@holby83
Researcher careers and development devotee. Helping PhD and postdoc researchers make career transitions, especially beyond academia. Trainer and PhD careers blogger at: https://phd-careers.co.uk Living with #AZOOR 👁
*NEW POST* Leaving academia for ‘something else’ can feel daunting, but AI’s prevalence adds more uncertainty.
Based on practical tips rather than panic, here are a few pointers for PhDs trying to navigate today’s world of work.
phd-careers.co.uk/2025/12/01/w...
I’ve never been fond of the phrase ‘career planning.’ I spoke to Julie Gould for @natureportfolio.nature.com Nature Careers Podcast about why this is, including the ‘keep/ lose/add’ framework I use to help researchers with their next steps:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
New blog post on moving from PhD to consulting!
⭐ An overview of the day-to-day work
⭐ Example projects to give an idea of the type of tasks
⭐ What consulting employers look for in PhDs
⭐ The imposter feelings that can come with getting to grips in a new industry
phd-careers.co.uk/2025/09/01/f...
If you’re determined to continue the academic research or teaching that you believe in, is there anything you can do to increase your chances of tapping into opportunities to do so? Here are key takeaways from our webinar series looking at just this:
uobpgrdevelopment.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/c...
Ok folks, that’s the last bit (the acknowledgements) of full draft DONE to submit in August!
‘Navigating Careers Beyond Academia: A Practical Handbook for Doctoral & Postdoctoral Researchers’ - coming in 2026, published by Routledge! 🥳
*NEW PODCAST EPISODE*
Chuffed to be interviewed for Careers in your Ears podcast about all things job hunting post-PhD!
Want to know what butter and avocados have to do with convincing employers of your skills? Take a listen! 👇
open.spotify.com/episode/2vll...
*What does ‘industry’ mean for humanities PhDs?*
Academia to ‘industry’ chat has grown a lot recently…but just doesn’t resonate with many from the humanities.
So here’s my attempt at mapping what ‘industry’ might mean if you’re coming from the humanities:
phd-careers.co.uk/2025/05/19/w...
If you missed our ‘Life Beyond Your PhD’ panel Q&A last week with Brain Products, catch up here! We talk managing the job search alongside your PhD, finding employers who value a PhD, tips for pursuing postdocs, and more…
youtube.com/watch?v=y6om...
*Free post-PhD careers webinar open to all*
Got questions about careers and next steps post-PhD? Want some solidarity and to feel less alone in the process? Join us for a free webinar chat on 29th April, 2 time slots available!
www.brainproducts.com/registration...
*Free webinar open to all*
Got questions about careers and next steps post-PhD? Join us for a free webinar chat on 29th April, two choices of time slot available!
www.brainproducts.com/registration...
*NEW POST* what if your post-PhD career move doesn’t go to plan?
Remember:
⭐ You are not alone
⭐ You are not to blame for things outside of your control
⭐ Many 'success stories' are more nuanced than they may appear
Thank you, Tabujong, for sharing your story.
phd-careers.co.uk/2025/03/03/w...
I’ve been a fan of @researchadjacent.bsky.social podcast for ages now, so it was brill to be interviewed by Sarah for this episode!
We chat managing work with health conditions, careers that span both academia and beyond, magic wands… and more! 🪄
My PhD looked at how liminal (eg underground & abandoned) spaces in literature affect protagonists’ identities. Several novels I’ve read recently also present the post-PhD phase a liminal space.
It’s not easy, but it’s normal to feel ‘in-between’, and like you don’t know who or what you are yet.
*NEW PhD CAREERS BLOG POST* What to do when you don't meet some of the job 'requirements?'
I've devised an approach inspired by baking (humour me...) to see how you can substitute out ‘ingredients’ (requirements) for others that do a similar job.
phd-careers.co.uk/2025/01/13/i...
Hahaha… ooh we’re also ENFJ twins 😂
This one was analysing my LinkedIn… burrrrn 🔥😂
Over on LinkedIn I jumped on the ‘2024 Rewind’ summary bandwagon. For BlueSky, I thought I’d try something different, so here it is… my 2024 ‘Roast.’
Think ‘letting your imposter gremlins write your annual progress review feedback for you.’
But I do LOVE a semi-colon.
Merry Christmas! 😂
*THROWBACK POST* In July, my colleague Alice & I looked into:
✅ How to identify employers who value PhDs
✅ How to convince employers who aren’t specifically looking for PhDs
✅ Managing conversations with employers who don’t fully ‘get’ PhDs
Find our tips here 👇
phd-careers.co.uk/2024/07/29/u...
It was great to chat! I love that question, maybe I just want to be Tinkerbell (!) 🧚🏻♂️🪄💫
Had a lovely time today talking to Sarah McKlusky at @researchadjacent.bsky.social for her Research Adjacent podcast! Episode drops late Jan/ early Feb. Features me having a rant about the trying to dismantle the misleading dichotomy that you either ‘stay in’ or ‘totally leave’ academia. Yay.
*LATEST POST* How can you ‘repackage’ your PhD experience to appeal to employers or audiences with different interests and needs? That’s the focus of this post, to help you develop the perfect pitch (with practical examples): phd-careers.co.uk/2024/10/28/r...