From Graduate School to working life: career planning in doctoral studies

What are your postdoctoral prospects? Career planning in doctoral studies.

The goals of doctoral education

The aim of doctoral training at the Ģ��ֱ�� is to educate professionals in research, competent experts in various fields for the needs of society. For example Aarresaari Network offers information on doctoral degree career monitoring.

Career planning

It is good to start reflecting on your aspirations regarding postdoctoral employment already during your doctoral studies. This will facilitate decisions related to your studies and research plan, creating contacts and gathering experiences that will support your employment goals. During the doctoral studies, you should update your CV and potentially prepare a larger academic portfolio, which will help you to piece together the development of your competence. They will also facilitate the marketing of your competence to potential employers later. It is advisable to discuss your career plans and employment goals with your supervisor and follow-up group.

More information and tools for career planning and employment is available at the following pages. In addition, some unions offer career services such as career courses or career coaching.

Research career

If you are planning on continuing your career in research, it is a good idea to find out about funding opportunities for postdoctoral researchers already before completing the doctoral degree. Research and Innovation Services of the Ģ��ֱ�� have created a self-learning course Introduction to Applying for Research Funding, which contains information about various post doc funding opportunities, such as funding opportunities from the Academy of Finland, Business Finland and the EU.

The purpose of the Postdocs in Companies program is to connect newly graduated PhDs and Finnish companies. PoDoCo facilitates novel meetings and matches of post docs and companies and offers young scholars funding from one source for academic research having strategic importance for Finnish companies. PoDoCo program is aimed for young doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctoral degree. The Euraxess service provides information on both job and funding opportunities.

Experiences of our graduates

We are currently collecting stories from doctoral students at the Ģ��ֱ��. You can read about their experiences of the university, their doctoral studies and where their path has taken them after their doctorate.

Antti Löppönen (biomechanics): Doing my dissertation helped me identify my strengths

Jenny Elo (Information Systems Science): As a researcher of information systems science, you join a rapidly developing field

Tapio Räsänen (economics): Postgraduate studies help in outlining your research themes

Tanja Välisalo (Research in Contemporary Culture): Co-writing enhances your thinking and keeps you on schedule in dissertation research

Support for career planning

The Ģ��ֱ�� Career Services assists doctoral students in getting a foot on the career ladder. Visit the Career Services website to find information about topics such as working life studies, tailoring your CV, support for job search and entrepreneurship.

It is also supervisors' task to support doctoral student’s career planning by collaboratively discussing their career plans and postdoctoral employment opportunities, as well as encouraging the student to proactively create contacts with potential employers already during the doctoral studies.

In addition, it is also follow-up group's task to to support doctoral student’s career planning.

Ģ��ֱ�� Career Services: working life skills, job search and entrepreneurship

Doctoral studies supervisors

Follow-up group

The supplementary instructions of the Faculties

The supervisors and follow-up group of the doctoral student play the most important role in the career guidance during the studies. The follow-up group meets the doctoral student at least once a year. The group promotes and monitors the progress of doctoral studies and dissertation work, as well as supports the student’s career planning during the doctoral studies.

JSBE regularly organizes seminars and workshops, where academia-oriented and practice-oriented doctoral students can meet, connect and discuss with doctoral program alumni and other participants about their career options.

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