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You know, when I talk to a lot of my younger academic colleagues in PhD or post-PhD phases, it seems to me that they are being very poorly advised about their future options and what they can do to build on the capital of the PhD. #phdchat
I suppose having said that I should offer some advice! And I should say, as someone who worked in industry for many years, I don't see academia as the only valid path.
I think of post-PhD advice as maximising options, making sure you don't close off a choice because you didn't realise you needed to do something. The thing is, with the PhD, you have achieved something extraordinary and you should benefit from that!
First, you should know that an academic job is all the things you hated about being a PhD student, but worse. The only thing is you're not poor any more. That does make up for some of it. #PhDChat
So this is what I tell my students now, maybe it will be useful for you. Unless you have embargoed content, make sure your PhD is out there. Most universities send them straight to repositories where they are easy to find.
Set up an account on ResearchGate, Academia or other similar sites. You can upload your PhD there. I'd also consider crafting an email to academics with similar research interests, or who you cited a lot, with a link to the PhD.
I mean, if someone did a PhD on space archaeology, I would be so delighted if they emailed me to tell me about it! (I guess it's possible I'd be an examiner though).
Next, write one article which encapsulates your research question, methods, results and the significance of your research, and submit it to a high-ranking peer-reviewed journal. Condensing 100, 000 words to 6-8, 000 is HARD but you should do it anyway.
Even if you are a humanities, creative, or social science scholar, you will still have all these components even if you don't call them that. It helps to structure it this way so that you know what to leave out.
Now, you could stop here if you wanted. You'll have a great publication; you'll have fulfilled your obligations to your academic community and to your data/research to share it and honour the work of everyone who helped you.
This is very much do what I say and not what I do because I did ALL THE WRONG THINGS when it came to my own PhD.
Next step. Look at each chapter (I'm assuming a PhD by research not publication here). Could you make it into a stand-alone article? You might have to rewrite a bit and maybe a little extra research for context but it's a chance to really get into the detail.
So maybe now you have 4-6 more articles. Of course it can take a year or even more to get through the review/publication cycle, but once you have submitted an article you can put it on your CV. #phdchat
What do you have now? Options. If you're trying to get a postdoc or academic job, you've got publications. If you're applying for jobs in government, industry etc, this is evidence of your ability to research and write reports, for example.
I've always found my PhD an advantage working in industry. It saves time by having your credentials up front. It's risk reduction for the client, which is what they're really interested in.
OK. The next thing I want to say is be ambitious. Look for postdocs, academic jobs (if that's what you want) and apply for them. Don't assume that an august institution is out of your league. It's a cliche but you have to be in to win it.
It might be different after the covid times but I'd also say it's critical to present a conference paper about your whole thesis at the most relevant conference as soon as you can - don't even have to wait for examiner's reports to come back.
What about a book? There are a lot of predatory publishers out there, so be suspicious of anyone who approaches you. Research the market and write a book proposal. Generally they're fairly standard format, so look up online or ask colleagues to look at theirs.
Consider writing some short articles for a popular audience. It's another useful skill and helps get your work out there. Its also fun.
When you finish the PhD it's easy to fall in a heap because you're exhausted and over the whole thing. But it can be useful to make a plan for the next year about what you want to write and publish from it before you lose momentum.
I'll finish on this one: get your CV in order! You'll need it for job applications of any kind. You might even make two, one for academic jobs and another for other kinds of employment, which emphasises different skills and experiences.
Whatever path you take, the PhD is a major achievement you should be proud of. Good luck!
And thanks to everyone who's contributed useful advice in the comments!
