Authors

• Aarresaari network of the Academic Career Services in Finland

Keywords

career, career development, doctoral degrees, employment opportunities, higher education institutions, labour and employment, occupational life, recruitment, tertiary education (second stage)

Abstract

The survey charted the employment and early careers of people who had obtained a doctoral degree from Finnish universities in 2012 and 2013.

The respondents were first asked how they had financed their doctoral studies and what their reasons had been for taking up a doctoral degree. They were asked about the share of time they had spent on their doctoral dissertation during their studies alongside other work. Relating to employment situation and quality of work, questions charted what the respondents' occupational status was, how well their work corresponded to their qualifications, and what reasons had potentially hindered their employment. The respondents who were in paid work were asked their employer type, work tasks and competences needed in the work, gross monthly income, satisfaction with work, and ability to make use of skills learned in doctoral studies in their job.

With regard to the significance of a doctoral degree in occupational life, opinions were charted on whether the topic of the respondent's doctoral dissertation had been useful in employment, whether having a doctoral degree had led to an increased salary and better standing in occupational life, and whether doctoral education was useful when it came to employment and skills needed in occupational life. Relating to developing and improving doctoral education, views were probed on the guidance received during studies, satisfaction with the studies, and things that should be emphasised in the education (e.g. teaching skills, entrepreneurship).

Background variables included the respondent's gender, university, field of study, time of starting studies, and age at the time of graduation (categorised).