1. DGM
Career Options for Ph.D.s in
STEM
Dr. Dora Musielak

2. About Dora Musielak
 NASA Fellow
 Chief Scientist
 Ph.D. in Aerospace and Mechanical
Engineering
 Research Scientist and Professor
 AIAA Associate Fellow
 R&D Manager
 Author
Oct 8, 2012 2Career Options for PhDs

3. Overview
1. Career Options: Ph.D.s in STEM
2. Competences and Skills
3. Networking
4. Application Process
5. Negotiation
Oct 8, 2012 3Career Options for PhDs

4. Career Options for PhDs
NON ACADEMIC POSITIONS
INDUSTRY CONSULTINGGOVERMENT WRITINGMANAGEMENT
Oct 8, 2012 4Career Options for PhDs

5. Open Positions Today
 Research Analyst - Aerospace PhD
 Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) - strong
applied research skills, to provide analytical
support on S&T policy to White House Office of
Science & Technology Policy …
 Human Factors Design Engineer / PhD
 Lockheed Martin – NASA - Applies human
performance principles, methodologies, and
technologies to design of human-machine
systems and products. Develops & implements
research methodologies ….
Oct 8, 2012 5Career Options for PhDs

6. Open Positions Today
 Polymer Products Research Scientist
 Exxon Baytown Chem Technology -
Responsible for conducting both fundamental
and applied research into polyolefin polymer...
 Manager of Technical Services
 Industry – requires PHD, strong technical,
regulatory, and customer service ….
 Patent Associate
 Law Firm - Requires PhD in life sciences or
chemistry…
Oct 8, 2012 6Career Options for PhDs

7. Find STEM Jobs in Industry
BIOENGINEERING ENGINEERING PHYSICAL
SCIENCES
Entrepreneur
Consultant
Technical Writer
Technical Trainer
Nature Jobs
Science Careers
MedZilla
BioSpace
BioCareers
IEEE job
database
American
Council of
Engineering
Companies
AIAA
Careers
Materials-
related
employment
American
Chemical
Society job
database
Spieworks
Simplyhired
Linkedin
Linkup
Oct 8, 2012 7Career Options for PhDs

8. Government
DoD, DARPA,
USAF, NAVY, ..
DoE, EPA,
NIH, NSF
FDA, CDC
FBI, CIA
NASA
USAjobs.gov
Oct 8, 2012 8Career Options for PhDs

9. Competences and Skills
Communications
Technical
Management
Computational
Analytical
Research
What makes you special?
Oct 8, 2012 9Career Options for PhDs

10. Know Yourself
 Career Tests
 Career Planning Test - Asks questions about your interests, temperament, aptitude,
reasoning and relationships with other people. Test takes ~ 20 minutes to complete.
 Career Profile Test - Designed to help you find your 'authentic direction,’ revealing your top
three fields of work, your personality type, your dominant career abilities and your key skills.
 Career Fitter Test - 60 questions help determine your strengths, weaknesses, work
personality and more.
 Field Specific Tests
 Entrepreneurial Self Assessment - Free online assessment will help you decide if you are
entrepreneurial type. 50-question test takes 15 minutes to complete.
 Management Aptitude Test - This 56-question test to help you decide if you're management
material. Focus is on business management, but test is useful for other management fields.
 Personality Tests
 Job Diagnosis - This five-minute test asks you questions about your skills to help your find
an industry and job position that suits you. After completing the test, you will receive a
complimentary job diagnosis.
Oct 8, 2012 10Career Options for PhDs

11. Application Process
Application Interview(s) Negotiation
 Online Application
 Direct Application
 Network, Network,
Network!
 Phone Interview
 On-Site Interview
 May Require
Giving Seminar*
 Job Offer
 Negotiation
 Career Start!
Oct 8, 2012 11Career Options for PhDs

12. Know Your Worth
Oct 8, 2012 12Career Options for PhDs

13. Negotiation
Location
Salary Type
of
Work
Advancement
Potential
Benefits
What is important to you?
Oct 8, 2012 13Career Options for PhDs

14. Negotiation Check List
Ideal Offered Acceptable Comments
Compensation
Salary
Bonuses
Relocation
etc
Paid Leave
Vacation/PTO
Maternity/Paternity Leave
etc
Benefits
Retirement/401K
Care Plans (child/elderly)
Insurance (health, life, disability)
etc
Perks
Parking
Blackberry
etc
Oct 8, 2012 14Career Options for PhDs

15. Post Doc?
Pros
 Sharpen your research
focus
 Additional training in
other aspects of original
research
 More Publications
 Work-Family Flexibility
Cons
 Low Salary
 Does not guarantee a
position
 If you land an assistant
teaching position, you’ll
be older when attaining
full tenure.
http://engineerblogs.org/2012/02/why-a-postdoc-is-basically-needed-in-academia/
http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/college-planning/financial-
aid/postdoctoral-financial-aid1.htm
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16. Seek a postdoc position if you need it or wish to
have, but some jobs don't require a postdoc.
Many engineering faculty positions, research
positions at government labs and industry,
consulting work, or publishing and
communications jobs may not require a postdoc.
Oct 8, 2012 16Career Options for PhDs

17. Leaving your Mark………..
Oct 8, 2012 17Career Options for PhDs

18. Oct 8, 2012 18Career Options for PhDs

19. ************************
Dr. Dora E Musielak
Science Hall 132B
UTA Box 19059
University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX 76019 (USA)
Phone: 817-472-7115
dmusielak@uta.edu
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