Starting a PhD is a big decision. And there are lots of choices to make. What university? What topic? What group? Not to mention your supervisor. Then of course there are the practicalities of life such as work, where you live, and who you live with.
Average completion times for a PhD vary, but most data suggests at least four years (full time) as an average. In some cases, the average completion time is more than seven years! So, how can we reduce that time. Short of doing more work or more hours (which I do not recommend), or being more […]
It is no longer enough to offer “just a PhD program”. Universities and their faculties, colleges, schools and departments all need to prepare PhD graduates for the workforce. And not just the research or academic workforce, but the wider workforce. We know that 50% of PhD graduates will immediately go onto a non-academic career, and […]
There are often cries in research “you should have a mentor” but what does that mean, and how do you even get one? IMHO a mentor is someone who has been through some of the things you are going through and can provide advice, guidance, and suggestions on the types of actions and approaches you […]
According to research from the UK, 2/3 of final year PhD students are unclear on what they want to do after their PhD. And about 1/3 (30%) of PhD graduates would not do the their PhD again. In this webinar we’ll take a look at the academic and non-academic job application process and some of […]
According to research from the UK, 2/3 of final year PhD students are unclear on what they want to do after their PhD. And about 1/3 (30%) of PhD graduates would not do the their PhD again. I think the two are linked. That not know what you want to do next means you get […]
Academic research is increasingly collaborative across all disciplines.1,2,3,4 Yet being more collaborative does not necessarily increase productivity – certainly not on a per-author basis.5 Thus, as an ECR or PhD student it is a legitimate question to ask – should I join a team, build a team or go it alone? To be clear I’m […]
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 […]
What do I do? I help people getting a PhD or those who already have a PhD answer the question “What next?”.
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.