I have written about some of the barriers preventing PhD scientists from transitioning into non-research positions, including lack of support from mentors and lack of formal education related to these positions. I have also suggested that PhDs in alternative career fields linkurl:should do more to support others who are interested in following in their footsteps. My recent interaction with prospective employees and hiring officials has raised another important, although seemingly obvious point to consider when attempting to obtain a position: the importance of paid work experience.
Particularly in tough economic times, competition for each vacant position is increasing exponentially, and to identify suitable employees, employers are beginning to painfully scrutinize every detail of an applicant's education and work history. In many cases, I'm seeing that employers are placing more emphasis on work experience rather than on education levels; employers want to fill positions with individuals that have 5+ years of ...
