support from OU Careers and Employability Services throughout your research studies and for up to 3 years after you qualify. Investigate the wealth of information on our website or for a more personalised one-to-one discussion with a careers and employability consultant request a careers consultation by email, telephone or Skype.

Other useful websites for advice and vacancies

General

Prospects - A comprehensive website for UK graduates that includes a specific section on PhD study which includes topics such as:

• 5 tips for passing your PhD viva
• Life as a researcher
• Your PhD, what next?

Vitae - Information and advice to help you be a more effective researcher and develop your career in or outside academia. Helping you focus on your professional development and explore your next steps and manage your career. You’ll also find more information about what researchers go on to do and get access to range of career case studies for inspiration.

Blogs

FindAPhD Blog – While this site focuses on finding PhD opportunities, you may still find this blog offers useful insight. You can search using various tags such as ‘careers’ and explore articles including:

• PhD study – 3 things that matter most for a non-academic career
• Transferable skills with a PhD
• PhD prospects – your future with a doctorate

Jobs on Toast – Careers confidence for PhDs, regular posts, and resources to supporting you to consider and explore your job options outside of academia more broadly.

PostGradual: The PhD Careers Blog – Taking PhD careers one tip at a time. Blog from doctoral graduate and Careers Adviser for Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Birmingham Holly Prescott aimed at helping you to:

• Slow down, and simplify the maze of post-PhD careers
• Deconstruct the dualities of the post-PhD job hunt
• Connect to the latest postgrad-specific careers tips and resources from around the world – in one place.

Free courses

Career Management for Early Careers Academic Researchers – FutureLearn course aimed at academic researchers – both postgraduate researchers (PhDs) and early career researchers (post-docs). Short free course designed to help you explore different career options, learn what you want out of a career and understand how to implement good career decisions.

Vacancies

PhD Jobs - A commercial website that caters for recently qualified PhD researchers. Candidates can apply online for jobs inside and outside academia and/or register for notification of relevant vacancies across the USA and worldwide.

Science Careers – Section of Science magazine offering advice, articles and vacancies for researchers in the sciences. Based in the US, but with a growing UK focus.

Social Research Association - A forum for people working in social research. Includes sections on careers in research and job opportunities.

Jobs.ac.uk Lecturing Series

Whether you are still doing your PhD and are teaching for the first time, or are starting a temporary or permanent contract, this eGuide will guide you in developing your skills. It offers practical tips and advice on how to cope with common problems inside and outside the classroom.

Topics include:

• Integrating Teaching Responsibilities with admin and research
• Curriculum design
• Research led teaching
• Use of e-learning portals
• Supervising undergraduate dissertations
• Personal Development Planning for students.

jobs.ac.uk - Advertises academic and non-academic vacancies in universities, colleges, research institutions, the commercial and public sectors, schools and charities.

The Times Higher Education - Includes articles about higher education and lists academic and non-academic job vacancies in the HE sector.

The Chronicle of Higher Education - The US version of the Times Higher Education. In addition to US academic job vacancies there are also sections on job search skills.