In this special edition of my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, I asked contributors, friends, colleagues, and readers of the series a salient question: What advice would you give your past academic self? Here are their powerful answers. (Hint: You might want to bookmark this for future reference when life gets you down!) Dear (2003) Steve, …
This is the seventh article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, which was written by me. When I give talks about LinkedIn, I often ask audience members three questions. First, “How many of you have LinkedIn profiles?” Nearly everyone raises their hands. Second, “How many of you feel really great about how you use LinkedIn?” …
This is the sixth article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, written by contributor Tracy Jenkins, PhD. The path to a career outside of academia can sometimes feel uncertain and rocky at best. Is it possible to land in a career that is aligned with what you do well and love doing? The answer is …
This is the fifth article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, written by contributor Mike Davies, PhD. Networking…do you remember the first time you heard about this vague activity? I remember like it was yesterday. I had spent 10 years of my life building a respectable scientific career only to find out networking was the …
This is the fourth article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, which was written by me. Transitioning academics often contact me for assistance in writing their resumes because it’s one of my areas of specialty—and because I’ve been in their shoes. Simply put, I know what it’s like to look at a CV and wonder …
This is the third article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, written by contributor Maren Wood, PhD. If you are a PhD looking to transition to a non-academic role, it’s crucial that you know how to present your skills and experience so potential employers understand how they translate to the role you are seeking. Communicating …
This is the second article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, written by contributor Tracy Jenkins, PhD. As an academic facing the exciting challenge of a career change—possibly to a non-academic role—you may find yourself asking, “What do I want for myself now?” Do you want to find a job that is as similar to …
This is the first article in my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, written by contributor Jennifer Polk, PhD. One of the toughest challenges for PhDs seeking work beyond the professoriate is coming to grips psychologically with what can be a major identity change. It’s a transition that dredges up all sorts of thoughts about what it …
This is the introduction to my Transitioning PhD Blog Series, which was written for PhDs by PhDs. I launched this series in January 2018 and collaborated with colleagues who have transitioned away from the academy to address the key challenges most of us faced—and you likely will, too, if you’re contemplating a transition. Dear Grad …
Congratulations! You just landed your first non-academic job interview! Now what? Unlike many academic job interviews that occur in set stages—for instance, first at a conference and then over the course of several days on campus—job interviews outside of academia can vary widely in format and details. Here are three considerations to have in mind …