0 PhD Non-Academic Career Paths: Industrial Research & Development

The idea of working in Industry at times seems very interesting. The pay is good, you actually get to build projects and you can progress through different positions through the company (change). Several of the women at the workshop shared their experiences in non-academic careers. They include:

Gildar Garreton
Vidya Sethur, Nokia Research Labs
Telle Whitney, President of the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology

[Vidya Sethur]
Pros of a Non-academic job

1. Get to be in tune and hands-on with the latest technology
2. Can make impact with business
3. Don't hae to write grants, but can patent
4. Decent pay
5. No tenure process

Cons of a Non-academic job

1. Dangers of getting into advanced development mode vs. research mode
2. Work influenced by company's focus
3. Projects and management can change
4. Job (in)security
5. No tenure process

If you are particularly looking for research, ask where the funding comes from. The funding dictates what type of research you can do. Ask about the funding model.

[Telle Whitney]
Co-Founder of the Grace Hopper Conference!!

She enjoys the people she works with. "The quality of your work includes the people you work with."