Non-Academic Careers for Quantitative Social Scientists - A Practical Guide to Maximizing Your Skills and Opportunities

This book is a guide to non-academic careers for quantitative social scientists. Written by social science PhDs working in large corporations, non-profits, tech startups, and alt-academic positions in higher education, this book consists of more than a dozen chapters on various topics on finding rewarding careers outside the academy. Chapters are organized in three parts. Part I provides an introduction to the types of jobs available to social science PhDs, where those jobs can be found, and what the work looks like in those positions. Part II creates a guide for social science PhDs on how to set themselves up for such careers, including navigating the academic world of graduate school while contemplating non-academic options, and selling their academic experience in a non-academic setting. Part III offers perspectives on timelines for making non-academic career decisions, lifestyle differences between academia and non-academic jobs, and additional resources for those considering a non-academic route. Providing valuable insight on non-academic careers from those who have successfully made the transition, this volume will be an asset to graduate students, advisors, and recent PhDs, in quantitative social science. 

Natalie Jackson is a research and analytics consultant based in Washington, DC, US. She has held senior and management positions in media, academia, and nonprofit organizations. Most recently, she was the Director of Research at the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Natalie received her PhD in political science from the University of Oklahoma and was a postdoctoral associate at the Duke University Initiative on Survey Methodology. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals Electoral Studies and Social Science Quarterly, as well as in several edited volumes.