Dear Reader,
How do you convince employers to take you seriously for work that’s quite different from what you’ve done for years?
There are different ways to answer this question.
Something super important is the necessity of getting right with yourself about this career pivot.
You can’t demonstrate to a potential employer that you’re a great candidate if you don’t believe it yourself first, at least some of the time.
(The time you’re writing and submitting your resume and cover letter, updating your LinkedIn profile, interviewing for the role, etc.)
Thinking “sure, I could do this <🤷🏻♀️>” isn’t a great vibe.
It may be an honest one, but in that case you’re better off figuring out what you actually want to do instead of applying to roles.
Because employers – the kind you want to work for – aren’t going to hire someone who can’t confidently articulate
- what they want to do,
- why it makes sense for who they are and what they’ve accomplished previously, and
- how it connects to their (the employer’s) needs.
I understand how job seekers feel and agree that the hiring process is often a really shitty thing. I’m not defending late-stage capitalism!
But, if you’re looking for work you don’t have time to revolutionize the global economy first, so let’s talk what you can do to help yourself out.
First, get right with yourself about who you are and what’s important to you. Disconnect your identity from your degree and academic subject-matter expertise.
Second, do those self-reflection exercises you have a love-hate relationship with. They will help! Make lists of your top values, priorities, skills, interests, etc.
Third, put on your “lifelong learner” cap and go collect information and insights about roles and career paths that interest you, at least in theory. Most importantly, talk with people in these roles.
Fourth, and once you’ve identified a pretty specific target role for yourself, develop an active job search, application, and networking strategy that makes sense for you.
That’s how you will be able to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and strong fit for ideal roles, even if they are a departure from your previous experience.
Why? Because you will now be in a position to make a case for why this pivot actually isn’t a departure at all! You are perfectly suited to this work! You are a great fit for this team! You bring valuable expertise and experience that will compliment existing strengths!
What’s Happening
- Make this your last semester as an overworked, underappreciated faculty member or postdoc. Join the PhD Career Clarity Program.
- Regular 90-minute weekly co-working continues on Wednesdays this month. Sign up here (it’s free): Co-Working Sessions.
- Program members have access to all previously recorded workshops. A new live one is happening Friday, 26 April at 12pm EDT: “ChatGPT, Your Job Search Assistant: The What, How, and Why (and When Not) of Using Generative AI Tools.”
- I host 60-minute co-working sessions most mornings on Flow Club. Use my signup link to get a free two-week trial: Join Flow Club.
Related Posts
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There Isn’t Just One True Career Path for You
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You Are More Than Your Scholarly Expertise
🙏
The Value of (All Kinds of) Help for Job Seekers
Remember those four steps I shared above?
They are what I teach in my PhD Career Clarity Program, a 6-month self-paced online program with regular live coaching and monthly workshops, designed for professors, postdocs, and other PhDs who are ready to leave academia.
Let me know if you have any questions about it. If you want a sense of my style, you can always watch my free on-demand webinar. Link in my signoff.
Cheers, and thanks for reading!
Jen
Jennifer Polk, PhD
Free Webinar For professors, postdocs, and other overworked, underappreciated PhDs ready to change careers
