Job Search After Graduate or Professional School

Reflect and Research

Take time to discover who you are as an individual and what is important to you as a professional. Reflecting on your education, experiences, and skills will help shape what your professional career will look like.

Beginning an industry job search requires preparation and organization.

Review job search strategies and resources
Access Nittany Lion Careers to search over 30,000 employers looking for Penn State talent

Think about your strengths and goals.

Conducting a directed academic job search is key in finding a teaching opportunity that suits both you and the institution. Consider some key components before starting to search:

What are your areas of strength?
At what level do you want to teach? Consider teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level, a community or 4-year college, or a position that is research or teaching focused.
Where do you want to teach? Consider size of institution, small town or urban environment, and if the institution is public or private.
Is tenure the goal?

Gather your application materials.

For an academic position you may be asked to provide all or some of the following:

Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Cover letters
Letters of reference
Transcripts
Philosophy of practice
Writing samples
Lesson plans
Student evaluations

: Short for postdoctoral fellow, a post-doc is a research appointment of a fixed length of time. It provides Ph.D.s with the opportunity to continue their research in an area of expertise or gain experience in new areas prior to an academic or industry career.

Most post-doc opportunities are provided by an institution and finding one will be similar to an academic job search. Start early as some openings are filled a year or two in advance.