Book Recommendations For PhD Career Pivots

Explore a curated selection of books that are useful for PhDs making a pivot into fields like UX, Data Science, and Product Management. The books recommended are meant to be educational, practical, and written by experts. Being able to know the lexicon, history, and technical knowledge associated with your future field is crucial to success.

Do you have any other career fields not shown in the list below, email me at afteryourphd@gmail.com and I can add them below. Additionally, please reach out if you wrote a book that may fit in with the current categories.

Note: As an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a small commission on purchased books.

Biotechnology Books

Many PhDs in life sciences, such as biology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, or related fields, find careers in biotechnology. The skills and knowledge acquired during a life sciences PhD, such as research experience, experimental design, data analysis, and critical thinking, are highly valuable in biotechnology industries.

Content Strategy and Design Books

Content strategy involves planning, creating, delivering, and governing content across various channels and platforms. It encompasses defining the goals and objectives of content, identifying target audiences, conducting research, and developing plans to create and distribute content that resonates with users and aligns with business objectives.

Data Science Books

Data science is an interdisciplinary field that combines techniques from statistics, mathematics, computer science, and domain-specific knowledge to extract insights and knowledge from data.

Digital Marketing Books

Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels, platforms, and technologies to promote products, services, or brands to target audiences.

Finance Books

PhDs with backgrounds in economics, finance, or quantitative disciplines can pursue careers as quantitative analysts or financial analysts. They analyze financial data, develop mathematical models, and make investment decisions based on quantitative research and analysis.

Product Management Books

Product management is a discipline that focuses on the planning, development, and marketing of a product or service throughout its lifecycle. Product managers are responsible for defining the product vision, strategy, and roadmap, as well as overseeing its execution to ensure that it meets the needs of customers and achieves business objectives.

Project Management Books

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals within a specified timeframe and budget. It involves overseeing all aspects of a project from initiation to closure, ensuring that objectives are met efficiently and effectively.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization Books

SEO refers to the practice of optimizing (or updating) a website to improve it’s position in search results like Google and Bing. SEO includes research, analysis, and critical thinking to have success in the field.

UX (User Experience) Books

UX research is a crucial aspect of the UX design process. It involves studying and understanding the behaviors, needs, and motivations of users through various methods. The main goal of UX research is to gather insights that inform the design and development of products or services, ensuring that they meet user needs effectively. Understandably, this field attract academics and PhDs quite commonly.