Postgraduate Careers Talks

Each year we run a programme of careers talks specifically aimed at postgraduates. You can find the most recent recordings of these sessions below, and these will be updated as the year goes on.


Finished your taught postgraduate programme? Next steps for your career (Sept 21)

Congratulations! You’ve just finished your taught postgraduate programme – but now you’re wondering about your next career step… This talk covers:

  • The current job market
  • Recruitment this year - what’s changed, what’s continuing as normal
  • Resources to help your search for a job or PhD
  • Smart tactics to uncover more jobs or PhDs


The job market & how to navigate it for Doctoral Researchers (Feb 22)

If you’re coming into the home strait of your PhD, and you’re ready to think about “what next?”, this guide to the job market, academic and non-academic, and how to navigate it will get you started. This talk, aimed at PhDs and other doctoral researchers covers the fundamentals of:

  • The current job market
  • Recruitment this year - what’s changed, what’s continuing as normal
  • Resources to help your search for a job
  • Smart tactics to uncover more jobs for PhDs


Looking for jobs/PhDs to start in 2022 - for taught postgraduates (Sept 21)

If you’re due to finish your taught postgraduate programme in 2022 and will be looking for a job or PhD, find out whether you need to get started right now or can afford to wait – it all depends on the type of job you want and when recruiters will be looking for candidates.

This talk covers the fundamentals of:

  • The current job market and where it might be going next year
  • Recruitment this year – when to get started
  • Resources to help your search for a job or PhD
  • How the Careers Service can support your job search this semester – and beyond


CVs and Applications for Postgrads: The Basics - for current or recent postgraduates (Oct 21)

This session is aimed at current or recent taught postgraduates, PhD & doctoral researchers.

Did you know:

  • That CVs and applications have fashions? Is your current CV last year's model or is it fit for the digital age?
  • That each country has its own CV conventions - a UK CV is different to a US CV or a Belgian CV?
  • That an academic CV is like no other - and changes are afoot?

If you haven’t applied for professional jobs recently, or you have, but could do with an update, this talk covers the fundamentals of:

  • What should go into a CV
  • A quick formula for your covering letters
  • How to structure application form answers


Interviews and Assessments for Postgrads: The Basics - for current or recent postgraduates (Oct 21)

Employers are always finding fiendish new ways of assessing whether you are the right person for their job, but interviews never go out of fashion. This talk covers the fundamentals of:

  • Tackling tricky interview questions
  • Preparation and performance to make the best impression
  • Other assessment techniques to be prepared for, including online tests, and how we can support you


Becoming an academic: for taught postgraduates and undergraduates (Nov 21)

A degree can be the first step on a long journey to becoming an academic. Yes, it’s a highly competitive career, but someone is going to make it – could it be you? This talk covers the fundamentals of:

  • What do today’s academics really do?
  • Pathways to academic careers – variations by discipline, by academic role and by location
  • How do you improve your chances of making it as an academic?

This session was delivered from a taught postgraduate and undergraduate perspective and also covered routes to a PhD.

Further information referenced in the talk or questions:


Becoming an academic: for doctoral researchers (Nov 21)

A PhD can be one step on a long journey to becoming an academic. Yes, it’s a highly competitive career, but someone is going to make it – could it be you? This talk covers the fundamentals of:

  • What do today’s academics really do?
  • Pathways to academic careers – variations by discipline, by academic role and by location
  • How do you improve your chances of making it as an academic?

This session assumed you were already undertaking or had completed doctoral research. It also briefly covered the current academic job market but for more detail, see the earlier talk on “The job market & how to navigate it for Doctoral Researchers”.

Further information referenced in the talk or questions: