1st Edition

Navigating Careers Beyond Academia A Practical Handbook for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers

By Holly Prescott Copyright 2027
230 Pages
by Routledge

230 Pages
by Routledge

Navigating Careers Beyond Academia offers an evidence-based, step-by-step guide to successful career transition beyond academia. It provides an accessible overview of scholarship in the field of career transition, turning this into strategies for researchers to proactively pivot their careers into other sectors. This book is designed to help readers address barriers to exploring careers... Read more

1.      Introduction        

2.      Chapter 1: Dealing with Feelings when Moving Beyond Academia       

3.      Chapter 2: Getting Started on your Transition Beyond Academia

4.      Chapter 3: Applying Your Skills Beyond Academia

5.      Chapter 4: Tackling Common Questions About Careers Beyond Academia

6.      Chapter 5: Finding and Forging Opportunities Beyond Academia          

7.      Chapter 6: Communicating your Value to Employers Beyond Academia             

8.      Chapter 7: Your New Start Beyond Academia

9.      A Final Word

Biography

Holly Prescott is a career guidance practitioner and trainer, specialising in helping doctoral and postdoctoral researchers find fulfilling careers beyond academia. She combines freelance practice with her role as Careers Adviser for Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK and works as an external trainer for a range of institutions across the UK and EU.

"This book is like a compass and a map for anyone lost in the post-PhD wilderness. Blending research and experience, Navigating Careers Beyond Academia is both thoroughly practical and deeply kind. The detailed background research will appeal to the academically minded, while the exercises provide a step-by-step guide to navigating the world beyond academia. A must read for anyone who is feeling adrift." 

Dr Sarah McLusky, consultant and host of the Research Adjacent Podcast.

"Navigating Careers Beyond Academia is the smart, structured, and research-backed guide that so many PhDs need in today's job market. Whether you’re just starting your doctorate or are already years past graduation, this book offers clarity, compassion, and a treasure trove of evidence-based insights and exercises that will support you in your career decisions. With case studies and advice relevant to both STEM and humanities backgrounds, this book tackles the emotional and practical hurdles of career change beyond academia head-on. If you're a researcher wondering what’s next, this guide offers not just answers, but a confident way forward."

David Mendes, PhD, Creator of the Papa PhD Podcast.