Focus on Doctoral Careers
Throughout September and October, we’re shining a spotlight on doctoral career development because it’s never too early to start thinking about life after your doctorate.
Whether you want to begin exploring career possibilities, discover new options and resources, or access targeted support to progress specific career goals, we offer a wide range of workshops, programmes and resources to support you. With over 20 online and in-person events scheduled, there’s something for every doctoral candidate.
Not sure where to start?
CDES Doctoral Career Series
Join the Career Development Service (CDES) for a new series of workshops designed to help you explore available career pathways, develop your career direction, build networks, and prepare for the job market. This series will give you the tools and confidence to transfer the knowledge, skills and passion you’re developing through your doctorate into your future career.
Doctoral Career Series: Career Direction and Personal Clarity
This workshop will help you explore your motivations, strengths, values and aspirations, giving you a clearer foundation to consider your future career direction and the types of work that may suit you.
21 September: Register now.
Doctoral Career Series: Exploring Career Pathways
Broaden your understanding of the career pathways available to you, both within and beyond academia. Explore potential career options that align with your skills, interests and goals and learn practical ways to research different pathways and identify opportunities to explore further.
28 September: Register now.
Doctoral Career Series: Networking and Professional Visibility
Learn how to build professional connections, explore practical approaches to networking in New Zealand, and develop skills to confidently communicate the value of your PhD and transferable skills.
5 October: Register now.
Doctoral Career Series: Preparing for the Job Market
Learn how to analyse job advertisements and tailor your CV, explore how to communicate your academic experience and transferable skills to different audiences, and delve into using AI to support your career preparation.
12 October: Register now.
Doctoral Morning Tea: Career Lounge
We also invite you to come along to our Career Lounge to chat to alumni who have taken their doctorates in different directions, and gain inspiration and insights from their experiences.
20 October: Register now.
Researcher Skills and Career Planning for Academia and Beyond
Join Dr Julia Mouatt, Researcher Development Manager, to explore what the key capabilities and skills academic careers demand, practical tips for planning your path forward, and how to identify the transferable skills you're developing that hold value well beyond academia.
29 October: Register now.
Online resources
If you’d like to begin with some self-paced exploration, our online resources are a great place to start.
- Doctoral Careers Pathways: To help you navigate your way toward your career aspirations, we have curated a variety of doctoral development pathways – suggestions for how to plan and structure the development of knowledge and skills that will be key in building careers in academia, industry, entrepreneurship or serving the public good.
- CDES Career Essentials: Explore this Canvas course to find information and practical career advice on a range of topics, including CV and cover letter writing, navigating interviews, meaningful networking and professional.
- Career Development and Employability Services: The Career Development and Employability Services (CDES) team is here to help all students at the University, including doctoral candidates.
Aiming for an academic career?
Apply for the Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP), our prestigious year-long programme designed to give you the opportunity to explore key aspects of academic life, build interdisciplinary relationships with academics across the University, and get a head start in the academic job market. Apply now.
If you miss out on a place in ACAP, or if you’d simply prefer something with a lighter commitment, you can join our online Academic Career Perspectives series. It’s a bit like a condensed version of ACAP, and it’s open to everyone. Learn more and register.
You can also join these hands-on workshops with the Research and Innovation Office:
Interested in innovation and entrepreneurship?
We encourage you to apply for the year-long Doctoral Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme (DELP) to learn from innovators and develop entrepreneurial skills that create impact across any field. Learn more.
You can also engage with the many offerings from Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship:
Velocity Velocity $100k Challenge
Enter your start-up plan to win a share of a $100,000 prize pool and kick-start your venture!
21 October: Register now.
Science to Start-Up: Medical Entrepreneurship & Healthcare Innovation Night
Come together with other researchers to see how science is transformed into real-world healthcare solutions through start-ups and innovation.
15 September: Register now.
Research to Innovation Hatchery
This twelve-week part-time programme supports researchers to identify, test, and validate pathways for commercialisation, innovation and impact. Register now.
CIE Makerspace
The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship runs a dedicated makerspace where you can learn, experiment, design, iterate and prototype. Learn more.
Careers in the Innovation Ecosystem
This three-part series is designed to open your eyes to exciting and unexpected career pathways you may not have considered, from startups and scale-ups to innovation roles in government, corporates, research organisation. Register now.
Women in Entrepreneurship
Find out about opportunities, support and funding for women entrepreneurs and founders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Learn more.