Author: Jennifer Polk
-
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…
-
Taking risks is key to a successful career change
In my recent University Affairs post, I encourage people to take risks in their career transition, but not huge ones, and not all at once. Small, incremental risks–an informational interview, reframing a resume–are vital in paving the path to your new career. Read more here.
-
Stalled career search? Don’t give up
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your career search is to simply not give up. Instead, keep moving forward–even if you don’t know where you’re heading or what your options are. Keep making new connections, reaching out to people, volunteering, or whatever it is you are doing to stay in the game. This…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Don’t give in to your inner critic
Are you doing your work, or are you making excuses? I ask lovingly, of course 🙂 From my latest for University Affairs: [D]oing the work is terrifying because it means putting yourself first – your ideas, your ambitions, your goals. When you do that, you risk ultimate failure. That’s the inner critic talking, though. Our egos,…
-
Transition Q & A: Alison Norman
The latest Q & A is by Alison Norman, a history PhD who moved into a government researcher role where she’s doing important work. “I get to be a historian on a daily basis, and put my knowledge and skills to good use,” she writes. Here’s an excerpt: What most surprises you about your job?…
-
Congratulations to us!
I attended the Canadian Online Publishing Awards ceremony last evening in Toronto, with my University Affairs editor Ashleigh VanHouten. The magazine took home 5 gold wins in the blue division (business-to-business), including best blog or column for From PhD to Life! I don’t know exactly what content the magazine shared when it entered my blog…
-
How much I make
Or, as my University Affairs editor put it, “Let’s talk money”! Talking about money can make for an awkward conversation. But money is also a basic fact of life. So, I decided to tell the world how much I make and how I make it. I think it’s helpful for us self-employed folk to talk…
-
Transition Q & A: Kenna Barrett
At a talk I once gave a woman in the audience was feeling awkward that she’d have a better shot at going backward in her career than forward. She meant that she could go back to the job she had before doing her doctorate, but wasn’t thrilled about doing that. I totally get that. Here’s…