Career Exploration for Social and Population Scientists

What does it mean to explore careers?

Career exploration is applying your research skills and analytical thinking to an investment in your future work life.

Career exploration is a cyclical process of assessment, investigation, reflection, and synthesis. There are several reasons why this investment is important: One reason is that research has found that PhD-level students or postdocs who engage in some career exploration end up with higher job satisfaction. See this Inside Higher Ed article regarding social sciences and humanities. Another reason is that you need to take responsibility for your career trajectory, as the market forces today are very different than they were for your PhD advisor or your current Principal Investigator.

Self reflection

Exploring careers effectively

Want to explore a career path in less than 10 hours? Check out Active Career Exploration (ACE) from the University of Michigan. This plan helps your organize yourself and your time in 10 hours over 1 month. Read more about the framework here.

For a list of simple things you can do to explore careers, the National Postdoc Association (NPA) provides some advice.

If you are ready to effectively explore careers, consider the Motivating INformed Decisions (MIND) program at UCSF. MIND participants will have the opportunity to take coursework to develop the skills and tools they need to explore a variety of career paths as well as connect with partners to take a close look at different career paths.

Also consider the GSICE program at UCSF. GSICE allows trainees to prepare for, find, and gain hands-on experience in a career environment they want to explore.

An important part of career exploration is conducting informational interviews with people in a position that interests you. Check out our webpage Informational Interviews and Building Your Professional Network for lots of resources to help you with each step of this important process

Positioning yourself for your next career move

One way to be prepared to transition into a new position is to use your network.

Watch OCPD's four-part video series on networking.
Read OCPD's Informational Interviews and Building Your Professional Network page.

What can you take from your research training that will be useful in your next career? There are many transferrable skills that you develop as a scientist that will be useful as you position yourself for a new position. Karen Kelsky offers a few things you can start to do now that will help. You may also be considering whether or not to complete a postdoc (or start a second postdoc). In this article from the Grad Student Way, Ryan Raver discusses career options for PhD that don’t require a postdoc position as well as the transferrable skills that will help you become more marketable.

Successful career exploration stories

Want to hear from a PhD student or postdoc that successfully explored different career options and was able to land a position in a different field?

For trainees in Social and Population Sciences:

Jo VanEvery, Sociology PhD, now an independent academic coach and research facilitator
Adam Sanford, Sociology PhD, now an academic coach, writer, and adjunct instructor
Sam Ladner, Sociology PhD, now a senior researcher at Microsoft
For more career transition stories, visit From PhD To Life

Learn about opportunities in Contract Research Work from Sociology at Work.
Read about social scientists working in tech.

Explore a new career each month with the Every Month Series

Read about your career options

Try a structured career exploration program

UCSF’s Motivating INformed Decisions (MIND) program guides graduate students and postdocs though a career exploration program designed to minimize the amount of time you spend away from your lab. In this structured program, students and postdocs:

engage in coursework to develop the skills and tools they need to explore a variety of career paths
explore different career environments by connecting with PhDs in careers outside academic research.

GSICE is also open and applicable to students in social and population science programs. In this program, you'll learn how to find, get, and prepare for an internship. This program is available in a cohort model in the spring and as a virtual model, which can be done at your own pace.

Do an internship or fellowship

A great way to find out if you like a certain type of work or work environment is to spend some time trying it out. It also makes you more attractive to a potential employer in that field.

There are a number of internship experiences on UCSF campuses in the offices that do science-adjacent work for the university. Here are some examples:

Research Development Office
Office of Career and Professional Development
Office of Technology Management
Innovation Ventures

Learn more about how to find internships through the GSICE program, listed above.

Find your community

There are a wide range of registered campus organizations that do work in fields outside of academic research. Here are some examples:

Carry the One Radio - science communication (podcasting)
Science Policy Group - advocacy and policy
The Fog at Bay - mental health
Consulting Club - life science and management consulting
Synapse - communication and science communication (written)
Associated Students of the Graduate Divisions (ASGD) - leadership (graduate student government)

Check out the list of campus organizations to find one you might be interested in.

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Career Exploration for Social and Population Scientists

What does it mean to explore careers?

Career Exploration Programs for PhDs