The first step in obtaining a job outside academia is overcoming the idea that the only decent job for a PhD is a professorship. This idea is reinforced by many in the academic community. Being an expert on your subject is all fine and good, but chances are it isn't exactly what employers are looking for. The Escape Pod For PhDs . These all contribute to your profile as a valuable and skilled potential employee.
Internships are great for gaining experience, but getting paid is even better.
Both jobs and internships are great ways to establish contacts while still working on the doctorate. If you get a professorship, great. If not, you already have contacts and experience to fall back on. One effective way of gaining credibility, sampling possible career fields and making enough money to scrape by on is by working as a freelancer . Eric Engles is a freelance editor with a Sociology PhD from University of California at Santa Cruz who shared his experiences with the University of California at Santa Barbara's site for PhDs, A Yellow Wood .