Career Pathways and Skill Preparedness among Biology PhDs: A Social Cognitive Career Theory Perspective

Despite the significant shift in the career landscape for biology doctorates—a decline in academic positions and robust growth in industry employment—postdoctoral training remains the most common immediate next step. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study examines (1) the self-efficacy, contextual factors, and outcome expectations that shape biology PhD graduates’ early career decisions, and (2) the perceived strengths and gaps in doctoral training identified after entering the job market. Drawing on semistructured interviews with 57 biology PhD graduates from the early career research (ECR) project, we found that graduates who pursued postdocs described strong self-efficacy in research and mentoring, whereas those in non-postdoc roles emphasized confidence in transferable skills. Principal investigators (PIs) were generally supportive yet often lacked the resources or networks to guide nonacademic transitions. Career decisions were also shaped by outcome expectations, with both extrinsic factors and intrinsic motivations influencing career choices. Additionally, regardless of career decisions, nearly all participants reported that their programs effectively developed core scientific and research skills but left critical gaps in business and management skills, advanced statistics and programming, and structured career development. These findings suggest areas in which biology doctoral programs may more intentionally support diverse career pathways, including expanded career development support, interdisciplinary skill-building, and strengthened faculty mentorship for diverse careers.