Duke Graduate School

Talking about academic work with people outside your field is hard--and it often gets harder as you become more expert. For the vast majority of scholars, this problem is bigger than surviving an awkward holiday dinner. Most of us eventually hawk our academic wares to employers who have little understanding of what work in the lab or library is like. In this talk, Christopher Caterine, author of Leaving Academia: A Practical Guide, will discuss how you can use informational interviews to explore new careers, practice translating your skills, and prepare to convey your value to employers beyond the professoriate.

As part of a series of short, focused career conversations with former Duke PhD students and postdocs, we'll feature Anh Do, PhD '19 (Political Science), Data Scientist with Nielsen. Nielsen is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. Dr. Do participated in an Insight Data Science fellowship following completion of her Ph.D. and began working for Nielsen in 2019.

As part of a series of short, focused career conversations with former Duke PhD students and postdocs, we'll feature Devin Bridgen, PhD'15 (Biomedical Engineering), Associate Director, Exploratory Research at SQZ Biotechnologies. SQZ Biotech is working to create a new generation of cell therapies, with a current focus on modulating specific immune responses for oncology, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Bridgen began his career at SQZ as a Scientist after completing his Ph.D. and has been steadily promoted through roles in Exploratory Research and Strategy & Corporate Development.

For students going on the job market this year, it can be a confusing time filled with uncertainty and many changes. Join the Duke University Career Center and a panel of Duke alumni to hear how others have navigated challenging times in their career journeys and tips for how to approach a job search this year.