Year: 2016
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Nathaniel Bean, Education Librarian and Program Assistant, Transition Q&A
About Nathaniel Bean Nathaniel Bean works at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Wu Family Academy of Learning & Engagement as their education librarian & program assistant. At the DSO, he is part of a team that manages a large youth orchestra program that serves nearly 450 metro Detroit youth. Nathaniel is in the fourth year of…
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Jennifer De Mello, Senior Business Analyst, Transition Q&A
About Jennifer De Mello Jennifer De Mello earned her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Georgia (USA). She’s currently a senior business analyst at Manheim Wholesale Auto Auctions. You can find her on LinkedIn. What did you hope for in terms of employment as you completed your PhD? I had expected to go into industry…
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Organizing an Academic Conference? Don’t Forget Twitter
Twitter adds a new dimension to the community and ideas academic conferences generate: If you’ve encouraged tweeting and spread the word about your hashtag, you can expect attendees will be using it. In-person discussions may make their way online, and take on lives of their own. For more insight on incorporating twitter into your next…
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Taking risks is key to a successful career change
One of the pieces of advice I give people considering their options after a PhD is to take risks. Not big ones, but small ones. One at a time. These risks can take the form of drafting a resumé, just for yourself. Or conducting an informational interview, even with someone you already know. Or perhaps simply…
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Stalled career search? Don’t give up
I recently spoke with a humanities PhD who’s having difficulty securing meaningful employment. After a one-year stint as a professor soon after he graduated, he’s worked for a private company for the past 18 months. “General office work,” he told me. “This used to be a summer job, and they hired me full-time in part…
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It’s OK to quit your PhD
My latest post for University Affairs says it’s OK to “quit” — and I put that in parentheses for a good reason. The narrative surrounding not completing a PhD is a negative one: quitting, leaving, failing. But for a great many people, the reality is that they’re moving on because it’s right for them. It’s…
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It’s OK to quit your PhD
Occasionally I’m asked about quitting, particularly “quitting” a PhD program. This happened several times last week, when I was in Vancouver. Contrary to what you may hear or what your own internal critics tell you, there’s no shame in moving on. I remember a long post on a Versatile PhD forum from “PJ,” an ABD thinking about…
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My speaking schedule so far, winter-spring 2016
See my latest post for University Affairs for some reflections on my AHA experience — I co-hosted the Career Fair in Atlanta earlier this month — and info about upcoming events! For more details and updates, check my Events page. Here are the postcards I had printed to bring with me. They were great to…