Search the Community

Hey guyssNext year i'm going to uni and i'm actually deciding whether to pursue marine biology as career or not. I'd like to ask you guys, if i manage to get a good cv and a phd, how many opportunities will be out there to get a job? I've always been fascinated by china, then let's assume i would like to get a job as a marine biologist in a chinese university with a good cv but zero knowledge of chinese, how probable would it be to find that job ? So, is it possible for a marine biologist to switch country by choice(with only english knowledge), or the high competitivity makes that impossible?Thx youuu

warning: probable rant ahead. I'm frustrated, I really am. Marine science is my life, it is my passion and I fully intended to dedicate my entire life to it. However, my passion is currently flipping me off. A bit of background, I have a BA in Biology, MS in Oceanography from TAMU, excellent formal and informal teaching experience, and 5 (count them) internships in research, conservation, and education. I spent a good portion of last year forging relationships so I could apply for multiple PhD programs, was told that with my experience and MS I was an ideal student. Rejected by all. Decided to forgo getting a PhD at the moment because I was looking for a longer term involvement in something (and I'd have to wait another year in order to apply for and start a PhD) and have applied to everything in marine research, education, and policy all over the country and even internationally. When I ask those in similar fields what a person can do to prepare themselves for the types of jobs I am applying for, they say "graduate education (check) and internships (check)." For the benefit of the doubt, lets say that my 5 internships plus entirely self funded and designed Master's was not enough, how the HELL am I supposed to continue to do UNPAID internships for much longer? I'm at my wits end with everything. Every path I turn to is rejecting me. I consider myself a humble person but I will brag about my accomplishments just to get my point across that this process is killing my passion and my soul. I wish I was being dramatic. Don't get me wrong, I KNOW and fully accept that I have entered into a, what some would call, non-traditional career path and a difficult one at that. I have been told objectively from potential PhD advisors, hiring managers, collaborators that in many ways, I am an ideal applicant... so what am I doing wrong. Does anyone have ANY advice on getting through this on any level. i.e. how to deal with this emotionally, how to actually find a damn job, how to get a damn PhD. I'm willing to do anything at this point. /rant Apologies if this is not the correct type of post for this subject area. I just hope to connect to other people who have been through or are going through these same issues. Unfortunately, most of my friends are either successful or still in school.

Hey guyssNext year i'm going to uni and i'm actually deciding whether to pursue marine biology as career or not. I'd like to ask you guys, if i manage to get a good cv and a phd, how many opportunities will be out there to get a job? I've always been fascinated by china, then let's assume i would like to get a job as a marine biologist in a chinese university with a good cv but zero knowledge of chinese, how probable would it be to find that job ? So, is it possible for a marine biologist to switch country by choice(with only english knowledge), or the high competitivity makes that impossible?Thx youuu

Hi, Let me explain my current situation: I'm from the US, but I studied medicine in Mexico (gradated 2014). I did a Master's in clinical research at UCSD (graduated Fall 2019). I have been working as a physician/surgical assistant at a vascular clinic in Mexico since my graduation form medical school. I plan to pivot my career into basic research/academia (I fell in love with regenerative medicine/stem cell biology while at UCSD). My goal is to pursue PhD in the area of regenerative medicine/stem cell biology, in the near future. My only research experience comes from my Master's thesis which was a project along the lines of health policy (unpublished). My work experience is mostly clinical, so I realize I need to build my CV in terms of research and skills in a wet lab in order to apply for a PhD in a competitive program, and so I'm looking to take a Research assistant/technician job as soon as possible. I'm willing to commit a couple of years and I honestly don't care much about being paid little as I know I have to take an entry level job, but I would require money to pay for rent/food etc. Currently I'm living in western Massachusetts which is where some of my support system is (the rest is in southern California). I am writing to several different labs in the Boston area (sending CV, 3 LORs, and SOP) and looking at job websites (Indeed, Glassdoor, etc), but haven't had any positive responses yet. So I guess my questions are: Am I writing at a bad time of the year for this type of job (too early/too late)? Can it be something else that I've overlooked? What can I do to secure a job that lets me develop so I can reach my goal? Any opinions, criticism, or tips would be very helpful! Thanks.

