Oceanography | Vol.28, No.4
Oceanography published its first “Career
Profiles” column in the June 2010 issue,
with the aim of providing graduate stu-
dents with a window into the array of job
possibilities outside of academia. Over
the past five years, “Career Profiles” has
become one of the most popular pages
on The Oceanography Society website
(http://tos.org/career-profiles). To date,
we’ve published 47 profiles (counting the
two in this issue on pages 102 and 103).
To produce these career profiles, we
ask people to answer a series of questions:
1. Degree: When, where, what, and
what in?
2. Did you stay in academia at all, and if
so, for how long?
3. How did you go about searching for a
job outside of the university setting?
4. Is this the only job (post-academia)
that you’ve had? If not, what else did
you do?
5. What is your current job? What path
did you take to get there?
6. What did your oceanographic educa-
tion (or academic career) give you that
is useful in your current job?
7. Is the job satisfying? What aspects of
the job do you like best/least?
8. Do you have any recommendations for
new grads looking for jobs?
As part of the “Career Profiles” fifth anni-
versary celebration, this column assem-
bles some of the most useful and inter-
esting recommendations for job seekers.
By far the most common piece of advice
concerns the importance of networking.
THE
CAREER PROFILES COLUMN
Providing Job-Hunting Options and Insights for Five Years and Counting
QUARTERDECK
In addition, many of the people we’ve
profiled stressed that the skills gained in
earning a PhD in the ocean sciences qual-
ifies students for an unexpectedly large
variety of rewarding positions outside
of academia—but that students need to
be open to learning about and applying
for those positions.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
It is important to keep your eyes and mind
open to positions you might not have con-
sidered, while keeping sight of the kind of
work you enjoy and the kind of lifestyle you
would like to lead.
— Kara Lavender Law
Think about what your best skills and special
talents are. If you focus on those areas, you
are most likely to find (or create) opportu-
nities for personal excellence. — Ellen Lettvin
Know that transitioning from your spe-
cialty to something different or with a
broader scope than what you have been
accustomed to in school can be disorient-
ing at times, but can also lead to rewarding
new opportunities.
— Kris Ludwig
Be open to nontraditional opportuni-
ties. Your academic training and related
activities have provided basic skills
that can be applied to a variety of non-
academic positions.
— Mitchell Malone
Have confidence in your abilities, but more
importantly, in your ability to learn on the
job. After all, that is what your training
as a scientist has prepared you for—to
work independently and figure things
out for yourself.
— Cheryl Peach
Think about what truly floats your boat, talk
to people to better understand what oppor-
tunities exist, and don’t expect to go from
point A to point B in one shot. Be flexible
and take a few chances! — Audrey Rogerson
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
The best jobs, the best opportunities, and
the best future all lie in the people you
know and what they can do for you. Ask
your friends, colleagues and mentors for
help…they will give it.
— Paul Bunje
Don’t be afraid to email someone you don’t
know who has a job that seems interesting
to you and ask them to spend a few min-
utes talking with you.
— Heather Deese
Use the alumni communities to meet folks
who have the jobs you want. Take them to
lunch, ask all the questions above, and lis-
ten closely. Stay in touch with them even
after you find a job.
— Nick Drenzek
Go to as many interviews and job fairs as
possible to see what’s available. — John A. Farre
Devote significant time and energy to
the care and feeding of your profes-
sional network—both peers and senior-
level mentors… A really critical aspect
of networking is to give as much as you
get—in other words, be on the lookout for