Information for Postgraduate Students

Our services

All the services that Careers and Employability offers are available to students with or without a disability. The Careers and Employability Service is here to support you in exploring and deciding upon the best career options for you and then progressing to employment, voluntary work or further study. You can use the service at any stage of your degree or postgraduate study/research - the sooner the better. 

We provide:

Drop-in Sessions 
Drop-in sessions enable you to make initial contact with us for advice on researching information, careers decision making, work experience, access to vacancies, help with application and much more. These are held in the Careers and Employability Centre on a sign-up basis. If you would find it difficult to have a discussion with background noise and/or with other students present please ask at reception for an interview and we will arrange this for you.

Guidance Interviews 
We offer interviews to enable an in-depth, confidential discussion of career issues. If you require any specific accommodations within the interview please let us know in advance and we will ensure that this is organised.

Workshops 
We offer a range of workshops in the autumn and spring semesters - see our careers events for details. These include applications, interviews, internships and work experience. We strive to ensure that we hold these sessions in accessible rooms. If you have access difficulties or need adjustments for any workshops please let us know in advance and we will address these issues.

The following websites contain useful information for those currently doing a PhD, or considering doing one, and wondering what they should be doing to improve their employment prospects.

 

Postgraduate careers websites:

Your PhD...What Next   www.prospects.ac.uk
Information and advice from the Prospects website.

Prospects Planner   www.prospects.ac.uk
A self assessment package that generates career suggestions. 

Vitae   www.vitae.ac.uk
See the Postgraduate Researchers’ section for ideas when considering career options, enhancing your academic profile, assessing your skills and skill gaps, attending conferences, making academic and non academic applications and much more. It also has information on regional and national training events on both careers and research matters.

Bristol University Careers Service   www.bris.ac.uk/careers/postgrads/researchstudent/index.asp
Includes interesting articles on the value of postgraduate study and an academic career versus alternatives as well as links to other valuable sections.

University of Manchester Careers Service  www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/postgraduates/
Contains dedicated sections for doctoral level and masters students. Has links to postgraduate vacancies and a postgraduate careers blog.

Reading University Careers Service   www.careers.rdg.ac.uk/postgrad  
Accessible sections of this newly designed website include access to careers resources including PhD career case studies and a link to postgraduate vacancies.  Also see www.beyondthephd.co.uk for resources specifically for Arts and Humanities researchers.

Warwick University Careers Service  www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/scs/pgr/options 
This website includes podcasts of former PhD postgraduates as well as advice on all aspects of recruitment.

University of York Careers Service  www.york.ac.uk/students/
Provides advice for postgraduate masters students and postgraduate researchers on career planning, applications and job search.

 

Identifying vacancies:

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships   www.ktponline.org.uk/graduate-opportunities 
Promotes links between research and industry with a variety of opportunities advertised.

Academic Jobs EU   www.academicjobseu.com 
Academic jobs in the EU.

European Commission   http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/index 
Jobs in academic and related institutions.

Jobs.ac.uk   www.jobs.ac.uk
Jobs in academic and related institutions.

THE   www.timeshighereducation.co.uk
Advertises academic and related jobs.

PhdJobs   www.phdjobs.com
An agency holding jobs for postgraduates focussing on business and science.

FindAPostDoc.com   www.findapostdoc.com
Provides information on postdoctoral job opportunities.

 

Updated 8 April 2013