Ecology provides the foundation for a broad array of career pathways in academic, government, non-profit, and private sectors.  However, graduate training in ecology is, by definition, an academic endeavor.  This can lead to an inherent limitation in which graduate students are not provided the skills needed for success in non-academic (hereafter next-generation) careers or lack opportunities and models for career advancement.

We propose a workshop providing activities and knowledge to help students and early career ecologists explore short- and long-term opportunities to pursue next-generation careers. Participants will hear about the experiences of ecologists who have taken diverse career paths, and engage in discussions that will address the challenges of next-generation careers while also maintaining scientific relevance.  In addition, we propose to include a segment on what next-generation jobs are presently available, how to design resumes/CVs for them, and the search engines useful for finding them.

The workshop will begin with Richard Pouyat presenting on the importance of academically-trained ecologists engaging in diverse careers.  Phyllis Thibodeau will then conduct a workshop to help participants clarify personal and professional goals.  Next, Josh Scholl will lead an interactive segment to help participants find and apply for next-generation jobs. Next, a panel of 6-8 ecologists will discuss the challenges and opportunities for ecologists in a variety of fields before engaging students more directly in break-out groups.  The workshop will conclude with a facilitated discussion about what ESA can do to help participants find and pursue diverse career paths.