Preparing for a Career in Human Factors/Ergonomics:
A Resource Guide

Preface

Over the years, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society has introduced a variety of programs to help students and other professionals considering a career change prepare for and find appropriate and meaningful employment. These programs include the establishment of the year-round Career Center, articles in Human Factors publications (such as Technical Group newsletters, the HFES Bulletin, and Ergonomics in Design ), and panel discussions at the annual meeting. In the 1990s, HFES began to collect relevant career articles and make them available in one convenient handbook. This year, the handbook has been revised and expanded.

This online compilation contains four sections. The first features articles written by the individuals who participated in the Career Panels held during HFES Annual Meetings and published in the meeting proceedings. Additionally, in some cases, students have assembled articles based on notes taken at the Career Panels.

The second section features reviews of jobs posted through the Career Center, which enables HFES members to post their résumés and employers to search the candidate database and also list available jobs. Bill Moroney, with various coauthors, have prepared a number of summaries of posted jobs over a wide span of years.

The third section features reprints of career-related articles published by HFES, as well as an original article prepared specifically for this guide, "Interviewing for a Job" by Arnie Lund.

The fourth section contains links to other locations in the HFES Web site that will be of interest to students and professionals in career transition.

It is important to note that the articles present only the views of the authors (and not necessarily their employers), and there is no guaranteed single path that will lead to success in the job market. However, job applicants who study and integrate the viewpoints presented in this collection of articles with their own training and experience will improve their preparedness as job candidates.

It would be beneficial for students to review this publication sometime during the first year of graduate school in order to (a) decide which courses to take should be taken, (b) understand how much emphasis to put on research, and (c) evaluate whether industrial co-op or internship placement is desirable. A subsequent review of this publication would be beneficial just before entering the job market.

Although many of the articles contain points explicitly for the student preparing to enter the job market, individuals contemplating a change in careers would also benefit by reading many of the articles. Similarly, graduate school faculty members may wish to review these articles for ideas that will better prepare their students for a variety of types of employment.

Ronald G. Shapiro
Updated 2009

Panel Discussions

"The Real World" HF/E: Understanding the Realities of Your First Professional Job, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Anshu Agarwal, Sharnnia Artis, Raegan M. Hoeft; HFES 52nd Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2008

A Guide to Successful HF/E Career Preparation: The Ultimate "Not-To-Do" List, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Arnold M. Lund, Todd Barlow, Sara Waxberg; HFES 51st Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2007

Preparing For Your Career: Learn From the Past 50 Years As You Prepare For the Next 50, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Barry H. Beith, Mica R. Endsley, Julie T. B. Naga; HFES 50th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2006

Achieving Success in the Hf/E Field: Expert Advice on How to Become a Future Expert, Janet I. Creaser, Arnold M. Lund, Jeff English, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre; HFES 49th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2005

Launching Your Career in HF/E: Guidelines for Soaring High in the Job Market, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Janet I. Creaser, Jeff English, Arnold M. Lund; HFES 48th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2004

Getting Started in the Right Direction: Expert Advice for Preparing for your Professional Career, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Barry H. Beith, Eileen B. Entin, Brian M. Legan; HFES 47th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2003

Maximizing Your Opportunities in a Competitive Job Market, (PDF:648KB) a panel presentation with Karen R. Young, Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Arnold M. Lund, Michelle M. Robertson, Ellen J. Bass, Ben-Tzion Karsh, and Jia-Hua (Jim) Lin, HFES 46th Annual Meeting, 2002

A Report on Human Factors Career Issues and Answers: Planning a Career in an Uncertain Market, (PDF:64KB) a panel summary prepared by Michael Clamann, 2002

A Report on Human Factors Career Issues and Answers: Choosing and Preparing for a Career That Works for You, (PDF:1.23MB) summary of the 2001 Careers Panel (see previous article), prepared by Karen R. Young

Human Factors Career Issues and Answers: Choosing and Preparing for a Career That Works for You, (PDF:960KB) a panel presentation with Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Arnold M. Lund, Jean E. Fox, Steve P. Fadden, and Jennifer D. Trich Kremer, HFES 45th Annual Meeting, 2001

Establishing a Human Factors Career in the New Millennium: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, (PDF:770KB) a panel summary prepared by Scott E. Schoeling, 2000

Establishing a Human Factors Career in the New Millennium: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, (PDF:762KB) a panel presentation with Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Arnold M. Lund, Jean E. Fox, Jennifer Watts-Perotti, and Steve Fadden, IEA 2000/HFES 2000 Congress

Preparing for Your Professional Career: What Every Student Should Know, (PDF:67KB) a panel presentation with Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Aaron E. Sklar, Sabina M. Alteras-Webb, and Jennifer McGovern, HFES 43rd Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1999

