STEM PhD holders working outside academia. The role of social support in career transition.

Autor/inn/en	Rönkkönen, S.; u.a.
Titel	STEM PhD holders working outside academia. The role of social support in career transition.
Quelle	In: European Journal of Higher Education, 15 (2025) 4, S. 551-570Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2156-8235; 2156-8243
DOI	10.1080/21568235.2024.2404683
Schlagwörter	Prüfungsordnung; Lehre; Mathematik; Naturwissenschaften; Ingenieur; Studium; Student; Ausland; Finnland; Großbritannien; Spanien
Abstract	This paper explores the role of social support in career transition experiences among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) PhD holders working outside academia. Inter-country interview data were collected from PhD graduates from the UK (n = 10), Spain (n = 10) and Finland (n = 10) in 2022. Though the results varied somewhat by individual, they show that both engaging and disengaging experiences were socially embedded. Receiving instrumental support, e.g. time or funding, was a key factor in engaging transition experiences and the lack of it in the disengaging ones. Job stability, work-life relationships, personal values, the work environment, work-task fit, and finances contributed to the engaging and disengaging transition experiences across the countries. This paper is one of the first qualitative studies focusing on STEM PhD holders' social support and (dis)engaging transition experiences to a career beyond academia in a cross-national setting. The findings help to understand better STEM PhD holders' experiences beyond academia. The results can be used in doctoral education and PhD careers' development. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
Erfasst von	Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, Bonn
Update	2026/3