Last updated 5/2/2022

Although there are many great things about being a Ph.D. student or postdoc, one certainty about these positions is that they must eventually come to an end. Throughout your training, it is critical to spend time thinking about your next steps.

What skills do you want to develop and how will you go about doing that? As you near the end of your training, questions often narrow down to those directly related to your job search. How do you figure out what sort of job you want? How do you land it? The more you have thought about these questions during your Ph.D. or postdoc, the better positioned you will be to approach the job search when the time comes. However, as in research, it’s never too late to start asking the right questions.

Even if you don’t think you will be in the job market for several years, there are steps you can take now to prepare yourself for that eventuality. The first and perhaps most obvious step is to explore possibilities: What career tracks are open to you, and which interest you? A good starting point can be the ACS ChemIDP™. This career planning tool lets you explore careers in various fields, identify opportunities to grow technical and professional skills, compile information for your CV, and track your goals.

Learn more about careers that interest you. Read whatever you can about them, consult job boards, and attend networking events, conferences, and meetings of associations and professional societies (especially ACS). Talk with people who work in the fields you are considering. These conversations will serve to correct any misconceptions you may have about particular jobs and to build your professional network.

Finally, review some actual job postings. You should avoid applying before you’re ready, but reading job descriptions will help you learn what skills and experience you might need to gain in order to be a good match for positions that appeal to you. It will also help you discover where to look for openings when the time comes.

The timing of hiring cycles varies greatly by industry. Candidates for faculty positions and certain other roles are typically interviewed annually. Some industries may recruit every six months. Still others list openings year-round, depending on need.

A good understanding of hiring cycles will help you know when to apply—most likely sometime between 3 and 12 months prior to your defense or at the end of your current appointment. If you don’t know when to begin applying, start sooner rather than later, about six months before you want to begin a new position. It’s generally better to be able to turn down a job offer than not have one in hand when you need it.

As you apply, be sure to familiarize yourself with the interview and negotiation process. Again, it’s better to have this knowledge already when you need it than to be surprised by having to prepare for an interview the next day.

A quick search will reveal many online resources to choose from, but also consider consulting with people who know the job search process well. This group may include professionals in your network who work in your chosen field and the Career Services office at your institution. Most universities have full-time staff whose job it is to assist with career preparation, including interviewing. Specific services may even be offered for Ph.D.s, postdocs, or both.

While creating a well-laid-out plan for applying to and interviewing for professional positions is wise, it by no means guarantees that you will land your dream job on your perfect timeline. Although you ought to pursue the career you want, it’s also important to be realistic.

Is there a date by which you must be employed? Will your current funding, health insurance, or lease end? Will your student loans fall due? Some people have the safety net of family support or savings, but many do not. Consider what your personal and financial situation will look like if your job search does not go as you hope it will.

If you start applying early, you will have a greater chance of selecting among positions that are exactly what you are looking for. If you aren’t getting interviews, or if you are getting interviews but no offers, consider gradually widening your net to apply for a larger number of more varied jobs. Try to identify positions that you think would be a good fit even though they might not be your first choice.

In addition, consider the possibility of freelance or contract work. Do you have skills that are related, or even unrelated, to your research that you can use to support yourself while you search for a full-time position?

It’s also important to have an open discussion with your current adviser, especially if the position you are in now does not have a fixed end date. In most circumstances, your adviser will be your primary professional reference. Demonstrate that you are committed to your current work as well as thinking about what comes next.

How early could you finish your current commitment if your dream job is offered to you? Is there a possibility for you to stay longer than planned if you don’t secure a job immediately? Knowing your options will help you plan accordingly.

Even in the best of circumstances, searching for a job takes a great deal of time and effort. If you’re uncertain about what you’re looking for, you’ll need extra time to narrow down which types of positions to apply for. If you’re certain of what you want, you’ll need extra time to find positions that fit that niche.

Either way, allow more time than you think you’ll need. Finding open positions, updating your CV or résumé, and writing cover letters all take time to do well. You can find plenty of advice about these things online, but that won’t save you from putting in the effort yourself.

The process should become more familiar as you apply for more positions, but your CV or résumé and cover letter should be updated consistently. Avoid sending the same documents to every position you apply to; the best job applications are tailored to the position.

Writing your job search materials is a continuous process that evolves as you apply for more openings. The work of a job search isn’t truly complete until you’ve negotiated an offer and signed the paperwork.

Marking a calendar with deadlines for interesting positions can be helpful in keeping track of multiple applications. Some job postings have a fixed deadline; others have none. For openings with no concrete date, consider setting a self-imposed deadline. If you tend to procrastinate, you may also find it helpful to block off specific times in your schedule to devote to your job search.

No amount of preparation can guarantee that you will land your dream job. However, the more prepared you are for the job search process, the more you will be ready to face a variety of possibilities. Your planning process will guide your decision-making, but it is also important to be flexible enough to change your plan as your situation evolves.