‘Who do you want to work for?’ and ‘Where do you want to work?’ are two questions you’re unlikely to hear in a discussion of the current academic job market.

This month we welcome a guest post by Courtney Danyel, who is a course creator, business writer and anthropologist.

Question: What jobs does a PhD qualify you for? We know it’s a prerequisite for working as a teacher or researcher in a university department, but what else?

In this month’s post we catch up with Lisa Qian, a Data Scientist at Airbnb, to find out what it’s like to work as a data scientist.

Are you interested in breaking into financial services and/or banking? I recorded a 10-minute guide on how to get your first job in finance, for the PhD Career Stories podcast. I’ve included the 7 actions you need to take to get started – listen here.

Here at Jobs on Toast our aim is to expand your employment horizons, and get you thinking about your wider work options beyond the academy.

I put your questions on ‘Alternative Career Pathways After Your PhD’ to a panel of experts on Thursday 8th June. Click the play button to watch the recording!

If you’ve already started looking for a job in academia, do you use Google to find available lectureships and research posts?

Learn tips and tricks for researching your target job sector, to improve your chances when applying for jobs.

As a PhD applying for jobs outside academia, getting help and advice with your job search can be a real challenge. While PhDs looking for academic posts can ask their supervisors and careers staff for assistance, those of us wanting to work outside of higher education may find ourselves with no-one to turn to.

As a PhD applying for jobs outside academia, getting help and advice with your job search can be a real challenge. While PhDs looking for academic posts can ask their supervisors and careers staff for assistance, those of us wanting to work outside of higher education may find ourselves with no-one to turn to.

Some postgrads and PhDs will still struggle to decide upon a non-academic career area. After all the focus that it’s taken to get through school and university and post-grad life, it can sometimes be difficult to think of a work area that really excites you as much as your academic subject.

When you start looking for a job outside of academia, the sheer range of opportunities can be bewildering. So I wrote a guest post on the theme of ‘Deciding who to work for: finding employment outside academia’

I’ve spent the last ten years working as a project and programme manager in various sectors: transport, technology and financial services. Read my guest post here.

In our latest guest post, Marcus Clarke introduces career opportunities in the growing esports industry.

Gaining work experience is the second most important thing you can do to improve your job prospects during your PhD or post-doc (networking is top).

Question: How can I gain work experience during my PhD/post-doc, that will strengthen my future applications for jobs outside of academia?

Answer: Start early! Develop and implement a clear plan for gaining work experience during the period of your research.

In our latest guest post, Meadhbh Hand explains how researchers can get access to training courses, support services and hands-on experience in Ireland – very helpful when making your transition out of academia.

Have you ever considered taking an MBA degree? Our guest post this month comes from Adam Maidment, who introduces the benefits of gaining an MBA qualification. Follow the link at the bottom of the page to find out what type of MBA is right for you.