Post-Defense Reality Check: What Should You Lot Produce Afterwards Defending Your Phd

Celebrating inward style, after the defense

Last June, I've successfully defended my PhD, received my diploma too enjoyed the abide by of beingness called "Dr. Lantsoght" (or better, trying to convince people of doing so, too having the joy of selecting "Dr." from a drop-down card spell booking a flight).

The first calendar month after my PhD was to a greater extent than ofttimes than non spent on moving things, preparing for transportation a container to our novel base of operations too and thence trying to necktie upward all liberate ends inward Europe.

Now that the dust has settled, it is time to expression dorsum on those weeks that came after finishing the PhD (hint: they are as messy as the concluding months of the PhD itself, too peradventure a fore-bearer of what I should expression from academia from right away on).

Yes, after yous defend your PhD, yous uncovering some fourth dimension to truly breathe.

No, that doesn't hateful I've spent the entire summertime on a tropical beach, reading books too sipping cocktails.

I've been busy as always, too I'm hither to part alongside yous what I felt were the best decisions I made upon finishing my PhD.

What could yous arrive at correct after finishing, too before the regular humdrum of life takes over again?
Here's a listing of what I felt was necessary, useful too productive to do:

1. Cleaning
Take some fourth dimension to construct clean out your clutter too gratis some infinite inward your office. Even though yous mightiness remain at the establishment where yous were awarded your PhD, this mightiness hold upward the correct fourth dimension to determine what yous tin forcefulness out discard. If yous desire to brand the switch to a paperless office, the fourth dimension is now. Scan newspaper from folders yous gathered. Clear out everything yous won't ask anymore. All those prints of the drafts of your dissertation? Paper recycling!
Homeworks of courses that yous were assisting? If the students direct hold graduated, yous tin forcefulness out acquire rid of that!
And, right away that we're at it - acquire a wipe alongside some disinfecting production too clean your desk - too endeavor to maintain it a lilliputian to a greater extent than empty.

2. Send copies of your dissertation
I ordered 250 copies of my dissertation from the printer, too I've distributed to a greater extent than than one-half of all these copies past times now. Either inward betwixt printing too defending, or after defending, accept some fourth dimension to post service copies of your dissertation. I took the stack of describe of piece of occupation concern cards that I collected at conferences, too sent a re-create to everyone who mightiness hold upward interested, too I also sent it to professors inward my field.
Don't hold off as good long after finishing to transportation out your copies - inward the months after finishing, you'll move increasingly critical of the operate yous produced.

3. Rekindle your network
You mightiness direct hold been engrossed inward writing spell yous were preparing your dissertation. Right after finishing is the correct fourth dimension to schedule appointments to select grip of upward alongside friends (for the dear of the flying spaghetti monster, do move too celebrate) too old colleagues. Write some emails to people inward your network to select grip of upward alongside them.

4. Go on a tour
Look for events where yous tin forcefulness out speak well-nigh your work. These events mightiness hold upward conferences, but endeavor to accept it a mensuration further. How well-nigh bringing your message to an audience from the industry, speaking inward a local schoolhouse well-nigh the value of your science, or giving a TEDx talk? Come out of your musty dusty lab too accept your operate into the wide lights of the world. The babe is born too it's create to hold upward shown to the world!

5. Celebrate inward style
Is at that spot something yous ever wanted to do? How well-nigh learning to surf, proceed a long trip, take in a house yous ever wanted to see? In my case, I ever wanted to move to Wacken Open Air, but never got tickets, fourth dimension nor carry to acquire there. I planned this trip well-nigh a twelvemonth inward advance (or better: my best friend made it happen!), too it felt similar a nifty celebration of finishing, too four days away from it all.

6. Update your CV
You got the degree, thence brand sure yous update your CV. Don't forget to alter your profiles all over the web, on the social media platforms yous use, too for certain on LinkedIn, Academia.edu too ResearchGate.

7. Update your listing of publications
Along the same lines as updating your CV goes updating your listing of publications. Keep rail of your publications, too add together them online as well. From right away on, yous publications volition hold upward to a greater extent than of import than ever.

8. Take some fourth dimension off
Even if yous can't acquire your dream holiday, accept some fourth dimension off. I tried getting dorsum to writing well-nigh 1,5 weeks after my defense, too it was but as good early. I couldn't acquire motivated to arrive at anything, too I didn't acquire to a greater extent than done than a paragraph a day. Allow yourself plenty fourth dimension to fully relax.

9. Make a planning for publishing
If your thesis is a big book-style thesis too non a laid upward of papers, too thence start to position which papers yous could write from your dissertation. Who would yous invite as coauthors? Where would yous submit? Make a tabular array alongside this information, too excogitation when yous desire to write your outset draft, past times when yous ask to revisions of your coauthors too when yous excogitation to submit. Do this before rather than later, too brand writing these papers your priority for the side past times side year. Don't permit this sink to the bottom - writing is what counts.

10. Start something new
To acquire away from the inquiry you've been working on for iii or four years, convey the bubbles dorsum into your encephalon past times starting something new. If possible, operate on a novel projection to maintain things interesting. Otherwise, accept on a modest side projection for your ain interest, too start playing unopen to alongside something new. Learn a novel subject. Code inward some other language. Teach a course.

What were your priorities after finishing your PhD, or how are yous planning to pass the months after finishing?