The best
Vocational Guidance books:
Reddit reviews
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The best of Vocational Guidance books by number of unique Reddit comments:
Top Reddit reviews mentioning Vocational Guidance books:
No.
That said, I have told my boss, but only after I had a comfortable relationship with him, and was pretty sure of myself and my value.
I loaned him my copy of Aspergers On The Job, which I recommend you read.
A large part of dealing with aspergers is finding coping mechanisms that work for you, as well as finding understanding from those around you.
Good luck and keep a positive outlook!
Sure. I left three years into my Ph.D. program, between my second qualifying paper and quals proper, circa 2012. (I reenrolled for a hot second in 2013 to brush off my QP, turn it into a masters' thesis, and defend.)
I had some research-related disagreements with my advisor which were the actual flashpoint, but it was really more a matter of weighing my options: looking at just what I would have to do, and what I might be missing out on, over the next 3-5 years just to have that X% chance at a tenure-track job. I'm also really big on work-life balance, and though academia has been making some improvements there very recently, in most areas it's still got a long way to go.
On the whole, it worked out pretty well: I went into science communication, took a few different jobs, and now I'm working for one of the leaders in the field. I'd definitely set the groundwork for a non-academic career, though, long before I actually left -- volunteering for non-profits, keeping in touch with industry connections, etc -- and I was also fairly successful at turning my academic background into an advantage rather than an irrelevancy: highlighting the interplay between linguistics and communications, bringing quantitative analysis to a field that doesn't always know what to do with metrics, working for organizations which handle scientific research and academic affairs, etc.
So I'd definitely recommend anyone considering a non-academic career (which, frankly, based on the numbers, should be most of us) think about those same things; when I was first starting off, I found Versatile Ph.D and <u>So What Are You Going To Do With That?</u> to be the most useful, but there could be other resources that have popped up since then. No matter which path you take, though, best wishes making it happen!
Bebop to Boolean Boogie is pretty good. Very easy and fun book to read. Covers a ton of great entry level topics.
Then move towards something more FPGA specific like
~~Knowing C will probably hurt you more than help you. Forget what you know about C when learning Verilog.~~ You need to approach learning Verilog in a different manner. Verilog is not another top-down procedural language expressing instructions one after another. There are some general programming tenets that still hold true, and attention to detail in regards to syntax is important. But forget about line-by-line procedural execution because that's not how these hardware description languages work. You need to learn DIGITAL DESIGN before you learn Verilog....
EDIT: for clarity and to tighten up my thoughts.
A PhD is Not Enough! A Guide to Survival in Science by Peter J. Feibelman Amazon link
Make Your Mark in Science: Creativity, Presenting, Publishing, and Patents, A Guide for Young Scientists by Claus Ascheron and Angela Kikuth Amazon link
If you're in academia and thinking about getting out and need help reevaluating your skills, check out this book:
I read this about a year into grad school (previous version). It's got some good general advice on how to think about your time and what to do with it to succeed.
https://www.amazon.com/PhD-Not-Enough-Survival-Science/dp/0465022227
Friends of mine who have made such a transition tell me it's all about networking and reaching out to random people. Some of them praise LinkedIn to the heavens for this.
I did an EET program in Canada before EE on power systems. We used Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Systems. It covers the operation and application of 3 phase, transformer, motors and alternators plus more industrial stuff. Doesn't get deep into the design but focuses more on the practical explaining the machines and what you'd need to know to work with them without getting into math past phasors.
Here is the book I used for my Energy Devices class, I found it really useful for most anything that you would come across on a beginner level. Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems
Lauren Rivera has written a number of papers[1][2] (and a book [3]) about social status and how "elite" consulting firms (not necessarily McKinsey, but typically the next lower tier in size) recruit new candidates. Basically, they look for "people just like themselves" and look for high status extra-curricular activities like lacrosse, sailing and polo. Since those "white shoe" consulting firms tend to prey on companies run by "old school money" they want candidates that are as similar to those owners & executives as possible.
