Careers in Science and Engineering A Student Planning Guide to Grad School and Beyond (1996) / Chapter Skim
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2 HOW CAN YOU MEET YOUR CAREER GOALS?
2 HOW CAN YOU MEET YOUR CAREER GOALS?
Pages 9-28
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From page 9... ...
Younger students might not yet confront the challenges of seeking jobs and changing careers, but even undergraduates are well advised to consider a career in science or engineering in its entirety. To emphasize this point, this chapter on defining your career goals comes before the ones on skill attainment (Chapter 3)
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From page 10... ...
Planning a Career Of course, there is a limit to how carefully students can -- or should -- try to plan for an unknowable future. You might have gained the impression that careers proceed in a more or less straight line that begins with an undergraduate degree and leads directly to the position you anticipated.
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From page 11... ...
But more than half the students who receive PhDs in science and engineering obtain work outside academe -- a proportion that has increased steadily for 2 decades. And full-time academic positions in general are more difficult to find than they were during the 1960s and 1970s, when the research enterprise was expanding more rapidly.
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From page 12... ...
The natural advance of technology is creating new opportunities in information science, software design, biotechnology, data processing, environmental engineering, electronic networking, manufacturing and computational simulation, and forensic science. Government agencies are converting some of their defense-oriented efforts to research in environmental work, communication, information, and other fields.
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From page 13... ...
More than 14% of the firms recruiting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995 were financial companies, nearly 3 times as many as in 1983. Graduates are being put to work writing software, using computers to capitalize on market inefficiencies, constructing financial models that predict fluctuations in securities prices, and designing complex mathematical tools to assess portfolio risk.
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From page 14... ...
To find out information like this, make a stop at the National Research Council's Career Planning Center For veloper, professor of history of physics, science journalist, partner in a venture-capital firm, astrophysicist, founder of a small corporation, staff scientist in an instrument firm, industrial ecologist, quantitative analyst with an international bank, educational-software consultant, developer of speechrecognition systems, and radiologic physicist (APS 1994)
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From page 15... ...
Another good source of information is your scientific or engineering disciplinary society. Many societies produce an annual employment guide that discusses the employment market for their dis cipline -- especially for recent graduates.
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From page 16... ...
The complex challenges of interdisciplinary research demand a broader preparation than does a more traditional disciplinary focus (Tobias et al.
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From page 17... ...
Also, negative attitudes toward nonacademic employment are often less evident during times of job scarcity. But if you do encounter such an attitude remember that a wide variety of positions can be as challenging and gratifying for PhD scientists and engineers as traditional research positions.
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From page 18... ...
If you recognize such possibilities, you can design your graduate education so that you are equipped for many kinds of nonresearch activities. Remember, also, that even graduate-level scientists and engineers in "traditional" academic careers need a broad range of skills.
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From page 19... ...
Understanding the chemical composition of materials is critically important, so my training is very appropriate for this career." At Gobbell Hays Partners, Inc., in Nashville, TN, he is active in the design of "safe" buildings and in providing comprehensive industrial hygiene and safety services for facilities with health, safety, or environmental problems. One specialty is devising safe management practices for dealing with health hazards, such as asbestos, lead, and radon.
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From page 20... ...
I can meet with consulting engineers of other disciplines on an equal footing when discussing building projects. A positive approach turns out to be essential -- an attitude of ‘I have things to contribute here.' It's been my experience that professionals in building design are very receptive to the expertise of a chemical engineer." 20
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From page 21... ...
Visit as many workplaces as you can to gain valuable clues about settings where you believe that you would be comfortable. Consider also your present family situation.
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From page 22... ...
A degree in microbiology might allow you to find gratifying work in a biotechnology firm. Suppose that you studied electrical engineering to work in the space program, but jobs are scarce; a double degree with environmental engineering might give you 22
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From page 23... ...
He gained a head start by taking the first two actuarial examinations as an undergraduate; 10 are required for fellowship status. As a result, he was offered a job on graduation by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, in Boca Raton, Florida, an insurance advisory company.
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From page 24... ...
Greig encourages students who enjoy applied mathematics to look into the field. "I recommend it to those who enjoy number-crunching, who want to see immediate, practical results from what they're doing.
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From page 25... ...
For ideas, check university placement offices, professional employment companies, professional societies, and the want ads in major newspapers and journals, which can tell you which fields are searching for people. Use referrals from faculty, students, and your disciplinary society to find and talk with people in fields that might be new to you.
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From page 26... ...
Take advantage of computer aids and self-assessments; talk to students, teachers, friends outside school, and a guidance counselor. Planning and placement offices provide testing and counseling for students and alumni.
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From page 27... ...
Career Planning Center For Beginning Scientists and Engineers (http:/ /www2.nas.edu/cpc)
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From page 28... ...
➤ Review the current career market for your dis cipline and subdiscipline and for interdiscipli nary areas that include your own. ➤ Think about your strengths and your weak nesses; make a list of each.
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