new week new things 36Straydog The alcohol is expensive in Australia because it has a high tax (something like 70%). The other reason for buying this expensive...
A Confused Grad Student
new week new thingsOK, here is update. Earlier this year, I went to the manager of the careers center of the local uni, and offered him my help in advising graduate students on careers...
Quite a few places have been setting up Technology Management programs. I haven't really looked into any of them, but my understanding is that you're right - they are not an MBA. You're essentially a different type of specialist. Unless you start out trying to get into a technical management position I don't think these courses are going to help you that much. Where they may pay-off is down the road, when you decide to transfer into a technical management position. I don't know much they'll help you get into higher management, though.
As far as your concern about doing a post-doc - you're in a better position than most of the people here for avoiding one. You're after an industrial position so you don't have to fight the academic perception that you need a post-doc to have any knowledge of your field, and the applicability of polymer chemistry is much more evident to the right employers than e.g. analytical. Start making contacts with industry people as soon as you can, and start your serious job hunting when you're about a year out from your dissertation.
The chances that your research will be directly applicable to a future employer are very small. Academia is focused on "understanding what's going on," whereas industry is focused on getting a product out. They're going to want to know that you have a solid background in your general field, with a demonstrated special expertise in your dissertation topic. Your dissertation, by its very nature, is going to be "over- specialized." Make sure the rest of your training and education isn't. Consider doing a small project or two that are unrelated to your dissertation. If your polymers are potential membrane candidates, for example, see if someone in your department is doing membrane work and will allow you to characterize the polymer's membrane characteristics.
I'd also strongly suggest that you consider establishing relations with someone doing polymers in an engineering program. My post-doc advisor was a polymer chemist, but he worked extensively with engineers in his graduate work, and he feels very strongly that there is an advantage to doing so. After all, the engineers are the ones that are going to actually get your polymers out the door. (Drop me a private line if you're interested in finding out more about my post-doc.)
Rich Lemert
