I was reading a thread on this forum , regarding PhD's job hunting- be it lecturing or industry , and it got me thinking that I could ask those who have completed their PhD or those who are half-way there, for Advice on what would really help newbies like me to add to my Resume in the future.! Since Im in a science field, does volunteering at organisations help?
Altho i still have about 3 years to go , in the future , I would like to be a part of the industry doing Research
Anywhoo, everyone is welcome to give me and other newbies ...tips!
There's no harm in planning ahead..right :)
Thanx

I'd say that in general what will help your career is:

1.) having published articles in as high-profile journals as possible. As you know, not just the process of writing an article, but usually the process of peer review to actual publication takes a long time, so the sooner you start on that the better.

2.) having experience of presenting at conferences. If you're not that confident, you can start by presenting to research seminars at your own university, presenting at post-grad conference, and doing joint presentations. By the end, you should have a couple of international conference presentations under your belt. Even if you don't stay in academia, employers will value good presentation skills.

3.) having some experience of doing research. If you can get some work on a project other than your own thesis work, this could stand you in good stead, especially if it's working with someone well established in your field. Just acting as research assistant, coding data or whatever might be useful if it's with the right kind of people, because it will show that people other than your own supervisor are willing to trust your work, and that you're well-organised enough to take on external projects.

4.) having experience of having run or organised something. You could volunteer to help organise your department's post-grad conference, for example, or set up a research group. As a second best, volunteer to review abstracts for a conference in the field or something like that. This will show initiative, drive, and some evidence of networking ability.

5.) teaching. This is less important if you're not planning to stay in academia, but it still shows good communication skills, confidence in front of large groups, ability to present info clearly to novices, etc. as well as indicating that your department trusts your knowledge enough to let you loose on undergraduates.

That's my tuppence worth.