1. Beyond Academia: Navigating a job Search in Business, Government, and Nonprofit Organizations
Katherine Eriksen, Assistant Director of Career Services
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2. Career Options for Mathematicians
Applied mathematics (e.g. biomathematics)
Computer science and software development
Business/Financial analysis and modeling
Cryptography
Operations research
Actuarial science
Public policy
Technical writing
We often think in terms of “linear” career paths, particularly for advanced degree holders. It’s expected that a PhD secures a tenure track position or finds a career which allows he/she to directly apply their skills and knowledge. While this may be the case for some, others will have careers outside of their research specialty. Rather than thinking in terms of
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3. Career Options for Mathematicians
Applied mathematics (e.g. biomathematics)
Computer science and software development
Business/Financial analysis and modeling
Cryptography
Operations research
Actuarial science
Public policy
Technical writing
Rather than thinking in terms of defined career options, think about the skills, values, and interests that can help you to identify and pursue the best work environment for you.
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4. Graduate Student Skills
Consider transferrable skills related to:
Research projects
Teaching experiences
Coursework
Leadership and service
Extracurricular activities
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5. Getting Started Before you begin your job search, consider:
What careers or organizations would you prefer?
How does this fit into your long term career goals?
Do you have geographic preferences?
Do you have a partner who also needs to secure employment?
When will you realistically be prepared to begin a full-time position?
Are there expanded career options you would like to consider?
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6. 1. Determine your priorities
Industry
Job responsibilities
Location
Company size
Type of organization
Your priorities may also relate to your values, such as work-life balance.

7. 2. Do your research Focus on specific field or industry
Investigate specific companies
Find where to look for jobs in this field

8. Research tools LinkedIn Vault Wetfeet LexisNexis (Hoover’s Reports)
Company websites
Professional organizations
Networking
RSS feeds
Versatile PhD
Are there other tools that you might use?

9. 3. Tailor your materials Research field, organization, position
Determine your important experience
Highlight relevant skills

10. 4. Apply! Use multiple job search techniques
Stay focused and motivated
Competition – competing against equally qualified people here, not always realistic
Should always diversify and conduct an independent job search
We will focus on the independent job search today: you identify and contact companies

11. How do I find a job? Advertised jobs Contacting organizations
Online job postings
Career fairs and on-campus recruiting
Advertised jobs
Sending unsolicited résumés
Contacting organizations
Very successful!
Networking
Many jobs are never posted and are filled internally
Internal hiring
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

12. Finding jobs in Business and Industry
Most popular
Most competitive
Advertised Jobs
70-80% of jobs are not posted
How to break into the hidden job market
Hidden Job Market
Preparation and Research
Ask questions
Career Fairs
Informational interview, internships, and network are the best ways to access the hidden job market.
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

13. Finding jobs in Nonprofits
Hiring Practices
Less centralized postings
No regular hiring schedule
Often positions are unadvertised
Ways to succeed
Networking is even more important!
Show your relevant experience
Get experience from the inside
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

14. Finding jobs in Government
Federal Hiring
Federal jobs posted at
Federal resumes should be detailed
Some applications may have questionnaires
Application Tips
Focus on a few agencies of interest
Follow the directions carefully
Include all relevant experiences
See: makingthedifference.org
The Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign