You may decide to move outside of academia at the end of your PhD and follow a new direction. This could involve finding a job that allows you to draw on existing skills, experience or even your university background. PhD graduates successfully make the transition from academia to a wide range of careers; some decide to pursue an outside interest whilst others prefer to apply their transferable skills to a new role.

Useful strategies

Identify the skills required in a particular job/sector and cross match with your own: are there any gaps, and if so how can you fill them? Find out how you measure up by checking the careers information on Prospects:

• Your PhD: Job market
• Your PhD: Finding vacancies
• Job sectors
• What jobs would suit me?

Research potential fields through networking and work shadowing. This should give you a better insight into job roles and what you can do to maximise your chances on application.

• Networking

Start thinking about potential.

Read through the Vitae career stories database and our own Warwick career stories.

• Vitae: Career stories
• Career stories
• Beyond the PhD is a good place to start for arts and humanities PhDs.

Try to attend some employer presentations and sector events They may seem to have an undergraduate flavour but if you are thinking of changing direction you really need to find our what employers want and expect.

• Events

Start checking out job adverts - unpicking the job/person specification may reveal a range of career options that match your requirements. Just remember very few are going to specify 'PhD' so you need to think more broadly in terms of careers that utilise your skill set.

• Finding jobs - check the finding a job section to see what's available and where to look.