Whatever your current stage in graduate or even undergraduate study, like it or not, sooner or later you will have to work for a living – as if you haven't been working throughout your graduate school career. So, at some point the moment arrives to apply for a job. Much of what is covered in this chapter is the nuts and bolts of the job-application process aimed at a successful outcome of that process – securing a position that is right for you. But, more than just a tutoring of what to do and what not to do in applying for a job, the chapter aims to share our thoughts on subtle matters you might not otherwise think of but can expect to encounter along the way. Much of how to proceed and what to expect in applying for a job is common to careers in both academia and industry, but we shall also highlight differences.

As indicated in Chapter 14, the first job in an academic environment is likely to be a temporary position as a postdoc. Even then, soon enough the task of applying for a job will appear on the horizon, this time perhaps for a tenure-track faculty position. In industry, life-long employment with a single company used to be common, but this has changed considerably in the ever-more-dynamic world of today.