Putting Your Science to Work

by Mika Pringle Tolson

"To be able to solve problems and unpack problems and analyze things and be self-reliant is one of the most important skills you've learned so far." -Peter Fiske

So you've got your PhD. Now what? Peter Fiske, a former scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a nationally renown expert on career development for scientists, provided some insight on how to put your science to work.

"The process of career development and exploration can start out confusing and frightening but it can end up being very liberating and empowering," said Fiske.

When Fiske was finishing up his PhD, it was a grim time - the tail end of one of the toughest job markets, not unlike today. He felt lost and not sure how to proceed from academia to the working world. There was no equivalent for graduate students, so he visited the undergraduate career counseling office and got some good advice. He made a list of his skills and discovered that he had a lot to offer future employers.

Fiske said that PhDs possess many of the traits and skills that are of highest value in the working world. These include the ability to function in a wide variety of environments and roles, teaching skills, public speaking, writing ability and working well under pressure. "To be able to solve problems," he said "and unpack problems and analyze things and be self-reliant is one of the most important skills you've learned so far."

He warned students about "the curse of being smart." PhDs are used to knowing it all, so they fail to ask basic questions. Being intellectually smart often results in lack of appreciation for other forms of smart. And the biggie, "We are used to being exceptional and we don't like to fail. It's important to take risks sometimes."

Rather than looking at positions available and broadcasting a CV, Fiske suggested a different approach. "Career development begins with a foundation of self assessment and exploration." Start a career development journal and make a two column list of everything you like and dislike about your career and then rank which ones you feel are the most positive and most negative. Take advantage of the tools available for formal self assessment such as the Meyers-Briggs personality test, strong interest inventory, and the career beliefs inventory.

Fiske recommended broadly scanning the world of work to see what is interesting. In periods of transition, spend some time focusing on specific scenarios to cultivate your next path in a postdoc or faculty position. Then, when the opportunity arises, prepare your resume and network and interview. "Spend more time searching for fewer jobs," he said.

He ended his talk with some advice about networking. "The law of networking is that it's a friend of a friend who will get you your first job. It's the first orbital around your network." He urged students to expand their network and "spend time meeting people and talking about what you do."

More Resources

• Science Careers website
• Blog on science employment
• Download Fiske's Practical Career Strategies Booklet

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