Year: 2017
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The lineup for the 4th annual Beyond the Professoriate
My latest blog post for University Affairs has information on this year’s Beyond the Professoriate conference. I love producing this conference every year. It’s wonderful to hear from so many speakers who’ve turned what’s often seen as a failure (to work as a tenure-track professor) into professional success and fulfillment. I hope you’ll consider joining…
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James McKee, Director of Research, Transition Q&A
James McKee earned his MA in political theory from the University of Toronto and left a PhD program in international relations. He’s currently director of research for the executive council of the Government of Alberta.
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Don’t let the fact that you have a PhD limit the way you see yourself
One of the brow-furrowing moments for me when I read articles on doctoral education or participate in panels is when the idea that “PhDs are researchers” comes up. It’s common for commenters to refer to PhDs in this way. This is often an intentional move, one that pushes the conversation forward from the limiting notion…
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Lisa Bélanger, Founder, Transition Q & A
About Lisa Bélanger Dr. Lisa Bélanger is an award-winning researcher, innovator, and she is CEO of ConsciousWorks, a consulting firm that teaches people how insights from behavioural science can improve their personal and professional lives. Dr. Belanger holds a PhD in behavioural medicine from the University of Alberta, is a certified exercise physiologist, a published author…
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Webinar: Engaged Academics in the Age of Mass Distraction
It’s been a crappy last few weeks in the US, and the crappiness is certainly creeping past the border. A lot of us feel strongly that we should do something — but what? And how? And what about all the other work we have to do? It’s in this context that Maren Wood, my partner…
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Stacy Lockerbie, Research Associate in Family Medicine, Transition Q&A
About Stacy Lockerbie Stacy Lockerbie earned her PhD in anthropology from McMaster University in 2014. She is currently a research associate in the department of family medicine at the University of Calgary. Find her online at and follow her on social media @Stacy_Sparkles. What did you hope for in terms of employment as you completed your PhD? I…
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Hillary Hutchinson, Career Coach, Transition Q&A
Hillary Hutchinson earned a MA in social anthropology and a MEd in higher education administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She’s now a career coach specializing in academic writing and the transition out of academia.
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How to prepare for a future job search
In early January I travelled to Denver to attend the American Historical Association meeting. I went to represent Beyond the Professoriate — the professional development business that I run with Maren Wood, a fellow history PhD turned entrepreneur. We spoke with graduate students, recent PhDs, and other historians who are interested in non-faculty careers. Many told us…
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Kelly J. Baker and Joseph Fruscione, Transition Update
About Joseph Fruscione Joseph Fruscione (PhD, English) contributed to the Transition Q & A series in December 2013 and August 2015. After 15 years teaching literature and first-year writing in the Washington, DC, area, he left academia in 2014 for a career as a freelance editor and post-ac consultant. He cofounded the nonprofit PrecariCorps in 2015 to…
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Make 2017 the year of “What if I…?”
A client shared this bit of wisdom with me a while back: Instead of admonishing herself with “I should…” she replaced it with “What if I…?” Reframing the sentiment as an open question turns it into something positive and future-oriented. The answer focuses on the benefits of taking an action, rather than the guilt or…