A Career in Statistics: Beyond the Numbers

CHAPTER 8

GETTING THE RIGHT JOB

8.1 ABOUT THIS CHAPTER

In this chapter, we provide some hints to help you get the right (for you) job as a statistician. We consider

• Defining career goals.
• Identifying opportunities.
• Résumé writing.
• The job interview.
• Follow-up.
• Providing references.
• Some further hints.
• Assessing job offers (hopefully, the fun part).

8.2 DEFINING CAREER GOALS

The first step in seeking a position is having, at least, a general career goal.

Defining your career goal calls for you to decide, and perhaps document, what you wish to accomplish during the course of your professional career. In so doing, you should try to sketch out both your immediate objectives and what you would like to be doing in, say, 5, 10, 25, and 40 years from now. Clearly, the further out you go in time, the vaguer will be your objectives. You may aspire to eventually become (see Chapter 12)

• A renowned statistician in academia, government or industry.
• A corporate vice president with oversight responsibility for activities in statistics and related areas.
• CEO of your own statistical consulting company.

Or you may just not yet know.

Students seeking their first full-time job as statisticians are often unsure even of their immediate objectives (other than gaining experience and making some money)—to say nothing of long-term career goals. For most individuals, career goals evolve over time as they encounter different environments and experiences—and as opportunities arise. The job search itself, ...