Changing careers can seem a daunting task at the outset. Make it manageable by breaking your journey down into a series of separate steps, much as you would for a long physical journey.
Use my 5-point plan to navigate your path out of higher education (OK, there are 6 steps, but the first one covers getting ready!):
- Getting started – orienting yourself as a career changer
- Step 1: Identify your transferable skills – knowing what you can do
- Step 2: Choose your profession – focusing your job search
- Step 3: Get the right experience – proving that you can do it
- Step 4: Create your professional brand – communicating your value
- Step 5: Tell a great story – convincing introductions and interviews
Each post on this blog falls into one of the steps in this overall plan. You can select the posts that you want to read, using the index below.
Getting started
Why you need to start thinking about a career outside academia – today!
Preparing for life after the PhD: retrain your brain
A PhD is a fixed-term job, not a passport to a professorship
The majority of PhDs are switching into careers outside academia
Post-PhD careers: you can have your cake *and* eat it
Boost your job prospects by attending campus careers events for PhDs
Planning a career change after your PhD? About time …
You can’t climb a ladder that’s run out of rungs
How to build up your career support network during your PhD
Deciding when to quit the academic job search, part 1
Deciding when to quit the academic job search, Part 2
The caterpillar and the inquisitive bug (a story)
Step 1: Identify your transferable skills
Discover the 20+ transferable skills that make PhDs totally employable
‘What jobs can I do with my degree?’ – a practical exercise (for graduates)
How I use the skills acquired from my PhD, in my current job
What do you want to be when you grow up?!
A PhD is a qualification, not an identity
Step 2: Choose your profession
Your job options after a PhD – in a diagram
Life after the PhD: 8 inspiring post-PhD interview websites
Free Resource Guide: 10 career websites every PhD should visit
Take control of your career by switching into a job outside of academia
What jobs does a PhD qualify me for?
Interview with Lisa Qian, Data Scientist at Airbnb
Getting a job in Finance, after your PhD
Image Consulting – why it’s a rewarding career option for you, by Suman Agarwal
‘Alternative Career Pathways After Your PhD’ – live Q&A hosted by Chris
How to search for your ideal job outside academia
How to research your target job sector
How to find jobs advertised at PhDs
How to get help and advice when applying for jobs outside academia
‘But I don’t really know what I want to do!’
Deciding who to work for after the PhD
Project Management as a career path for PhDs
How PhD holders can find and secure an IT job – interview
Career Opportunities in the Esports Industry [Infographic]
Step 3: Get the right experience
5 work experience options for PhDs and post-docs
How to gain work experience for jobs outside academia
From PhD to PMP: training and support in Ireland, by Meadhbh Hand
5 ways an MBA can improve your employability, by Adam Maidment
Step 4: Create your professional brand
Applying for jobs outside academia – from PhD to fellow professional
How to translate your skills into language employers can understand
Join a professional association before leaving academia
Sorry to turn you down, but you’re overqualified
How to convert a scientific CV into a business CV, by Seán Mac Fhearraigh
How to get a job using LinkedIn, by Seán Mac Fhearraigh
Job hunting in the digital age, by Vera Marie Reed
Step 5: Tell a great story
How to tell a great story about your transition out of academia
How to introduce yourself to employers outside academia, after your PhD
How to recognise and overcome the failure story after your PhD
Feeling like a failure? 4 strategies for beating the post-PhD blues
A PhD is an achievement, not an activity
Book Reviews
How To Find A Career With Your Humanities Degree in 126 days
2 e-books to help you finish your PhD
Overcoming Perfectionism – A Self-Help Guide
Succeeding Outside the Academy
All posts are by Chris Humphrey, unless other attributed.