Industry recruiters and lab leaders talked to a roomful of grad students and postdocs at the 2016 Joint Mathematical Meetings in Seattle about what it takes to land a nonacademic job. I think their advice applies to all PhDs looking for nonacademic employment, not just mathematicians.
The recruiters spanned the spectrum from industry giants like Microsoft and Boeing, to small software and consulting startups, to government agencies like the NSA. There was surprising consensus about how PhDs should prepare and present themselves.
"You have to do things beyond your PhD" sums up the attitude of one of the recruiters.
Your PhD will provide you with in-depth information about your particular domain, but recruiters want to see breadth, not just depth. Get a good background by taking courses in your major but outside of your specialty.
"We are looking for people who are broad, not narrow" said another panelist.
Consider business courses like finance or marketing if they're available. Explore MOOCs as a low-risk strategy for expanding your horizons.
If you know what industry you'd like to work in, join trade groups and go to industry conferences. Join student chapters of professional groups - or better yet, volunteer for a leadership role. Not sure what industry you want to work in? Then join (or lead) the graduate student council or postdoc association at your school.
The recruiters agreed that industry internships are the best way for candidates to explore commercial, non-profit or government alternatives and to get a taste of nonacademic life. They encouraged students to consider summer internships even in subjects that did not directly advance their thesis research (though they admitted this might be a tough sell to the advisers!). All had stories about interns who performed so well that they were offered jobs after graduation - and some got offers before graduating.
One complaint the recruiters aired was the nonacademic candidate who applied for a job looking to extend his or her thesis work:
"You have to want to solve our problems, not pursue your thesis topic" remarked the lab leader from Microsoft.
The others agreed: "We want hires who are willing to solve a problem - the kind of math employed is irrelevant." "We're looking for people who are flexible and want to learn new stuff" commented another. It's unlikely that you'll find a job directly related to your thesis topic or postdoc experience. Be open to new experiences. One panelist mentioned that two of his students with PhDs in pure math got jobs at Target (yes, the big retailer) as business analysts. The subject matter of their theses wasn't important - what was important was that they were smart and willing to tackle something new.
The lab leader from the NSA summed up by saying "I'm looking for people with courage."
He explained that he wanted people who weren't afraid to tackle hard problems, learn new techniques, and work with other smart people who had specialized skills. "One resume came to me from a woman who taught in a prison. I figured she had courage and I hired her." he said.
Breadth, flexibility, and courage. That's what recruiters want to see on a resume. Will they find it on yours?
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