industry search

The Industry Job Search for Ph.D. Students : The Industry Job Search for Ph.D. Students Sharon Arroyo, Boeing David Kim, Oregon State University Grace Lin, IBM Pamela Vance, Axioma Zelda Zabinsky, University of Washington brought to you by the INFORMS Job Placement Committee


Outline : Outline Summarize some general information The panelists: outline their experiences highlight their differences or points of emphasis point out do’s and don’ts Q&A


The Process : The Process General Structure: Apply with resume and cover letter (on-line submission; rolling review). Screening (general, technical). Check references. On-site interview. Offer.


Letter/CV : Letter/CV Objective Education Experience Thesis Topic Software/OR Tools Letter: “Summarize what you have to offer.” “… 2 pages … 2 pages … Did I mention maximum 2 pages?” “Potential fit based on work experience and education.” “Provide work experience in reverse chronological order.”


On-Site Interview : On-Site Interview Presentation Mix of managers and non-managers. “Behavioral” interviews. One-on-ones seem very common (30 minutes). Appears less standard than academia. “Assessing communication skills.” “Assessing technical, business, and communication skills.” “Assessing planning and organizing skills.” “Assessing problem-solving abilities and communication skills.”


On-Site Interview : On-Site Interview Interviews appear to be designed to get a significant amount of information from candidates: “maturity, attitude, enthusiasm, energy level, personality, sincerity, …” Make or Break: listening, business impact, research on company, willingness to relocate misinformation, not being able to clearly articulate thoughts and ideas, short-timers


Sharon Arroyo - Boeing : Sharon Arroyo - Boeing Background Cornell: Ph.D. in OR Iowa State: Assistant Professor Boeing: Math and Modeling Analyst Boeing projects Mix of general development and work on specific Boeing problems Nonsmooth and stochastic optimization Airline fleet assignment and revenue management, data association for tracking, resource allocation for defense problems A variety of problems; multidisciplinary teams


Sharon Arroyo - Boeing : Sharon Arroyo - Boeing Additional job search recommendations Before applying for positions, talk to as many people as possible to determine the best fit for you Learn about the company and position before the interview Follow-up after the interview


David Kim - Oregon State Univ. : David Kim - Oregon State Univ. Background Michigan: Ph.D. in IE General Motors R&D: Research Engineer Univ. Of Mass: Asst. Professor General Motors Engineering: Manager OR Oregon State University: Assoc. Prof. General Motors OR dept. was being created Hired 11 OR/IE staff – interviewed and reviewed many more My job was a management job


David Kim - Oregon State Univ. : David Kim - Oregon State Univ. Recommendations (Large Co.) Personal contact is the key Become familiar with behavioral interview techniques (Targeted interviewing at GM) Passing a series of these is required Get a sense of company culture Let this guide questions you ask Show interest in the industry and products Convey that you have technical expertise but are results oriented Communication, interpersonal skills


Pamela Vance - Axioma, Inc. : Pamela Vance - Axioma, Inc. Bio PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology Assistant Professor, IE, Auburn University Assistant Professor, Goizueta Business School, Emory University Consultant, Axioma, Inc. On working for a very small company Opportunity based on personal contacts May be able to negotiate your own package Job title has little meaning….. We all do what has to be done


Zelda Zabinsky - Univ. of Washington : Zelda Zabinsky - Univ. of Washington Bio PhD, University of Michigan Was a Systems Analyst, Vector Research (now Altarum) Currently, Professor, IE, University of Washington Also, consultant to local industry Industry has a different time horizon than academia


Questions and Answers : Questions and Answers