Post Graduation

How to Find jobs in the broad field of Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Knowing how to look for a job you want can be very difficult and frustrating. Here are some tips that hopefully make it easier.

What to Search For: When using a search engine, specificity is a big help in filtering out the kinds of jobs you’re really interested in. Below are a few examples of jobs that require some creative thinking to find them.

Applied Research & Non-academic Careers

This link is a great page on the APA (American Psychological Association) website with job descriptions written by people from diverse backgrounds related to the cognitive sciences. Here are just a few examples to give you an idea of the range of options for jobs outside of academia.

Try googling some of these:

Human Factors and Ergonomics - Product development and sensory evaluation (Unilever), aviation design and information processing limits (NASA Ames Research Center), machine/computer usability (Microsoft, Google)

Science museum education and research – Help designers conceptualize exhibits, and research whether the designs are communicating effectively. Organize programs, classes, and resources that are suited to community needs. Initiate basic research projects on informal learning.

Design Psychology - This is particularly important in the design of schools, hospitals, and residential communities for the elderly as well as other projects where people are under high levels of stress. Although seemingly obvious to a psychologist, the needs of users are often neglected by architects and designers, who tend to focus instead on the form and materials of a building.

Non-Research

Here is a sampling of jobs that don’t necessarily involve the duties that experimental research is comprised of. Many positions would still benefit from knowledge of the cognitive sciences, and pay more if you have a PhD. Again, be specific about how you search!

Publishing (university press, academic/scholarly journal publishers, acquisitions editor)
Consulting (precede ‘consulting’ with a field of interest, i.e. educational, clinical research, trial or jury, medical error, etc…)
Education (e-learning, universities)
Science writer (for newspapers, magazines, freelance etc…)
Medicine (clinical pharmacologist, clinical research coordinator…)
Criminal justice system (forensic psychologist, forensic science)
Advertising/marketing (semiotics)
Computers (human factors, game design, user interface)

Job Tips

Don’t limit yourself to working in a particular region. If you want a really good job, you may need to be willing to move somewhere new.
Network - websites (such as www.LinkedIn.com), can help you to stay in contact with people in your field who may come across a position you’d be interested in.
Know how to search – keywords make a big difference in filtering out the jobs you really want from all the others.
Many careers people end up in are not the ones they expected or planned for. Be open to the opportunities that come your way.
A PhD can help, but it isn’t necessary.
Seek what you love, the rest will follow!
Be patient.

PhDs in the States

TESTS: GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is necessary for almost all universities. There is a general test – which covers math, vocabulary and analytical skills, and also a subject test – which covers detailed information about the specific field you’re studying. Most universities only require the general test, but pay attention if they require the subject test also.

The GRE is a difficult test that takes time to prepare for, and costs $170 if taken here in Europe. Make sure you plan ahead well in advance for this! TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is probably required if you come from a country where English isn’t the official language. Cost: $185

Also, most PhDs programs aren’t satisfied by the fact that you have a master’s and studied for 2 years already. They typically require you to follow 1-2 years of courses before beginning your research project which will take another 2-3 years. This of course would seem like a waste of time if you wanted to do a PhD in the same field as your current focus. But, this could be a good way to cross the border into a related but relatively unfamiliar field.

This is where the interdisciplinary nature of this master plays to your advantage. Think about how this master could be a bridge between your undergraduate education and your desired future.

You’re usually expected to teach undergrad and/or master courses in order to help fund yourself through the program. Most PhD positions do not come funded already. It is up to you to find grants, scholarships, or else work a number of hours in addition to your studies.

PhDs Elsewhere

For PhD position within Europe you can check vacancies via: cognitie and Federation of Neuroscience Societies

This link is a good website for finding PhDs in Europe, though most of them are in the UK: Find a PhD
European PhDs usually come (nearly) fully funded with little or no teaching duties required. They tend to be much more research oriented from the beginning than in the US. Australia also requires the GRE in order to be admitted to a PhD.

Assorted links to useful websites

Job search links

These sites are for finding jobs mainly in the US, but they’re useful for discovering scientific job titles and job descriptions to give you an idea of what’s out there:

juju
Science Careers
Monster

Intermediair

Here’s a link to the free digital version of a great magazine with info on PhD life and job prospects. It’s in English but is based on Dutch universities and companies:
intermediair

Links to Companies

Exencia
ValueCare
Brill Academic Publishing

For vacancies advertised by the institutes within the Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam click here.

Post Graduation - Current Students - Master Brain and Cognitive Sciences - Education