Alternative Careers in Science: Leaving the Ivory Tower

Many science students find themselves in the midst of graduate school or sitting at a lab bench, and realize that they hate lab work! Even worse is realizing that they may love science, but science (at least academic science) is not providing many job opportunities these days. What's a poor researcher to do !?
This book gives first-hand descriptions of the evolution of a band of hardy scientists out of the lab and into just about every career you can imagine. Researchers from every branch of science found their way into finance, public relations, consulting, business development, journalism, and more - and thrived there! Each author tells their personal story, including descriptions of their career path, a typical day, where to find information on their job, opportunities to career growth, and more. This is a must-read for every science major, and everyone who is looking for a way to break out of their career rut.

* An insider's look at the wide range of job opportunities for scientists yearning to leave the lab
* First-person stories from researchers who successfully made the leap from science into finance, journalism, law, public policy, and more.
* Tips on how to track down and get that job in a new industry
* Typical day scenarios for each career track
* List of resources (websites, associations, etc.) to help you in your search
* Completely revised, this latest edition includes six entirely new chapters

CONTRIBUTORS

PREFACE

Chapter 1: A SCIENTIST GONE BAD: How I Went from the Bench to the Board Room

Section 1: Science and Information

Chapter 2: TECHNICAL WRITING: Making Sense Out of Manuals

Chapter 3: SCIENCE WRITING: Communicating with the Masses

Chapter 4: CREATING A PUBLISHING EMPIRE: How I Gave up Academia and Became an Entrepreneurial Editor

Chapter 5: BUSINESS INFORMATION SERVICES: Providing the Data for Industry

Section 2: The Financial World

Chapter 6: BECOMING A VENTURE CAPITALIST

Chapter 7: INVESTMENT BANKING: Dreams and Reality

Chapter 8: HOW I BECAME AN ANALYST: Science-Based Investment Advising

Section 3: The Corporate World

Chapter 9: ENTREPRENEUR AND COMPANY FOUNDER: Starting Your Own Company and Surviving

Chapter 10: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Making Deals with Science

Chapter 11: THE GROWTH OF A MANAGER: From Pure Research to Policy Administration

Chapter 12: REGULATORY AFFAIRS: Keeping Product Development on Track

Chapter 13: PATENT LAW CAREERS: Protecting the Intellectual Property of Science

Chapter 14: ENTERING BIOMEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONSULTING

Chapter 15: SALES AND MARKETING: So You Want to Sell?

Chapter 16: FROM DOING RESEARCH TO MOVING RESEARCH: My Life in Tech Transfer

Section 4: Providing Services to Companies

Chapter 17: CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: Helping Companies Sell Their Stories

Chapter 18: EXECUTIVE SEARCH: The Hunt for Exceptional Talent

Chapter 19: CONSULTANT TO THE STARS: Advising CEOs for Fun and Profit

Chapter 20: BIOMEDICAL CONSULTANT: Specializing in Technology Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Grant Writing

Section 5: Science Careers in Government

Chapter 21: SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY: Translating Between Two Worlds

Chapter 22: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR: Building a Biotech Industry for an Entire Country

Chapter 23: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: Directing Science in the Military

APPENDIX: INFORMATION RESOURCES ABOUT ALTERNATIVE CAREERS FOR SCIENTISTS

INDEX