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Realising your potential outside academia

Realising your potential outside academia. Katie Russell There are jobs out there What you have to offer Getting started with applications Make your PhD work for you. Bad Timing?. Recession ended this January Unemployment rises smaller than forecast Some sectors soaring

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Realising your potential outside academia

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  1. Realising your potential outside academia Katie Russell There are jobs out there What you have to offer Getting started with applications Make your PhD work for you

  2. Bad Timing? • Recession ended this January • Unemployment rises smaller than forecast • Some sectors soaring • Finance (Auditing, Accountancy, Corporate) • IT • Petroleum engineering and retail • Some sectors: business as usual • You'll stand out, whatever the weather

  3. Do what’s right for you My working assumption is that if you’re smart enough to get yourself into a Ph.D. program, you’re smart enough to get yourself out of one. My positive philosophy about career change is partly a result of my glass-is-half-full attitude/personality, but it’s also borne out in the “anecdata” I’ve collected through my interviews. MAs and PhDs find work in non-academic sectors all the time. http://www.leavingacademia.com FTSE GBP 2010-03-10

  4. Academia vs Commerce • Shorter timeframe (days not years) • High pressure • No students, no teaching • Different people • Making money not advancing knowledge

  5. PhD Effectiveness: SIAM

  6. Importance of advanced mathematics: SIAM • Three main functional roles for mathematics were mentioned by managers: • Development of algorithms and numerical methods (27%) • Modelling and simulation (23%) • Statistical analysis (15%)

  7. Possibilities Don't get tied up on this … apply now, get interviews, filter later

  8. Your Skills Presenting Abstraction Pattern Spotting Analysis Handling Detailed Work Assimilation Problem Solving Mathematical Modelling Researching and Compiling Communicating Translating Teaching Time management Investigation Coordinating Interpreting Programming Learning Technical writing Decision Making Algorithm development Public speaking Dealing with Unknowns Trouble Shooting Conceptualization Reading

  9. CV • Blurb • Technical Skills • programming • mathematical modelling • data analysis • computer simulations • Monte Carlo technique • Teaching Key Achievements Get Advice!

  10. Get started with applications • Use contacts • Recruiters • High Quantity (filter your choices later) • Keep your options open • Be googleable (academic webpages help) • Don't (over) worry about initial salary

  11. The phone calls roll in ...

  12. Interviews • Confidence in your skills and your value to the company • Commercial attitude (as opposed to academic) • Ability to relate to other people, and work in a group • Ability to answer technical questions, and explain your research to non-specialists • Clarity on your reasons for leaving academia and choosing this particular career path

  13. Interviews • Initiative, interest, outside activities • Don't be afraid to show your personality xkcd.com

  14. Avoid stumbling blocks • What was your PhD about? • Why are you leaving Maths? • What are your weaknesses? • Tests – prepare for them! • Evidence based questions • Teamwork • Leadership • Innovation

  15. Resources • http://www.siam.org/about/mii/ • http://www.poplarware.com/personal/lvphys.html • http://www.leavingacademia.com • http://www.remjobs.co.uk • http://www.reed.co.uk/ • https://www.mi5.gov.uk > careers > competency based interviews • http://www.mckinsey.com > careers > how do I apply > how to do well in the interview

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