PhD Students

If you’re in a PhD program at MIT, you are an exceptional researcher and scholar. With your deep knowledge and skills set, there are no limits to what you can achieve. When you can do so much, narrowing your options and making decisions about what you want to do and where you want to go can be daunting. We’re here to help. Visit CAPD for a one-on-one conversation and address your questions with an advisor, use our resources to learn new skills like networking, and join our workshops to help you refine your job documents and search strategies. Whether you decide to pursue a career in academe, government, non-profit, or industry CAPD is ready to support you.

two women in office setting

Career Appointments

Schedule a one-on-one career advising appointment to discuss any career questions you might have. All of our advisors are trained and experienced in working with PhDs. We can help you with exploration and planning, job/internship searches, application materials, interviews, salary negotiations, and any other questions or concerns. Have questions about PhD career advising? Contact Alexis Boyer.

A person types on a laptop.

Application materials for PhDs and Postdocs: Examples and how-to guides

These resources are designed for MIT PhDs and postdocs to serve as guides through the process of career document preparation. Whether you’re converting your CV into a resume for an industry role, refining your CV for an academic job search, or creating other documents, you’ll find examples, how-to guides, and strategies here.

The words "graduate student professional development' over a backdrop of an MIT dome

Graduate Professional Development

MIT’s comprehensive collection of professional development opportunities are designed to help graduate students develop skills and knowledge valuable for any career path you decide to follow, within and beyond academe.

Graduate student professional development is skills-based training complementary to your discipline-based coursework, focusing on seven competency areas: career advancement, communication, interpersonal development, leadership and mentoring, personal development, social responsibility, and teaching.

Student working machinery with instructor observing

Career Exploration for PhDs

Have you ever wondered what’s out there for someone with your advanced skills and training? How do you find out what all the options are for PhDs? How did your mentors and advisors start their careers? Apply your researcher’s mind to career exploration and find answers to your most pressing questions about PhD careers. CAPD has what you need to start exploring career possibilities and forge your own path.

Person at booth talking to presenters

Workshops and Events

Take advantage of all MIT has to offer by participating in Institute career fairs and CAPD workshops and events tailored for PhDs. Refine your job documents, discover ways to develop your professional skills before you hit the job market, or learn how to leverage the power of your MIT network.

  • Hear about upcoming CAPD events through the Graduate Career Newsletter. Not getting the newsletter? Check your spam filters to make sure it gets through from Handshake!
  • Is your organization or academic department interested in specialized graduate career programming? Contact Alexis Boyer.

[Video] Tour of Student Opportunities in the Arts at MIT

Resources

Learn more about the different ways to incorporate art into your MIT education, courtesy of Arts at MIT.

Read more »

The C.H.A.O.S. Process

News & Articles
Published on May 24, 2023

Graduate studies can feel a lot like chaos. There’s a lot going on between research, teaching, clubs, and activities. How can you stay focused and centered with so much going on? Will you ever have time to reflect on how …

By Alexis Boyer
Alexis Boyer Alexis Boyer Assistant Director, Graduate Student Career Services
Send Email
Read more »

[Video] W. E. B. Du Bois’s Data Portraits: A Conversation with Whitney Battle-Baptiste and Britt Rusert

Resources

In W. E. B. Du Bois’s Data Portraits: Visualizing Black America (Princeton Architectural Press, 2018), editors Whitney Battle-Baptiste and Britt Rusert brought together the first complete publication of Du Bois’s groundbreaking charts, graphs, and maps presented at the 1900 Paris …

Read more »

[Video] Careers in Media & Communications Panel, 2023

; This content is restricted to certain users. Please login or sign up to see if you are eligible to view this content.

Resources

CAPD was joined by Vanessa Thomas, Sam Ford, and Bill Andrews to talk about their careers in writing and publishing.

Bill Andrews is an award-winning science journalist with more than 15 years of experience writing and editing features, news stories, …

MIT Reads Spring 2023: A Conversation with Carolyn Chen: “Work Pray Code”

News & Articles
Published on May 9, 2023

View the video of MIT’s conversation with the author Carolyn Chen about her book “Work Pray Code: When Work becomes Religion in Silicon Valley” on Panopto. [Touchstone login required]

By Ariel Ackermann
Ariel Ackermann Assistant Director, Early Career Engagement
Send Email
Read more »

Sidebar

Featured Resources

/

Academic Job Sites

Chronicle of Higher Education: https://jobs.chronicle.com/
Higher Ed Jobs: https://www.higheredjobs.com/
HERC: https://main.hercjobs.org/
Nature: https://www.nature.com/naturecareers
Science: https://www.sciencemag.org/careers
Akatech: https://akatech.tech/
UK job board: …

Read More

Application Materials for a Faculty Job Search

The following materials are commonly requested.  We encourage you to schedule an appointment with a career advisor to review your …

Read More

Academic Interviews (Faculty Positions)

Interviews for faculty positions often include two rounds:

First round – Phone or Video  (20-40 minutes)

This is an initial …

Read More

Academic Job Offers

If you receive an academic job offer, express interest, and then take the time to carefully assess whether the offer …

Read More
View All Resources