Post-defence life in Sweden

In Sweden, doctoral studies typically end with a public defence (disputation). What quickly follows is the end of doctoral studies, often lasting 4 or more years. It is not evident how to navigate this post-defence life in Sweden, and here we summarise different options in Sweden, whether you want to continue your professional career in academia, elsewhere in industry or in the so-called third sector.

Background data

A bit less than half (44 %, UKÄ) of those who took a doctorate are still employed in a university three years after their defence. Similarly, three years after graduation, 88 % of PhDs in the field of technology have found a job, while the same statistic for PhDs in the field of humanities and arts is 72 %. The same statistics for Swedish and non-Swedish PhDs across all fields are 84 % and 77 %, respectively.

On the other hand, it is reported by a Euraxess study that only 38% of international PhD graduates are left in Sweden three years after their graduation. If you aim to stay in Sweden, this might be a useful page for you.

Career in academia

A newly graduated doctoral student in Sweden who would like to continue working in Academia can think about the following paths:

Postdoctoral research

Graduates can continue their research by applying to postdoctoral positions at universities or research institutions, or by applying for funding from external sources for their postdoctoral projects. Some examples of opportunities are Vetenskåprådet’s international postdoc or the Marie Curie postdoc fellowships. It is important to note that in Sweden, most postdocs are employed, but some positions are funded by scholarships. Scholarship positions do not include access to all social benefits, so keep this in mind before accepting these types of positions. In Sweden, postdoctoral positions are time-limited, with contracts lasting between one to two years. These positions may be extended for a maximum of four years. In postdoctoral work, one does not need to follow the exact research area as in one’s doctoral studies. Regardless of the field, postdoctoral work often aims to equip the researcher with skills required for independent research, as generally the work is less supervisor-dependent than in doctoral studies.

After the postdoctoral period, in order to stay in academia, one needs to migrate to senior researcher positions or Biträdande universitetslektor (BUL) positions. However, keep in mind that these positions often require external funding and that one can only acquire a BUL position during the first 5 to 7 years after earning the PhD title.

Lecturer positions

Graduates who have taught extensively before or during their PhD can apply for junior faculty positions as lecturer (universitetslektor). These positions are often highly competitive, and depending on the discipline, a good command of the Swedish language can be required. These positions are advertised on the university’s websites. Ultimately, one can progress from lecturer positions to professor positions, either by a tenure track position or via direct application.

Research grants

New PhD graduates can apply for project funding for early-career researchers offered by Swedish public funders such as Formas, Vinnova, or private institutions such as Riksbankens Jubileumsfond or Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Information on these research project grants is available on the funders’ websites.

For different career steps in academia, it is known that a share of researchers leave academia after each step: some leave after completing their doctoral studies, some leave after their postdoctoral work, and some after becoming a lecturer. At each step, it is possible to transfer to a career outside academia, and it may be good to recognise that only a small number of those who complete their doctoral studies progress all the way to a professor position.

In some cases, it is also possible to re-enter academia after working outside of academia for some time. However, this is quite field-dependent, and it is difficult to assert anything general about these cases.

Career outside academia

According to UKÄ, 56 % of PhD graduates work outside academia (i.e. “in the industry”).

Nowadays, it is very common for researchers with a PhD to pursue careers in the non-academic sector. These roles are highly diverse and contribute to industries, government, or the nonprofit sector. Due to this diversity, career paths outside academia are less standardized compared to academic positions. However, most of these roles offer long-term employment unless the position is tied to the execution of specific short-term projects. Moreover, outside academia, it is extremely rare for a worker to have to fund their own position. For some, the more straightforward employment with permanent positions and non-fixed career paths are a lucrative option outside academia, and others prefer the academic working life for the work itself, for the nearly-fixed career paths, or some other reasons.

Completing a PhD in any field is a major intellectual challenge, and any employer should be happy to have PhDs working for them. Often trained at the highest level of knowledge in their respective fields, PhDs often possess much-desired transferable skills such as project management, problem solving, general research and writing skills, and so on.

