P11 - 'What can I do with a Doctorate?’ Supporting the transition of doctoral graduates into an evolving employment market

A rise in doctoral completions and a fall of secure posts within the academy is creating a growing cohort of PhD graduates who, having completed or nearing completion of their thesis, sit on the periphery of academia, often on unstable low paying contracts. Graduates are in danger of experiencing elongated transitions, with implications for long-term career opportunities and wellbeing.

This poster proposes a workshop intervention for those near or following completion of the PhD. Using an approach informed by Bourdieu’s thinking tools and Wenger’s Communities of Practice theory a three part framework is offered. The framework encourages participants to explore potential career ideas in relation to their social networks and their own identities; to understand the PhD employment market; and to use this awareness and information to plan a strategy moving forward.