The 6th edition of Arqus PhD Career Week will take place at Maynooth University in June 2026. Arqus Career Week is a five-day programme designed to support PhD researchers to explore career paths beyond university research.
The programme offers lectures and workshops led by career experts. The aim is to help participants recognise their skills and provide insights into application and recruitment processes as well as corporate cultures outside academia. The event also allows participants to meet and network with other early career researchers and professionals from different countries and disciplines.
The next Arqus PhD Career Week will take place from Monday 8 June to Friday 12 June 2026 at the University of Maynooth, Ireland. Applications are open until Saturday, 31 January 2026, 23:59 CET (see below for more information).
These are the topics of the Career Week
- The Skills Audit: Mapping Your PhD Talent Development to New Career Paths
- Unlock Your Career Capital: Assess and Grow Your Professional Power
- Effective Communication
- Generative AI use in cover letters and CVs
- Industry and Academic Roundtables - small roundtable discussions with PhD graduates in industry and academic positions
- LinkedIn profile and marketing yourself
- Should I stay or should I go: How to handle being uncertain about your academic career
- Job Interview Skills
- Research Funding Pathways and Grant Funding
- Fiasco Fest
The full programme can be found under this link.
Who is the event for?
The Arqus PhD Career Week is aimed at PhD students (beyond the first year) who are considering a future career outside academia and do not yet have much experience in a non-academic professional environment. The programme is open to early career researchers from all disciplines.
What are the requirements?
We do not require proof of English language skills, but you should be able to hold a conversation and collaborate in this language. Due to funding requirements, you must be enrolled as a PhD student or have an active employment contract at one of the Arqus universities.
Depending on the number of applicants and available funding, each university can send 3-4 participants. You will be informed of the result within 3 weeks of the application deadline.
All further information on the application procedure and the application form can be found under this link.
If you have any questions, please contact phd-pursuit@arqus-alliance.eu or stephen.carroll@mu.ie.