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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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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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
D’uh. But I didn’t fully realize this for myself until recently. Reflections on a few days at Congress. An excerpt: What’s striking for me about this experience is how little time I spent at actual conference sessions, and how much networking I did instead. During my PhD student days, going to a conference meant, well,…
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Reflect back to move forward
Here are some questions to help you clarify your priorities, goals, and action steps for 2015. And I even answer them myself! Let me know if you find them helpful. Thanks to one of my current clients for letting me try a few out on her earlier this week. She inspired the post. Instead of…
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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? Read the post over at University Affairs, and let me know…
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Learning is my priority
It’s difficult to divide one’s attentions, especially among several significant projects. In my latest post for University Affairs I relate how my focus must be on my coach training, and update you on my progress. Here’s how the post begins: Earlier this month I completed the coaching supervision course. It started in the spring, and…
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Making a big change? Start small, be kind to yourself
Today’s post on University Affairs is a reflection on the nature of change and how we can best set ourselves up for success. When it comes to making changes in your life, start small. It’s all well and good to decide to exercise regularly, take up a vegan diet, or write for two hours every…
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Coaching graduate students
Today’s blog post over at my University Affairs blog includes my thoughts on key themes when working with graduate students. Here’s the first (of six) points I make: 1. Taking control. Graduate students often don’t feel in control of their lives. Part of my work as a coach is to help clients take and feel…