PhD - What next?

A

Anton

Registered User
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Hi all,
I have just graduated with a PhD in History (20th Century British Foreign Policy). Am currently unemployed with no idea of where to go next! Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions re. career path. My first choice would be an academic career but these jobs seem to be few and far between.
 
Hi Anton, welcome to AAM,

I finished a history degree (undergraduate) in 1990, but was lucky enough to find a company willing to train in computer programming. I have been doing it since and thoroughly enjoy the industry I am in (airline IT).

My advice would be to find an industrial/commercial area that interests you and to then put the considerable skills you learn as a historian to work - logical analysis, sifting through information (much of it badly written), formulating an argument and pushing it through (either verbally or in written form). Much of business today is paper/document based.

Your big problem will be finding someone to give you the training. Perhaps one of the big consultancy firms? Failing that, it's back to school for a marketable skill, until you have the magic two years experience.

Good luck!
E.
 
Alarm bells !!!

You did a Phd in British Foreign Policy history and you don't know why...

HHmmmm what would your answer be to an interviewer who asked you that question.....

I think political advisor would prob suit but how the hell you get into that I have no clue...
 

Thanks for all the replies so far. With regard to the previous post, I did not say that 'I don't know why' I did my PhD in British Foreign Policy. I stated that I was unsure of what direction my career should now take.
 
Hi Anton, welcome to AAM, and congratulations on your achievement.

You're right that academic posts are few and far between, but that doesn't mean you have to write off the prospect entirely. However, you probably face a certain amount of grafting (hawking conference papers around obscure gatherings of like-minded individuals, unpaid and under-appreciated; filling your CV, 'networking' furiously and reading the THES every week, etc. etc.) But contract positions do come up.

In the meantime, have you considered applying for the entrance exams to posts in the Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic/Consular services, and/or certain other branches of the civil service? Or EU institutions? (where the real gravy is...) You should discuss these options with the careers service of the university where you did your PhD — they're not intended solely for graduates with primary degrees.

Alternatively, as yoganmahew suggests, it's a case of trying to get a foot in somewhere in a line of work not immediately related to your area of expertise.

Good luck!
 
yoganmahew said:
I finished a history degree (undergraduate) in 1990, but was lucky enough to find a company willing to train in computer programming. I have been doing it since...
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Different non-IT degree, same year, but I also moved into IT though from the sciences. Many large UK and US companies trained undergraduates from other disciplines in those days. That is NOT the case anymore.

And, in many cases Irish companies WON'T or CAN'T train IT graduates. To be honest why train a history graduate when you can get foreign IT graduates from India and the ex-eastern bloc countries for quite moderate wages. Irish companies are competing in a tough market so want pre-formed IT developers with experience.

I think trying get into Foreign Affairs is a good idea alright but a language would help. Polish or Italian or German or French or Spanish would be a good help.
 
The problem with learning German is although I can speak it , I've met very few educated Germans who cant speak excellent English which has in fact made the need to learn it less necessary . I imagine the ability to speak languages like Spanish and Polish might save a situation much more if communication is ever an issue.
 
What leaps out at me: obviously lecturing, also secondary school teaching- H Dip- Civil service ( to become political adviser), dept of foreign affairs, journalism, novelist ( is there one in you somewhere?), or is there something else that interests you- like law or another profession? Maybe you need to assess what it is that you really want to do first, and then set about achieving that.
 
Anton said:
I did not say that 'I don't know why' I did my PhD in British Foreign Policy. I stated that I was unsure of what direction my career should now take.
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oooh get you. Sorry if my case wasn't correct but my sentiment remains.

As we're on the pedantic boat now, you didn't say you were unsure, you actually said that you were "currently unemployed with no idea of where to go next!


You do a PhD and have no idea why ! It's a niche qualification so you obviously must have done research before you selected the course and so should have had some idea of the potential for gainful employment at the end of it.

After god knows how many years studying for this qualification, if you don't know where it will get you a job then how do you honestly expect others to?

I think it's bizarre !
 
The feelling i am getting from reading posts here and elsewhere is that people think well if i dont get to do what I want sure there is always I.T. to fall back on.

I.T. is a million miles away from a PhD in history. Your degree seems to be more suited to a job in dept of foreign affairs as has been suggested or to teaching or even in politics or the EU or united nations. There are loads of avenues, maybe not alot of jobs though. But you knew that right?

I agree with the previous poster when he says that your "I have no idea what to do next" attitude is bizzare. You dont seem to be able to answer the question - Why did you do a PhD in history?
 
I'd suggest getting a copy of "Where's my oasis?" by Rowan Manahan and also Where's my parachute?.

Each of them deals with finding out what your skills and temperament are so that you can build a career around what you enjoy.

You need to appreciate the skills that you have achieved to date. As others have pointed out, detailed research, anlaysis putting structured documentation together and just sheer persistence. The civil service and education areas have already been metioned.

How about working for non-profit orgaisation for example doing policy development work? Or business consultancy in trans national organisations who who be involved in global activities? Take a look at Accenture or similar- its not all IT.

Also talk to the college careers advisor service.
 
Why did you do a PhD in history?
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Maybe they simply wanted to learn about the subject? - It could be that they had a genuine interest in history.

The world will very quickly become a very dull place if people only become 'interested' in learning subjects with a distinct career path.
 


You have a good skills set - public sector, journalisim, etc.

Did you do the PHD on a part time basis or full time basis?

How long did it take you?
 
Thanks for all the replies thus far. I did the PhD fulltime and it took me 3 years. I decided to do it purely out of interest. I love history and thoroughly enjoyed studying for my doctorate. Having reached the other side, I would love to do something with it. The suggestions given so far have been very helpful.
 
Have you considered a career as an archivist or librarian?

UCD offers professional postgrad courses in both, but in the case of librarianship there is possibility of obtaining a non-professional post as a library assistant and doing one of the distance learning masters offered by a few of the UK universities.

A number of third level colleges offer one year graduate trainee posts for those wishing to obtain work experience in an academic library before going on to do a professional course. I'm out of the workforce for a while now, but these used to be advertised the national press in the spring.
 
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