Welcome to the Life & Physical Sciences Community!
The following sampling of tools and resources should be combined with your own research. We suggest you use targeted keyword searches to find representative employers and opportunities, explore professional associations, join LinkedIn groups, and browse additional job board postings. Remember to also search LinkedIn and MyPenn to connect with Penn alumni in fields related to your interests. Additionally, the sample jobs and employers are only a small selection of what’s posted in Handshake – log in to see much more!
We also suggest using the Career Exploration section of our website for more information or researching by major.
Broaden your STEM-relevant professional skills that are valued in industry
Many career opportunities in STEM fields need candidates who have strong research, technical, and scientific skills. However, roles in industry also need a wide range of transferable skills that are essential for getting the research done in a timely, collaborative, and impactful way. Skills such as effective communication, problem solving, project management, collaboration, and innovation, are all highly valued in industry. Understand which professional skills you need to build during your time at Penn by using resources such as iBiology and, myIDP, and ChemIDP, and then learn how to communicate these effectively in your resumes and interviews.
Find employers in industries and career fields that interest you
Creating a spreadsheet of employers that do the kind of work and research that you hope to do as a professional is always a good idea. This can help you prioritize your networking and job search. Use keywords in the job sections of Handshake and LinkedIn to see which organizations are interested in your skills. Check out the employers that alumni from Penn are working at now in our outcomes surveys, and see where students have had their internships. Use CareerShift to perform a company search by industry and geographical locations to get a great list of organizations to explore (and email addresses for contacts too!).
Connect with employers and alumni
Search for employer information sessions on Handshake to learn more about companies, their roles, and their hiring practices. Complete your Handshake profile and make it public so that employers can also reach out to you. Attend some of our career fairs to engage with employers, recruiters, and alumni – these are useful networking events even if you are not actively looking for jobs or internships. And don’t forget to take advantage of the interactive alumni database on LinkedIn!
Find Resources
On this page, we’ve compiled resources to help you prepare for a career in the life or physical sciences. Of particular interest should be our industry specific job boards, as well as various scientific professional organizations. You can also find some of the science-related Vault/Firsthand industry guides below that provide a great overview of career fields that value the science and research skills/knowledge that you are gaining a Penn. These can help you to understand some of the career options ahead of you.
