Research

"From your PhD to employment" program: a six-month support program for young researchers seeking employment

From January 21, 2019 to January 31, 2019

The Université de Lyon and Pôle Emploi, through the support of the Objectif Pour L'Emploi association, have been able to provide a new scheme, "Du doctorat a l'emploi" ("From your PhD to employment", DDAE), which offers customized support for graduates entering employment. Read on for a summary of the 2017 sessions and a presentation of this year’s program, which will run in September and October.

This program provides personalized support to young PhDs to highlight their profile and make themselves known to employers, identify their key skills and grow their network.

The program involves group workshops, one-on-one mentoring from a PhD in the same field of research working for a private company, and a Doctors’ Employment club to promote networking and group cohesion.

The first sessions of the DDAE were very promising

The first three sessions were launched in autumn of 2017 and June 2018, and included 33 participants from a wide variety of fields. The program is designed for PhDs from the institutions of the Université de Lyon and other universities who have been seeking employment for six months or longer.

Ten months after the first two sessions in 2017, the results are positive for the 24 PhDs who enrolled: nine of them have signed a permanent contract, six of them have a temporary contract, two of which are postdoctoral positions, and four have found positions outside of the field of academic research. Two PhDs have decided to start their own business and two to further their education in a complementary field.

Download the leaflet on this program (in French)

Participant testimonials

A very positive experience to foster momentum for research. 
It helped me become aware of the value of having a doctorate and learn to highlight it in a positive, relevant way. 
The support from OPE is so rich and interesting. Personally, it helped me revitalize my job search after a nearly yearlong hiatus. The tools I was given helped me manage my interviews and networking meetings.
A very good training program to better target your profile and grow your network.
This program helped me master the use of the tools I needed in my job search, particularly for networking, which was an aspect I had not yet explored on my own.