Nearly 80% of early career academics have thought about a career change in the past 5-years.
The Postdoc Pivot workshop is designed for academics who want to explore new career possibilities, understand their strengths, and learn the tools needed to build confidence and clarity around what their new direction will be.
Drawing on contemporary research, real-world case studies, and a practical, experiment‑driven approach to career development, this workshop helps academics rethink what a “successful career” can look like - in academia or beyond it.
What You Will Learn
Across four interconnected themes, you’ll build the foundations for a confident and informed career transition:
Understanding the Landscape
Sometimes academia can feel “a little bit cooked". This workshop will explore what’s changing in academic careers, and where PhD graduates actually work.
Working Identity
Connection is a core part of the process. You’ll learn just as much from the group as from the content itself.
Learning from others
Using peer-reviewed evidence and case studies of real postdoc transitions, discover the skills that matter, the challenges people face, and the catalysts that helped them pivot successfully.
Testing New Identities
Career change isn’t theoretical - it’s experimental. You’ll learn how to design low‑risk “career experiments”, why building relationships that support your transition and leveraging your networks is so important. Think about how you'll evaluate your experiments to identify which possible selves feel energising, realistic, and aligned to your strengths and goals.
What You’ll Do
This is an interactive, hands‑on workshop. You’ll engage in:
Career mapping & storytelling
Skills and values exploration
Identifying and designing career experiments
Exploring networking strategies
You’ll leave with a clearer sense of direction, a completed workbook, a shortlist of “possible selves,” and a practical plan for your next steps.
Who This Workshop Is For
PhD graduates considering a career change looking to explore different pathways. Early career academics feeling stuck, uncertain or curiors or those wanting more agency, clarity, and confidence in their career decision-making.
Why It Matters
Major career transitions take time often between 2–5 years. They require both emotional and strategic work. This workshop gives you the tools, frameworks, and support to navigate that process with intention. You’ll learn how to leverage your strengths, and the steps needed to build a career that aligns with who you are becoming.