We recently participated in a forum at Columbia University that discussed the versatility of economics PhD’s in the job market.  The topic we introduced was “Unbundling Your PhD” as a way to visualize and understand the vast applications of an economics PhD (or any social science, for that matter) to the job market.

You can listen to the event recording, including a Q&A session, here:

Note: This event was hosted by the Graduate School at Columbia University as part of its PER Series and included the participation of Versatile PhD.

Will the future CEO of Coca Cola be a trained anthropologist?

Consider a story a few years ago by Gillian Tett (herself an anthropologist turned journalist at the Financial Times) on how anthropological and ethnographic research was used at Coca Cola to expand its products into China and other new markets.  Now apply this story across every company in the world that focuses on consumer data, behavior and psychology–which is to say, every modern company.

Then take a glance at any job board and search under “anthropology” or related social science fields.  What this quick exercise may tell you is that public and private sector enterprises, from start-ups to not-for-profits to multinational enterprises, are demanding behavioral and social scientists in significant numbers.  And with a PhD, you will likely have a greater chance of getting in the door.

One subset of this, User Research, is a discipline which exists in virtually every enterprise that works with data and consumers.  If you’re unfamiliar with this career area–which draws heavily on qualitative and quantitative research methods, as a well as domains such as psychology, anthropology and sociology–you can learn more here.

Or check our SmartJobs feed this week.

Of course, there are many other examples and applications within social media companies such as Facebook and Tik Tok, music platforms, “behavioral labs” and practically every start-up emerging today.

Behold the variety of jobs available–and take a deeper look.  You might be surprised at the scope of career diversity available.

HSS

User Experience Researcher, Blend Labs

Usability Analyst, Clovity

UX Researcher, Facebook Reality Labs

Senior User Researcher, Tik Tok

Researcher, Nextdoor

STEM

Senior Data Scientist

Neurology Physician, Cognitive Health and the NFL, Mount Sinai Medical 

Data Scientist, Directorate of Digital Innovation, CIA

Academic Partnership Manager, Noom

Behavioral Scientist, Symend

If there are areas of work you would like us to explore in more depth, please contact at smartjobs@versatilephd.com. 

We want to hear from you.

For access to more jobs as well as archived and searchable opportunities, visit our SmartJobs page. Note: SmartJobs access requires a university affiliation. User-generated jobs are open to all members and can be accessed here.

There is often a fine line between for-profit and non-profit work. In fact the non-profit sector draws on some of the same skills as the for-profit sector, with the difference often being that taxation is paid by one entity but not the other.  Job titles also have a wide range: business development lead, program manager, national director, project manager, and many others.

This week’s upload includes hundreds of available positions across such varied industries as artificial intelligence, healthcare consulting, international legal advocacy, student services, childhood diseases and financial services, to name only a few.

Every enterprise requires development: what skills and expertise might you bring to their development mission?  Have you opened your mind to the opportunities available?

Here are a few examples to get you started.

HSS

National Director, Student Data Services, WorkMonger

Business Development Manager, Unlearn.AI

Senior Program Officer, Asia, American Bar Association

Senior Program Manager, Population Services International 

Director, Center for the Future of Aging, Milken Institute

STEM

Director of Development, Red Cross

Senior Associate, Edera LC3

Director, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, Save the Children

Senior Programs Manager, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Project Manager, Research to Action Lab, The Urban Institute

If there are areas of work you would like us to explore in more depth, please contact at smartjobs@versatilephd.com. 

We want to hear from you.

For access to more jobs as well as archived and searchable opportunities, visit our SmartJobs page. Note: SmartJobs access requires a university affiliation. User-generated jobs are open to all members and can be accessed here.

Photo by Seb Mooze on Unsplash

The seemingly non-stop launches of rockets from SpaceX, the venerable US start-up, reminds us that we are in new era for space exploration.  Importantly, this is accelerating the volume, level and types of employment available.  Whether in deep space research, travel, interstellar mining, space services (3D printing in space?), autonomous aerospace vehicles, or dozens of other applications, existing and imagined, the depth and breadth of opportunities in the private sector are unprecedented.

And we are only at the beginning.

