A career in academia is an exciting option for graduating Ph.D. students, but is not for everyone. Explore career options in industry, government or non-profit sectors before making a decision about your first post-graduate job. There are some exciting career paths outside of academia; start researching possibilities early in your graduate career.
Transferable Skills
CV to Resume
Internships
Networking
Interviewing Outside the Academy
Community College Careers
Gator CareerLink
When thinking about leaving academia, graduate students sometimes think that they are overqualified for most positions. This is true in fields like government regulation or licensing, but most corporate and non-profit organizations seek well-rounded employees with "transferable skills."
Many skills you've developed during your doctoral training are valuable assets in a business environment. While employers can train their hires in the specifics of the trade, they realize it is much more difficult to train certain skills. These are the most valuable skills for entry-level hires as reported by employers in a 2003 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
- Communication Skills
- Computer Skills
- Organizational Skills
- Detail Oriented
- Leadership Skills
- Self-Confidence
- Friendly/Outgoing
- Tactfulness
- Well-mannered/Polite
- 3.0 + GPA
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- Honesty/Integrity
- Teamwork Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Motivation/Initiative
- Strong Work Ethic
- Analytical Skills
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurial/Risk Taker
- Sense of Humor
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Which skills do you have? Though the study was specifically for entry-level employees, they still apply for those coming in at higher levels. Your doctoral education should qualify you for higher than entry-level positions in many fields, but if you are completely changing fields, you may have to start out small.
As a doctoral student, you may have also refined these skills during your training.
- Teaching Skills
- Research Skills
- Analytical Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Writing Skills
- Oral Communication Skills
- Grant-writing Skills
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
- Statistical knowledge
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- Administrative Skills
- Commitment
- Resourcefulness
- Ability to work pressure
- Follow through
- Dedication
- Reliability
- Collaborative
- Hard worker
- Maturity
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Once you've identified your transferable skills, determine which are most important in your field. Highlight your strengths when communicating with potential employers.
When applying for a corporate trainer position at a large financial firm, for example, state: "My experiences teaching three sections of a 150 person undergraduate class allowed me to develop keen teaching, presentation, interpersonal, communication, leadership and organizational skills. I also supervised 3 graduate teaching assistants, kept accurate records and resolved conflicts between students and their TAs. I managed the class and allowed for the class members to express themselves creatively through the experiential activities I designed. When working with students, I maintained my flexibility and tactfulness while keeping students on task. I kept myself to a deadline of taking only one week to return papers."
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You may include as much relevant information you desire in a CV, but you are limited to one or two pages to highlight your skills, education, experiences and accomplishments in a resume.
How and what you decide to remove from your CV depends on the position you are applying for.
For example, if you are seeking:
• A research position in industry, highlight your research skills, experiences, publications and presentations.
• A teaching position in elementary or secondary education, highlight your teaching experiences.
• A corporate or government position, briefly highlight the most important experiences in you training that demonstrate the skills listed in the position announcement. If you have any practical experience from an internship or other work experiences, list these as well.
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Practical experience in the field can be helpful when trying to secure the perfect job. Network, make contacts and go on internships. Though not always paid, internships provide valuable professional experience and frequently lead to full-time work within the same company or different organizations.
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Networking is critical to the career exploration and job search processes and should be big a big part of your educational and professional development. While interacting with others in your desired profession is important, it is also an integral component of career activities over the lifespan. Seek contacts (faculty, students and/or professionals) in your career of interest and discuss career opportunities.
Networking can enhance:
• Access to Important Career Information
• Access to Professional Positions
• Career Planning and Strategizing
• Establishment of Mentoring Relationships
• Professional Collaboration
• Professional Support and Encouragement
• Personal Support for Special Interests
• Visibility and Upward mobility
• Intellectual Stimulation
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As a graduate student, you will encounter different types of interviews while job search.
Screening Interviews
• Brief, 15-30 minutes, determines your qualifications, builds rapport.
• Ex. phone interviews, Career Showcase.
Group Interviews
• Candidates are interviewed with other candidates.
• Employers observe interpersonal skills of candidates.
Site Interviews
• Typically second or third interview for more advanced positions.
• Longer, more involved and in more depth.
• Candidate visits location of possible employment.
• Expect more technical and behavioral questions.
• Frequently all day, including meals.
• Probably includes both traditional and behavioral interview questions.
• In the site interview, it is common to interview with the key decision maker or expert on your job role.
• You will probably meet the staff and go on a company tour.
• Do not be fooled by informality. Stay professional.
• Remember names.
• Look for examples of company culture.
• You will usually have several interviews throughout the day, with separate people/teams representing different parts of the company.
As graduate students, you may have to go on a site interview in addition to traditional interviews. You may be asked to give a presentation or demonstrate your knowledge of statistical software. Use the opportunity to prove your talents, attributes and abilities.
Be sure to ask for an itinerary to prepare. Employers usually pay the fees associated with your travel, however, verify the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
If granted a site interview, you are one of the top applicants. This step proves that you are representing yourself accurately and that your interpersonal style matches well with the site.
For more information, visit our other pages on interviewing.
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Community colleges can be excellent places to work if you enjoy teaching and the interacting with students but dislike conducting research. Faculty members at community colleges earn slightly less than those at four-year institutions but teach 3-5 classes a semester and traditionally have most of the other perks that come with being a professor (summers off, flexible schedules, etc).
Since budget cuts have endangered the tenure system at many community colleges; administrators are cutting back on tenured positions and are instead hiring instructors or adjunct faculty.
However, if you love teaching and working with students, a community college might be a good fit for your interests.
For more information on and job listings for community colleges, visit The American Association for Community Colleges.
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Gator CareerLink is an online job search database that allows UF students to research potential employers, find internships, co-op, part-time and full-time job postings, apply for on-campus interviews, network with professionals and learn about on-campus recruiting events.
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