Careers Service Occupations

Research in Academia

Research in Academia

About

Find out about careers in academia including roles available, professional bodies, and careers advice.

Careers advice

The following external websites and downloads provide careers advice about working in the sector:

Careers advice websites

The British Council EURAXESS UK has information for UK researchers moving to the EU, and the Times Educational Supplement offers guidance on applying for academic posions in the US. 

Vitae is a useful website, and includes information on pursuing an academic career and career management for researchers.

Resources for download

Sector news

The United Kingdom Research Office contains sector news. 

News, funding opportunities and policy information can be found at Research.

Professional bodies

These represent and promote the interests of people working in the sector, providing services such as training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates and development for people already working in the sector.

Follow professional associations on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for useful sources of news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.

The main professional associations for this sector include:

Research Councils

Research Councils UK (RCUK) are responsible for investing public money in research to advance knowledge and generate new ideas.

Find professional bodies outside of the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides. 

Making contacts

Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. Many jobs in this field are gained through networking and speculative applications. 

We've compiled a few places you could start: 

ResearchGATE

ResearchGATE is professional online network for research.

European University Institute academic careers observatory

European University Institute academic careers observatory provides information on networking and research opportunities.

Alumni  

Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what our graduates did after graduation and how they got there.

Social media 

Social media resources, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, can be useful for making contacts, following employers and finding opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Events

Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events organised by the Careers Service include Employer & Sector Insights and Recruitment Events.

Regular events for this sector are also listed on the Vitae events page.  

For more options, see our other Explore Occupations pages. 

Roles & Skills

Opportunities within academic research vary to some extent by discipline and institution.

We've included links to external websites that provide descriptions of typical duties, entry requirements and case studies for the range of careers in this sector:

Academic researcher 

Higher education lecturer

Graduate teaching assistant

Research assistant

Research scientist (life sciences)

Research scientist (maths)

Research scientist (medical)

Research scientist

Social researcher

For additional information on academic roles see University of Manchester: Academic jobs and roles. 

Skills employers look for 

Skills employers look for include:

  • research ability and subject knowledge
  • leadership and management skills
  • networking and collaboration capability
  • presentation and communication ability
  • resilience, self-motivation and the capacity to work independently
  • time management and ability to meet deadlines

Finding Jobs

Competition for positions in this sector is strong. The majority of entry level positions within Higher Education institutions are as Research Assistants or Graduate Teaching Assistants (where you would also need to be studying for a higher level degree).

A few doctoral graduates and research staff go on to have a long term career in academia. However, this is highly variable by country and subject area.

Vacancy sites

North East

There are a number of North East universities that advertise academic research positions:

UK

Europe

Global (including the US)

For more vacancy sources, see Graduate Jobs. You can also search for vacancies on MyCareer.

Find jobs and additional vacancy source websites outside the UK on GoinGlobal.

Finding opportunities

Not all jobs are advertised. You could also approach institutions directly or find work through networking and making contacts in the sector.

Find schools or departments that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact.

Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for, showing your enthusiasm for the school or department and highlighting any relevant skills. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.

Read Targetjobs website for information about speculative applications.

Use the following resources to research universities and departments for speculative applications: