How to plan your career
Get an overview of career paths after a PhD, the skills worth developing and the services offered by MU to support your career planning.
PhD candidate
How to start
Many PhD candidates don’t start to think about their future until the last year of their studies. However, when it comes to career planning, the rule of thumb is “the sooner, the better” – ideally from the very beginning of your studies. A few steps to take:
- Self-reflection: Discover your strengths, values, interests and motivation.
- Exploration: Get information about various career paths and requirements for candidates.
- Choosing a career path: Ideally, select at least two possible paths that are of interest to you.
- Planning: Set short-term and long-term goals, the steps to achieve them and the time frame.
- Education and development: Use the available resources, training courses and networking to develop the desired skills
Career paths after PhD
A career after a PhD can develop in many directions, depending on your focus in addition to doctoral studies. Below you will find a brief overview of the career paths and competencies needed.
Academic career
Key competencies on this path include:
- academic writing, publishing, work with impacted journals,
- writing of grant applications, research project management,
- pedagogical competencies (teaching, student assessment, supervision),
- intercultural communication and team cooperation in an international environment,
- ability to lead a research team.
Research outside the university (applied research, R&D)
Key competencies on this path include:
- project and innovation management,
- cooperation with industry and public partners,
- application and commercialization of outputs (technology transfer, patents),
- data analytics, working with modern technologies,
- communication and popularization of research.
Public administration and politics (state administration, non-profit sector)
Key competencies on this path include:
- analytical and critical thinking, preparing materials for decision-making
- writing strategic documents,
- understanding legal context and public administration,
- communication with the public and stakeholders,
- leadership and facilitation in multidisciplinary teams.
Business and innovation (corporations, start-ups, consulting)
Key competencies on this path include:
- leadership, coaching and team management
- networking and building professional relationships,
- business development and understanding of economic fundamentals,
- creative thinking, innovation and the ability to apply science in practice,
- intercultural negotiation and adaptability.
Entrepreneurship and independent projects
Key competencies on this path include:
- developing a business plan, economic literacy,
- pitching and presenting projects to investors,
- legal framework of entrepreneurship and intellectual property protection,
- time management and resilience,
- financial management and fundraising.
International and supranational organizations (EU, UN, NGOs)
Key competencies on this path include:
- understanding how international institutions operate,
- intercultural communication and working in multicultural teams,
- writing projects and reports according to institutional standards,
- diplomatic and negotiation skills,
- ethics, integrity and ability to represent.
The recommendations regarding competencies for different career paths are based on ResearchComp Framework and EuroDoc models.
How can the university help?
I need to figure out the next steps
If you hesitate which path to take, the MU Career Centre can help you figure it out:
- Career consultations (only in Czech, can be automatically translated by Google Translate)
-
Coaching (only in Czech, can be automatically translated by Google Translate)
I am looking for education opportunities
Do you have an idea of your future career? Then it’s time to enhance concrete competencies and skills:
I need to find a career opportunity
If you are looking for a job, try the list of portals with postdoc and other positions: