Not Every PhD Starts with an Advertised Position on a University website.
When I first considered doing a PhD in the UK, I assumed the process was simple: find an advertised position, apply, and hope to be selected.
What I didn’t realise was that many PhDs start differently. Instead of applying for an existing project, some students develop their own research idea, identify academics working in that area, and approach them directly about potential supervision.
That’s how my PhD started.
I had a research idea that I wanted to explore and began looking for academics whose expertise aligned with the topic. Rather than waiting for the right opportunity to appear, I reached out to universities myself to see whether there was interest in supervising the research.
In total, I contacted ten universities.
Only one responded with genuine interest.
That one response led to a conversation, which eventually led to my PhD.
It’s easy to look at that number and focus on the nine universities that didn’t lead anywhere. Looking back, though, that’s the wrong way to think about it. I didn’t need ten positive responses. I only needed one.
The experience taught me something that applies well beyond academia. We often assume opportunities already exist and that our job is to find them. Sometimes that’s true. Other times, the opportunity doesn’t exist until you create it.
For anyone considering a PhD, it’s worth remembering that advertised positions are only one route. If there’s a research question that genuinely interests you, spend time identifying academics working in that field. Read their work, think about how your idea contributes to the existing literature, and consider whether you can develop a clear research proposal.
Of course, the process varies between universities, disciplines, and countries. Some PhDs are tied to funded projects and require applications to advertised positions. Others are much more flexible and allow prospective students to shape their own research from the outset.
The key point is not to assume that a lack of advertised opportunities means there are no opportunities at all.
