Industry Job Hunting for PhDs.

The industrial environment presents opportunities and challenges that are significantly different from those in academia. The research problems encountered are often complex and the solutions are generally sought by teams of researchers with a variety of skills from different disciplines. An important criterion for a new researcher in industry is that they be able to represent their area of competency on such a team. In most instances, hiring decisions are based on a reasonable compatibility of the candidate's skills and the needs of the research area, but the supposition is that the individual will evolve with time and with changing assignments. Important attributes for the candidate are solid technical strength in their area of expertise, good ``peripheral vision'' of science and technology in proximate and more remote areas, and a willingness to adapt to changes in the direction of the project. In contrast to academia, there are a variety of career paths for the industrial scientist, including a long-term participation in research and development, migration into the more practical aspects of the business (such as problem-solving or technical liaison) or management. Initially, it will probably not be apparent which of these paths is the most desirable and, in fact, a person may be involved with more than one during the course of their career. Each of these paths, or a combination of them, can be extremely satisfying and rewarding.