Steve, senior training and development officer, PhD in Zoology

Occupation: Senior Training and Development Officer

Sector: Education (Academia)

PhD subject: Zoology

Why did you do a PhD?

After finishing my first degree I got a job in a sports shop immediately after graduation, as I needed to pay off some debts. One evening in the summer I met up with some friends and they were all talking about their plans which included doing masters and PhDs. I decided to pop into my old department to find out what my options were and was offered a fully funded PhD!

My research was into “scramble competition” which is basically a study of the competition for food between lower vertebrates. It involved empirical studies, mathematical modelling and behavioural studies.

Describe your job briefly:

I work in staff development in academia, so my work involves delivering training in many areas (anything relevant to academic or other university staff), developing new courses, visiting other universities as an external trainer, developing policy within my institution and keeping up to date with developments in the sector.

I’ve built up the range of courses offered by the Staff Development Unit almost from scratch, so I also spend time reading about interesting topics and then working out how to present these effectively to the target audience. This makes the job particularly interesting – there are always new ideas and techniques to learn and then pass on. It is very satisfying and challenging.

Why did you decide in this career?

I realised at quite an early stage of my PhD that I wasn’t going to pursue a career in academia, but didn’t have any clear ideas about the alternatives available until I went on a GRADschool. This was a real turning point as I had a great time being involved in active, lively training activities and realised that this was the sort of thing I wanted to do for a living. I hadn’t previously realised that it was an option, but when I got back to uni I looked again at the opportunities that were available and started to get much more out of my PhD. I volunteered to teach in the department, joined the Researchers in Residence scheme and made a concerted effort to broaden my skills – especially my interpersonal skills.

Why do you think you got the job?

I was young, male and had an academic background – most trainers are female and few staff development people have PhDs. I think I also came across at interview as someone who was going to fit into the department. I think another factor was that the post was for a junior staff development post in academia so it paid significantly less than the private sector. This reduced competition from more experienced people.

On a more personal level, when I was talking about my non-academic interests and achievements I had plenty of evidence of my drive to move into a training role and I think the fact that I used my initiative to develop the skills I needed compensated my lack of experience.

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

Absolutely – I wouldn’t be in the position I am now without it. When I was doing my PhD it certainly didn’t feel like that, but it has served me well. In any career within academia a PhD has value because it gives you academic credibility and seems to make academics feel like you understand their values and needs.

For example, when I took on the job there was a very limited number of training courses being offered and few specifically for academics. I was able to develop new courses and make proposals to departments - I’m sure some of these were only considered because of my PhD, so it has definitely opened doors for me.

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

Start thinking about the future during your PhD – as early as possible. Don’t assume that a PhD is going to be enough to get you any job. Take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you and if you can’t find a course or funding to develop a useful skill, use your initiative and make things happen. Universities are full of opportunities and people who can advise you about your career – seek them out.

Think about the skills you are developing, not just the qualification, as this will help you to identify potential careers rather than pigeon-holing yourself as a zoologist or whatever. You can do anything with a PhD if you have this attitude and work at developing your skills.

Finally, grind it out! Everyone thinks about walking away and if you have realised that you aren’t going to remain in academia it can seem like a waste of time to carry on with the slog. It isn’t because a PhD is worth achieving and is worth the effort – just make sure it isn’t all you have to offer.