Category: Reflection
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Leaving academia doesn’t mean going corporate
One of the concerns PhDs have when contemplating leaving academia is wanting to do research without selling out to giant corporations that only care about profits. A social science PhD may well worry that leaving academia means working as a researcher at Meta (Facebook) or another soulless entity where their insights will be used to…
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Is your job not ticking all your boxes? Volunteering can help you fill the gaps
I teach PhDs how to identify job and career options that align with the life you want. That includes alignment of skills, tasks, interests, values, money, and all the rest. Ideally, there is a clear path that offers it all, and soon. But sometimes, maybe usually, a job doesn’t provide all the things. When your…
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What are your summer plans, PhD?
Spring looms in my part of the world and that means summer will be upon us before you know it. And then fall, and winter, and hopefully the pandemic will actually be over by then. But I digress. The reason I’m writing this post is to check in with you about your summer plans. If…
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What stories are you telling about yourself?
During Tuesday’s community Zoom call with my PhD Career Clarity Program folks we discussed the power narratives (stories) and expectations, and how those interact with the PhD job search. It was a great conversation. Stories and expectations can weigh very heavily on you, whether they come from family and friends, academic culture in general or…
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Choose your words wisely, professors
I recently heard a faculty member jokingly refer to a former student as “unfortunately” working in a certain industry. “Why ‘unfortunately,’” I asked? She explained the ethical implications that might be involved in his new line of work. Cool, fair. This throw-away remark reminded me of a different kind of throw-away remark. I was speaking…
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Standout moments from your past can help define your future
If your job search is falling flat, try remembering a moment when you felt most energized or engaged – this will give you valuable insight into yourself.
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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…
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Conferences are for networking
One of my intentions for the summer is to step up my networking. I want to reach out to more people, both those I know and those I don’t yet know, to have conversations about their work and mine. I’d like to know more about the professionals who work in and around universities, especially as…
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Reflect back to move forward
Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to reflect back on what I did and didn’t do this past year, and explore how I feel about those things. Those reflections will highlight things that are important to me, and suggest future priorities and action steps. Here are some questions to help you do the…
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Are you hoping instead of acting?
This one goes out to all of us who’re shying away from exploring our options in hopes that our current activities will be enough to sustain us, long-term. (Does that make sense?) I recently realized I was hoping instead of acting. What about you? The other day I read a story of waiting and hoping.…