Transcript Darcy Hannibal, Phd - American Anthropological Association

Applied training for work inside
and outside the academy
DARCY HANNIBAL, PHD
BRAIN, MIND, AND BEHAVIOR UNIT
CALIFORNIA NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS
Academics and athletes have much in common
 Small percentage make it
from college to
professional
 Hard work and talent is
no guarantee
 Stochastic events play a
role in shaping success
Photo: Register Guard
The importance of constructing a diverse skill set
 Myth: Academic focused preparation is sufficient for
applied jobs

Your Plan B is someone else’s Plan A
 Preparing for both will make you a more competitive
contender for applied jobs
 Lack of preparation is a glaring mistake in
application and interview
Mistakes I See in Applicants
 Letter and CV tailored primarily for academic job

Need to highlight skills over accolades
 Stunned or saddened demeanor during interview

Applicant views this as a low point
 Trouble making connections between academic
preparation and fit with applied focus

Making this connection is what can move you to the top of the list
 Has not done homework on primate centers, our center,
the species we work with, or the research done in our lab
 Unfamiliar with basic terminology in applied contexts
My core interests
Data and analyses
Watching Monkeys
Writing
Photo: Hannibal (Rhesus macaque monkey, Cayo Santiago
Puerto Rico)
My Preparation (in Hindsight)
 Data and analyses
 Research assistant position in a general social science lab



Worked with data from a wide variety of field and sources
One statistics course was all that was expected, I took four
Data consulting between PhD and current job
 Monkeys
 The most common species in captivity is rhesus macaques
 Chose as the study species for my dissertation
 Primate center experience at two primate centers
Data and
Analyses
Unexpected Benefits:
Contribution appreciated
and valued
Learning new
methodologies
Predictor
PRT Treatment
Beta coef.
p-value
-0.310
0.375
Low Activity
0.475
0.435
Treatment X Activity
0.725
0.087
Low Emotionality
0.753
0.166
Activity X Emotionality
-1.00
0.098
How to build a plan
 Start with what you love to do
 Not the academic version, the practical version
 Outside of academia, where is this valued most?
 What applied jobs are the best fit for you
 Important considerations to learn more about:
Public versus private sector
 Non-profit versus for profit


Before ruling it out, consider your next best alternative
 Where can you accumulate skills and knowledge?
 Both inside and outside your department
 Course, assistantships, internships, or other work
The Value of the Applied Job
 Myth: PhD is only useful for strictly academic
pursuits

Increasing demand for advanced degree applicants
 Better than a job unrelated to your field or no job at
all