Make the most of specialist resources

The careers advisory team at your institution will have a wealth of knowledge about different career specialisms, and advice on CVs and LinkedIn, and they may have an alumni network. There are also numerous books and blogs on leaving academia, online communities such as The Professor Is In, and people often tweet or post on LinkedIn with hashtags like #AltAc and #LeavingAcademia. On LinkedIn, there are groups dedicated to career options and you can follow former academics and specialists in careers services.

Create and/or update your LinkedIn profile

If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, it will be helpful to set one up so that you can search and apply for jobs there. Many companies also use your LinkedIn profile as a digital CV and will look you up on there even if you apply for a job via their website. You can use other people’s profiles to help shape your content.

Create a skills matrix

Most jobs require key skills. If you struggle to identify your skills, try searching online for lists of employability or industry skills to give you some ideas. Once you have created a list of skills you have, try ranking your skills from strongest to weakest and then again from most enjoy using to ones you least enjoy using. Skills you are strong in and enjoy using will likely be fertile ground for starting your job searches.

Review job adverts

Reviewing job adverts is a good way to start identifying what you find attractive in a job. It might be location, salary, interest, organisation type, skills, job description or other factors that you might not have thought of. LinkedIn is a good place to start but it is worth googling other job boards as well, particularly for the charity sector. Once you have a sense of what sort of job you would like to do, you can refine your search.

Find examples of industry CVs

When applying for jobs, you will need to convert your academic CV into a shorter industry CV/resume. There is lots of online advice about what a good CV should look like, but the quickest way to identify what you need is to ask your friends, family members, or contacts if you can look at theirs.

Remember that your first job post-academia does not define you

You may not get your ideal job immediately after leaving academia, but this is ok! The first job is the hardest to get, but all the experience you gain in industry is helpful and will make subsequent job moves easier. It is also normal (and a lot easier) to change jobs outside academia, so if you don’t get it right the first time, you will be able to transition to something else.