ACADEMIC CAREERS FOR PhDs

library with books

After pursuing a doctorate, most people ask themselves what is next for them in their career paths. Some opt to go postdoc or become assistant professors while others venture into business. The options are many, but you will find that most institutions do not provide the students with enough resources on how to go about building on what the foundation that they have.
Many universities also lack resources on how best to guide their students and people thus leave the institutions without much of an idea as to the way forward. Here, we will cover the various routes that you can follow to achieve your academic career:
You need to start by thinking about what you want, and there are two scenarios in this case. In the first case, you are a Ph.D. researcher who wants to consider other options outside of academia. In the other, you are about to start your doctorate and you are interested in the options available to researchers. There is an in-between in there somewhere, but for now, we will deal with these main two situations.
The good news is that researchers are in demand in various industries. From the education sector to businesses seeking to expand through to ongoing projects. There are many options available to you, and all you have to do is to know what you would like, and you can thus find a footing.
Making the decision can be quite hard and often, people lean on the safer side, which is finding a job, and while this may work for a while, you may find that you lost out on a significant opportunity to explore your career options. That’s why it is essential to look at what you could have before making any choices, as shown below:

Industrial Research

Industries are coming up at a fast rate, and with that pace comes the need for people who can look for problems in the industry and come up with solutions that will increase the already fast speed. It takes the combination of your scientific knowledge and the goals of the industry in question to come up with the ideal balance to propel this growth. You will find that there are many researchers as well as academics in this field as the work is challenging and the rewards are high.

Pharmaceuticals

This industry is all about coming up with and making prescription drugs and given the number of medicines circulating the globe at any given time; you can imagine how lucrative a career in this industry would be. Note that working in this industry would require a lot of analyses as there is stiff competition, and companies always want to be at the forefront.

Engineering

There are millions of people working in the engineering sector, which encompasses everything from the making of vehicles through to cars. Working in this industry is demanding as you need to be up to date with the latest technologies as well as emerging trends to stay on top of the competition.
With your academic background, fitting into the job would not be hard as you know how you can apply your skills to get the job done fast such that the company can enjoy fast turnarounds. Also, there are many opportunities for career development, as there is always something new around the corner.

Central Government

The central government has a much broader role as compared to the local government as it handles policies that affect the entire nation, and which impact the everyday lives of the citizens.
With power comes the added responsibility to ensure that the policies are fair, and there is thus need for someone with research skills such that they can analyse situations and communicate their findings to the interested parties. What’s more, it is essential to apply the results to real life scenarios as well as to have immense knowledge on given topics as you need to back your work.
Working with the government will award you several perks such as long annual leaves, allowances, and high salaries.

Research Councils

These councils work to provide resources for people pursuing postgraduate studies as well as to contribute to the development of various sectors in the economy. They employ thousands of people, and they fund research students to further their work. There are many roles which you can fill in these organizations, provided that you work within their core values and are enthusiastic about your work.
There is a wide array of other such jobs that you could find, if you do the required groundwork and adequately prepare yourself by gaining adequate skills. You will find that in the above careers as well as others not listed here that the jobs are not often available on public forums and it is therefore up to you to network and find connections that can help you when there is a need for your skills in a given entity.