Rinzler Archives Summer Internship What: An opportunity to learn best practices in archives collection management firsthand Where: Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Washington, D.C. When: Ten weeks in the summer, flexible depending on your schedule. This internship in the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is made possible through the generous support of the Scott and Dorothy Odell Internship Fund. The mentorship goals of this internship include working with archives staff to apply collections management best practices in arranging, describing, and digitizing collections, which consist of papers, photographs, audio recordings, and audiovisual media. The intern may also work with content in our Digital Asset Management System and contribute to finding aids that meet current archival descriptive standards and are Encoded Archival Description compatible using ArchivesSpace (ASpace). The collections include curatorial, ethnographic, and programmatic content associated with the Center’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival and its nonprofit record label, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. The deadline for the 2020 summer internship is March 15. The selected applicant will receive a stipend of $300/week for a full-time, ten-week internship. How to Apply To apply online, visit solaa.si.edu and create an account. After selecting Internship, specify the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. You will be required to upload supporting materials, including an essay, résumé, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. The submission deadline for summer internships is March 15. There are no deadlines for submitting applications for other seasons. The completed application is to be submitted at least six weeks before the start of the internship. If you have questions, please contact intern coordinator Arlene Reiniger at ReinigerA@si.edu.

Hi! A little blurb about me before I delve into my situation. I graduated from this master's program in experimental psychology in Indiana back in May 2019. But since I didn't get my thesis finished until July, my school put down my official graduation month as August 2019. During my time at this school, I worked at this research lab that consisted of me, my adviser, and undergraduate RAs (FYI, they change every semester). This lab I used to work at examined attention. I graduated with a 3.89 GPA and after I finished my coursework and defended my thesis, I moved back home. I know this sounds weird but currently, I'm working at this place where I used to work during my gap year (which is a before-and-after school program filled with kids that have special needs and kids who don't) after I left this lab at a local university due to my conflicting research interests with that of my PI. He told me that it's better if I go work at another lab. I'm currently reapplying for jobs as a research assistant in psychology so I can go back and get my PhD in clinical psychology. Could I possibly get another job as a research assistant at another psychology lab? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

What steps will ensure a successful security of a job after my Grad Program as a foreigner? I intend to send in applications for a grad program in Energy Engineering, and will like a job opportunity in the energy sector upon completion of my program. Anyone with useful information should kindly share.

Hi! I am a recent Master of Public Health graduate on the search for jobs. I had my second interview for a position I really want a little over two weeks ago (let me know if it would be helpful for you to know what the position was). I sent my interviewers a "Thank You" note immediately after I interviewed with them . They replied back thanking me for my time and for interviewing for the position and that I should hear back from a team member after they have completed the interviewing process. During the interview, they said that I should expect to hear back in a few weeks either way. I have not heard back since their reply to my "Thank You" email. I am planning on following up with them this week, but I would like some feedback on my follow-up email. My draft email is posted below: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Thank You: Following Up Regarding Interview Dear [INTERVIEWER 1] and [INTERVIEWER 2], I hope you had a great weekend and that this email finds you well. Thank you again for considering me for the [NAME OF POSITION] position at [PLACE OF EMPLOYEMENT]. I want to follow-up regarding my interview and candidacy for this position. During our interview, you mentioned that I should expect to hear back either way in a few weeks. I want to express my continued interest in the [NAME OF POSITION] position. What excites me most about this position is having the opportunity to learn about both global and domestic public health initiatives while sharpening my data management and analysis skills under senior biostatisticians. I would like to reiterate and emphasize the following skills and attributes that I can bring to the position and the [NAME OF TEAM] team. · Detail-orientation necessary to query data for completeness and accuracy and to prepare data and databases for statistical analyses · Experience creating surveys and entering survey data in REDCap and moving a project from Development to Production ([NAME OF EXPERIENCE] experience at [PLACE OF EMPLOYEMENT]); eagerness and aptitude for learning new programming languages and databases (SQL and Oracle) · Problem solving skills to understand and debug programming code · Scientific writing skills for contributing to data reports and statistical methods and results sections (Wrote Results section for [NAME OF STUDY] study and Results and methods sections for [NAME OF STUDY] study) · Organizational skills and ability to submit high-quality deliverables in a timely manner (Student Consultant roles) If you require any other information from me to help with your decision making process, please let me know. I can be reached at [MY PHONE NUMBER] or via email at [MY EMAIL ADDRESS]. If I don't hear from you in another week or so, would you mind if I send another follow-up email? Thank you once again for your time and consideration, Sincerely, [MY NAME] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A person who suggested this template suggested that the subject line be: Follow Up to [INTERVIEW DATE] Interview However, I thought that reminding my interviewers of the date I interviewed with them would sound a little pushy, especially since I mentioned in my body that during the interview, that they mentioned that I should expect to hear back either way. Any thoughts on this? Any feedback regarding the content of my email will be appreciated! Thank you for all of your help, and thanks for reading!

