ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

Know yourself and your options

Know yourself

  • Ask yourself (and ask others)
    • What kind of researcher are you? What are your strengths as a researcher?
    • What other interests do you have?
    • What are you good at? What would you like to be good at?
    • What would you like to be known for? What is important to you about your career?
  • Download the relevant skills audit to see the range of skills gained through higher degree research and reflect on your strengths and areas for development: 
  • The researcher career assessment tools (for STEM researchers) and (for Humanities, Arts and Social Science researchers) are excellent resources to start exploring your career possibilities.
  • Reflect on your values, motivations, temperament, resilience and other individual factors that influence your career through the .

Know your options and build your network

  • Ask your supervisor and colleagues in your research group or discipline for information (and connection to) previous research graduates
  • Get an understanding of postdoctoral funding opportunities through the Research Services Office resources
  • Use to search for research graduates, and connect with UOW graduates working in your career of interest
  • Set up email alerts on recruitment sites with relevant keywords (topic, subject, discipline, “research” or other specific skills)
  • Get an insight into research graduate careers online:
    • Over 150 from researchers working in a range of sectors (Vitae – International Researchers’ Organisation)
    • Typical careers that PhDs pursue across diverse sectors
  • For more online resources download our ‘' career inspiration for HDR students.

More information

ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ more information and resources on the following pages: