You are undoubtedly very busy working on your thesis or dissertation, but be careful not to put off your job search until the eleventh hour and then approach it in a rushed or reckless way. Too much is at stake. Take time to think things through, seek information, and strategize for optimal results. Start your preparation early, breaking the process into manageable parts.
Often the biggest challenge for graduate students who wish to explore career options beyond academe is overcoming the fear of the unknown. Regardless of whether or not you like academe, you are familiar with the language, people, and culture of the academic world, and there is a certain degree of comfort in that familiarity.
| Academic Search | Search Beyond Academe |
|---|---|
| Structure, relatively clear timeline | Less structure, often you set the timeline |
| Departmental support | You must usually look beyond your department for resources and support |
| You know the language, culture, and people of academe | You are venturing into new and perhaps unknown territory |
Important goals for you, then, should be to seek resources and to familiarize yourself as best you can with the language, people, and culture of the employment sectors that may interest you. Demystifying the beast will make conquering it much easier and will lead to greater peace of mind in the long run.
Which careers interest you? It is critical to pause and engage in self-assessment before you begin any job search. What skills would you like to offer to an employer? What characteristics do you value in a job? Naturally, you do not want to waste time pursuing jobs that are ill-suited to your skills, interests, and values. For example, ask yourself how important the following factors are to you:
One-on-one graduate career advising is available to help you with the self-assessment process. You may wish to use one of the self-assessment tools administered by GSAS Career Services (for a small fee): the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory.
Graduate students sometimes wonder, “But what do I have to offer the world outside of academe?” The answer is: lots, but you will need to rethink your accomplishments and abilities from the perspective of a different kind of employer. While this effort may constitute somewhat of a paradigmatic shift in thinking for you, it could also give your confidence a much-needed boost.
Anyone enrolled in an Arts & Sciences advanced degree program at a top-tier research university such as U.Va. possesses most, if not all, of the following skills and qualities that are valued by virtually all employers beyond academe:
In addition to the skills and qualities listed above, depending on your field you may have marketable specialized skills, such as:
For more on self-promotion, please visit the Application Materials and Interviewing subsections of “Careers Beyond Academe.”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” as the old adage goes. You must assume responsibility for your job search and take action. Do not bury your head in the sand. Get started as early as possible. What you put into the process determines what you will get out of it. And because you will more than likely be setting sail in unfamiliar waters, it is very important to remain flexible and open-minded. Take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. You never know where they may lead. Graduate school is very demanding, but if you set your mind to it, you can conserve mental energy for career planning and a systematic job search.
You will feel more in control and proactive if you impose your own structure on your job search. Have a plan. Break up the process into manageable parts. Begin early and set aside blocks of time, ideally every week, to focus on your objectives: researching careers/employers, seeking ways to gain experience, writing resumes and cover letters, contacting people in the industry to gain their insights, following up on applications submitted, etc. Manage your efforts and monitor your progress. Set incremental goals with realistic deadlines.
Keep records of your job search efforts. Below is a list of information you may wish to record:
Research is where graduate students shine!! Play to your strengths. Researching career options and employers is the first step in any job search. Doing so will enable you to identify opportunities that hold the most potential for satisfying your goals. You should return to the research process at all subsequent stages of your job search.
In many studies, employers across the board (including those in academe) report that one of the most common and costly mistakes job candidates make is failing to do their homework. Only by informing yourself thoroughly can you:
In the early stages of your job search, you will gather general data to create lists of careers and employers of interest to you. You will then narrow these lists to specific targets. An especially useful tool for this step in the process is the CareerSearch database available to U.Va. students, faculty, and staff. CareerSearch is a catalog of more than 4 million employers (not jobs) in the US, and it is searchable by industry, geographic location, and key word. This tool provides basic information about each employer, which may include any or all of the following: contact information, web address, size, budget, year founded, description. Other resources in the Finding Jobs and Tools for U.Va. Students subsections of “Careers Beyond Academe” can be tremendously useful. Additional resources for industry and organizational research are listed below. Look into professional organizations and the resources they offer. Your academic department may be able to provide direction if your area of interest is field-related.
Once you generate a list of employers to target, you should conduct more in-depth organizational research that will allow you to customize your job application materials. Knowing as much as you can about the employer’s history, mission, products and services, goals, current news, culture, structure, and competitors will help you make a powerful case for your suitability for employment there.
