Stewart, lecturer, PhD in human geography

Occupation: Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Exeter

Sector: Education (Academia)

PhD subject: Human Geography

Why did you do a PhD?

Towards the end of my first degree I wasn’t sure what to do next. I had a keen interest in Waste Management, which I’d studied for my undergraduate dissertation and after speaking to the academic involved, developed an idea for a longer research project. I discovered that a University funded studentship was available and I successfully applied for it.

Describe your job briefly:

Like most academics my role combines research, teaching and administration. I teach at undergraduate and postgraduate levels on Sustainable Development, Research Methods and Statistics as well as acting as personal tutor for 20 students. My admin load is currently quite small as I’ve only recently being given a permanent post, but I expect that to increase significantly. My research is supposed to be my priority and I spend time writing papers and applying for further research grants.

Why did you decide in this career?

My biggest motivations are to keep learning and have personal freedom and I think academia is the only way I could have satisfied both these needs. Although I’m quite disciplined and work in a very regimented way, I need to have the freedom to decide how I work and to pursue work that is interesting to me. Even with the pressures of the RAE I can still think freely. Although I’ve considered commercial research in consultancies the restraints and targets that that this would involve would counter positive factors like better salaries.

I’m lucky with my teaching in two respects. The first is that the topics that I lecture on (statistics and research methods) have a direct application for the students, so I see them benefiting from what I teach instantly. I’m also a strong believer in applying research in teaching which I feel benefits both. Finally, there is huge variety from day to day – I never find myself in a routine – which means it is a fascinating career.

Why do you think you got the job?

Towards the end of my PhD I was involved in writing a proposal to the ESRC for a 2 year fellowship which we were awarded. Being involved in writing a successful grant application was something that I could talk about. PhD students and post-docs aren’t expected to have secured funding (in fact the funding regulations make this almost impossible) but it demonstrated that I could write proposals and develop research ideas with appeal to funding bodies.

This was secondary though, as the bottom line was my publication record. At the end of my 2 year fellowship I made a strategic decision to take a month off to concentrate on writing papers which I targeted at the top RAE graded journals. Research active departments are keen to score highly, so they look for applicants who can give their RAE submissions positive impact. I’m convinced this is what got me the post, but I had previously been unsuccessful at another university, so there aren’t any guarantees – there’s a lot of competition for academic posts.

My research area enables me to teach topics which require skills and knowledge which are in relatively short supply, which has also contributed to getting a permanent position.

Do you think a PhD has had a positive impact on your career?

I couldn’t have secured an academic post without a PhD. A few years ago it was a “desirable, not essential” requirement, but now you MUST have a PhD if you want a future in academia.

What advice do you have for PhD students to boost their employability?

It might sound like a dirty word, but networking is everything in academia. Go to conferences, present papers (even if they aren’t fantastic) and most importantly, talk to people in the bar afterwards! You need to start building a reputation during your PhD (whatever your intended career) and raising your profile. This isn’t about “shouting about yourself”, but it is about contributing to your field. Join your professional body (such as the Royal Geographical Society) and get onto committees, edit newsletters and start publishing. Work out where you want to be in five years time and tell people – particularly if you want to stay in academia. Politics is rife in the academic world. If people want to know what life is like in universities, I tell them to watch “Yes Minister”! You need to learn how to play the game and to realise that you are the only person you can depend on for future success – although you are sure to get a lot of support and advice, ultimately it is down to you.

Do you think a PhD has had a positive impact on your career?

Yes and no. The subject matter is very esoteric and concerns a very narrow field of research. It is also very unlikely that it will have any industrial application, but provided some interesting research into material behaviour. So in this respect I may have been better off spending three years working in an industrial environment.

However, it did fill in the missing blanks from my Undergraduate Degree. It gave me a thorough understanding of materials and continuum mechanics; to a level above most people who would have been applying for similar jobs. This is the thing that helped me most. It was not the specifics of the research that helped, more the total acquired information, techniques and skills.

What advice do you have for PhD students to boost their employability?

Try and ensure that an industrial party is involved with the work. This will ensure that there could be some industrial relevance to the work. Use as many of the current industrial tools as possible (whether these are software programs or testing apparatus). Get as much formal training as possible, including things that may not be immediately relevant to the PhD if possible.

It all depends on what a PhD is designed to achieve. Is it purely for research purposes and pushing the boundaries of science and our understanding? Or is it to help industry out with their current problems? It is cheaper for a Company to come to a University and sponsor a student than it would be for them to undertake the problem solving for themselves. TCS schemes may develop more useful skills for people to use in industry.