Career Day for Doctoral Researchers and PostdocsHRA Karrieresprung 2024

30 October 2024

Photo: HRA/Helm

"I really enjoyed the direct contact with PhDs who had gone into industry" – was a recurring piece of feedback from our evaluation. This quote reflects the focus of the HRA Karrieresprung 2024, which was dedicated to the exploration of individual career paths after the doctorate. On 10 October, the career day of the Hamburg Research Academy offered early career researchers the opportunity to explore career paths beyond the traditional academic career at a university, to be inspired by the experiences of our guests, and to plan the next steps in their careers. With around 200 attendees, the event took place in the creative environment of Design Offices Hammerbrook.

Career Stories: Learning About Different Career Paths

How does one go from a doctorate in philosophy to a position at the Chamber of Commerce, or from a doctorate in sociology to a career in consulting? At the heart of the event were the "Career Stories", in which 30 guests from a variety of professional backgrounds talked about the choices and challenges they have faced since earning their doctorates in a World Café format. These honest insights provided valuable inspiration and showed how the transition from academia to other professional fields can be achieved. Particularly fascinating and motivating were the stories of unconventional career paths and lateral entries, as well as people from disciplines for which there are not necessarily clear job profiles on the job market.

Keynote: From Research to Entrepreneurship

A highlight of the event was the keynote by Dr. Ijad Madisch, who inspired with his extraordinary career from virology to founding the international network ResearchGate. He challenged the traditional "academia or something completely different" mindset by showing that you can leave university and still stay closely connected to the scientific community. He shared valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: having a business idea is important, but it is only a small piece of the puzzle. The key to success is execution – and you have to have the skills to do that. Of course, fortunate circumstances also play a role and can make all the difference.

Opportunity Arena: Hub for Career Perspectives

The interactive Opportunity Arena provided a space for participants to directly engage with companies, start-ups and service providers. This lively meeting point allowed participants to discover new professional perspectives and gather valuable information on support services for their next career steps.

Sessions and Advising: Preparing for the Next Steps

The event also included two intensive sessions: "Some facts about the non-academic job market" and "Prototyping your way to your job" by Dr. Philippa Cook. These sessions provided practical tips for better understanding the non-academic job market and actively shaping one's own career paths. CV checks and short coaching sessions were also available, along with a CV photo shoot.

The Karrieresprung 2024 was organised in cooperation with Hamburg Invest's Talent Services team. Many thanks to all the dedicated contributors and interested participants who helped make the event a success!