A Summary of the 1999 HFES Career Panel, "Preparing for Your Professional Career: What Every Student Should Know" (PDF:335KB) by Melanie Diez, 2000

To Ph.D. or Not To Ph.D.? That Is the Question! (PDF:880KB) by Victoria S. Schoenfeld, Ronald G. Shapiro, Megan L. Brown, Dieter W. Jahns, Anthony D. Andre, Arnold M. Lund, F. Thomas Eggemeier, and Nancy J. Cooke, HFES 42nd Annual Meeting, 1998

Transitioning from Student to Professional: What's in Your Future? (PDF:933KB) by Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Eugenie Bertus, Melroy D'Souza, Kristen Gilbert, Arnold M. Lund, and Douglas A. Wiegmann, HFES 42nd Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1998

How Do You Make the Student to Professional Transition? (PDF:522KB) by Jennifer D. Trich Kremer (summary of the 1998 panels, "Transitioning from Student to Professional: What's in Your Future?"; "To Ph.D. or Not to Ph.D? That Is the Question"), 2000

What They Do Not Tell You in Graduate School: Observations from the Field, (PDF:704KB) by Rob Hutton, Ron Shapiro, Arnie Lund, Kristen Gilbert, Georgia Green, JoAnne Wang, and Tony Andre, HFES 41st Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1997

From the Classroom to a Career: What You'll Need to Know for a Successful Transition, (PDF:580KB) by Ronald G. Shapiro, Anthony D. Andre, Patrick G. Dempsey, Georgia K. Green, Stephanie A. Guerlain, and Tina M. Brunetti Sayer, HFES Educators' Professional Group Newsletter, January 1997

Preparing for the Human Factors/Ergonomics Job Market, (PDF:1.37MB) a panel presentation with Ronald G. Shapiro, Megan L. Brown, Maxwell Fogelman, Joseph H. Goldberg, Richard E. Granda, Joseph P. Hale II, and Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders, HFES 39th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1995

I'm Graduating, Now What? A Comparison of Work in Academics, Consulting, Government, Industrial Research, and Industrial Development, (PDF:892KB) a panel presentation with Ronald G. Shapiro, Barry Beith, Joseph H. Goldberg, Joe Hale, and John F. (Jeff) Kelley, HFES 38th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1994

HFES Career Center Data Summaries

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals, William F. Moroney; HFES 51st Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2007

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals in Industry and Government/Military Positions, Sara Loomer, Michelle Kish, William F. Moroney; HFES 50th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2006

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals in Industry and Government/Military Positions, Taylor J. Anderson, Deborah L. Bakowski, William F. Moroney, HFES 49th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2005

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals in Industry and Government/Military Positions, Christopher M. Voorheis, Andrea E. Snead, William F. Moroney, HFES 47th Annual Meeting, 2003

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals in Industry and Government/Military Positions, Scott E. Schoeling, Michael J. Goliber, William F. Moroney; HFES 45th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2001

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals in Industry, Government/Military and Consulting Positions, Mark A. Cummings-Hill, C. Don Means, Lisa Harrison, William F. Moroney, HFES 43rd Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1999

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals in Industry, Government/Military and Consulting Positions, Mark Cummings, Jason Barshay, Erin Lesaigle, William F. Moroney, HFES 42nd Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1998

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals Part I: An Overview, and Academic and Internship Positions, William F. Moroney, Nicole L. Proulx, Christopher W. Parker, HFES 41st Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1997

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals Part II: Industry, Government/Military and Consulting Positions, William F. Moroney, Brian M. Anderson, Jennifer I. Soest, HFES 41st Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1997

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals: Part I: Industry, Government/Military and Consulting Positions, William F. Moroney, Catherine M. Adams, HFES 40th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1996

Placement Opportunities for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics Professionals: Part II: Academic and Internship Positions, William F. Moroney, A. Sottile, B. Blinn, HFES 40th Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1996

Related Articles

Students on the Road to Somewhere, (PDF:282KB) by Anthony D. Andre, HFES Bulletin, September 1995; adapted from The Insider Newsletter, Center for Applied Human Factors in Aviation, University of Central Florida, December 1994, reprinted from HFES Bulletin

Perspective: How Can Human Factors Education Meet Industry Needs? (PDF:171KB) by Ronald G. Shapiro, Ergonomics in Design magazine, October 1995

Interviewing for a Job, (PDF:526KB) by Arnold M. Lund, 2000

Resources

HFES Student Affiliate Membership Application

HFES Online Career Center (free to HFES members)

HFES Educational Resources Web page

All works © their respective years by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint may be obtained by contacting the Society at the address shown below:

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
P.O. Box 1369
Santa Monica, CA 90406-1369 USA
310/394-1811, fax 310/394-2410
info@hfes.org
http://hfes.org

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