Brandishing three university degrees and four decades of Australian and international work experience as a journalist/corporate writer, I sensed I finally had enough academic confidence pre-pandemic to tackle postgraduate research.   

Plus, my occasional stints of K-12 teaching since 2011 left me with a niggle I needed to explore. How on earth can you do out-of-field maths or science teaching and do it well; successfully even? 

Not knowing much about the difference between a Doctor of Education (DEd) and a PhD in education, I opted for the former. Over six months, I worked with my would-be supervisors to refine my proposal for an out-of-field maths teaching project. Hit submit, then waited four months. 

No luck: “Margaret’s substantive experience is as a journalist/editor. Her proposal is not aligned with her teaching experience. I appreciate that Margaret recognises this, identifying herself as an out-of-field maths teacher. However, the new Faculty of Education is clearly focussed [sic] on alignment between qualifications, experience, teaching and research.” 

Ouch. 

What Margaret did next

Next, I enrolled in Deakin University’s Graduate Certificate in Education Research, earning high distinctions for all four subjects. A solid record to get into a PhD at that university. After submitting my application, I checked in multiple times over four months, getting a confused message that they were assessing me for a scholarship – for which I hadn’t applied. Finally in December 2022, I was in. Part-time, online; a great fit with my freelance writing. 

But what was the point of me sharpening my academic writing claws?

It’s part therapy to process my teaching stints (and I’m returning to that fold next year, too). I’m keen not to put all my eggs in one basket, not to just be a writer in the age of generative artificial intelligence. Elegant academic writing entrances me. 

So, I’m all ears for post-PhD options. Which is why I found this symposium last month fascinating.

Yes, it is true some education PhD graduates may return to school classrooms – but a panel at Deakin University in October revealed other career options. 

Higher degree research symposium

This discussion was part of the Higher Degree Research Symposium on Digital Technology and Education, hosted by Deakin’s Research for Educational Impact (REDI) Centre.

Panel members were:

• Professor of School Development and Governance Mathias Decuypere, Zurich University of Teacher Education, Switzerland
• Dr Luci Pangrazio, ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow, Senior Lecturer at Deakin University, and Chief Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child
• Recent PhD graduate, Dr Jessica Laraine Williams, transdisciplinary academic, physiotherapist and artist at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, and
• Mike Stevenson, Head of Product at Educatordata.com, Mike has previously worked with institutions and edtechs like UTS, RMIT, Deakin, Murdoch, and SEEK.

Earning a PhD is a significant academic achievement, yet it opens a complex landscape of career options amid a changing academic job market. The three panel members pursuing academic careers shared their insights on this path. All panel members acknowledged that an academic career is just one option, with about half of Australia’s PhD graduates working outside academia. That aligns with global trends. 

Navigating the Winding Road to Success in Academia

Former high school English teacher Luci Pangrazio explained her choice to leave a tenured senior lectureship for two consecutive postdoctoral research roles, eventually securing a prestigious DECRA fellowship on her second attempt.

“I didn’t really have an academic career in mind, but after I obtained my PhD I went into an ongoing teaching-research position at Monash and successfully applied for a $25,000 grant to lead a project on a small time frame. I had my PhD published as a monograph, so this set me up to go for a research-only post doc,” she said.

Shortly after, Dr Pangrazio was offered a three-year postdoc at Deakin, working with the academic who had marked her masters’ thesis.

“It was a really difficult decision [to leave a permanent role], but I decided to take the risk,” said Dr Pangrazio. 

This led to an Alfred Deakin postdoctoral position, something of a consolation prize after her initial DECRA Fellowship application was unsuccessful. She secured a DECRA on her second try.

“My PhD supervisor said if you believe the work you are doing is worthwhile, you just have to keep trying and not be put off by bad reviews or rejections” said Dr Pangrazio.

Thinking beyond disciplinary boundaries

Dr Jessica Williams from Swinburne spoke about the need for PhD graduates to harness personal values and develop multiliteracy across disciplines.

“Think at the core what motivates and drives you.

“My journey through health sciences, humanities, social sciences, and education spanned a decade while I practised as a physiotherapist in hospitals, aged care, and management. But I’m no longer doing clinical work, as you can’t do everything.”

