GRADE Sustain

Why are we organizing such events?

Which one is the right career for me? What kind of different options are there?

After finishing your PhD or after a first postdoc phase the question arises, which kind of further career you could and should choose. Might there be a path to one of the rare positions as a permanent researcher inside the university? Moreover, are you sure that this is what you would prefer? Less than 4% of current doctoral researchers will remain in academia for their entire career1. Therefore, occupational fields outside the university gain more importance and they are getting more and more diverse. New fields develop rapidly - especially within those professional fields that have no classical predestination for their later careers.

With this special series of talks and company visits within the broad fields and their links into society, we would like to give opportunities for a better orientation in between all these options for your further working life. We aim to give you a better understanding of the change from research activity towards employment and support you in this transition. You might be able to rethink, change, substitute or enhance your own ideas and plans with the new information about lots of various options. In addition, the question of the “value” of a PhD and of the capabilities you have gained during your research activity will be subject to our discussions and talks.

[1] Wissenschaftsrat 2014: Empfehlungen zu Karrierezielen und –wegen an Universitäten, S. 25