Beyond the Ivory Tower
Careers for Ph.D.s Outside of Academia
Introduction
Are you a Ph.D. student or a recent graduate thinking about careers outside of academia? In the world of behavioural science, there is an increasing set of opportunities in government, business and other organizations in the area of behaviour change. How should we best prepare for these opportunities? How and where should we look for jobs?
Topics for Discussion
Our panelists are all Ph.D.s that landed up in non-academic jobs across a wide range of organizations and geographies. We’ll explore questions such as:
Careers in academia vs. practice: Pros and Cons?
What are the different non-academic jobs open to me? How should I narrow down and focus?
In addition to the usual Ph.D. track, what else should I do to prepare myself better for a job as a practicing behavioural scientist?
The nuts and bolts of seeking jobs: Resumes vs. CV? Cold calling? The interview process – what should I expect? When should I apply? How does the process work?
What should I expect? How is the culture and environment different from academia? What do I need to learn and unlearn? Will my Ph.D. truly help and set me apart in my team / organization?
Panelists (Ph.D. granting institution and significant non-academic employer)
Ned Welch (Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon, McKinsey) [LinkedIn]
Varun Gauri (Ph.D. Princeton, World Bank eMBeD) [LinkedIn]
Ada Le (Ph.D. Toronto, BEworks) [LinkedIn]
Carlos Vazquez (Ph.D. Sydney, Commonwealth Bank of Australia) [LinkedIn]
Chaning Jang (Ph.D. Hawaii, Busara Center) [LinkedIn]
Steve Shu (Ph.D. City U London, Steve Shu Consulting) [LinkedIn]
Julian House (Ph.D. Toronto, Government of Ontario)
Lauryn Conway (PhD, Toronto, Government of Canada) [LinkedIn]
Melaina Vinski (PhD, McMaster, IBM and PwC) [LinkedIn]
Event Summary
Date:
Thursday April 7, 2022 5:00 – 6:15pm ET