This book is intended for anyone who is considering a career in statistics or a related field, or those at any point in their career with sufficient work time remaining such that investing in additional learning could be beneficial. As such, the book would be suitable for anyone pursing an MS or PhD in statistics or those already working in statistics. The book focuses on the non-statistical aspects of being a statistician that are crucial for success. These factors include 1) productivity and prioritization, 2) innovation and creativity, 3) communication, 4) critical thinking and decisions under uncertainty, 5) influence and leadership, 6) working relationships, and 7) career planning and continued learning. Each of these chapters includes sections on foundational principles and a section on putting those principles into practice. Connections between these individual skills are emphasized such that the reader can appreciate how the skills build upon each other leading to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. By including the individual perspectives from other experts on the fundamental principles and their application, readers will have a well-rounded view on how to build upon and fully leverage their technical skills in statistics. The primary audience for the book is large and diverse. It will be useful for self-study by virtually any statistician, but could also be used as a text in a graduate program that includes a course on careers and career development.

Key Features:

• Takes principles proven to be useful in other settings and applies them to statisticians and statistical settings.
• Focused
• Concise
• Accessible to all levels, from grad students to mid-later career statisticians.

Craig Mallinckrodt is a Distinguished Biostatistician at Pentara Corporation.. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and he won the Royal Statistical Society’s award for outstanding contribution to the pharmaceutical industry. He has extensive industry and academic working experience, holding technical positions from entry level to Vice President. Craig has led industry working groups and he has published extensively on a wide variety of clinical and methodological topics, most notably, missing data, estimands, and various aspects of clinical development optimization.