If you plan to stay in academia, the next step after your PhD is a postdoctoral fellowship. Many postdocs are funded through a research grant to a professor. Begin your search for a postdoc a year or so before you anticipate graduating. Keep an eye out for potential collaborators/advisors at meetings and approach potential advisors that you are interested in working with. Set up meetings with potential advisors at conferences or email them. Some may have money and be looking for postdocs (this is the ideal situation), or they might be willing to write a grant with you or find money in other ways. There are also postdoctoral fellowships that are awarded to individuals through an application process. These positions are highly competitive, but they offer the flexibility to do your own research and possibly teach. Proposals for NSF and NIH postdocs are due in the early fall, as are many of the other competitive postdoc applications (Darwin Fellow-type positions).

There are many other career options, including teaching at smaller colleges, government positions, science writing, consulting, industry, or teaching at the K-12 level. Some advisors in academia may not have a lot of experience with alternative careers, so you should plan to make contact with people that have jobs in the field you are aspiring to and ask their advice. Keep your eye out for emails from the Life Sciences Graduate Research Council or the Graduate School Office of Professional Development announcing panels or events where scientists from academia, industry, government agencies, or teaching institutions speak about their experiences in different careers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Other resources:

• Advice for Graduate Students
• A Field Guide to Grad School book
• Here is a great Twitter thread about “hidden curriculum, skills, and info for success in grad school”.