Author: Jennifer Polk
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Pamela MacIsaac, Vice Principal, Transition Q&A
UPDATE, Nov 2014: Pam MacIsaac now works as an academic coach and tutor with Think Academic Enrichment & Support. Pamela MacIsaac earned her PhD in history from McMaster University in 1997. She later completed a Master of Teaching at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto in 2008 and is…
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Staying in touch
One of the topics that came up on today’s #femlead Twitter chat was what to do after an informational interview. Amanda Page wondered what comes next. Well, after a thank you email, there isn’t necessarily a next, at least not in my experience. Sometimes, an informational interview serves its purpose and both parties know nothing…
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#Femlead chat on informational interviews
I’m leading the #Femlead chat on Twitter this coming Tuesday, 16 April, between 2 and 2:30pm EDT (GMT-4). Please join me! From the University of Venus description: #femlead is for those who lead, those with vision, those who seek to support one another in the challenges and opportunities facing us in all areas of academic…
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Alisa Harrison, Executive Director, Transition Q&A
Alisa Harrison earned her PhD in history from Duke University. She’s principal at A. Harrison Research & Consulting and the executive director of the Victoria (British Columbia) Division of Family Practice. What did you hope for in terms of employment as you completed your PhD? I wanted work that would be intellectually as well as socially/politically engaging; I felt like…
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Empathizing with adjuncts
During my final years as a PhD student, when most people in my cohort were applying for academic jobs, I wasn’t on the market. It was hard enough to focus on my dissertation, and I really wanted it done. I wasn’t in love with academia anymore, was doing occasional freelance work, and had savings in…
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Sarah Kendzior, Columnist, Transition Q&A
Sarah Kendzior earned her PhD in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. She is now a columnist for Al Jazeera English, a public speaker, a researcher and a consultant. Find her online at SarahKendzior.com and follow her on Twitter @sarahkendzior. What did you hope for in terms of employment as you completed your PhD? I started…
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Marketing the PhD
We know the prevailing attitude within academia tends toward the “tenure-track or bust” end of the acceptable jobs spectrum, but the problem exists on the outside, too. Most of the time, people I’m talking to assume something very similar: that I will become a professor. A while back I was talking with an acquaintance about…
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PhDs and entrepreneurialism
During my doctorate I worked occasionally as a freelance researcher and administrative assistant for a few small consultancies. After I defended, my plan was to continue doing this but on a more consistent basis, in the hopes of growing my client base or workload, and thus make more money. Well, that didn’t work out and…
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Chris Humphrey, Project Manager, Transition Q&A
Chris Humphrey earned his PhD in medieval studies from the University of York. He’s currently a project manager at Triodos Bank. Find him online at Jobs on Toast, his website of “positive & practical support for PhD careers outside academia,” and follow him on Twitter @ChrisHumphrey. What did you hope for in terms of employment as…
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Tackling “scholar’s hunch”
For a long time I’ve felt generally physically uncomfortable. I have to make a point of standing or sitting up straight. When I’m trying to sleep, I can’t figure out where to put my arms. All chairs seem designed to ruin my day. As a student, I spent hours at a time hunched over a…