What should you do after your PhD?

More Q&A today!

I recently received the following question from a reader:

Hello, i just want to know what i should do after completion of Ph.D?

Excellent question, but not one that I can answer right away. I don’t have my crystal ball lying around to tell you what the Flying Spaghettimonster has in store for you after the PhD.

Now with that disappointment out of the way, let me give you the no-nonsense answer:

It all depends on you!

To guide you in your thinking, consider the following questions:
– What would you like to do after your PhD?
– What are your strengths and for which competences can you leverage your skills?
– Are you willing to move away from your current location?
– What type of lifestyle do you want to have?

As I transitioned from being a PhD student to a young professor, I’ve written extensively about the topic, and I also had the opportunity to invite others over to share their experiences. Here is an overview of posts that might be of your interest:
– Getting a job, after the PhD: my own cautious tale on how to navigate the job market after the PhD. Do read the comments – some people found the post to be rather negative and have more uplifting stories to share.
– Finding employment outside of academia: My interview with Samuel Oduneye in which we touch upon the many possibilities you have outside of academia, and how you can show the value of your skills.
– Preparing for life after the PhD: re-train your brain: an excellent guest post by Dr. Chris Humphrey about leaving academia when the time is right.
– Life after graduate school: What happens next: a guest post by Gemma Gaten, on the fact that your diplomas sometimes might not be valued as much as you’d wish.
– PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: Leveraging your Job Seeking Position by Highlighting your Academic Skills : What are you, as a recently graduated or soon-graduated-PhD bringing to the table that other candidates (without a research degree) don’t have?
– Four Tips That Will Get You Noticed During a Job Interview : Once you are at the point of going for an interview, read this guest post by Ross Jilling before you walk into the interview room.
– An Expat Scholar’s View from the Gulf: There are academic jobs out there, but sometimes you might need to move far away. I opted for South America, John Laprise, author of this guest post, moved to the Gulf – read his positive story about moving countries to build your academic career.
– PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: Academic Culture and the PhD Experience : I wrote this post for prospective PhD candidates, but the idea holds true for every academic: consider the culture of the country and university you will moving to when you are thinking about making the leap.
– PhD Talk for AcademicTransfer: The Curious Case of the Academic Nomads: More about moving countries – this post deals with the fact that we often move around for our studies and academic careers, and give some advice.