Exploring Career Paths

Determining the next step in life after nearly twenty years of education can be quite daunting. While you may have started your graduate program with one career path in mind, you may now be leaning towards another. Whether it is by choice or because of the tightening academic market, many PhDs are exploring different options outside of the "traditional" career paths. It's never too early (or too late!) to learn more about the different options available, and exploring different career paths will help you make a more sound decision in whatever career you decide to do. Check out the following resources to help you do just that.

Offline resources:

Online resources:

Activities:

  • Join a student group focused on specific careers
    • Center for Science Advocacy: the purpose of this group is to engage in community outreach and education to emphasize the importance of science research, to advocate for progressive science policy, and to explore career opportunities in science policy and advocacy. Please contact Stephanie Bora if you are interested in finding out more about the group or joining it.
    • CMIID: in addition to facilitating collaboration of graduate students and post docs between different labs and fields, this group also has a focus on career development through writing and oral communication workshops and inviting PhD and non-PhD speakers from a variety of fields. Please contact Lindsay Snyder if you are interested in finding out more about the group or joining it.
  • Do your own research on different career options
  • Set up informational interviews with people in jobs or fields that interest you
  • Do an internship in a field that interests you (see Internships)
  • Read job postings for careers you are interested in to see the requirements

The BRIDGE resources: