Academic careers

The main part of your PhD is developing your skills in becoming an independent researcher.

However, there may be more opportunities to take part in research projects through research assistant positions which can be advertised part-time or on a short-term temporary basis that you could undertake while doing your PhD.

Making contacts in your department and across your field too can help to identify these types of vacancies and you may be approached directly to apply for specific roles.

Take full advantage of any placement schemes your department and/or funding body can facilitate. A placement as a researcher for an outside organisation will widen your network as well as develop your skills.

Attending conferences is one of the main ways you can build your academic network and get your work known. Your department and/or funding body are likely to host conferences for PhD students. This is a great way to present to a friendly crowd if you are nervous, and to network with other local researchers. Ask your supervisors if there are any major conferences in your discipline.

There are numerous academic societies and networks nationally and internationally that host conferences and you could sign up for their newsletters. If you are concerned about costs, talk to your research administrator or funding body about what opportunities there are for funding to attend.

Read UoN PhD student, Nkem Nwaobi's blog article: A first-timer’s guide to international conferences

Getting published is known to be one of the cornerstones to building your academic CV, but how do you go about it? Here are some top tips.

• Ask your supervisors. They aren’t just there to give feedback on your thesis, but act as mentors throughout your PhD. They will be in the best position to advise on how things work in your field and which parts of your work would do well as articles
• Attend conferences. Sometimes, after a conference there will be a ‘special issue’ of conference papers turned into journal articles. You may also make contacts who could ask you to collaborate on a project or contribute to an edition
• Make notes of which journals and publishers you are using the most in your research as these are likely to be who you would approach to be published
• Keep a record of any avenues in your research you don’t end up going down, or points you think you’d like to investigate more. These could be ideas for research papers
• Go to the UoN Libraries' Research Support for practical advice. They provide online checklists and guidance as well as an email contact for any questions you may have
• Your department are likely to host seminar series and workshops about various aspects of PhD life, and publishing is usually a key subject. Ask your member of staff who oversees PGR researchers what events might be coming up, and they may even add it to the calendar if something wasn’t already planned.

Even for research-heavy roles, universities value teaching ability. Look for ways to develop your skills here while writing your thesis.

• Search the university's jobs website and student jobs website for any part-time teaching assistant roles that are being publicised.
• Local schools and colleges may also be advertising for teaching support roles.
• Helping with workshops, summer schools, and mentoring students all help build your teaching skills. Visit the university's student opportunities webpage for paid and volunteering positions. Talk to your supervisors and other academic contacts that you are keen to be involved in student-facing events if and when they emerge.
• You can also get experience with The Brilliant Club, creating and delivering university-style seminars to school-age students. 

Read Riana Popat's blog post: My experience as a Brilliant Club tutor 

Foundations in Teaching Programme

Whether you're just beginning your teaching journey, preparing to start soon, or already have a few years of experience, the Foundations in Teaching Programme at UoN offers tailored pathways to support your development.

Each pathway brings together courses designed to meet the needs of educators at different stages in their teaching career. Explore the full range of options on the Foundations in Teaching Programme Moodle site.

Demonstrating any experience with funding and grant applications will boost your application for an academic role. This doesn’t have to be for large pots of money, like you would be going for as an early career researcher.

If your PhD was funded, that already demonstrates your ability to successfully propose projects. Funders will also provide money for research trips and conferences if you follow their application procedures, as well as offering placements that require a full plan and budget to be approved.

To get more experience, or if you are self-funded, ask your faculty what pots of money are available for students to use; this could be for conference attendance, research trips, or even student wellbeing events. Requesting access to these funds will always require a well argued, planned and budgeted proposal.

If you sit on a committee or advisory board in a position that involves planning events and budgeting, that also counts towards experience in winning bids and grants.

In any job application, you will need to demonstrate awareness of the sector and the issues that effect it broadly. Students should be aware of how universities are funded, including sources such as tuition fees, direct government funding, research grants and contracts.

The higher education sector is currently facing several financial challenges. These include reduced government funding, a growing reliance on revenue from international and postgraduate students, frozen tuition fees, rising operational costs, and increased investment costs in digital technologies. 

At the same time, there is a growing emphasis on student mental health and wellbeing, as well as a strong focus on student satisfaction. Other priorities include revising the curriculum to integrate sustainability and promote lifelong learning.

Increase your sector awareness through national newspapers and their websites as well as sites such as:

The Times Higher Education

Wonkhe

Advance HE

Courses and training opportunities

• Research Support via our Libraries includes courses on what Open Access is, data management, how to do systematic reviews and so on
• The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them. The academy hosts one-off workshops and training sessions as well as longer courses. Examples include a public engagement course, ‘Time to Write’ sessions, and talks from experts 

Work experience opportunities

We have a webpage dedicated to gaining work experience while at Nottingham including placements through the Researcher Academy, internships and employer-based project opportunities through our service and much more.

Work experience for PGRs

• If you are part of a UKRI funding body, they will also provide training opportunities. Some also allow you to undertake (paid) placements. Have a look on your SharePoint site for more information on specific events and schemes
• Read your departmental newsletter for training and placement opportunities