Career Advice Resources

The benefits of investing in interdisciplinarity

By engaging in activities and networking outside your field of expertise, you can gain new insights and skills.

A runner's guide to career success

Staying motivated, overcoming obstacles, and knowing your limits are just some lessons that can be applied to your professional aspirations.

First network. Then follow up.

The follow-up email is an important tool in your networking arsenal for staying in contact and enabling future opportunities.

Taking a personal leadership inventory

Working to become a good leader is essential for career advancement, even if you never hold a supervisory position.

Don't settle for your dream job

Thinking in terms of a limitless series of successes rather than an ultimate goal can lead to unexpected career opportunities.

Five career tips to start the year off right

Setting goals and planning ahead will position you to succeed in 2017.

'Tis the Season for Career Success

Follow five simple steps this December to improve your professional standing in the new year.

Lessons from the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

The annual gathering of brilliant minds highlights the importance of networking for career advancement.

A letter to newbie nerds

Advice on how to get the most out of your college years.

Career success from volunteer success

It turns out that, first as a member and later as a leader of my SPS chapter, I got more than I bargained for. Sure, I had great conversations, and yes, I made lifelong bonds with several physics and math majors. I was surprised, though, to find that I had gained real-world skills applicable to every job I have ever had. Furthermore, my experience in SPS actually helped me to land these jobs.

Free Play for fun and profit

Physicists who adopt Free Play  into their schedules can receive excellent return on investment in terms of both refreshed creativity, and of actually encountering new information.

Job search strategies: It's not about you

Anticipating what potential employers want is an essential part of a successful job search.

How to Obtain and Write References

A good reference will share details of what you have done and what you can do for the new organization, and the reference writer will be candid with you about what they will say when asked.

Informational Interviews I: Why should I bother

The informational interview, or informal conversation, is the lynchpin of your strategy for job searching, exploring careers, and networking. Without informational interviews, it's difficult to learn about career paths and entry points, hiring trends and issues, decision-makers and field-leaders, and industry innovations.An informational interview is simply a professional conversation with another party. Most people in the business world know the term and the concept behind it. But scientists and engineers might not be aware of this critical tool in your networking and career exploration toolbox.

 

Informational interviews II: What do you talk about?

Recognizing mutual benefits and opportunities will help you get the most out of this more subtle type of job interview.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks that job seekers and neophyte networkers encounter is knowing what to talk about when meeting someone new at a conference. The same block looms when you set up an informational interview.

Land that first job—now!

It's the Year of the Horse. Time to saddle up to prepare for your first job. And because the tactics for job seeking are universal, the following tips will help you whether you are looking for your first or thirty-first job.

Monetizing your success

Aid your chances for a raise or promotion by contributing not only to the scholarship of science but also to the bottom line of the enterprise

Physical scientists can do anything: Here's how you start your career planning

Venturing outside the world of academic physics to look for a job is not as daunting as you might think.

Mistakes:  Don't make a career out of them

Prepare for the screw-ups you can control, and be ready to professionally handle the screw-ups you can't predict. Own your errors, acknowledge them, fix them, learn from them, and move on.

Networking: It's more than sharing meatballs

Career consultant Alaina Levine offers practical advice on how to build and use professional networks.

No cats allowed: How to use social media to advance your career

Employers are increasingly turning to LinkedIn and other social media to identify and assess new hires.

Understanding Hidden Career Opportunities

Understanding, accessing, evaluating, and ultimately harnessing hidden career opportunities are key to surprising professional benefits for both you and your your coworkers.

Take this negotiation or shove it!

It pays to ask for more than an initial job offer contains-even in academia.

The first rule of negotiation is that you should always negotiate.  Business students are taught this on the first of class, but the rest of us have to learn by trial and error.

What do Physicists do?
  What Careers do Physicists have?
  Where do Physicists Work?

The Physics Careers Resource answers these questions and more.

Interviewing: The audition that never ends

The face-to-face interview is only one of the personal interactions that employers consider when they evaluate candidates.

Your Questions Answered about Job Interviews, Part 1

Spousal hires, panel interviews, and first impressions were among the topics raised in a recent webinar about careers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Networking

Answers to questions asked during the October 2014 Webinar on networking.