Regardless of what career you decide to pursue after graduate school, there are a few truisms that apply. In this transition, it’s important to catalog your skills, respect your side hustles, and build your community.
If you made it through a neuroscience PhD, you’ve demonstrated that you can work independently, motivate yourself, and tackle complex projects. You’re also probably really great at reading and writing and can generate a figure or two. On top of all of your specialized knowledge, you’ve got a tremendous amount to offer.1
Chances are, at least a few of these labels apply to you: independently curious, hardworking, good at self-management, mature, smart, competent, flexible, organized. As a PhD, you’re also trained to be extremely critical. You can assess data, you can run statistics, you can smell illogical arguments from a mile away.
It’s worth taking some time to really think about what your skills are, what kind of work you enjoy doing, and what kind of work culture you work best in. Take a moment to catalog your own skill set. Right now, take out a sheet of paper, and write I’m great at… and list all of the things you know how to do. These skills could be anything from benchwork, to mentoring or teaching, to writing. Are there additional skills you might need for your desired career path? Make a separate list: Skills I could improve on.
If you had another main hobby during your PhD (e.g., teaching, writing, outreach), consider what additional skills may have helped you develop. Can you teach others? Are you a practiced communicator? Recognizing and marketing your skills is especially important if you’ll be applying to jobs beyond academia. Many times, they’ll want to know what sets you apart from the stereotypical PhD student who only cares about their tiny research corner of the world.
Once you’ve done this self-reflection, you can work to portray this image to the world. Build a website as well as a LinkedIn page that showcases your research, skills, and interests. If it’s relevant, update your GitHub page. Put a statement at the top of your resume/CV and website that clearly indicates what you’re looking for. When you talk to people about possible career paths, be ready to say what you can do. It’s not bragging; it’s simply communicating who you are.
Many people have significant hobbies or even income-earning hustles alongside their work as a scientist. During graduate school, I had (admittedly) far too many side hustles, but they each helped me develop my career path in different ways. Performing in front of an audience helped me build the confidence to stand in front of a room. Teaching, outreach, and writing helped me recognize that I enjoyed distilling ideas and connecting with students. When it came time to interview for my current position, my teaching experience was just as important as my research.
In the eyes of some academics, activities such as outreach or writing are seen as interfering with research. I strongly disagree. Outreach, for example, can be incredibly motivating. Seeing a bunch of nine year olds completely stoked about sheep brains always reminds me that what researchers do is truly incredible. Teaching or writing for the public can encourage you to solidify ideas in your own mind, giving you easier access to those ideas later.
Side hustles can very often become your main hustle—and that can be a very good thing. These activities often represent the things that you choose to make time for in your life. I started recognizing that I was really excited about sitting down to write and less excited to start another experiment. The grass can sometimes look greener on the other side, and doing something full time is not the same as doing it as a hobby, but it is really important to listen to yourself as you explore different avenues for your time and skills. You may find that they’re viable avenues, even if it’s not clear exactly how.
If you have a side hustle that you’d like employers to know about, make sure it is visible. You can think of it as the third page on your website. There’s your Research tab, the About Me tab, and the _______ tab. If there’s something you want future employers to see, make sure it stands out on the materials that represent you.
Successful people know their strengths and weaknesses. They’ve taken the time to think about their skill sets and what they need to improve. Once they’ve identified their lacking traits, they’re willing and motivated to spend the time developing them. This type of self-reflection and initiative will be absolutely imperative throughout your career.
Even as you’re working on your weak spots, you’ll need to advocate for yourself. This can be a really tough thing to learn how to do. There are so many hidden, pivotal moments where people have had to inquire about a job, ask for a raise, or argue against their colleagues. I’d be willing to bet that every successful person has had numerous uncomfortable moments where they were asking for more than they thought they deserved. Learning to trust your skills and your place in the world will get you far.
Lastly, when it comes time to write your cover letters, statements, and interview, the principle of “show, don’t tell” is crucial. In other words, be concrete and specific about what you’ve done. It is common to say, “I have excellent project management skills,” but it is much more impactful to say, “During my PhD, I managed three different projects and trained two undergraduates and one graduate student. This work led to a conference poster and a published paper.” Whenever you can put numbers behind your claims, you should.
Very few people will get a job by cold emailing a company their resume. In most cases, they’ve spoken to at least one person there. You might wonder: How am I supposed to know someone at every company I apply to? Chances are, you probably won’t have best friends at every company, but you might know someone through someone else. Online communities like LinkedIn or Twitter are really useful for this purpose, and many people I spoke to while writing this book used these resources to their benefit.
It can feel awkward to reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while and ask them about a job, but you need to do it. Across industries, folks are used to these sorts of inquiries and will not be offended. The worst thing that can happen is that they won’t respond to your email or message over LinkedIn. At a minimum, looking at someone’s LinkedIn profile or website to understand their educational and career trajectory can be really enlightening.
It is also possible to build community wherever you are now. If you’re interested in data science, consider starting a group to work on projects together. If you’re interested in writing, find a writing group nearby, or start one. These types of informal communities can often turn into viable and quite professional networking groups.
There are many, many resources out there to help you land a job after your PhD. Here are a few of my favorites:
■ The Professor is In, by Karen Kelsky, PhD (2015) contains information about almost every aspect of preparing, applying, interviewing, and negotiating, mostly for professor jobs. There is, however, a final section of the book that explores careers outside of academia. Dr. Kelsky also operates an active blog with a lot of useful information: https://theprofessorisin.com/.
■ Websites like Glassdoor.com or Indeed.com can give you an idea of what types of jobs are out there and help you see what qualifications such jobs are looking for. However, it’s good to keep in mind that writing job descriptions and qualifications is an imperfect art. Companies often say they’re looking for one thing or specific qualification, but they’re actually looking for something slightly different. Apply to any jobs where you think you’re at least 75 percent qualified, and you’re 75 percent sure you’d take the job.