CAREER GUIDES

• Teaching positions - A guide to those considering careers at Liberal Arts colleges, community colleges, etc.
• Data science - A guide to data science careers in industry
• Aerospace - Guide to careers at Ball Aeropsace, Northrup Grumman, etc.

GROUPS

• LinkedIn (do a search for these groups on LinkedIn)

  • PhD Careers Outside of Academica
  • American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Alternative PhD Careers
  • Association of Women in Science (AWIS)
  • Science, Technology & Innovation Policy Professionals + Fellows
  • Astronomers beyond Academia - brand new!

• Facebook (do a search for these groups on Facebook)

  • Astronomers
  • Jobs for Astronomers - brand new!
  • Marketing for Scientists

ARTICLES/POSTS

• How Many Jobs did the Mars Landing Create? from CNN Money, August 2012
• On Leaving Academia  why an associate professor of Computer Science at UMN is leaving academic science (broad reasons that speak to larger trends in academia and the US), July 2012
• How to leave academia written by Math PhD who now works as web developer; thorough run-down of how to leave academia with a technical degree and prepare yourself to go into a technical job, how to get said job, and what to expect once you've left academia
• Astronomy Career Profiles from AAS Newsletter Archives excellent collection of articles from 2008-2011 from AAS Committee on Employment, representing a wide range of career paths
• Careers In Astronomy: What am I Doing with my Life?? September 2011; summary of Astronomy Career Profiles from AAS Newsletter Archives (directly above)
• Academics.com Career Prospects for Postdocs interview with director of Higher Education and Research division of German Education Union, May 2012
• A look at science from another side of the trench post by scientists turned science writer on divide between scientists and science journalism, August 2012
• The path less travelled The academic track is riddled with risks, yet most still believe it to be the safest career route for the devoted scientist. Andrea Schweitzer suggests a different way.
• Best Practices for Educating Students about Non-Academic Jobs APS document to help physics students succeed in a wide range of academic and non-academic jobs
• Soliciting Advice: Non-Academic Careers for Ph.D.'s by Sean Carroll, soliciting good, specific career advice and/or resources for students who are on the track to get a Ph.D. (or already have one) and are interested in pursuing non-academic jobs

PRESENTATIONS/TALKS/RESOURCES

• Stories from ex-academics AstroBetter wiki page collecting links to articles on why individuals changed careers
• Paths from Academics to Employment PDFs of presentations given at APS Meeting. Includes Industry Job Hunting for PhDs and Government Positions for Physicists
• Graduate Student and Professional Development Career Planning from University of Wisconsin-Madison If only every university had such a great collection of resources...
• Non-Academic Career Planning and Support resources from the University of Arizona Career Services
• Non-academic science career information aggregator thorough list of websites/resources of interest to scientists looking outside of academia, created by a scientist returning to academia after 7 years away (includes information about writing CVs/resumes, trasnferable skills, and more)
• Jobs on Toast blog written by a PhD in Medieval Studies to help PhDs and postgrads to identify a career path outside of academia, and to apply for and secure their chosen job. Most tips are applicable to science postgrads, too.

CONFERNCES/MEETINGS

• Annual Postdoc Conference & Career Fair most recently held July 2012 in Bethesda, MD
• Family Leave Policies and Childcare for Graduate Students and Postdocs Special Session, Monday, January 7th at upcoming AAS Long Beach January 2013
• A Panel Discussion on Career Options: Professionally-trained Astronomers Across the Workforce Special Session, Wednesday, January 9th at upcoming AAS Long Beach January 2013.

OPPORTUNITES/FELLOWSHIPS

• Non-Academic Astronomers Network (slightly outdated) Listing of people, their non-ivory tower jobs, and a nice blurb about how they ended up there
• Bright Recruits recruitment service by IOP Publishing, highlights many different career opportunities available to physics graduates (who have the skills to excel in many different job roles, ranging from fundamental research through to computer modelling and industrial manufacturing)
• VersatilePhD free community of support for those transitioning into non-academic careers AND/OR premium content including career bios, success stories, panel discussions (will expand to STEM in January 2013)
• AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships must have PhD prior to start of fellowship; application opens September 1
• AAS John Bahcall Public Policy Fellowship one-year, postdoctoral-level appointment
• American Institute of Physics and Member Society Government Science Fellowships (State Department and Congressional) must have PhD in physics or closely-related field prior to start of fellowship applications deadlines vary based on fellowship; can apply for AIP and APS fellowships all at once!
• National Academies Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program for current graduate students or those who have completed graduate studies within the last five years
• European Patent Office Worth a shot!

BOOKS

• Put Your Science to Work: The take-charge career guide for scientists by Peter Fiske. How to find non-academic jobs, when you've been trained as an academic.