What Can I Do With My PhD… Exploring Career Pathways for PhDs
Monday, October 5, 2026, 5:30 – 6:30 PM CST
PhD scientists are employed in every segment of the workforce. Learning about the different paths and options is fundamental to your own career empowerment, a core principle behind the myCHOICE program. While most myCHOICE seminars in this series explore a single career path or a set of related career paths, the goal of this session is to summarize the entire landscape of PhD career options, using specific examples of some of the most common directions that UChicago trainees take. We will review some career outcome data, discuss the myCHOICE career categories, and show examples of alumni in various areas. We will also provide tips about how to get started on your personal career journey and share valuable resources for preparation.
Amy Hark, PhD
Director, STEM Career Development & myCHOICE, UChicagoGRAD
Amy is a dedicated career advisor for STEM PhD students and postdocs. In this position, she works one-on-one with graduate students and postdocs to help them elucidate and achieve their professional goals. She also oversees the myCHOICE program and organizes professional development and career exploration events to support graduate students and postdocs at UChicago.
She received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Neuroscience where she studied sex differences in learning and memory. Prior to joining the UChicagoGRAD team, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher investigating decision-making.
