Finding job opportunities
- Networking
- Speculative applications
- Publications
- Using the Web
- Recruitment consultancies
- Employer visits/fair/graduate schemes
- Timing your search
Job Hunting
Employment figures for Bristol post grads show them doing even better than those with just a first degree.
To uncover the market in your field you may well need many of the skills you picked up on your studies- research, initiative, flexibility, networking.
Significant factors include your specialism, research topic, the type of work you want and whether you have a taught or research degree.
Our JOBS section All jobs are open to postgrads but you can also search for those specifically seeking PhDs
Get Networking
Networking will keep you in touch with the latest developments, and is a good way to find out information for a targeted application, when an opportunity does arise.
This is also a key skill if you wish to follow an academic career. Networking helps with collaboration, funding, your next contract, and it has also been suggested networking increases your citation rate.
Many jobs aren't advertised so it is a great way of finding the hidden job market.
- Ask around the university
- Individual academics and departments may have particularly well developed links with organisations and individuals
- Where do they look for jobs?
- Ask about specialist websites and newsgroups
- Use the Careers Network. It lists hundreds of Bristol alumni willing to advise current students
- The University of Bristol Alumni Community also has alumni groups you can utilise
The different contact areas in your network could include:
- Your Supervisor
- Other academics in your department or faculty
- Academics you have met on conferences or with who you have collaborated
- Family
- Family friends
- Friends (school, college, university, clubs, etc)
- Friends of friends and friends' family
- Colleagues
- Previous work/voluntary experience
- And more...!
Vitae also has useful advice on effective networking
Speculative applications
In some areas many jobs go unadvertised, especially if you are looking for a specialist niche. To be successful you will need to use your research skills to make a targeted and personalised application.
It is best to target 4 or 5 organisations, rather than approach all your options at once. This will give you time to do enough research, and get feedback if your initial applications are not successful, so you can revise your approach.
We also have a list of employers who have advertised for PhD students in the last 2 years on our website.
There is also a list of employers who have shown specific interest in employing postgraduates given to us by other careers advisers.
General advice on speculative applications
Publications
Look at a wide variety of publications. Go beyond national newspapers and high profile journals. For all sorts of reasons (sometimes just to reduce shortlists!) vacancies get advertised elsewhere.
Get to know the specialist press in your field. A few examples from many are "Health Service Journal", "Environment Post" and "Disability Now". Locally the best collection of such publications is in Bristol's city reference library on College Green. The 'I want to work in..' section of our website has lots of useful links to specialist areas.
We receive lots of free publications advertising jobs. These are displayed in our information centre. Please take them away! They range from national directories listing every type of graduate recruiter to specific publications targeting civil engineers and actuaries
The Information team can assist with finding information within the careers service or on the web.
Using the Web
There is a lot of information on the web, so it is advisable to keep a record (spreadsheet possibly), of websites, employers and agencies you have researched or contacted. You will then know who you spoke to, when you were last in contact and which version of your CV you sent, so when they contact you you're clear on what you've sent and to whom you spoke.
It is also useful to keep a record of user names and passwords so you can reaccess the sites, and view previous applications.
Explore our website fully. We've hundreds of links to employers, professional organisations, regional and national employer directories and newspapers. These are particularly useful if you're targeting specialist areas.
Recruitment consultancies
Investigate recruitment consultancies. Although their value is likely to depend on your interests and expertise, they can be useful. Many specialise in particular areas of work. These can often be more helpful if you are in a technical field.
If recruitment agencies are used well, they can take a lot of the leg work out of applying for jobs. Ask them for advice on your CV, find out if they will proactively look for jobs, or if you should be checking their website. Agree a timescale for them to contact you, or you to contact them for an update. If it is a good recruitment consultant, this could be a relationship you build over the years, for each step in your career.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation This site has a useful search engine to find specialist consultancies and you can search on specialism and location.
Employer visits/ fairs/graduate schemes
There are employers with a long history of targeting those with PhDs, such as the strong demand for highly numerate PhD graduates in the City from investment banking or consultancy, or employers looking to recruit scientists into research and the pharmaceutical industry. PhDs must do more than just apply. To be successful you will need to research the employer carefully and target your job applications.
Bristol is visited by a number of employers who give evening presentations on campus. There's plenty of time to talk informally, usually to managers with extensive recruitment experience. Although marketed mainly for finalists, the system offers excellent opportunities for post grads. Firstly many organisations readily recruit post grads alongside finalists onto their mainstream graduate recruitment programmes. Secondly you've a chance to talk about opportunities, perhaps very occasional, which they offer specifically to post grads.
Watch out for graduate recruitment fairs. Bristol holds several, attended by as many as 100 employers, while a number of others are held throughout Britain. Most are publicised in Prospects. Their value to you will vary, since they're dominated by large employers and many sectors are unrepresented. As with many other high profile recruitment offerings, they're marketed heavily to finalists. This is just on the surface, however. Use them as you would milkround presentations, to uncover specialist niches for post grads as well as to learn about mainstream opportunities for all levels of graduate.
Graduate schemes/ roles
Graduate schemes and roles are open to postgraduates as well as finalists - a degree is often the minimum qualification. Employers will welcome applications from postgraduates and some may offer slightly higher salaries and more rapid progression during the scheme, or they are promoted faster once finishing the scheme.
Timing your search
Don't wait until you have submitted your thesis
Some employers recruit a year ahead, so if you miss deadlines you will need to wait for another year. It is good to build contacts with employers before you finish your study. This may involve applying at the beginning of your masters or during the final year of your PhD. Here's a basic timetable outlining when jobs appear - although aimed at finalists, the same rules apply for post grads.
Plan ahead. If you're still some way from completing, start doing some groundwork now. Use the Careers Service's Careers Network to talk with ex-Bristol people in all sorts of jobs. Get in touch with organisations and arrange some short spells of work experience. Even the odd day or two can give you extra credibility and contacts.
If you are job hunting after you have completed, employers do recruit all year round, be proactive and contact the ones you are interested in to find the opportunities.
