Building a Career Outside Academia

Jennifer Brown Urban, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University, where she also codirects the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation. Dr. Urban is trained as a developmental scientist with specific expertise in youth character development and program evaluation. Dr. Urban is currently principal investigator (PI) on several grant-funded projects, and her most recent research focuses on character development and innovative approaches to program evaluation and planning. She uses mixed-methods approaches in her own research and has mentored many undergraduate and graduate students in designing and executing applied research projects. She developed and has taught a doctoral professional development course for several years and is passionate about mentoring students.Miriam R. Linver, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University and codirects the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation (RYTE Institute). Previously, Dr. Linver was a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research reflects Bronfenbrenner amp rsquo s ecological paradigm, focusing on the contexts of child and adolescent development. She has expertise in the importance of the home environment for infants, children, and adolescents the ways school and out-of-school experiences matter for children and youth and flourishing and character development as key outcomes. Dr. Linver is co-principal investigator on several funded projects in the RYTE Institute focused on program evaluation and character development outcomes in youth. She enjoys the challenges and rewards of mentoring and collaborating with undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and colleagues.

• ContributorsIntroductionJennifer Brown Urban and Miriam R. LinverPart I: How to Decide on Your Optimal Career PathChapter : Academia or Not? What Moderates a Doctoral Student amp rsquo s Career DecisionsJennifer Brown Urban and Miriam R. LinverChapter 2: Leaving and Returning to Academia: Can You Ever Go Home Again?Lisa LiebermanPart II: Career Paths for Behavioral and Social Science DoctoratesChapter 3: Postdoc: The Next Logical Step?J. Zoe KlemfussChapter 4: Government: Using Your Skills for the Public GoodLayla E. Esposito and Valerie MaholmesChapter 5: Private Foundations: The Other Side of the Research CoinSarah ClementChapter : Consulting: Applying Your Skills in New ArenasScott R. RosasChapter 7: Think Tanks: Applying Your Academic Skill Set to Policy ResearchLisa A. GennetianChapter 8: For-Profit Corporations: Finding Your Way in the World of BusinessDebra MazloffChapter 9: Nonprofits: Bridging the Research amp ndash Practice DivideJonathan F. ZaffChapter : Non-Tenure-Track Academic Jobs: The Side of Academia You Didn amp rsquo t Know ExistedJane L. Powers and Lisa A. McCabePart III: Preparing Yourself for the Nonacademic Job MarketChapter : How to Get the Most From Your Mentoring ExperiencePatricia L. MabryChapter 2: Preparing for and Conducting Job Searches Outside AcademiaKerin McQuaid Borland, Terri LaMarco, and Amy Hoag LonghiChapter 3: Networking: How to Market Yourself and Your PhDAlan Pickman and Lisa ChauveronChapter 4: Interviewing: What to Expect and How to PrepareDana M. Foney and Olivia Silber AshleyAppendixIndexAbout the Editors

amp ldquo Highly recommended for institutions and career centers supporting PhD programs in the behavioral and social sciences. amp rdquo -CHOICEamp ldquo Examines the rewarding opportunities that await social and behavioral science doctorates in non-academic sections, including government, consulting, think tanks, for profit corporations, and nonprofit associations. amp rdquo -Midwest Book Review Highly recommended for institutions and career centers supporting PhD programs in the behavioral and social sciences.(Choice) Examines the rewarding opportunities that await social and behavioral science doctorates in non-academic sections, including government, consulting, think tanks, for profit corporations, and nonprofit associations.(Midwest Book Review) This book is essential reading for doctoral students seeking advice about nonacademic jobs. Contributors thriving in a range of settings - government, nonprofit, for-profit - tell their own candid career path stories and offer invaluable practical tips for a successful job search.- Maryam Abdullah, PhD, Parenting Program Director, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley Urban and Linver equip doctoral students and training programs with a map and compass for effectively navigating the professional wilderness to find a home outside academia.- Daniel Warren, PhD, Research Team Lead, Boy Scouts of America, Irving, TX