Your PhD will open up many career options, both within academia and more broadly in industry and charity sectors. The core transferable skills of research, problem-solving, presenting, collaborating and project management are highly sought after by all employers. You can see what PhD graduates have gone onto do on our What do Imperial graduates do? webpage or by doing a LinkedIn alumni search. 

As there are many options, it’s worth starting to explore these as you move through your course to relieve the pressure on making these decisions while you’re writing up your thesis or preparing for your viva. Creating a Plan: Me is a good starting point.

Below are some ideas of what you can do throughout your PhD to build your career skills and knowledge.  Many of the suggestions in the tabs can be done at any point in your PhD so browse through them all and find the ideas that work for you. 

PhD career journey

1st year

The first year of your PhD will be busy, transitioning into a new way of working and learning the skills to help you complete your PhD. It is also never too early to begin in explore different career options, even if this step does feel a long way off.

  • Attend a Career planning for 1st and 2nd year PhDs workshop which is run by the Careers Service as part of the Career Development and Planning programme offered by ECRI.
  • Networking is one the key skills PhD graduates tell us they wish they had learnt and practiced during their course. Get your LinkedIn profile working for you and begin networking to learn more about your career options.
  • Consider joining or engaging with relevant professional bodies. Talk to your supervisor/peers to find out useful places to start.
  • PhD focused career events generally happen in summer term. Sign up to the weekly events email via Jobslive so you don’t miss out.
  • Time management is often mentioned as a key skill to get through a PhD. Check out the PGR Success Guide for useful tips or complete a relevant unit from the Attributes and Aspirations short course.

Interested in academia? Consider becoming a GTA to boost your teaching skills.

Interested in industry work or collaboration? Discuss how you might explore this with your supervisor. You could get more involved in an existing collaboration, explore the possibility of a short work experience/internship during your PhD or ask if there are any new industry partners your research group is considering.

Thinking about working internationally? Explore different countries and roles via GoinGlobal.

2nd year

The second or middle years of your PhD (if you’ve got a longer or part-time project), are a great time to consider your career. If you were interested in working in industry, particularly for a large company, they often recruit a year in advance for larger graduate programmes. Visit our Application timelines webpage for more information. 

  • Visit the Careers Services' video library to catch up on past employer events, including careers panels, Life in...Talks and webinars.
  • Explore the other research related organisations associated with Imperial to build your network and find interesting potential collaborations.
  • Attend a careers fair or employer event to learn directly from employers.
  • Attend a Career Essentials seminar or Career Labs workshop to learn and refine professional skills.

Unsure if you’d like to stay in academia or move into industry? Attend a workshop run by the Careers Service as part of the Career Development and Planning programme offered by ECRI.

Interested in turning your idea into a business? The Imperial Enterprise Lab can help.

International student? Know your rights and understand how your visa status can be explained to potential future employers .

Not sure what to do? Speak to a careers consultant with one of our careers consultants.

Final year

The final year of your PhD is when all of your hard work comes together. If you are at all concerned about you career, do not hesitate to book an appointment with a careers consultant. However, don't panic if you do find yourself running out of time; you can continue to access the Careers Service for three years after you graduate.

  • Browse through the previous tabs on this page to see if there are any ideas or links that you might have missed.
  • Work your networks to explore postdoc opportunities. Try using contacts you have gained through your PhD like your supervisor and people you have met at conferences.
  • Graduate programmes with larger organisations recruit annually and a year in advance, usually between September and December. Learn more about application timelines.
  • Make speculative applications for work with smaller organisations.
  • Practice your interview technique using Shorlistme interview tool.
  • Attend the Finish up and move on (FUMO) transitions course run by ECRI.

Looking for inspiration? Explore the what can I do with my degree webpage specific to your department.

Post-graduation

The Careers Service remains open to you for three years after you graduate, allowing you time to explore and experiment with what could be your first steps into a career. 

  • Once your JobsLive student account gets deactivated, register for an alumni account to continue accessing the platform for vacancies, events and appointments.
  • If you have remained at Imperial to do a Postdoc, connect with the Early Career Research Institute to continue your professional development. If you’re doing a postdoc at a different university be sure to ask what extra support they have for you there.
  • Join the Imperial Alumni association to stay in touch with Imperial and take advantage of the many benefits they offer.
  • 15 months after you graduate you will be asked to complete a national survey about what you have gone on to do after your degree. Keep your details up to date.