Career Opportunities after Pursuing PhD

In order to be eligible to pursue PhD degree, candidates are supposed to have a master's degree. PhD course involves engaging in in-depth research along with a thorough understanding of research issues and the ability to solve key problems with exceptional analytical and observational skills. In India, the number of PhD graduates has proliferated over the years. It is believed that doctoral studies are limited to academia, but in reality, its scope goes beyond it. Read on to know what exactly does this degree holds!

A PhD or Doctor of Philosophy is a doctoral research degree and normally the highest level of academic qualification one can achieve. Focused with academics, PhD is mainly of three years duration and candidates are required to complete the course within the duration of five to six years. In order to be eligible to pursue PhD degree, candidates are supposed to have a master's degree. PhD course involves engaging in in-depth research along with a thorough understanding of research issues and the ability to solve key problems with exceptional analytical and observational skills. The aspirant should be comfortable with long working hours, analyzing and solving complex problems with calmness.

PhD Course: Highlights

Candidates interested in pursuing PhD course can check the table below to know about PhD course.

Particulars	Details
Course Name	Doctor of Philosophy
Course level	Doctorate
Eligibility	Through Fellowhsip: Master's in relevant discipline with minimum 55% marks and cleared National level fellowship examination. Research Entrance Test: Master's in relevant discipline with minimum 55% marks and cleared RET conducted by the university.
Duration	3 years and maximum upto 6 years
Course Fee	Up to INR 6 lakh
Top Colleges	Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University , Banaras Hindu University
Average salary	INR 5 to 10 lakh
Top Recruiters	Government Departments, Research Institutes, Academic Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Entrance Exam	JEST, GATE, UGC NET, CSIR NET
Job Positions	Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Research Advisor, Research Consultant

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Career Opportunities after a PhD

As the dynamics of employment in India and other countries are changing day by day, this has left PhD students to reshuffle their objective in joining academia. They are needed at different places in society and the academic skills prepare one for a wide array of challenges. In general, the most natural job choice after a PhD is becoming a University professor, Industrial R&D Lab professionals and Start-ups mentor.

Listed below is a brief about the options one can opt for after the completion of the degree:

In Academia

Academia has always been a favourite choice after completing the PhD studies. The job profile under this is similar to what the person did in their PhD. It involves teaching, giving lectures, preparing slides, doing research, managing administration, representing the college in few occasions and attending seminars and lectures in a specific field. If you like to be in the field of research and teaching, then academia is for you.

Working as a Consultant

A decade back, most consulting firms only employed MBAs. Things have changed now! Thanks to the steady rise of technology-based business sectors, there has been a significant increase in the number of PhDs being hired by these firms.

Nowadays, Management consulting firms are mostly looking for people who can have an aerial view of the problems. As a PhD holder has a strong technical background and is specifically trained to troubleshooting difficult problems, more preference is given to them.

Fact: A key advantage of securing a Management Consultant position is that it will open doors for a variety of opportunities including executive management, venture capitalism, and entrepreneurship.

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In Government sector

If you are someone who wants to serve the country, then go for jobs offered in the Government sector. You could be working at one of the ministries, where you will have to understand complex problems and help in making informed choices. Another choice is, you could use your keen mind to work your way up in a political party and serve your country as -eventually, hopefully- a minister.

Another popular position is of Military Researcher. Apart from this option, there are many other opportunities and multiples positions available with state and central government. There are also options available for conducting research as a civilian government employee.

As a Product Manager

Talking about the profile of Product Managers (PMs), they are responsible for managing the entire life-cycle of an innovative product. They supervise and oversee the development and management of a product after it launches. He/ she needs to analyse the product’s market performance as well as determine ways to boost a product’s commercial success while simultaneously determining how to phase out or terminate the older versions.

Fact: The roles are available in most technology-based sectors, including electronics, aeronautics, IT and software, and of course, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.

As an Entrepreneur

From the last ten years, the relationship between academia and start-ups has only grown stronger. In the present-day scenario, everyone wants to have their own identity in the market, and people with a PhD degree want to exhaust their learning in the best way possible. For this, most of the degree holders opt for starting up their own business. If not an entrepreneur, a lot of students prefer working with a start-up and gain experience before setting up their own company.

Other Popular PhD Career Options with Specialisations:

Tabulated below are some more profiles that one can go for after completing their PhDs:

PhD Specialisations	Area of work
PhD in English Literature	College Professor
PhD in Engineering	Management consultancy, finance or aeronautics
PhD in Pharmacy	Medical research centers
PhD in Chemistry	Analyst in Chemical research centers and laboratories
PhD in Geology	Head of the service in Geological centers
PhD in Biochemistry	Patent Lawyer
PhD in Chemical Sciences	Chemical engineering, patents or food technology
PhD in Arts	Publishing, Event Management and Digital Marketing
PhD in Biological and Medical Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, genomics or clinical care
PhD in Business and Finance	Accountancy, data science or consultancy
PhD in Linguistics	Public sector and science communication
PhD in Earth Sciences	Construction, environmental protection, mineral surveying
PhD in Law	Advisory positions in Government sectors
PhD in Humanities	Civil service, content production, editorial
PhD in Law	Investment, teaching, public engagement
PhD in Social Science and Health	Social work, public health, epidemiology
PhD in Biology | Nutrition	Science Writing | Advisor

Popular Entrance Exams for PhD 2023

Candidates aspiring to take admission to PhD programmes are required to pass entrance exams such as UGC NET, GATE, and JEST. 

Candidates can check some more popular PhD entrance exams in the table below:

Name of the Exam	Registration Details	Exam Dates
GATE 2024	30 Aug ' 23 -29 Sep ' 23	3 Feb '24 - 11 Feb '24
UGC NET June 2023	May 10th- 31st 2023	13th-22nd June 2023
CSIR NET 2023	March-April 2023	June 2023
JEST 2023	Application window closed	11th March 2023

How do I sell my PhD to employers?

There are a few skills and characteristics that you must possess before selling yourself for the dream job. Given below are the same -

• Communication Skills: while giving many presentations, lectures or seminars.

• Creative thinking: PhD students are known for their out-of-the-box thinking and ideas to solve a given situation and design unique strategies to overcome problems.

• Management ability: it is important to have the ability to organize the tasks as per their priority.

• Problem-solving skills- during PhD, numerous problems occur, the student should know how to define a problem, determine the cause of it, and then selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution for it.

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