Should you pay for career advice?

Last September, Science highlighted the aggressive sales tactics used by Cheeky Scientist, the leading PhD recruitment specialist, to sign up new members. Its approach included emotional manipulation to push expensive membership (up to $8000 (£6400) in some cases) on anxious individuals. On top of that, hidden in the small print was a clause prohibiting members from openly talking about Cheeky Scientist unfavourably. Thanks to a few brave individuals, the wider academic community now knows about this bad practice.

But how did Cheeky Scientist grow to dominate the PhD careers market? A key reason is the absence of any real competition for many years. While there are numerous career counsellors, PhDs often engage better with advisors who recognise, or even have experienced, the specific challenges that academics encounter, such as imposter syndrome or a fear of leaving university. The private and public sector are slowly catching up and more now offer services and advice that are targeted at PhD graduates.