For a more technical view of our space future, consider this presentation by NASA to understand the emerging spectrum of space activities.  Or to find out news on the start-up market for space ventures, and research potential employers, check out CB Insights to start tracking market participants.

Then look up our space jobs this week with specialities ranging from engineering and planning to communications, post-doctoral research and national security positions.  Open positions are mostly in STEM–but as companies are formed to pursue these challenges there will be more opportunities for all areas of domain expertise.

Happy travels.

HSS

Operations Research Analyst, US Space Force

STEM

Senior Software Engineer, Collins Aerospace

Postdoctoral Research, Planetary Atmospheres

Spacecraft Systems Integration Engineer, Gryphon Technologies

Computer Vision, Satellite Imaging, Department of Defense

Research Geophysicist, NASA

Aerospace Systems Engineer, XWing

If there are areas of work you would like us to explore in more depth, please contact at smartjobs@versatilephd.com. 

We want to hear from you.

For access to more jobs as well as archived and searchable opportunities, visit our SmartJobs page. Note: SmartJobs access requires a university affiliation. User-generated jobs are open to all members and can be accessed here.

Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

The range of editing and writing positions available to PhDs reaches across industries and draws upon specific domain expertise, technical acumen, and superior writing and research skills. As this week’s SmartJobs indicates, there is a tremendous demand from the marketplace, from the private sector to NGOs, journal publications and government agencies.

Beyond the representative jobs listed here, there are also hundreds of available positions as media industry analysts, research and information specialists, digital project and product managers, communications specialists, and many more with advanced degree and/or PhD criteria.

Open up and explore further.

HSS

Senior Editor, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Kalman & Company

Technical Writer/Editor, FedWriters

Senior Editor/Technical Writer/Communications Specialist, Terracore

Editor, Branded Content, The Economist

Senior Policy and Communications Associate, Innovations for Poverty

Editor, Transportation Research Board, National Academies

Video Lesson Lead, Humanities, Great Minds

STEM

Senior Medical Writer, ReNovius

Math Writing Editor, Great Minds

Senior or Associate Editor, Science Immunology

Grant Writer/Staff Scientist, New York Genome Center

If there are areas of work you would like us to explore in more depth, please contact at smartjobs@versatilephd.com. 

We want to hear from you.

For access to more jobs as well as archived and searchable opportunities, visit our SmartJobs page. Note: SmartJobs access requires a university affiliation. User-generated jobs are open to all members and can be accessed here.

Photo by Eugenio Mazzone on Unsplash

Are you interested in using your domain expertise and abundant skills to help solve global problems?  If so, there is a wide range of rewarding and challenging jobs available.

International career opportunities for PhDs have traditionally been located within NGOs, multilateral organization and multinational corporations. But today we can add to this list an increasing number small and medium sized ventures, social entrepreneurship start-ups, investment funds putting private capital to work across emerging markets, corporate social impact initiatives, consulting careers and private-public sector partnerships.

These careers and jobs extend across many disciplines and given the complexity of the problems we face on this planet, require many different approaches and skill profiles.  To get you started we have highlighted below a number of representative positions from global health to food security, Africa trade, water stewardship, infectious disease and many other fields–all looking for strong research, communication and project management acumen.

The world is waiting.

HSS

Foreign Service Financial Management Officer, USAID

Strategic Communications Manager, Africa Trade and Investment Program, Palladium

Pre-Post Doctoral Fellow, Evidence and Learning, International Republican Institute

Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, IREX

Manager, Research, Clean Cooking Alliance, United Nations

Senior Advisor, Population Reference Bureau

Senior Health Finance Advisor, University Research Co., LLC

STEM

Program Officer, Corporate Water Stewardship, World Wildlife Fund

Clinical Research Associate, Global Health, FHI 360

RTI International, Infectious Disease Modeler

If there are areas of work you would like us to explore in more depth, please contact at smartjobs@versatilephd.com. 

We want to hear from you.

For access to more jobs as well as archived and searchable opportunities, visit our SmartJobs page. Note: SmartJobs access requires a university affiliation. User-generated jobs are open to all members and can be accessed here.

Photo by Frederic Köberl on Unsplash