Notes:
1. Hiring as cultural matching: The case of elite professional service firms, LA Rivera - American sociological review, 2012.
2. Ivies, extracurriculars, and exclusion: Elite employers’ use of educational credentials, LA Rivera - Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 2011.
3. Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs, 2016.
Sorry that your experience at Harvard has not worked out yet. I say “yet”, because you are just starting out. I would highly recommend that you use the famous Harvard network and reach out to alumni who may have a similar background to yours. There are many successful first-generation Harvard grads who can help. Also, I suggest you read this book:
Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691169276/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_KZ1AJKYJF4J6HRSE4S4K
Academic side of academia? Not sure what that means, but it sounds like an unhealthy reason to do a PhD, FWIW.
If you're serious about finding your way in academia, I recommend the book <em>A PhD Is Not Enough!</em>
Electric machines, drives and power systems by Theodore Wildi. This is the book I used for my EET program. It'll go in depth into 3 phase, different types of motor & generator applications and operation, different transformer configurations and power systems stuff more tailored at utilities. There's also control and plc stuff in there too. It's very practical but there's still a lot of math and it's about as deep as you can go before you need calculus. You'll need to learn complex numbers and how those relate to phasors to understand it.
Check out the book <em>Business Model You</em>, it helped me out a lot when I was in a similar position to what you're describing.
Absolutely essential for CMIS 412, but I don't think that's part of the major requirements anymore. Otherwise you don't need to have a firm grasp for anything other than your own personal enrichment.
Anyways, if you want to learn what the class teaches, try picking up Beebop to the Boolean Boogie, which does a much better and more thorough job of covering the same stuff. I think it was actually listed as one of the "additional reading" things in one of the textbook sections, and I have found it enormously helpful.
Thanks! I will say, my grades were by far the worst part of my profile since I had good work experience/undergrad/journal/etc. But as far as actual interviewing goes---I found this book extremely insightful and thought it tracked with my experience in OCI as well as recruiting for jobs during undergrad. Would recommend a read for anyone before they go through OCI!
You can buy a practice book off amazon for about £9.45, it's really good I managed to pass using this book. And It has all the different topics you would get in the actual test. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/RAF-Airman-Tests-questions-Testing/dp/1909229911/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=raf+airman+test+book+2021&qid=1626299003&sprefix=raf+air&sr=8-1
In addition to the other comments, read A PhD is not Enough!.
If it's not too late I'd have recommended you get a practice test book if you're at all concerned and want the best prep.
82% is decent, as long as you scare above what you need for the role.
RAF Airman Tests: Sample test questions for the RAF Airman Test: 1 (Testing Series) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1909229911/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_VDX1V0YHAK0EW4AER3S1
If you’re unfamiliar with stuff like mechanical and electrical or just want a refresher on maths etc grid book will help you. It helped me
Lots of stuff in communications, marketing, and UI/UX. Roostervane and From PhD to Life are other good online communities. Grad Grid on LinkedIn is awesome.
He can also check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/069120019X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NJq.Fb296N8SG
Honestly, I would never recommend this sort of course to a beginner. For one, there are too many things that can go wrong which would make the learning experience frustrating, but in addition to this, FPGAs are generally a pretty big pain in the rear until you get familiar with them. And, even once you are, they are still a bear. Each family is unique in a variety of ways, the toolchains are pretty terrible, and HDL programming is not at all intuitive without a decent foundation in digital logic, state machines, timing analysis, boolean algebra and probably a few other things I'm missing. And that's ignoring the fact that you have to buy hardware and maybe even software to use them. FPGAs are super fun once you have some experience, but no bueno starting out.
Instead, I'd strongly recommend nand2tetris over this (note, the first half is on coursera for free). It's a rather short course that you could likely get through in semester. The course starts with basic digital logic and shows you how to build a working computer running a real OS from nothing but NAND gatesl. The entire course is done in simulation. This is great as you can focus entirely on the academics. I've recommended this course to novices and experts and never had someone tell me they didn't enjoy it.
