Postdoctoral researcher career development and alternative career exploration.
Event: Career Pathways in Creative Technologies For Postdocs
Date: Thursday 18th June 2026
Location: CoSTAR Screen Lab at Studio Ulster
We were delighted to be hosted at Studio Ulster, hearing from local employers in Creative Industries. Our postdoc researchers got the opportunity to talk, network and explore a world where research skills and talent are notable desired and continue to be sought after.
The event was opened and hosted by Professor Frank Lyons MBE, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Ulster University and Co Director of the CoSTAR Screen Lab.
We started with a series of presentations showcasing the mind blowing work of these industry leaders from AI and fintech to film, animation, wireless communications, immersive technologies, screen industries, and digital design, this showcased how advanced research skills are driving innovation across today’s fastest-growing creative sectors.
This gave a real-world insight into the skills this industry needs and the opportunities that await.
A highlight of the afternoon was a presentation from a former postdoctoral researcher on their career path, and they work that their research led them into.
To wrap up the afternoon we moved into a panel discussion and questions from the floor, this gave employers the opportunity to see and hear from out postdocs and understand the depth of talent that exists here across our universities.
As part of the Research Culture NI Project, it is recognised that enhancing the opportunities for personal and professional development of postdoctoral research staff is of significant value and importance.
As a postdoctoral researcher, your journey extends beyond the realms of academia. Professional development is the cornerstone of unlocking your full potential, empowering you to thrive not only in your current field but potentially also in new and exciting career paths.
QUB and UU are both signatories to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. In line with the Concordat obligations, we are committed to providing opportunities, structured support, encouragement and time for researchers to engage in a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year, recognising that researchers will pursue careers across a wide range of employment sectors.
For more information on available support, see below.
One to one personalised support
A well-crafted application and well-prepared interview can make all the difference when it comes to landing your dream job! Jill McClenaghan, our Careers and Employability Officer is here to help, by providing feedback on your CV and helping you prepare for interview.
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Each job application needs to be uniquely tailored to the role. This requires time and effort, especially at the start. Getting your academic and industry CV ready for application is important. Take this into account in your job application timeline and don't wait until the end of your contract to start applying for jobs.
We can provide feedback on the CV or cover letter that you have prepared for a specific job application.
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Invited for an interview? Congratulations! We can help you prepare either by organising a mock interview, take the opportunity to practice your interview technique, time your presentation and get feedback that will be valuable to your interview performance. We can also provide one to one interview coaching or send you example questions.
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We also offer one to one meetings to discuss your career progression and plans, focusing on your research skills and experience and how you can take these into the future.
During 2025-26, the Research Careers and Employability Officer delivered a suite of career workshops, career exploration events and employer engagement events.
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Career audit, skills for the future
Decision making career choices
Overcoming imposter phenomenon
Identity Matters
Hone and develop in demand skills
Resilience and stress management
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Over the course of the year two employer engagement events took place.
One was focused on computer science postdocs that included employers such as Visa, BT, PwC, B-secur and AICC.
The other was focused on creative arts and was held at Studio Ulster. This event included employers such as CoSTAR screen lab, Yellow Design, HoloEdge, Poli Vision, Humain, Animotive, NI Screen and Ludo dao CIC.
These events provided the opportunity to network with employers, learn about recruitment activity, application processes and transferable skills.
These enhanced career development opportunities are funded through the Wellcome-supported Research Culture NI project and as such workshops and events were open to researchers from Queen’s and Ulster University, with some sessions also attracting external participants.
The Career Exploration Interviews and Employer engagement events were also made accessible to postgraduate researchers, supporting the broader research community.
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These interviews took place on zoom with postdocs and PhD students invited from both Queens and Ulster to join the live talk. There is an opportunity to ask questions at the end. The interviews are edited and dropped as a podcast on Spotify, Apple podcast and the PDC website. The Theory of the Postdoc Evolution
The guest topics from these former researchers included scientists going into industry, female academics in Engineering, medical research to patent law, social science to research support as well as a fascinating interview about research integrity.
Case Study - Dr Natalie Fisher
What better way to tell the story of impact to a postdoc than a casestudy.
Natalie was a research fellow at QUB for nearly 4 years and by her own admission was questioning her next steps and was increasingly considering a career outside of academia.
She was finding it hard to translate her academic experience into public/private sector metrics.
Natalie engaged with me for a career conversation. I was in the process of organising the public sector event and suggest the Natalie attend as is was a great information gathering networking opportunity. Following a conversation with a public sector employee she was signposted to an opportunity, I was delighted to help her with application and when she secured a interview, preparation for this. Natalie secured Senior Data scientist role in Public Health Agency (PHA).
“Thank you so much for helping me prep for the interview. Everything you touched on was spot on for the interview and the guidance for prep really made all the difference. The public sector careers event gave me the confidence and contacts to go for the role too, so thank you so much for organising the event"
"This experience has increased my confidence and I now feel better equipped to manage similar situations in the future as I have the skills and improved resilience."
Podcast
"The theory of the postdoc evolution" is the podcast from Queens. It aims at providing postdocs with information that helps them plan their careers.
It mainly features discussions and interviews with former postdocs about their career journey and the roles they have taken up after their postdocs or PhDs. Most of these discussions are recorded at live events attended by postdocs.
How to listen to the Podcast:
From your favourite podcast provider App: The theory of the postdoc evolution is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. These platforms allow you to follow/subscribe to the podcast to get notified when new episodes are available.
Prosper: unlocking postdoc potential
Join Prosper today. Prosper has been developed through 4 years of collaboration and co creation with employers, Higher Education Institutions, Principle Investigators and postdocs themselves. The portal provides resources to postdocs and PIs and developers of Postdocs. It is funded by the research England development fund.
The Prosper portal is a free resource helping postdocs REFLECT on their career, EXPLORE their options and ACT to take their next step and thrive in multiple career pathways. It hosts many resources and enables individuals to create an account to plot and track their progress as well as annotate and save resources.
Visit the Prosper portal or use the QR code.
Meet Jill
Jill McClenaghan, Research Careers and Employability Officer, Queen’s University Belfast
Jill’s role sits within within the Research Culture team at Queen's University Belfast.
Jill was recruited to support postdoctoral researchers explore career opportunities beyond academia, providing guidance on job applications, interview preparation, and career planning. She also leads initiatives to better prepare postdocs for future career transitions through a range of training and professional development opportunities designed to strengthen transferable skills and enhance employability.
Jill engages with employers across Northern Ireland, both established recruiters of postdocs and organisations new to the conversation to promote the exceptional postdoctoral talent available across Northern Ireland’s two universities.
Before joining the Research Culture team in June 2024, Jill worked in the private sector and brings with her extensive experience in early career development as well as running employability programmes in partnership with government bodies and local higher education institutions. Jill has established relationships with Queens and Ulster as a previous key graduate employer.
Support given – mock interview
“I was successful in my application for Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of Manchester! I found out recently and signed the contract today. Thank you for all your invaluable help in the preparation!”
Employer event
“Thanks again for all your work in organizing the event. I think it was a great success and heard very good comments from the companies and postdocs.”
Research Director UU
Mock interview - Former Postdoc
“I wanted to just say thanks again for yesterday. I know it was time consuming for both of you to prepare so thoroughly – I am very appreciative. Your feedback was extremely helpful. Your role is really making a big difference to me on a personal level. I think it is important and significant work you are both doing. I feel much less anxious about my interview now and will move forward with more confidence."