Hi! I am a recent Master of Public Health graduate on the search for jobs. I had my second interview for a position I really want a little over two weeks ago (let me know if it would be helpful for you to know what the position was). I sent my interviewers a "Thank You" note immediately after I interviewed with them . They replied back thanking me for my time and for interviewing for the position and that I should hear back from a team member after they have completed the interviewing process. During the interview, they said that I should expect to hear back in a few weeks either way. I have not heard back since their reply to my "Thank You" email. I am planning on following up with them this week, but I would like some feedback on my follow-up email. My draft email is posted below: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Thank You: Following Up Regarding Interview Dear [INTERVIEWER 1] and [INTERVIEWER 2], I hope you had a great weekend and that this email finds you well. Thank you again for considering me for the [NAME OF POSITION] position at [PLACE OF EMPLOYEMENT]. I want to follow-up regarding my interview and candidacy for this position. During our interview, you mentioned that I should expect to hear back either way in a few weeks. I want to express my continued interest in the [NAME OF POSITION] position. What excites me most about this position is having the opportunity to learn about both global and domestic public health initiatives while sharpening my data management and analysis skills under senior biostatisticians. I would like to reiterate and emphasize the following skills and attributes that I can bring to the position and the [NAME OF TEAM] team. · Detail-orientation necessary to query data for completeness and accuracy and to prepare data and databases for statistical analyses · Experience creating surveys and entering survey data in REDCap and moving a project from Development to Production ([NAME OF EXPERIENCE] experience at [PLACE OF EMPLOYEMENT]); eagerness and aptitude for learning new programming languages and databases (SQL and Oracle) · Problem solving skills to understand and debug programming code · Scientific writing skills for contributing to data reports and statistical methods and results sections (Wrote Results section for [NAME OF STUDY] study and Results and methods sections for [NAME OF STUDY] study) · Organizational skills and ability to submit high-quality deliverables in a timely manner (Student Consultant roles) If you require any other information from me to help with your decision making process, please let me know. I can be reached at [MY PHONE NUMBER] or via email at [MY EMAIL ADDRESS]. If I don't hear from you in another week or so, would you mind if I send another follow-up email? Thank you once again for your time and consideration, Sincerely, [MY NAME] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A person who suggested this template suggested that the subject line be: Follow Up to [INTERVIEW DATE] Interview However, I thought that reminding my interviewers of the date I interviewed with them would sound a little pushy, especially since I mentioned in my body that during the interview, that they mentioned that I should expect to hear back either way. Any thoughts on this? Any feedback regarding the content of my email will be appreciated! Thank you for all of your help, and thanks for reading!

Hey everyone, I'm somewhat out of place here, i am only in undergrad, and am still planning my transfer to a 4-year institution. I am planning ahead, and I know career wise i want to go into academia. My main areas of interest are art history (especially when theory is involved), and history. With regards to job prospects does getting a double major in undergrad in art history and history, help seem more attractive to academic job prospects? I will double major in history and art history even if it doesn't, because i like both areas, and I plan to eventually get a PhD in one of those disciplines. My thought behind the job prospects is that a Community college, or SLAC would be glad to have a professor teach some classes from one discipline and some survey classes in the other (in this case history). I now job opportunities are slim for post secondary teachers, but I also don't care about teaching at an ivy league, and would be find teaching at a SLAC or community college. Thanks.