By the way, if you are also interested in the physical side of things (electrical engineering), I'd highly recommend "[Bebop to the Boolean Boogie: An Unconventional Guide to Electronics](amazon.com/Bebop-Boolean-Boogie-Unconventional-Electronics/dp/1856175073)"
I highly recommend the course nand2tetris if you're interested in this sort of thing. From there, look into learning HDL (VHDL/Verilog) perhaps on an FPGA development board. If you are interested in books, I highly recommend Bebop Boolean Boogie Unconventional Electronics. That book will walk you through all aspects of electrical and digital design at a practical level.
If you want a digestible book to cover computer architecture concepts, Bebop to the Boolean Boogie: An Unconventional Guide to Electronics is a favorite of mine. I found it significantly more useful than any of the true textbooks I've read on the subject.
I don't know how essential this particular aspect of CS is to you with your desired goals, but if you're trying to fill this niche it's a great resource.
For my technologist program focusing on power systems (Canada) we used Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems. It covers industrial control, generators, motors, power electronics, transformers, utilities and some PLC. It's qualitative and focuses on application, construction and operation. It does contain math but it stops at complex algebra for analysis with phasors. Not sure what level you're interested in refreshing but it can go pretty in depth with some heavy readings. I'm in eng school now and although it's not quite an engineering textbook, it kinda falls under the requested categories.
Read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Pedigree-How-Elite-Students-Jobs/dp/0691169276
Your major doesn't matter as much as you think. What matters are your extra-curriculars, awards and achievements, and most importantly, your ability to network.
Finance firms look for “culture fits”; in other words, students with high levels of cultural capital who would be able to work “on brand” with the firm. The goal is not to recruit talent based upon merit, but to recruit employees who can maintain a reputable, luxurious, and elite picture of the firm that they represent.
After reading the other posters, I have a couple more thoughts:
- An engineering degree does come with a unique reward, that is, you become a registered Professional Engineer.
- When considering which program to go into, consider funding. Cosmology may interest you more than biology, but programs related to biology might actually have funding.
- CircinusSt's pessimism is real, but perhaps a little exaggerated. If you have perfect grades with internships, every door in the world will be open to you. For example, one of my classmates was awarded a 60k/year position in a research lab with only his B.S. (they offered to pay and assist with his PhD while he worked there). However, this student really did have perfect 4.0. He also spent time making connections with his professors, which led to the internships he needed.
- GPA cutoffs: 3.0 is a severe cutoff point for most all graduate programs, 3.3 is the advertised cutoff for most all competitive programs, 3.3 to 3.5 is ideal. A GPA above 3.5 is exceptional, you will be considered for any program.
- Perhaps trivial to say, but critically important: You need 3 letters of recommendation tailored to the type of job that you want to apply for.
- Be prepared to move. A lot.
- You need to read this book: A PhD Is Not Enough!: A Guide to Survival in Science.
I'm sure I have more tips, just ask if you'd like.
I highly recommend books A PhD is not enough, and PhD grind, they answer a lot of questions and I wish I've read it before starting my PhD.
Depending on your field, it might be the case that you would get a good position right after your defense, especially since you already have a lot of industry experience and willing to teach. Furthermore, a lot of universities practice 'equal opportunity' policies which forces them to not discriminate based on gender, age, or race. So this might be a good part that by your defense you would be in your early 40's.
It might be a good idea to find someone from your target field and talk to them about their path to their current position, how many postdocs they had to do and so on. Maybe you will find out that some of them don't even have a PhD degree, I don't know. A lot of these things depend on your field.
If I were you, though, I would consider other ways to scratch that teaching itch. Getting a PhD is a daunting and not that rewarding. But then again, it's a nice change of pace and might be your 3-5 years vacation.