Navigating the job market as an early career researcher can be challenging – whether you want to stay in academia or explore other career paths. It helps to understand what employers typically look for, be able to clearly communicate your skills and have a solid job search strategy.
Academic positions
What employers are looking for
The evaluation of academic job applicants varies across institutions and countries, so it’s important to familiarise yourself with the local practices where you’re applying.
Your academic community is a key resource and can provide input on what evaluation criteria are important in your field. However, there are also some overarching indicators that may be useful to consider.
UiO's matrix for assessing academic achievements offers insight into how academic competence is evaluated and what is emphasized. At UiO, researchers are assessed based on five areas of competence:
- scientific qualifications (research results and research process)
- teaching competence
- knowledge application
- qualifications in academic leadership and administration
- personal qualifications
Read more about UiO's assessment matrix
SEE ALSO: Open science in researcher evaluation
Tips for finding relevant jobs
How best to find academic jobs as an early career researcher depends largely on your field. Generally, you should monitor job postings on academic job portals, university websites, and international networks like EURAXESS.
In some fields, building contacts through conferences and research collaborations is crucial, while others have more structured career pathways. Funding through postdoctoral fellowships and research projects can also be important stepping stones.
Relevant resources
SEE ALSO: Tips for networking
Positions outside academia
What employers are looking for
Outside academia, employers may still be interested in your subject expertise, but often it’s the transferable skills you’ve developed as a researcher that are most relevant.
Surveys such as NIFU’s employer study and the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report show that in-demand skills include:
- analytical thinking and problem solving
- the ability to contribute new ideas, curiosity, and innovative approaches
- the ability to solve complex problems
- leadership skills
- teamwork skills
- strong communication skills.
Read more about transferable skills
Relevant resources
- Employer survey: Education in a knowledge-intensive society (nifu.no, in Norwegian)
- The Future of Jobs Report (weforum.org)
Tips for finding relevant jobs
If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can use your university’s LinkedIn page to explore career opportunities. Under University of Oslo (linkedin.com), there is a menu button called "Alumni." You can search for keywords to see where graduates with similar backgrounds have found employment. The more general your search term, the more examples you'll get.
This allows you to see where people with the same education started their careers and where they work now. Keep in mind the results will include people with varying degrees of specialization (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD).
Many companies hire candidates with different levels of specialization, so it can be a good idea to contact potential employers to learn what opportunities are available for someone with a PhD.
Utdanning.no
In the search field on utdanning.no (in Norwegian), you can enter a job title that fits your background (e.g. biologist, political scientist, or educator). Under the "Occupation" category, you’ll find information about the job and a list of relevant employers under the Companies tab.
Remember, you can also work in other places than the ones that are listed – many employers use general titles like advisor, consultant, or manager, even when specific subject knowledge is required.
UiO’s websites
Although UiO Career Services’ webpages are mainly aimed at Bachelor’s and Master’s students, they may also be useful for PhDs and postdocs. Many companies hire people with various levels of specialisation. UiO Career Services offers an overview of employers who have hired people with your academic background. This is not an exhaustive list, but it can be a useful source of inspiration. Several faculties also have their own career pages with examples of where former students have found jobs.
Job portals
There are many job portals where you can find relevant openings. Here are some of the largest in Norway:
- Arbeidsplassen.no: NAV’s job database is one of the largest in Norway and gathers job listings from local newspapers and employers
- Finn.no: a major portal with a wide range of job openings across sectors
- Jobbnorge.no: a portal especially popular for public sector jobs
Indeed is an app that aggregates job listings from various sources and can be useful on the go.
If your education is not tied to a specific profession, focus less on job titles when searching and more on tasks, roles or topics you’d like to work with. Relevant keywords might include project management, skills development, or digitalisation.
Staffing and recruitment agencies
Another job search strategy could be to register your CV with a staffing or recruitment agency. Relevant agencies include the following:
Trade union career pages
Several trade unions offer great resources for job seekers. Look up your union and explore what they provide.
Examples include Naturviterne (naturviterne.no) and Samfunnsviterne (samfunnsviterne.no).
UiO’s graduate survey
The 2023 Graduate Survey shows where former PhD candidates from UiO are working today. Chapter 8 covers PhD graduates’ career plans, current employment, training in generic skills, and access to career-related activities and services.
You can see where former PhD graduates from your faculty have gone on to work after completing their degree.
Job search and competency mapping
When applying for a job, it’s important to keep in mind that an employer doesn’t hire a degree, they hire you based on the entirety of your competence.
Mapping your own skills is a great help when writing a CV, cover letter and preparing for a future job interview. It also helps you discover career opportunities.
Read more about how to map your skills