Career Planning

Return to Professional Development for Research and Career Planning

Considering Careers

There are many alternative career paths and opportunities for scientists. What you choose depends on your interests, personality and abilities. Many people these days think in terms of multiple careers and seek retraining to expand their skills and enjoyability. It is important to not shortchange yourself when considering your prior experiences. Every person brings a constellation of experiences and skills that can be transferred from career to career. When considering a career change it is smart to arrange some kind so internship or shadowing experience so that you see in detail what the new career might entail, and determine if the day to day tasks are compatible with your personality. This will help you avoid putting in a huge amount of effort to train for job that will not enjoy. As you enter a new field it is also helpful to locate one or more mentors who can guide you along the way.

The prospect for Ph.D

The economic downturn of the last few days has created a temporary surplus of Ph.D. with respect to academic positions

Bright Spots Videos

Here are some videos that explore careers in research that may offer some guidance.

Career Planning Links

Success factors for completing college

MentorNet- E-mentoring for diversity in engineering and science

Careers in Photonics Videos

Advanced Technical Education TV

References

MIT Ph.D. career directions survey