Doctoral alumni, Dr Robert Pin-Nan Chang returned to QUB to share his experiences of transition from doctoral studies to professional life with current students. For the online event, entitled: “The transition from doctoral studies to professional life: becoming a ‘third space professional’" Dr Chang discussed his experiences of studying at QUB, highlighting the importance of the student-supervisor relationship, and detailed what life was like in the short term immediately after doctoral study. Tracing his continuous quest for his ideal job since graduation, Dr Chang illustrated how investing time in setting goals, engaging in CPD and volunteering opportunities, and staying connected to research networks contributed to securing his ideal job. Robert’s advice for those on their PhD journey is to explore: delve deep into specific areas; expand into areas beyond your research topic; and engage in the academic community in many ways such as research groups and networks, or student initiatives. Dr Chang has worked as an education consultant and academic skills coordinator. He is currently a Learning Development Lecturer at UCA.