I am planning to pursue Masc in ece(specialisation in biomedical) from a canadian university. Could someone please let me know the research opportunities that would be available for me after I complete my masters? How is the industrial research scenario in Canada right now? Thank you for the help

Hi! Background on me; I am about to graduate undergrad with bachelors in bio/math/neuro and I ultimately want to end up as a research scientists at a biotech company or in industry. My interests are in cell molecular biology or neurobiology so the target is likely pharm companies or other therapeutic development companies, but I’m obviously open to other ideas. The actual question: I know I will need to get a PhD but I am wanting to position myself in the best environment to facilitate that transition to industry. I have the impression that many academic PhD programs prime students for the post-doc/faculty pipeline, and lack faculty that have hands on industry experience. Are there phd programs that are known to cater more toward students seeking industry jobs? Programs whose faculty collaborate often with companies/ industry leaders? If so, how do I find them?? ((if this thread exists already my apologies and please take me to it via comments- thanks! ))

So.... I applied to PhD programs in Neuroscience this year and have not heard back from any schools yet. I have the sinking feeling I will not receive any interviews. Maybe something will come through last minute, but I cannot be sure. I have previously interned at NIH and would probably apply to their Post-Bac program. So now the thing is, I don't know how soon to give up hope of hearing back from my graduate programs and to pursue the Post-Bac program. I live far from DC so moving and housing is a big issue.

I have a masters in psychology. I don't really want to go for a phd however if i do, it will be in the field of I/o psychology or social psychology. But again, this is not what I really want to do. Before I started in my current position I was research and applying to job within the realm of market research. Obviously I did not find a job in this field before academia. Does anyone have any advice on how to get in the field of market research, marketing, or any related fields.

Hi all, I've committed to UT Austin's PhD program in English (yay!), and I am so excited to head down in August. Top of mind right now is finding and securing housing, and with that, concerns about budget/affordability. The program funding is modest at best, so I know that I'll have to find some other work to supplement my stipend. I'm wondering if anyone can offer suggestions about reasonable part-time or contract work for grad students? I know it's suggested we don't devote too much time to other work, as coursework and TA'ing already demand a lot and the priority, but this is more of a need than a choice... I've obviously thought about tutoring (any good programs/companies to look at in particular)? I am also leaving in job in non-profit development, so some kind of proposal and grant-writing would be really great. Any thoughts?

Looking for some feedback about different jobs people have while in grad school. I cannot imagine not working at ALL even though I understand how intensive it can be. I've been a Behavior Therapist for almost two years and I am getting burnt out. I don't really want to do it while in grad school even if it's less than ten hours per week. BUT, I am given clients based on my availability and I get paid $21/hr. So it's ideal for the flexibility and pay. I'm just losing my steam in the position... any feedback? Suck it up or find something else?

I'm an international student from India and I've been offered admission to Duke and USC for an MS in BME. I've spoken to a lot of people from both colleges, and I seem to get the general idea that USC is a great place primarily because of its location in California where there are a lot of BT/Biomed companies. But I'm still pretty torn between them, since Duke has a great program and offers me the flexibility to really explore what I like. As somebody who wants to enter the industry, I'm not sure if I should pick the much lower ranked program/good location, or great program/okay location. Any sights?

I graduated in 2015 with my Bachelor's neuroscience. I've been doing social science research for think tanks since then, and I'd like to make a transition into a sociology PhD program. I have a good GPA (3.9) and GREs (166V, 167Q) and lots of sociological research experience. However, I don't have any letters of recommendation from sociologists (I work mostly with psychologists and economists) and didn't take any sociology courses in undergrad. I'm wondering if there are any full-time jobs I could work at (or maybe a Master's, but those are expensive) that would improve my chances of getting into a top-tier sociology PhD program for entry in Fall 2020 or Fall 2021. I know there are a lot of Research Assistant, Lab Manager, and even Predoctoral Fellow positions in psychology, economics, and other disciplines. But I haven't been able to find many for sociology per se. Any ideas?

