how to
make your
Chemistry
Graduate
Education
Work for You
Building Skills That Transfer to
the Job Market
You Want to Teach
1. Try to get experience constructing chemistry curricula and experiments for undergraduates
2. Challenge yourself to explain concepts in diferent ways to reach diverse groups of students
3. Mentor undergraduate students
4. Work on developing research ideas independently 5. Volunteer to write the irst drafts of scientiic papers
to gain practice at communicating complex topics clearly,
6. Hone your public speaking skills by presenting posters and giving talks
7. Ask your advisor for opportunities to review proposals or articles
You Want to Direct a Research Group
1. Work on developing research ideas independently 2. Write as many research proposals as you can to get
experience developing research ideas, communicating them clearly, and defending them
3. Identify opportunities for collaboration, particularly across disciplines
4. Learn about funding agencies and how to manage the inances of a research team
You Want to Work in Industry
1. Look for internship opportunities to gain experience working outside academia and make contacts in industry
2. Demonstrate your ability to adapt and learn new skills quickly since new hires often have more than one focus within a company
This pamphlet is based on Challenges in Chemistry Graduate Education: A Workshop Summary, which records the presenta-tions made and ideas exchanged at a 2012 Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology workshop. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under award number CHE-1147410 and by the National Institutes of Health under award number N01-OD-4-2139, TO#273. Unlike the Academies’ expert consensus reports, workshop summaries do not contain indings or recommendations, and don’t necessarily represent the views of the National Research Council.
To learn more, please visit:
http://bit.ly/chemistry-graduate-education
Graduate education ofers a
multitude of opportunities
to gain new skills that will help you
in your chosen career —be it in
academia, industry, or beyond.
5. Write and publish scientiic papers
6. Mentor undergraduate students to get experience advising, motivating students, and managing multiple research projects at once
You Want to Work in the Lab
1. Get into the habit of recording, interpreting, and storing your data responsibly
2. Take a professional, disciplined approach to managing your time in the laboratory and in your communications with your colleagues
3. Become familiar with safety procedures
3. Take advantage of your University’s career services to get interview practice
4. Look for ways to showcase problem-solving and communication skills, teamwork and a strong work ethic. Standout applicants have more than just technical know-how.
5. If your thesis project was conducted within a larger research group, become accustomed to explaining exactly what you contributed to the team.
6. Network with recent graduates who have gone on to careers in industry to learn more about the skills you need.
You Want to Start Your Own Company
1. Learn from other entrepreneurs about how to transform science ideas into business plans 2. Understand how to sell and market your products 3. Interact with technology transfer oices and
intellectual property lawyers
Part of being a PhD is being able to come up with your own ideas and not just simple extensions of what your advisor told you to do.
—Rajiv Dhawan, Talent Acquisition Manager, DuPont
We don’t want folks who are very focused and narrow. We want folks who are broad thinking, looking to contribute not only to their work, but to support their colleagues.
Scientiic Publishing ~ Work for any number of companies that need trained scientists to translate, produce, and review scientiic literature
Government Lab ~ Engage in cutting-edge research at a government facility
Science Policy ~ Work with a government or private agency to shape public policy
Academia ~ Work at a university or college teaching, directing a research group, or as a laboratory researcher
Entrepreneurship ~ Use your scientiic skills to identify opportunities for innovation in sciences and help bring new ideas to market
Industry ~ Work for a private company that produces industrial chemicals or pharmaceuticals, specialty materials or other products
Places
Chemistry
Graduates
Can Work
Where Can I Work?
With a graduate degree in Chemistry, the sky’s the limit. Reach out to former students from your department to learn how they made the transition to any one of these professions.Establish a Strong Advisor-Student
Relationship
Students and their faculty advisors can have difering expectations for graduate school life—which could lead to conlict. Consider doing rotations in several diferent laboratories to select a research advisor and explore diferent research areas. Once you’ve found a good it, talk with your advisor and consider writing a short manual outlining each other’s expectations. Questions to think about include:
✦ How much time should I spend in the lab?
✦ How often should I expect feedback from you?
✦ How will we set goals for progress?
✦ What steps do I take to report a mistake in my research?
✦ Will I get the opportunity to work with students and faculty in other disciplines?
Consider both Depth and Breadth
in Your Education
Many PhD programs are narrowly focused, a model that has worked well to advance science, but may be less efective for creating well-rounded graduates. Making the most of opportunities to learn about other disciplines could boost your thesis project, while also giving you skills for the next steps of your career. Build depth and breadth into your graduate education by:
✦ Taking classes in other subjects
✦ Attending presentations from faculty in other ields
✦ Looking for opportunities to collaborate on inter-disciplinary research projects
✦ Volunteering for extra tasks such as mentoring undergraduate students or organizing student seminars
Start Thinking About Your
Career Early
You may not know exactly where your career path will lead yet, but now is the time to start investi-gating career opportunities—and the skills you’d need for each one.
Depth, breadth, and communication could be three anchors around which graduate education could be transformed.
—Wilfredo Colon, Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute
Skills for Any Career
Graduate education can help you build skills that are applicable to almost any career, including:
1. Efective time management
2. Strong communication skills, both orally and in writing for scientiic and lay audiences
3. Managing other people
4. Being adaptable and acquiring new skills 5. Creative and critical thinking
6. Leadership skills
