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  • © 2023

Non-Academic Careers for Quantitative Social Scientists

A Practical Guide to Maximizing Your Skills and Opportunities

Editors:

  • Provides a guide to non-academic careers for quantitative social scientists

  • Written by industry insiders for students and advisors

  • Offers strategies for applying the quantitative research skill set in tech, non-profits, and the alt-ac space

Part of the book series: Texts in Quantitative Political Analysis (TQPA)

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Table of contents (21 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vi
  2. Career Paths

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7
    2. Data Science Needs You, Social Scientist

      • Juan Manuel Contreras
      Pages 9-13
    3. Alt-Academic Career Paths

      • Bethany Morrison
      Pages 29-33
    4. Opportunities and Pathways in Survey Research

      • Natalie Jackson
      Pages 43-49
    5. Marketing Research with a PhD in Sociology

      • Michael Gibbons
      Pages 51-64
    6. Say Yes to Cultivating Your Future

      • Annie Pettit
      Pages 65-72
    7. Working in Government

      • Thiago Marzagão
      Pages 73-78
    8. Working in Quasi-Governmental Research

      • John Bordeaux
      Pages 79-86

About this book

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. 

Keywords

  • Data Science
  • Non-academic Jobs
  • PhD training
  • Employment for social science PhDs
  • Social science jobs
  • Alt-academic jobs

Editors and Affiliations

  • Research Consultant, District of Columbia, USA

    Natalie Jackson

About the editor

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.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access