Your application materials will have done their job well when an employer contacts you for an interview. At that point a new task presents itself. You must do your homework prior to any kind of interview in order to perform well. Learn as much as possible about the employer and think carefully about the contributions you can make. Doing your homework will take at least some of the mystery out of the interview process, and it will relieve some stress. You will be able to ask good questions and thoroughly evaluate (and argue for) your fit.
When you receive a job offer, it is very important to take time to consider the terms of the offer carefully. Visit the Offers subsection of “Career Beyond Academe” for advice on research that can facilitate the evaluation and negotiation process.
Most employers have websites that provide information about their mission, history, current endeavors, products and services, departments, structure, and so on. Digest this material thoroughly and do not limit your interest to the “careers” or “jobs” pages. Nor should you restrict your research to the information employers themselves provide. This content is naturally biased. Look for other sources of information, several of which are listed below:
Brint.com: The BizTech Network
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Quarterly Online
Experience Online
Includes a database of jobs and internships in industry, resume bank, career-related resources, company profiles.
Guidestar.com
Info on nonprofit organizations.
WetFeet Guides
100+ guides providing a treasure-trove of valuable profile information on careers, industries, and employers.
Sometimes job seekers are more interested in working for a particular employer than the function they will perform, whereas other job candidates primarily value the job itself. Determine what matters most to you: gaining experience at a certain type of job/function, or getting your foot in the door with a certain employer. Jobs change, and satisfaction with your environment can be just as important as your actual responsibilities. If a position becomes available with an attractive employer, but the job is not exactly what you had in mind, you may not want to rule it out automatically. That position could be a stepping stone to a better future with your preferred employer. Job mobility within an organization is relatively common. Conversely, if you want to break ground in a particular field and you are offered a position with a company that is not among your Top 10, keep in mind that a few years on the job there could position you well for future, more competitive opportunities.
Avoid falling prey to preconceived notions, false impressions, rumors, and myths. Base your conclusions on information from reputable sources; otherwise, do not close off avenues that may lead in interesting directions. If an employer or a job is not exactly what you envisioned, keep an open mind to the possibility until you have sound reason reject it. Graduate students come from a relatively closed environment with little exposure to the vastness of the worlds beyond academe. Welcome the unexpected. Also avoid limiting your aspirations to well-known, large companies simply because you recognize their names. Small businesses afford many advantages, too, and collectively they create two-thirds of all new jobs in the US.
The intense nature of graduate study can sometimes impair one’s social skills, particularly in programs where human contact is minimal. Even if your social skills were good when you entered graduate school, they are likely to be a little rusty as you near the end of your program. Do not to underestimate the value of good interpersonal skills in the job search. Employers rate personality and interpersonal skills as important factors in their hiring decisions. Connecting with professionals for information in the early stages of your job search has the added benefit of giving you practice at relating to people in what may be a new professional culture for you. Listen and observe. Learn to read people. Gauge your language and behavior according to how people react to you.
You may be uncomfortable with being persistent. While the highly structured nature of the academic job market neither encourages nor rewards persistent behavior, the same is not true for job markets beyond academe. On the contrary, many studies show that employers want you to express your interest in them. Follow up on every action you take and make efforts above and beyond the minimum. If you submit your resume electronically for a position, also mail a hard copy to someone in a leadership role in the department, make a phone call, or even stop by the office, if possible, to reinforce your interest in the position. You may feel aggressive because this behavior is new to you, but as long as you are simply asserting your sincere interest in the opening without being demanding or obnoxious, these efforts are perfectly appropriate. They give you more exposure, increasing the odds that you will get the employer’s attention. You may not realize it, but employers want you to want them as much as they want you.
View your job search as a learning and matching process. You and the employer are seeking a good “fit.” Prepare yourself well, hone your job searching and interviewing skills, and know that searches often last from four to eight months depending on the industry, the degree of specialization sought, and the parameters you set (e.g. geographic location, salary requirements).
Depending on the industries that interest you, you may be at a disadvantage for advanced positions without tangible, related work experience. This does not mean that the employer undervalues your skills and qualifications. You may simply need to begin at an entry-level position to gain work experience and then rise from there. As one U.Va. graduate alumna put it, “the springboard is bouncier” for advanced degree holders in employment sectors beyond academe. Your maturity, dedication, refined skills, and ability to learn quickly will very likely be recognized and rewarded. Employees with advanced degrees typically rise more rapidly within an organization than their less sophisticated peers.