Event summary: Careers outside academia - From PhD to practice

On 26 January the Postgraduate Network (PGN) hosted 'Careers outside academia: From PhD to practice', featuring Dr Dan Watson (Research Associate, Conflict, Security and Development, IISS) and Dr Amir Fard (Senior Technologist, Ofcom). Both speakers reflected on their own career journeys and offered practical advice for PhD students considering roles beyond academia.

The pros and cons of leaving academia

Dr Watson opened by weighing the pros and cons of leaving academia. He noted that many who leave do so not from a desire to depart but from a sense that academic goals have not been met, a feeling that can harm confidence and subsequent job experiences. His central recommendation was to decide deliberately on a career path before taking the first steps. Practical advice included: develop strong communication skills and be able to explain the impact of your research to non-specialist audiences; specialise deeply in an area to stand out from highly competitive applicant pools; clarify whether you are more theoretically or practically oriented and tailor applications accordingly; prepare a polished sample of your work to demonstrate skills; and keep CVs honest, avoid overstating achievements. He also cautioned that recruitment outside academia often involves additional testing and time-based assessments that differ from academic interviews.

Practical skills and advice

Dr Fard stressed the value of gaining practical experience during the PhD, publications, internships (especially overseas), and teaching, which often make stronger impressions on non-academic employers than qualifications alone. He urged building a strong relationship with supervisors to support career transitions and suggested viewing postdoctoral positions, where appropriate, as practical work experience that can bolster employability. Dr Fard also warned that the transition can be precarious: candidates may need to relocate frequently, face varied interview formats, and endure multiple rejections before securing the right role.

Speakers converged on three practical themes: translate academic skills into clear, job-relevant terms; pursue concrete experiences (publications, internships, teaching) that demonstrate impact; and be strategic and resilient, specialise where possible, prepare demonstrable work samples, and expect a sometimes lengthy search process.

Photo: Dylan Gillis on Unsplash