Dr Williams describes her PhD thesis as an exploration of boundaries: “It operated in the synergies, divergences and tensions of disciplines, which means you sit in the tension, the frissons. We can work productively in collaboration.

You can build a bridge

“It taught me the power of multiliteracies across disciplines; the need to use the right lexicon to bridge potential gaps or hesitations with employers in industry or academia. If you speak their language, you can build a bridge,” said Dr Williams.

PhD graduates can do this by “creating a narrative around their study skills, including experiences outside their PhD, and showing how it translates to broader disciplines,” she said. Start by exploring journals beyond those typically read by your education peers and “go beyond the silo”.

“Act with integrity. Identify work settings and cultures that align with your values. It’s a dynamic process.”

For Williams, a “throwaway post” on LinkedIn caught the attention of her discipline head at Swinburne University, who encouraged her to apply for a lecturing position.

“Make sure you’re visible online; share what you’re doing on a platform like LinkedIn. I had to weigh up how beneficial it would be, so I curate how much time I spend there.”

Pangrazio agreed, noting that she’s active on social media, especially Twitter/X, which has helped her connect globally and build a profile for sharing her published research.

“Be open to new experiences and opportunities. Sometimes a brief conversation at a conference has led to an email six months later inviting me to co-author a paper.”

Exploring geographical borders

Switzerland-based Professor Mathias Decuypere transitioned from the “nice, fun, safe haven” of his PhD years into a challenging postdoctoral life.

“My postdoc experience was really not the nicest in the world. I had two years of teaching, admin, and research, but there’s only so much you can do because postdocs are rare. There’s hardly any funding available, as most of it goes to doctoral students.”

Professor Decuypere’s strategy was to build his profile and “make his research, topics, and methods visible to the world.” At the same time, he advises to “not stick to an academic career whatever it takes – there are so many other options out there”.

“Be ready to answer immediately—to industry, policymakers, schools, or academia—what your research aims to accomplish.”

This requires a conscious uncoupling—essentially, stepping out from under the wings of PhD supervisors. Figuratively, he advised attendees to “kill your supervisors.”

“You must commit to a certain kind of treason towards your supervisors as you reach a stage where you no longer necessarily adopt their views.”

Diversifying opportunities

Panel member Mike Stevenson encouraged PhD students to not have all their eggs in one basket, be that academia or industry. Instead, they should consider making career ‘investments’ in both.

“You may want to be a dedicated researcher, but you could find yourself in a variety of roles. Think about what you can do this week with a spare five minutes to advance another path. Keep learning, improving, and collaborating with others,” he said.

Stevenson encouraged PhD students to think ahead, “You don’t want to invest in these things when you need them, so start now. When the time comes to try a different path, you have your parachute ready.”

EducatorData.com provides data analytics for the education sector, for educators, administrators, and policymakers.  EducatorData.com offers accessible analysis, data visualisation, reporting, and benchmarking, enabling education sector professionals to analyse trends and make informed decisions for their community. 

Stevenson highlighted the slow growth in the Australian academic job market where combined teaching and research roles are flat from 2019 to 2023, contrasting it with substantial growth in teaching only roles.

What else can you do?

However, he noted that while combined teaching and research roles averaged an FTE of ~0.9, for teaching only roles offered an average FTE of ~0.75, saying: “You might secure academic teaching roles that are only about three-quarters of a full-time position, so consider what else you can do.”

For instance, the Educatordata.com team includes both PhDs and non-PhDs, but does not require a PhD for any role. The focus is on the person and how their ability, perspective and experience can contribute. 

“Consider which of your academic skills are transferable. An academic path might not be the best choice for your bank balance, so you could use your skills elsewhere to earn more, return to teaching in schools, or stay connected to academia.”

Stevenson proposed PhD candidates and graduates had a wealth of skills and experiences they could draw on from their studies that could evidence their ability to have a positive impact in business, government, community, and not-for-profit organisations. But it required thinking differently.

“Working in industry requires adopting a different mindset, with colleagues who aren’t part of your supportive PhD community and haven’t shared your experiences.”

Stevenson said success in moving across industry and academia throughout your career comes down to being able to adapt to different cultural environments and not being defined by your credentials but instead by how you can help.

“Reflect on your priorities and where you might best fit,” he said.