Get Ready
We empower PhDs and Post-Docs
to build professional careers
What we do for PhDs
The Versatile PhD mission is to help graduate students, ABDs and PhDs identify, prepare for and excel in professional careers. We currently serve over 60 leading US research universities, including their PhD students, post-docs and alumni, by providing unique and instructive content, networks, job analytics and readiness tools.
Why We Do It
When you invest in a Versatile PhD subscription, your institution gets more than just access to a website. Your students and post-docs gain access to a deep network of over 95,000 potential friends, colleagues and career contacts, many of whom are accomplished post-academic PhDs. They also benefit from an innovative set of PhD-specific career resources that are delivered within a supportive, engaging, and professional environment. Finally, you get robust support, regular usage reports, and a low-cost enhancement to your unit’s capacity—while further demonstrating your institution’s effort to help PhDs succeed in a greater diversity of roles.
OPTIONS 4 SUCCESS
COURSE
Engaging career discovery and readiness modules
POWER SEARCH
& NETWORKS
Networking tool that
finds post-ac PhDs
FORUMS &
WEBINARS
Archived and ongoing advice
and support from the PhD
community.
PHD CAREER
FINDER
Overview of non-academic car-
eers by discipline, informed
by resumes, cover letters and narratives
VPHD SMART
JOBS
High volume PhD appropriate
job postings, new trends and
frequent analysis.
VERSATILE CAREER
PLANNER
Individualized milestones for
careers and degrees
How we make an impact
66%
of users spent time exploring
non-academic careers
55%
feel they have more career choices
than they previously thought
48%
identified at least one new career
that interested them
53%
feel more optimistic about their future
40%
started reading non-academic job
announcements
48%
feel more excited about things
they can do with their skills
56%
learned the value of non-academic
networking
44%
feels more in charge of their career
55%
learned that their skills have value in
non-academic settings
69%
feel encouraged that non-academic
career help is available
Increasing engagement and outcomes
within a diverse PhD community
45%
post-exams/quals doctoral candidates
40%
of users are in Arts, Humanities and
Social Science
20%
alumni
38%
are in STEM. with the remainder
in a variety of other fields
14%
pre-exam/quals doctoral students
18%
of STEM users are in Life Science
11%
postdocs
Source: VPhD survey and usage data.
FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR INSTITUTION
FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR INSTITUTION
An increasing number of PhDs are working outside of academia and will continue to do so. Are your students and post-docs being given the support they need in a competitive marketplace?
800.874.3613
HOW INSTITUTIONS BENEFIT
Benefits your unit and institution in
tangible ways
Benefits your unit & institution in tangible ways
Inexpensive way to provide significant professional development to PhD students and recent PhDs like having a part-time employee without paying salary or benefits
Helps your unit articulate its value to the university; demonstrates commitment to professional development for graduate students, PhD students in particular
74% of campus partners feel the subscription has contributed to positive change on their campuses around PhD career paths and broadening professional development for graduate students and postdocs
Can also help postdocs and alumni at no extra charge, provided your IT systems allow them to access the site
Your bridge to the PhD job market
Real-time intelligence from the US and global job market that provides PhDs and post-docs with the opportunity to expand their career options, think confidently about their future, and take concrete steps to achieve their goals.
Working with hiring enterprises to understand their hiring needs and expectations, while being an energetic advocate for our PhD community and its vast array of skills and talent.
Encouraging PhD entrepreneurs by providing insights on the less visible areas of the employment market, including start-ups, social entrepreneurship, and smaller enterprises at the forefront of innovation.
