Expand your professional horizons with the PhD Career Exploration Fellowship!

When I started my PhD, I had a single vision: to find a career path at the intersection of technology and human connection. I loved my research, I loved learning, and I was determined to make an impact. But somewhere along the way—amid fulfilling my degree requirements, teaching undergraduate classes, and working on a research project that explored a complex scientific question at incredible depth—I started asking myself, “What else is out there?”

The problem was, I didn’t know where to start. I was about to spend years honing my skills in a specialized field, but the idea of applying them outside academia felt overwhelming. I didn’t know anyone who had transitioned into “non-academic” roles that weren’t industry positions. And I wasn’t sure what I could do as a PhD student to discover for myself which careers were suitable for me, and which ones weren’t. So, I started actively talking to advanced PhD students who were preparing for positions beyond industry and academia—in fields like science communication, policy, government services, multilateral organizations, think tanks, charitable trusts, etc.—about their experiences and the resources that guided their understanding and decision-making. I was able to attend several workshops and programs that connected me to other PhD students who were interested in non-traditional career opportunities. And I found a community of people who—very much like me—were still figuring it out.

Career Services’ PhD Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF) is about creating a similar community. PhD students across disciplines come together in this program to receive professional mentorship and advance their career-readiness competencies so they can translate their research experience into a language that employers outside academia will appreciate. In my opinion, the most meaningful takeaway for students by the end of the program is not a list of career options but a plan of action—identifying the kinds of roles you want to pursue and building the tools to get there.

Here’s what you need to know: The CEF program encourages non-faculty career exploration by facilitating networking experiences and mentorship relationships with advanced-degree-holding professionals. This unpaid opportunity helps doctoral students cultivate a stronger professional profile, grow their network, and gain a better understanding of day-to-day life at different kinds of organizations, including museums, libraries, government offices, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, consulting firms, nonprofit research institutes, administrative offices, and more.

This year, the program will feature mentors from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the EPA, Merck, Genentech, Janssen, Lumanity, Amazon, Google, the Franklin Institute, Penn Press, Bloom Funding, Veeva Systems, Penn Libraries—and many more! For a complete list of participating employers, click here

The deadline to apply is January 14. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about new career pathways and receive one-on-one mentorship from PhDs who have built rewarding careers far beyond the academy.

Mayesha Ahmed is a third-year PhD student in Chemistry and the 2024-2025 PhD Professionalism Fellow at Penn Career Services.

By Alison Howard
Alison Howard Associate Director, Graduate Students & Postdocs