Examples of industry positions can entail research in a governmental research center or a private company’s research and development unit, leadership positions or (senior) consultant positions in different industries, governmental bodies and/or within the so-called third sector consisting of non-governmental organisations. PhDs are often also capable of working as generalists in many fields, for example, in the field of higher education, which has a rich base of governmental and non-governmental organizations in Sweden.

When thinking about moving on to applying for industry-related positions, many doctoral students face difficulties in creating a CV that fits outside academia or in articulating the transferable skills they have acquired during their time as doctoral students. Luckily, many actors offer some help.

As doctoral students often struggle with marketing or verbalizing their skills acquired through research and doctoral studies, universities and other parties often offer some kind of career service to make up for this.

Career services offered by universities

Since there are more industry positions than there are different academic fields, it’s impossible to define a clear career service that fits all. However, many universities offer career services and events, tailored to suit their respective students.

See, for example:

Career services offered by other actors

Career services are also offered by numerous organisations outside universities, namely the trade unions. See, for example: https://sulf.se/en/work-salary-and-benefits/career-and-promotion/careers-outside-academia-for-doctoral-graduates/ by SULF or https://www.st.org/rad-och-stod/doktorand/karriarvagar-efter-disputation by ST.

PhD graduates from Swedish public universities can also benefit from support and guidance from Trygghetsstiftelsen in finding a job after their defence. See https://www.tsn.se/en/government-employee/

While looking for a job

See the PhD Handbook page on Unemployment and unemployment benefits.

Migration matters

If you are from a country outside of the EU and you haven’t yet secured permanent residency after your defence, you can apply for a one-year visa to look for a job. More information on Migrationverket’s website: Residence permit for looking for work after studies – Migrationsverket

Unemployment benefits

If you have been registered with A-Kassa for at least one year, you are eligible to receive unemployment benefits. If your funding runs out before you have finished your PhD, you can apply for the benefits as soon as you send your thesis to print. More information on https://sulf.se/en/work-salary-and-benefits/unemployment/4-steps-if-you-become-unemployed/ and https://www.akademikernasakassa.se/sok-ersattning/regler-villkor/studier-doktorand-forskare-postdok/ (In Swedish)

Trygghetsstiftelsen

Trygghetsstiftelsen, the Job Security Agency, which offers some help to government employees who find themselves out of work. If you have been employed by a public institution, such as a university, you may qualify for help, such as job seeker activities, job coaching and recruitment service. You can also receive financial support. More information is found on their website.

Learning Swedish

If you are interested in learning or deepening your knowledge of Swedish while you are looking for a job, you can register for the SFI courses offered free of charge by your municipality, or explore the catalogues of courses given by Folkuniversitet or universities in your area.

Using a digital diploma

Doctoral students are typically given only a digital diploma after graduation. Near graduation one should be careful and pay attention to having a continued access to the digital diploma in some way (for example, Ladok through BankID or having a separate alumni account to the universities’ own platforms.

Resources:

Young Academy of Sweden: A beginner’s guide to Swedish academy, 2024: https://sverigesungaakademi.se/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/yas-beginnersguidetoswedishacademia.pdf

ST: Vilka karriärvägar efter disputation?, 2022: https://www.st.org/rad-och-stod/doktorand/karriarvagar-efter-disputation

UKÄ: Doktorsexaminerades etablering på arbetsmarknade – Examinerade 1998–2017, 2021: https://www.uka.se/download/18.3024c77018b37fb62411a83e/1697549023868/Doktorsexaminerades%20etablering%20p%C3%A5%20arbetsmarknaden.pdf

SULF: Careers outside academia – for doctoral graduates, 2018: https://sulf.se/en/work-salary-and-benefits/career-and-promotion/careers-outside-academia-for-doctoral-graduates

This article would not have been possible to publish without accurate and useful comments by Laura Palma Medina from the Swedish National Postdoc Association.