Despite my best efforts I have not been able to find much published work on how to be a good PhD student. I’m not talking about the qualities of a PhD student – such as organisation or perseverance. I’m not talking about good PhD programs – such as planning, professional development and good supervisors. I’m […]
1. Avoid looking for work – Looking for work is a long process. Especially when you are first joining the workforce. Building your CV is hard. It has to be a short document, but you’re struggling to think of what to include and what to take out. Regardless your CV feels inadequate. So, you complete […]
What do I do? I help people getting a PhD or those who already have a PhD answer the question “What next?”.
How did I transition from academia to self-employed? In this video I cover the “insurance” I had, the people that supported me and the experiences that facilitated my success.
For most people the beginning of the answer to this question will be “get a PhD”. However, in my experience a PhD is not necessary to become a researcher. Nor is it necessary to become a published researcher1. Of course, if you want a senior academic role, you’ll need a PhD. But if all you […]
In this video, I cover off five different points of failure within PhD programs and how you might address them.
There are many reasons to do a PhD. Here are further 13. No judgment. Just a list. With an explanation for each. Adding to the 24 and 17 already published – making a total of more than 54. 42. Turn a PhD into your career – there are countless examples of people turning their PhD […]
As a PhD student you should always be thinking about what next. In this video I cover four things that helped me beyond my PhD. For me they were: (1) the PhD itself. My line of work means I need to have empathy with researchers. My PhD helps me do that. (2) Mentors. From across […]
I guess the first question to ask and answer is what is an academic researcher? To me an academic researcher – or just an academic – is someone employed at a university who uses specific investigative techniques in order to improve their (and therefore humanity’s) understanding of the world. It is possible to be an […]
There are many skills that I developed during my PhD that have been useful beyond it. In this video I go through several, as well as suggest some things you could do to prepare for your life beyond your PhD or current role.