Need help deciding between a master's program in electrical and automation from Aalto university or comp Engineering (EE) Program from Arizona state in terms of cost of living, student Life and job opportunities PS : got a 100% scholarship from Aalto

Hi folks! I thought it might be helpful to create a place where those of us who are looking for a new position could critique/swap our CVs, resumes, and cover letters as well as discuss other topics related to applying to jobs. (I realize there is a "Jobs" subforum, but I felt like a thread with a psych-specific focus would be beneficial). I'll start! I recently discovered the perfect research position (would be my first paid), so I want to do everything I can to put my best foot forward. Some questions I had: Research fit is absolutely spot on, but my personal research experience so far is not relevant to this particular focus. Should I be concerned? The application is hosted on a portal that only seems to require a resume. However, I know the name of the PI - would it be appropriate to email them in addition to indicate my particular interest and attach a cover letter? Would that likely be seen as welcome initiative, or desperate and not following direction? I would love a critique of my resume! I'm happy to swap with anyone as well. Let's make this a productive year! 👍

Hi, I'm an international student with an interest in policy. My end goal is to become a consultant for government policy, and I was wondering whether looking into internships in US government entities is reasonable or a waste of my time. Could anyone help me on this?

Hi! I've applied this past application cycle to PhD programs in or related to behavioral genetics. My most recent research job was a three-month gig in the middle of 2018 (I had a longer researcher job before that). I worked on a short freelancing project after that and now I ideally want to get some seasonal/project-based/temporary research work. While I may just end-up getting some random temp job in the intervening time, I think being in a research position will be advantageous if I get any interviews. But any of you who does what I do probably knows that people who do scientific research usually want to hire workers who can stay-on for awhile, a thing I can't commit to now given that I could be in grad school in the Fall. I've reached out to researchers and tried to be forthcoming about my situation, but no luck so far. Does anyone have any advice? If it helps, I live in Chicago.

Hello, I'm in my second year of my Masters program as a Biology major and I have never done a research project and have struggled to make connections with Professors. I fail to find internships for biology labs and am afraid of missing the opportunity for one. I have felt overwhelmed and my adviser wanted me to pick a Professor to mentor me on my Thesis, which I do not have. I have a new adviser now and feel like I'm back at square one. My grades have been slipping from stress and me desperately clawing for a social life, my GPA was 3.21 and I fear it dropping further. I have been feeling overwhelmed when trying to find a thesis topic, it hits me like a brick wall and I don't know how to get over it. I am trying to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Medical Technician) but I have no job experience. I've never had a job before. I don't really know what job to get as a biology grad student, and if I can even get one. I really need advice on this. My College offers a Non-Thesis route, but I have gotten conflicting advice on whether to take it. I don't want to be a researcher, so is it the better option? I have terrible networking skills. I fail to keep in touch with Professors and my previous adviser, who is teaching a course I'm taking, is not impressed; she's worried about me (I have terrible depression where I'm unable to function in class group work and I can't control my emotions anymore, she has noticed my declining grades and mood). How am I going to network and connect with Professors with this mental decline on my back? The mistake I made was joining a Masters program right after completing my Bachelors degree in Biology. I wasn't prepared.

Hello all! For those who are in an I/O Psychology PhD or Masters' program, or who has finished, what is your current job or what job/career are you hoping to have? I'm very interested and curious in knowing, since I want to pursue further education in I/O Psychology and I would love to know everyone's jobs/careers! Thanks!

Hi everybody! I was thinking of retraining and getting into LIS field (have a BA in Art History and MA in Cultural Management from non-US universities, with experience in museums, non-profits project work and curating). The thing is, this time I need to be very careful in choosing next studies/career, because I want to avoid being unemployed or underpaid again So, what are the odds of getting a job in the field after an MA? How is the job market for librarians and related professions? P.S. Been reading data from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm, but interested to hear your experience