Academics moving from higher education institutions: Careers of PhDs after graduation

To invest in a PhD has normally meant going for a research career at university. To leave university at that point requires that after graduation the PhDs gain employment and that the skills they develop through the PhD match the tasks they face in the labour market. Therefore, there has been an interest in investigating the competences and career paths of the PhDs in recent years. This applies especially to the PhDs within the humanities and social sciences. Drawing on data from a Danish research project, investigating these groups, and on the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu, the chapter analyses the career strategies of the groups of PhDs, who remain in academia and who leave university for other jobs.