About Jen Polk, PhD

Coaching helps you move forward in life on your own terms. You set the agenda for each session, and for the overall coaching relationship; my agenda is to keep you true to your values, priorities, and goals. Any suggestions I make are offered in the spirit of learning and to help your self-discovery. Accountability is an important part of coaching, and we will work together to ensure you make and accomplish realistic, relevant, and authentic goals. The point of all this is that you’re in charge, and we’ll work together to identify and reach your goals.

My job as your coach is to facilitate you gaining greater awareness, developing suitable plans, and taking meaningful action to achieve your goals. I will use a variety of coaching tools, and follow a basic structure for our sessions, beginning with setting an agenda and ending with what action you will take next.

My clients have been successful in academia. I often work with long-time academics like professors and postdocs leaving academia. And with PhDs who’ve found non-academic careers but still haven’t landed in a pace where you can be who you are and make the kind of difference you want to see in the world.

Adjunct faculty and other underpaid instructors know they deserve better than the crumbs academic institutions are willing to give them. Professors know there’s got to be more out there for them than teaching the same set of classes year after year. A life and career where you can still pursue your own interests.

I support successful academics who are ready to spit out the academic culture Kool-Aid. Are you ready to free yourself from bullshit expectations no valued employee should ever be made to put up with? There are other jobs and careers in the world beyond academia. Places where you can do something else and still be the person you want to be.

Accepting a job offer is, at least in part, a leap of faith. You have to trust in yourself and the folks you’ve been in communication with during the application and hiring process. Let me say the first part of that again: You need to trust in yourself!

I want my clients to receive job offers without feeling wracked with indecision about their career direction. This is why I start my work with clients not on converting your academic CV to a resume, nor even with finding interesting opportunities. No.

The work starts with knowing yourself. This seems simplistic, but it’s actually crucial to you being able to take action toward your goals and make big decisions.

In thinking back to how I felt after my PhD, I had no (full-time, meaningful, decently-paying) job. I had no prospects.

What a shift from a few years earlier, when I won a prestigious national multi-year scholarship. I had been a promising researcher! But now? Ugh.

I felt I had no place in the world. That sucked. Solidarity with anyone going through a similar season.

I did make it to the other side. It turns out that while parts of academic work and scholarly culture resonated with me and drew on my innate talents, this didn’t preclude other work situations and communities from also being a good fit for the best version of me.

Here we are a dozen years later (phew) and I can confirm that I didn’t stop learning. My curiosity didn’t die a slow death from misuse. My valuing perspective taking and open-mindedness continues to come in handy. I still get to write and create. I get to teach! I have time for Wikipedia rabbit holes.

How did you feel when you realized you couldn’t stay in an academic environment anymore? How do you feel now?

Let’s transform how you approach your career after academia together.