Happenings in Science Careers

We’ve all heard that Ph.D. graduates who work in industry make more money than those in academia. So one would assume that this is based on studies that track Ph.D. graduates when they select a career, right? Not necessarily. Surprisingly, there is not much data on where graduates go, and therefore even less on the types of places they go and the salaries they earn.

As PhDs we are capable of achieving anything we put our minds to; we have years of training and a multitude of transferable skills, and yet somehow we don’t always feel particularly qualified within academia or even beyond it. When it comes down to seeing how valuable we are as PhDs, our fears, insecurities, and not fully knowing the world of opportunities waiting for us, make it hard to realize our potential. It is shocking to hear that 80% of life sciences PhDs are unemployed at the time of graduation, especially when we put a lot of time and hard work in getting a PhD.

By Chris Lowe Some of our iJOBS participants have been able to complete an industrial internship during their PhD studies.

The INet NYC is an international social group that aims to provide support and professional guidance for all international graduate students and research fellows in STEM fields. On August 18^th, a networking and social event was organized by the INet NYC. Most of the people at this event were PhD students from different universities in NYC who were eagerly networking, especially with those considered to be the “big fish” in the “industry pond”. After several glasses of wine and beer, people started to talk freely at the event.

For many graduate and post-graduate students in scientific fields, a career at the bench seems to be the only option.  From our earliest exposures to science, we have been taught the scientific method of identifying a problem, developing a hypothesis, designing an experiment to test that hypothesis, and finally examining and interpreting our results.  To many, science is synonymous with experimentation.  This can range from exploratory science in academia to the development of pharmaceuticals in industry and clinical settings.  What we often overlook, however, is that behind the hours and h

Beyond the Tenure Track is a consulting firm that helps in strategic planning of careers for graduate students, post-docs and faculty to facilitate a fruitful career in science. The firm aids scientists at various stages of their careers to utilize their potentials and achieve their transitions into alternate and diverse career paths.

“Those who invest in both their work and relationships will reap the greatest number of opportunities”. -Peter Fiske.   I have a friend who believes in me and in my passion for science. He knows how much it means to me to be able to share my thoughts on the matter. In an attempt to get my “writing groove back”, my friend and I went to a bookstore.

  [caption id="attachment_367" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Image Credit: Hal Mayforth[/caption] Shelley Sandiford has written an article on nextscientist.com encouraging upwards of 90% of PhD students to le

Research Opportunities at the FDA While we eagerly wait for the next round of iJOBS events and the start of the semester, let me give a brief summary of a career panel hosted last May, detailing excellent research careers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I found out from this career panel that there are as many as around 3000 Ph.D. graduates employed in the FDA! When we consider places to apply to after graduation, we usually think of academia or industry, but somehow overlook the FDA and other government organizations.

This past spring, my advisor informed me that I would be graduating in the coming year.  Most graduate students would be ecstatic to hear this news, but I was nervous.  After the conversation, I was left wondering whether I have enough data to graduate, if my committee would agree that I am ready, and what on earth I am going to do next.