Upcoming workshops
I had a great time at UCSB and UC-Irvine talking to students about The Enjoyment of Employment and helping faculty to Guide Your PhDs to Nonacademic Careers.
Here's where I'll be next:
dougk's blog
Salary Negotiation Strategies
I recently received a request from a young friend for help negotiating a new salary and thought I would share my advice. Here's the situation: he's very happily employed in a small company. His work is very visible to the company's clients and has earned industry-wide respect. He likes the people he works with (and works for), and finds it easy to communicate with them on professional and personal levels. His question: How do I know if I'm being fairly compensated, and if I'm not, what should I do?
UCSB Beyond Academia
UCSB graduate students and post docs: Come to this one-day graduate career conference dedicated to exploring careers outside/alongside the academy.
UC-Irvine Grad Student Job Search Prep Day
UC-Irvine graduate students: I'll be delivering the keynote presentation at the UCI Graduate Student Job Search Preparation Day, May 13th. For more details/event agenda, and to rsvp, please go to your ZotLink account,
You're not in school any more...
What students are saying about their first jobs...
At Berkeley's Beyond Academia Conference in March, 2015, I listened to a panel of students who had gotten jobs with consulting firms, big and small. They described the differences between school and work, and even though they were ex-grad students, I think their comments will resonate with everyone in their first jobs:
For PhDs and Postdocs
Are you in graduate school or doing a postdoc? My guides are directed at all people in the early stages of their careers - from college freshmen to postdocs. For graduates and post-graduates looking to transition from academia to industry there are some specific issues that I've addressed and I'd like to make sure you're aware of them.
From the Recruiter's Mouth
What advice do recruiters have for job-seekers? There were many great panels at Berkeley's Beyond Academia conference in March, 2015 and one in particular stood out: "The Recruiters's Perspective". The moderator and panelists were (or had been) recruiters at top-line companies like Microsoft, Genentech, Exponent and Medivation. Here's what I learned:
Resumes
Upcoming workshops
My recent workshops at UC-Davis were a big success, with about 200 students learning about The Enjoyment of Employment and What to Expect in Biotech.
Here's where I'll be next:
Mar 15: I'll be presenting The Enjoyment of Employment at the National Postdoc Association Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
Guiding Your PhDs to Nonacademic Careers
More faculty are accepting and promoting nonacademic career alternatives for their graduate students and postdocs. But for some faculty without extensive industry experience or contacts, it’s difficult to offer advice and counsel to these students. I've put together a workshop which provides information and tools for faculty who want to mentor their PhDs as to the opportunities available and additional skills required for a successful non-academic job search.
Some of the topics I cover:
How PIs can support non-academic career paths
About four years into graduate school I very nervously told my advisor I wouldn't be looking for an academic job. In those days (the late '70's), it was a very rare student who didn't do a post-doc. I was very fortunate that he was totally supportive of my plan and he convinced me to finish my thesis, get my degree and then leave. He continued to make me feel welcome in the lab and I never regretted my decision.
Not all PIs are like that.
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