Dear Reader,
My big news is that I’ve welcomed nearly 40 new members to the PhD Career Clarity Program this month! 👏🏻
Happy New Year to me 🎉! And to you, too.
It’s great to be working with these folks. They include professors, postdocs, a few graduate students, plus other PhDs ready to finally figure out what they want to do next and land a great job.
Separate from the program, I’m preparing a new talk aimed at academics who are disappointed with it all and want to get out. Here’s part of it:
A tenure-track job. It’s the dream.
And part of the dream is the promise that once you’re tenured, you’ve got a job for life.
You’re insulated from the ups and downs of the academic job market, economic downturns more generally (global pandemics, anyone), and all that other capitalist crap that everyone else needs to deal with.
At last, you can focus on your work without all the stress that comes from career uncertainty.
Right?
Not so much. Not anymore.
I don’t have immediate plans for this. Once it’s done, though, I might need a (Zoom) audience so I can practice giving it! I’ll let you know.
What’s Happening
- Weekly co-working sessions on Wednesday mornings continue through April: Sign up for these free Zoom meetings. I’m sending this email from one!
- Program members can attend “Scholar to Influencer: Thought Leadership for Career Changers and Job Seekers,” our January workshop, this Friday. Details in the Community.
- Join me on Flow Club, where I host co-working meetings most mornings at 9am EST. Grab your two-week free trial. (Yes, I love co-working!)
Popular Posts
I’m back to writing regularly on LinkedIn and elsewhere. Here are recent posts that resonated with folks:
🫰
Stop Working for Free, PhD
👩🏻💻
Essential Software: What I Use
See the list →
😫
Academic Culture = Burnout?
Here’s something unrelated to work: Meskouta, my favourite cake! Cut the sugar by a third if, like me, you prefer less cloying snacks.
I was also very pleased with the simple leek and potato (and onion) soup I made on the weekend. Add chicken stock and a little cream, then blend👨🍳😘👌.
Cheers from foggy Toronto,
Jen
Jennifer Polk, PhD
