For Ph.D. scientists hoping to find work outside academe, one source of answers to that perennial conundrum is ReSearch: A Career Guide for Scientists, which was published in May.
This book offers a step-by-step approach to identifying and pursuing a nonacademic career after graduation, echoing the advice in various other worthwhile guides. In short, what you should do is this:
First, examine your interests, skills, needs, preferences, and values to discern which types of jobs and working environments would suit you. Next, you should learn about the broader job market to home in on careers that attract you, and to understand their specific requirements. Then, take steps to fill in the most relevant gaps in your knowledge and skills. Finally, identify the types of employers or openings you would like to target and prepare appropriate documents—resumes, cover letters, and the like—that present you in an accurate but positive light. Only once you have all these elements in hand, and have further tailored your documents to specific openings, do you begin to reach out to prospective employers.
Although graduate students may worry that such an investment in time and effort could interfere with their doctoral work, the book shows that taking the time throughout graduate school to work on your career planning can actually help you focus your efforts and move more effectively toward completing your degree.
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