For our final In Focus event of 2023-24, we invited five University of Liverpool alumni who completed PhDs in the School of the Arts to speak about their post-PhD careers and experiences. As this is a topic that is on the mind of many PGRs, this session allowed for a frank, informative discussion of the type of careers that a PhD in the School of the Arts can lead to, with our alumni providing direct advice on how they had succeeded in their chosen fields.
The five speakers represented a range of academic and non-academic careers, including traditional academic careers, researcher development/support, curatorial roles, teaching abroad, and roles in communications and the press. Our alumni shared their experiences regarding how they came to their current roles, the challenges they have faced, and tips for applying and interviewing.
The session was well-attended, with the round-table discussion allowing our PGRs to ask questions and receive advice relevant to their career aspirations and goals. Our alumni spoke frankly, and highlighted that while there are certainly challenges, the skills gained during the PhD had contributed positively to their current careers.
The event received extremely positive feedback, with attendees commenting ‘I knew that I would hear stories of former PhD students, but the event turned out to be more informative than I expected’, and ‘The event surpassed expectations: excellently conceived and superb speakers!’.
We would like to thank our alumni and current PGRs for their contributions to this session, and we hope to see you next year!
Dr Rhys Steven Jones is a lecturer in film, media and cross-cultural studies at the University of Amsterdam. Dr Jones has also worked at a number of UK institutions, including Birkbeck College London and the University of Leeds.
Dr Craig Leyland completed his Liverpool PhD on fin de siècle literature in 2019, and was appointed a Lecturer for Guangxi Normal University in Guilin, China, in January 2020.
Dr Antoinette McKane (FHEA) is a researcher developer at the University of Manchester. In this role she works with researchers of all levels, from PGRs to PIs, to develop the skills and capabilities required to successfully undertake their research and advance their careers.
Dr Catrin Owen completed her PhD in the Department of Communication and Media, which examined newspaper coverage of the BBC licence fee, in December 2019. She is currently Media Relations Manager for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Liverpool.
Dr Joanna Straczowski finished her PhD at the University of Liverpool in 2019. At the time, she was already working full time as a curatorial trainee at an art museum in Eastern Germany, between 2018 and 2020. In 2021, she successfully applied for the role of museum director for Germany's first comic museum where she currently works.