MIT hosted a virtual panel for graduate students interested in doing research for high tech companies on January 27, 2021 as part of the Institute’s Independent Activities Period. The “PhD Careers in Tech” event, which covered many different fields of graduate study in both sciences and engineering, as well as general entrepreneurship, included panelists from diverse industries who shared key insights, spoke about skills required for success, how to navigate the interview process and how to build career paths in industry.
Heidi Dempsey, the US Research Director for Red Hat, shared information about the many collaborative research projects underway at Red Hat and in IBM Research, as well as personal experiences as an interviewer and interviewee in different technology-related fields.
Students asked what technical and non-technical skills were important to bring to teams, and all panelists emphasized that non-technical skills are vital and transferable between different types of career opportunities. Students who were concerned about how much freedom they would have to choose their own research topics in industry were encouraged to hear more about the many public open source research efforts that Red Hat contributes to and supports. Tips for making resumes and interview responses stand out were also a popular topic. Following a lively panel Q&A session, panelists and students continued one-one one video discussions.
Students with an interest in PhD research at Red Hat should check out the “Projects” listings on research.redhat.com as well as the Red Hat careers site to get more information on the many projects and positions that are available for PhDs at Red Hat.
