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 starte