Universiteit Leiden

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Job market orientation

After obtaining their PhD, most of our graduates find a new position outside the University, for instance in the private sector or a civil society organisation. As you will not necessarily continue your career within the academic world, it is important to start thinking in good time about what you would like to do after completing your PhD.

We advise you to already start thinking about your further career in the third year of your PhD programme. Important steps you can take: 

  1. Visit the Career Platform for self-reflection and personality tests, online courses, tips and testimonials of alumni.
  1. Then visit a career coach. Together you work on the results of the exercises and tests. In one to three individual sessions, the coach helps you turn the acquired insights into a concrete action plan.

Postdoc

If you dream of an academic career after your PhD, a postdoc job is often the logical next step. But a career in academia is not a given for everyone, so it is important that you start thinking about what you want to do after your PhD in good time. The career advisers and the Career Platform can help you with this. 

Postdocs receive a temporary contract, often as part of a specific project. Every year, hundreds of researchers apply for postdoc positions at Leiden University.

Fellowships

Some faculties offer the opportunity of a research fellowship to talented researchers with a PhD who wish to become more specialised. This enables you to conduct academic research at a high level within a research programme.

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