Navigating the econ job market
Most econ PhD students somewhat dread the econ job market. I hosted an episode of the ECON-versations with NABE podcast, in which we discussed navigating the 2022-23 industry job market. I highly encourage prospective job-seekers to listen, as these tips are relevant not only for the 2022-2023 econ job market and not only for economists. Much of what the panelists had to say is evergreen advice on selling your technical skills both on your resume and during the interview, typical interview questions you need to have a prepared answer for, and how to format your resume when applying to an industry job.
Most job applicants know that the Federal Reserve hires macroeconomists and that Amazon hires applied micro specialists and time series econometricians. But where can and should you apply if your primary specialization is empirical IO or theoretical microeconomics? Should you list your papers with abstracts on the resume? What do the interview loops look like/ Listen to the panel discussion to find out.
The panel included the following speakers:
- Dave Altig, former NABE President; Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
- Tim Graciano, General Manager, Network Optimization, Convoy
- Lorna Kamau, Senior Technical Recruiter, Economics, Amazon
- Fraser Thompson, Principal Economist, Keystone Strategy
Topics discussed:
- Overview of upcoming recruiting and hiring processes for organizations
- Explanation of industry interviews and differences from academic interviews
- Personal interviewing strategies, common questions, and desired candidate responses
- Tips for acing interviews and avoiding mistakes
- Desired soft skills and personal qualities and how to showcase them in interviews
- Essential software packages and technical skills for resumes
- Insight into the onboarding process and working as a new hire
- Resources and links for learning more about company opportunities
- Recruitment locations, such as NABE’s Tech Economics Conference, ASSA, etc.
- Q&A session covering application, interview, and employment-related questions
