Just got a PhD, don't have a new position lined up, meeting a prof, no obvious goal for conversation, have questions.
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posted by zeek321
on Apr 22, 2013 -
8 answers
I wanted to go into academia but I don't have the balls. Now I'm at the cusp of graduation and unsure of what my options are.
I'll be finishing up my undergrad at the end of the month barring any unfortunate surprises. I will graduate with a fairly high GPA (although nothing too special) from McGill with a bachelors in Biology. I've always loved the idea of academia, but for the last year I've been reading articles that practically plead for me to stay away. My past considerations have focused around research, but med school and bio/biotech industry have also crossed my mind. There's also a whole world outside of science that I've never really considered. I've dabbled in graphic design in high school. It was really fun, but I always figured that I would make a better academic. I'd imagine most jobs I'd be interested in would involve reading/learning, information analysis, and stuff like that. I think I'm fairly well versed at communication, both written and spoken, but probably rusty in both in non-academic contexts. Honestly I do care about money. I expect to work hard, and I expect to be paid well for what I do. I'd also like to be paid for my expertise, not just for 'doing things.'
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posted by Strass
on Apr 6, 2013 -
14 answers
I'm a baby Australian scientist trying to earn experience and cash prior to embarking on a PhD, but landing a relevant job is turning out to be a bit of an ordeal.
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posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot
on Mar 19, 2013 -
13 answers
I'm 31 years old and looking for a career change. I've come to love research and I've always loved reading nonfiction and true crime as well as the exposé articles often published by alternative weeklies. What are some careers that would fit these interests, and how do I work my way towards those careers?
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posted by averageamateur
on Mar 11, 2013 -
9 answers
Defending and depositing my engineering dissertation by end of April. Strained relations with advisor and distant relations with committee. What next, and how? Please advise.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 22, 2013 -
10 answers
Science grad school application filter: I have informally (but explicitly) accepted a graduate assistant position (in conservation biology) at my current undergraduate institution. I am now having second thoughts and am wondering what, if anything, I should do about it. Help me, Hive Mind! I don't know what to do!
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 28, 2012 -
8 answers
I want a job where I can: research/gather information, organize and do basic, preliminary analysis on said information, write reports. But not a paralegal, not in academia, probably not in tech. What field with a decent employment outlook would allow me to utilize my strengths? [little long inside, sorry!]
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posted by peacrow
on Nov 27, 2012 -
21 answers
I was recently contacted by a recruiter and in the last month have been through several interviews, the last taking place today. Now, the recruiter's called to ask if I am ready to take the next step and has asked about my salary expectations. What?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 3, 2012 -
15 answers
My girlfriend is 5 years in to a PhD program with an abusive (verbal, emotional, and mental) PI/lab. This seems to be a common theme in academia, just how common is it?
How do you go about graduating if they seem to be working against you (assuming no fault on your part)?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 13, 2012 -
12 answers
What skills should I be developing while in university as to work as an ecologist, environmental scientist, something similar in the future?
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posted by snowysoul
on Oct 27, 2011 -
18 answers
Are there any options for getting research lab experience long after completing my undergrad degree?
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posted by pilibeen
on Aug 3, 2011 -
9 answers
Thinking way, way ahead filter: I would like an industry internship for summer 2012, between the first and second year of my MSc in Biochemistry program. How do I go about securing it?
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posted by halogen
on Apr 15, 2011 -
3 answers
Is doing a neuroscience PhD useful to enhance my job prospects generally, not just in research? If I choose to leave science after graduating, what would a PhD get me?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 27, 2011 -
12 answers
What is the most gracious way for me to back out of the undergraduate research I said I would take up for the upcoming fall semester, given that I've spent two semesters working in the lab already? I don't want the people I worked with to have a bad impression of me because of the fact that I demonstrated so much interest in and commitment to their field only to quit prematurely.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 15, 2011 -
12 answers
Where can I find benchmark reports and general best practices about company career websites?
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posted by lord_yo
on Nov 8, 2010 -
1 answer
I am looking for research / articles about highly intelligent people (high IQs) and their careers. Specifically, I want anything that documents whether a correlation exists between being a hyperintelligent child genius and having a successful career later on. Can you help me?
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posted by Omnomnom
on Oct 7, 2010 -
12 answers
Should I do a PhD with a view to a research career? I'm an undergraduate bioscientist in the UK, and I think science is awesome - is that enough?
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posted by teraspawn
on Sep 1, 2010 -
12 answers
Requesting advice with my career in computer science. Briefly, should I stay or should I go?
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posted by gadha
on Nov 22, 2009 -
6 answers
Where can I find personal stories of popular scholars on their life as students, phd candidates and/or professors?
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posted by jfricke
on Nov 12, 2009 -
12 answers
MBA-filter: are there any recent studies about the impact of earning an MBA on career success?
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posted by kaufmajm
on Sep 1, 2009 -
9 answers
Career-filter: Yes, yet another long question about "what can I do with myself?" In this case, what are the other (non-obvious) possibilities for someone working on a PhD in history, with interests in socio-economic issues?
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posted by jb
on May 10, 2009 -
9 answers
I'm a recent master's graduate in Applied Economics (Concentration: Community and Economic Development), and I’m looking for a research position with the government or a consulting firm that performs public policy-related research (e.g. The Urban Institute, Brookings, Pew Research Center, etc.). I've had no luck to this point (been looking for about two months), and I'd like some advice.
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posted by bcredrabbit
on Mar 30, 2009 -
10 answers
