Taken for Granted

Source: Science Magazine, Beryl Lieff Benderly

The realities of the working in industry and academe match the stereotypes, according to Henry Sauermann of the College of Management at Georgia Institute of Technology and Paula Stephan of Georgia State University. They found in their survey of more than 5000 scientists employed in industry or academe. The data did confirm the broad outlines of the conventional image. The split between basic and applied research proved real, as did the significantly higher earnings of industrial scientists, who, the survey shows, generally place a greater value on income than academics do. Industrial scientists also valued intellectual stimulation less than their academic peers.

But over half of the industrial respondents declared themselves "very satisfied" with the level of independence in their work, and over 60% reported publishing in scientific journals, although at a lower rate than their campus colleagues. The industrial scientists, furthermore, generally belong to professional societies -- though also at a lower rate than the academics. Nearly three-quarters of the industrial scientists attend professional meetings, although, again, this proportion is smaller than it is among their academic counterparts. In short, Sauermann and Stephan write, the industrial researchers show "remarkable level of engagement in the broader scientific community."

Furthermore, a recent article by Sauermann and Michael Roach of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, reports that the realities of industrial employment may provide a better fit for many young scientists than would academe. That's because, this research finds, aspiring scientists' views and values are also more diverse than many in the academy assume.

A consequence of this diversity of views and values, Sauermann says, is that young scientists starting their careers need the most accurate information they can get, both about work settings and about their own preferences and beliefs. Working with both Roach and Stephan, he has compared academic and industrial science along several dimensions. Grad students and postdocs generally "think they know a lot about academia, and I think to a large extent they're right," Sauermann tells Science Careers in an interview. "But they don't have a good idea about those other jobs" and thus risk making important decisions based on false impressions.

According to the Department of Labor, a wide variety of scientists work in industry. The list includes medical scientists, Biologists, chemists, industrial engineers, natural scientists, biochemists and biophysicists and others. "Scientific research and development services provided 621,700 jobs in 2008. Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences accounted for about 90 percent of the jobs; the rest were in research and development in the social sciences and humanities. Biotechnology and other life sciences research will continue to attract research funding and generate employment growth. Overall prospects for scientists and engineers should be favorable, although competition for basic and applied research funding is expected in many fields."

Sauermann sees internships as a useful way to experience and evaluate the reality of nonacademic work environments. Teaching, he adds, brings some people great satisfaction, but the "lower status" of teaching faculty at any research universities can discourage students from considering a career heavy on classroom interactions. He urges people to look closely at the values, preferences, and experiences that have meaning for themselves. One way to do this, he suggests, is reflecting on times when one was happy and on which aspects of the experience made it so.

Above all, Sauermann says, "You have to form your own opinions" about what suits you, regardless of what others — including academic authority figures — may think. In choosing your own path, "it's okay to be different," he says.

For additional information on careers in biotechnology R&D, contact:
Biotechnology Institute: http://www.biotechinstitute.org
Biotechnology Industry Organization: http://www.bio.org

For additional information on careers in nanotechnology R&D, contact:
National Nanotechnology Initiative: http://www.nano.gov

For additional information on careers in pharmaceutical R&D, contact:
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America: http://www.phrma.org

For additional information on careers in chemical and materials science R&D, contact:
American Chemical Society: http://www.chemistry.org

For additional information on careers in electronics R&D, contact:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: http://www.ieeeusa.org

For additional information on careers in aerospace R&D, contact:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: http://www.aiaa.org
Aerospace Industries Association: http://www.aia-aerospace.org

For additional information on careers in automotive R&D, contact:
SAE International: http://www.sae.org

Date Published: 4/2/10