OOS 8-1 - Making an Ecological Career in Private-Sector Data Science

Graduate and postdoctoral training in ecology is designed to prepare one for a career at a research-intensive university, but there is a shortage of tenure-track professorship positions at colleges and universities. Ecological training in graduate school provisions the early career researcher with a variety of skills that are valuable in the private sector. Important research and innovation are happening at non-profits, startups, and consulting firms and Ecologists can apply their skills to these challenges. In this session, I will walk you through my own journey from academia to data science at a startup. I will explore how I assessed my skillset, how I networked and interviewed, and how I am applying my skills to solve important environmental challenges in the business space. Finally, I will discuss what current graduate students and postdocs can do to best position themselves for a rewarding career in the private sector.