// Archives

Why I Studied a PhD and How It Has Helped My Career

By Martyn Quigley, PhD Psychology alumnus Martin has recently completed his PhD and just secured his first teaching role. We asked him to reflect on his experience and offer advice to students considering undertaking a PhD. Make sure you know what your ‘why?’ is Undertaking a PhD is a big commitment and you need to give it …

My PhD Career Path: A Winding Road

By Clare Jones, Senior Careers Adviser, Research Staff/Postgraduate Research Students As a PhD student you may be considering your next step and looking for that ‘forever’ career. In the 21st century, you’re likely to have four or five jobs in your working life – if not more! Elizabeth Davey talks us through her career history …

What You Need To Know About Postgraduate Placements Nottingham

By Debra Fearnshaw, Placements Delivery Manager What is Postgraduate Placements Nottingham (PPN)? PPN is a paid, flexible placement programme for all students and researchers studying masters or PhD courses.  Placements are very flexible and usually consist of a 200-hour project worked to fit around your studies over the course of several months. What type of …

Should I Do a PhD? The Pros and Cons

By Jennifer Balloch, Employability Officer: Faculty of Science “Should I do a PhD?” “What potential career paths could it lead to?” These are big questions if you want to stay in the field of science-based research and development. The impact and outcome this has on the different STEM subjects is vast. For some sectors  you …

Naturejobs Expo London: What Is It and How to Make the Most of Your Day

by Clare Jones, Senior Careers Adviser to Research Staff and PhD Students For the last three years I’ve been one of the team of CV checkers at the London Naturejobs Expo and have experienced first hand this busy recruitment and careers event targeted at PhD and postdoctoral scientists – although masters and undergraduate students are also …

Internships: How to Get Them and Why You Should

By Hannah Somers, studying a PhD in molecular microbiology I have recently completed a three-month placement with Cancer Research UK. I secured this internship as part of my course – the funding for my PhD programme stipulates that I must take a 12-week placement away from the lab. I know from experience just how tricky …

Could your social media posts be jeopardizing your job hunt?

By Chris James Carter, PhD Researcher Whether you’re in your final year and applying for positions or in your first year and researching internships for 2015, consider the prospect of employers searching for you online to assess whether you’re the type of person they want in their company. How likely is this to happen to …

Online Q&A round-up part 1

By Jan Perrett, Careers Adviser, Careers and Employability Service  Missed our online Q&A?  We’ve compiled a selection of the questions that were put to us and the advice from our careers adviser. Remember, you’ll have the opportunity to put your questions to one of our careers advisers at our next online Q&A on Thursday 20 …

Thinking outside the lab: Stephanie’s career ambitions

Stephanie Smith, PhD Plant Sciences, Year 3 When I was little I wanted to be a nurse My father was a doctor and my mother was a nurse; they gave me their old stethoscopes to play with. But I didn’t want to be a doctor because I thought I would have to cut people open …

Cracking the glass ceiling: women in business

Did you know that women invented the coffee filter, the water heater, the windscreen wiper and the chocolate chip cookie? As our Women’s Networking Event approaches we’re looking at the contributions women are making to the UK economy and what can be done to ensure further workplace equality. “We are now moving to a place …