Postgraduate research: Your career journey
How you'll get there
Starting your PhD:
Identify your training needs
In the first six months of your PhD, identify your training needs using the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) tool. You can do this in SkillsForge, under the Skills tab.
Understand your strengths, values and motivators via:
Create a Professional Development Plan (PDP)
Your PDP should be an evolving document that you use to discuss your training needs with your supervisors regularly (ideally every six months).
Before these meetings, think about what skills and training you need, and whether you could gain additional experience outside your PhD research. Our YouTube playlist for PhD students is a great starting point.
Following your first progression meeting:
Keep exploring career paths
Look out for central careers events, researcher employability sessions and events organised by your department/faculty or DTP. Sector-based and employer-led events or recruitment fairs are also great opportunities for networking.
Informational interviews are another way to find out more about a specific profession, industry or organisation. Browse LinkedIn or York for Life to identify someone you might be able to approach, and prepare some questions about their company or industry, workplace culture and career paths to get there.
Approaching your final year:
Use what you’ve learned
Look for opportunities to use what you’ve learned during your PhD to help less experienced researchers. Academic citizenship roles demonstrate you are a team player with emotional intelligence, empathy and a creative approach to problem solving. All of these skills and qualities are highly prized by employers.
Interested in working outside the UK?
Explore global career options, including academic careers outside the UK.
After your PhD
Our support doesn't stop when you graduate. Whether you're seeking a new job, exploring self-employment, or looking to progress in your role - we're here to help.
As part of our York for Life platform, you can connect with alumni around the world, reconnect with those you studied with and find opportunities, courses and support just for our alumni.
