I remember scheduling my first appointment with a UGA career consultant about a year and a half before graduating from my Ph.D. program in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences. Walking into my meeting, I thought how do other graduate students do this…I mean how are you supposed to search for a job and write your dissertation when both those tasks are full-time jobs? With a little bit of luck, solid planning and a strong support system, I accepted a job offer before walking across the stage on Graduation Day.
Around six months prior to graduation, I began searching specifically for research development positions in academia. Research development excited me as a field because it combines the business and science aspects of research to advance a university’s research enterprise. I realized the skills I acquired during my Ph.D. program (problem solving, strategic thinking, data analysis, multitasking, relationship building, communication etc.) are well suited to research development. Working within a university setting also offered more flexibility in geographical location, which was very important to my family.
In 2024, I began the dual processes of putting together my dissertation and applying for jobs. Here are some tips and tricks that helped me navigate dissertation writing and job searching:
#1 Start early.
Be sure to branch out during your first year in graduate school to build your network. I found the Beyond the Professoriate platform (free access as a UGA student) to be extremely insightful with actionable steps for networking. I also conducted several 30-minute informational interviews with UGA alumni inside and outside my department to get a better idea of various careers. The LinkedIn Alumni tool helped connect me with UGA alumni outside my department.
To be successful in networking, showing genuine interest in other professionals and coming to conversations with a learner mindset is key. Networking early helped narrow the career paths I considered and positions to which I applied. When I wrote my dissertation in Fall 2024, I had less time for in-depth conversations but remained active on LinkedIn, so my networking continued, just in a different way.
#2 Begin with the end in mind.
When my major professor told me to start writing my dissertation by drafting figures in Spring 2024, it seemed counterintuitive. But it worked. The figures were a blueprint for my chapters because they emphasized key concepts. The same goes for job searching. Think about what you want to do (#1 suggestions) and work backwards to determine the steps to reach your goal.
#3 Stay organized.
My UGA career consultant recommended I create a multipurpose Excel spreadsheet for job searching. On my spreadsheet, I researched industry, government agencies and universities using LinkedIn and company websites noting their mission, vision, values and other facts before narrowing my focus. I built my initial job searching spreadsheet in Spring 2024 and expanded my dissertation outline with detail for each chapter in Summer 2024. I kept multiple versions of my dissertation, so I could go back to earlier or later revisions and track my progress.
#4 Know your why.
Around the midpoint of graduate school, I explored my professional strengths more deeply using the Clifton Strengths assessment and myIDP in which you take a survey on your interests, skills and values to facilitate an individual development plan for your career. These assessments helped me seek a career path that aligned with me as a person and professional.
They also forced me to think about questions which solidified my why, such as why I wanted to work in research development vs. industry or government? Or why I wanted to work in a staff vs. tenure-track position? Knowing your why is also important to dissertation writing because you are guiding the reader through your research story—your decision-making process on project direction, experimentation, data acquisition, results interpretation and conclusions.
#5 Write regularly.
Writing is a foundational skill for the job market (resumes, CVs, online applications) and dissertation. I found it much harder to write when I had more than one day off. Writing was easier for me when I kept writing daily, even for fun (in a journal etc.), because it kept my mind engaged. It also helped to write in chunks such as committing a few hours to revising a resume or spending a morning on dissertation writing, then taking a well-earned break.
#6 Think productivity over perfection.
Job searching and dissertation writing are both messy processes. You will likely not get it right on your first try, and that is okay. Your major professor and committee will make changes to your dissertation. You will submit multiple applications before finding the job meant for you. As you journey, your goals inch closer and closer (graduation, job offer).
#7 Surround yourself with support.
Dissertation writing and job searching are hard. Rejection is part of the process, but it can lead to self-doubt. I am grateful to my professional and personal networks for encouraging me on tough days. They helped me see objectively, remain positive and keep working toward my goals.
Lastly, I highly recommend checking out the UGA Graduate School online resources for A) dissertation writing (timeline, graduation forms) and B) career and professional development. I applied for and participated in an on-campus summer internship in UGA’s Office of Research in 2022, which introduced me to research development. Afterwards, I continued part-time work in the Office of Research until graduation because I enjoyed working at the intersection of science and business at the university level. You never know which opportunity or conversation will shape your career path!