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Mentors, Ancillary Skills, Instincts and Opportunities for a Nonlinear Career Trajectory Outside of Academia
Citation:
McManus, M. Mentors, Ancillary Skills, Instincts and Opportunities for a Nonlinear Career Trajectory Outside of Academia. Virtual Webinar Florida State University Biology Graduate Students, Tallahassee, FL, September 07, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
Outreach by EPA/ORD scientists to university graduate students can inform them of rewarding scientific careers outside of academia, such as at EPA. I have been invited to speak to biology graduate students at Florida State University for a graduate professional development class. My informal presentation will cover describing my position at EPA, how graduate school affected my career trajectory as an ecologist, what advice I can offer when considering a non-academic career.
Description:
My nonlinear career path as an ecologist has relied on mentors, ancillary skills, and using my instincts to create new opportunities. I emphasize how a thesis or dissertation does represent one’s current research focus, it does not predict your future research. I briefly outline the different settings where I have worked, and how they inform the science being done. I conclude by describing the value of having a mentor outside of academia, a willingness to retool oneself, and taking chances at start of a new job.
