Preparing for a Career Outside of Academia

February 6, 2017

As much as it might feel like graduate school is the center of the universe, not every student stays within academia throughout their career. At the January Graduate Training Series, career experts will give their advice on how to be successful after grad school.

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Summary

Not everyone in grad school wants to go into academia. Even for the 80% who do, only 20% of them will end up actually doing so, and only half of those will get tenure. There are many ways to tap into the plans you have had for yourself and apply them outside of the world of academia.

Outside of academia, it’s ultimately about skills and fit. Two Stanford Professors developed a way to apply design thinking to building a career.

  • Be Curious
    • Know who you want to work for and start making connections to organizations that interest you. This is a time to be asking questions.
  • Try Stuff: Prototyping
    • Talk to people doing the job you’re interested in , this can help cut down on job hunting.
  • Reframe the Process
    • Know that going out, trying something and finding out you hate it is not a failure.
  • Know It’s a Process
    • Finding a job and a career is a process, not a moment in time.
  • Build a Support Team
    • Networking and building a support group – a winning team! – is so important.

When creating a resume or cover letter, it’s important to remember who exactly you are sending the document to and to customize it accordingly. Some employers will want to know more about your skill sets, others about your research projects. Use language like “relevant skills” and “selected publications”.

Resumes can be skills based or chronological, find which one works best for you and presents your information in the best possible way. There is no one way to build a resume. However, the most relevant information should always be on page one.

On whether or not to write a cover letter, if you think it would help you, use it. They give employers an bit of an idea of your personality and interests and how you will benefit the job. A cover letter is a brochure to entice the reader to act, to ask you for an interview. The first section should answer the questions “Why this company and why this job?” This will help align yourself and your interests with the company. The second section is for specific skills that you have that can satisfy a need. Thank them in the final section and be bold, ask for an interview.  After, it’s important to follow up. Simply sending an email is often the best way to do this.

While many jobs are posted on job boards like Aggie Handshake, LinkedIn, and in journal and professional associations, there is a hidden job market of positions that don’t get posted. This is another reason why networking is crucial. Sometimes you can just fall into things. It’s much easier for an employer to trust someone who comes from an referral.

How do you find out about people in companies? One way is to go to fairs and events to create relationships. Talk to people, make notes, exchange business cards, make a personal note abofut them, follow up with thanking them and talking about something you learned.

It’s helpful to have a “30 second elevator pitch” when networking to give people an idea of who you are. This pitch will have information such as:

  • Your name
  • What job you are looking for
  • Examples of why you would be good at it
  • Ask for specific help

Possible questions

  • Who would you recommend I talk with?
  • What opportunities do you know of for someone like me?
  • Who do you know that does what I do or what I want to do?
  • What businesses are in the area that are looking for___?

You need a professional “grown up” email. It’s time to get rid of Hotmail and Yahoo accounts, they’re dated.

43% of hiring managers will look at social media and use that in their hiring choice. If you have a LinkedIn, that gives them a professional platform they can look at so you can hide your other accounts.

LinkedIn is one of the largest job posting sites, and Alumni pages can be extremely valuable. The USU one changes daily, so check it often. You can filter by industry, location, what they studied, how you’re connected. This can give you a good idea of what people graduated in, what they’re doing and what they are working on.

When reaching out to people you don’t want to make super cold contacts with no relevance. Customize your message, find things you might have in common, whether it be school or shared contacts. Use that 30 second pitch to introduce yourself.

Aggie Handshake is also an excellent resource, you can follow employers and start contacting them today. You don’t have to wait for a job, you can start contacting people. Alumni post there all the time.

If you need more help with your job hunt, the Career Center is open to all students and alumni. You can make an appointment or come to one of their walk-ins. They also have resources available on their website.