DARCY HANNIBAL, PHD

BRAIN, MIND, AND BEHAVIOR UNITCALIFORNIA NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS

Applied training for work inside and outside the

academy

Academics and athletes have much in common

Small percentage make it from college to professional

Hard work and talent is no guarantee

Stochastic events play a role in shaping success

Photo: Register Guard

The importance of constructing a diverse skill set

Myth: Academic focused preparation is sufficient for applied jobs Your Plan B is someone else’s Plan A

Preparing for both will make you a more competitive contender for applied jobs

Lack of preparation is a glaring mistake in application and interview

Mistakes I See in Applicants

Letter and CV tailored primarily for academic job Need to highlight skills over accolades

Stunned or saddened demeanor during interview Applicant views this as a low point

Trouble making connections between academic preparation and fit with applied focus Making this connection is what can move you to the top of

the listHas not done homework on primate centers, our

center, the species we work with, or the research done in our lab

Unfamiliar with basic terminology in applied contexts

My core interests

Data and analyses

Watching Monkeys

Writing

Photo: Hannibal (Rhesus macaque monkey, Cayo Santiago Puerto Rico)

My Preparation (in Hindsight)

Data and analyses Research assistant position in a general social science

lab Worked with data from a wide variety of field and sources

One statistics course was all that was expected, I took four

Data consulting between PhD and current job

Monkeys The most common species in captivity is rhesus

macaques Chose as the study species for my dissertation Primate center experience at two primate centers

Data and Analyses

Unexpected Benefits:

Contribution appreciated and valued

Learning new methodologies

Predictor Beta coef. p-value

PRT Treatment -0.310 0.375

Low Activity 0.475 0.435

Treatment X Activity 0.725 0.087

Low Emotionality 0.753 0.166Activity X Emotionality -1.00 0.098

How to build a plan

Start with what you love to do Not the academic version, the practical version

Outside of academia, where is this valued most?What applied jobs are the best fit for you

Important considerations to learn more about: Public versus private sector Non-profit versus for profit

Before ruling it out, consider your next best alternativeWhere can you accumulate skills and

knowledge? Both inside and outside your department Course, assistantships, internships, or other work

The Value of the Applied Job

Myth: PhD is only useful for strictly academic pursuits Increasing demand for advanced degree applicants

Better than a job unrelated to your field or no job at all