Category: Uncategorized
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Grief, identity, and changing careers as a long-time academic
Dear Reader, It might surprise people who don’t have PhDs that grief is often part of the job search process, especially when you’re first changing career directions. In my own case, I didn’t experience grief per se. At least not much, and not for long. What I did have to do was disentangle my sense…
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When to “do your part” as an academic and when to move on instead
Dear Reader, “We can’t dump all this service on junior faculty. You have to do you part.” Without context, this message from a senior administrator in higher education to a mid-career faculty member could be perceived in multiple ways. It’s certainly true that pre-tenure faculty must be given time to focus on work that will…
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How to get great job offers and change careers
Dear Reader, How do you convince employers to take you seriously for work that’s quite different from what you’ve done for years? There are different ways to answer this question. Something super important is the necessity of getting right with yourself about this career pivot. You can’t demonstrate to a potential employer that you’re a…
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“I loved working in academia. Now, I’m so disappointed.”
Dear Reader, “I loved working in academia…. Now, I’m so disappointed.” That’s the verdict of one of my clients who joined the PhD Career Clarity Program earlier this year. Here are others:”Everything in academia is about money. Nothing else matters.””… the burnout, isolation and dissatisfaction are real.””I yearn for a truly collaborative work environment.” And…
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![[Monthly] What’s happening this month + popular posts](https://fromphdtolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/vvTginhxzTewp8cFZbYn1m.jpg)
[Monthly] What’s happening this month + popular posts
Dear Reader, My big news is that I’ve welcomed nearly 40 new members to the PhD Career Clarity Program this month! 👏🏻 Happy New Year to me 🎉! And to you, too. It’s great to be working with these folks. They include professors, postdocs, a few graduate students, plus other PhDs ready to finally figure…
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![[Monthly] January events + a fave reflection question](https://fromphdtolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/circle.png)
[Monthly] January events + a fave reflection question
Dear Reader, Welcome to my new monthly newsletter! This once-a-month email will include anything new and noteworthy plus reminders about how we can work together (if we aren’t already). To kick off the new year right, I’m hosting a Career Reflection & Goal Setting Workshop on Friday, 13 January. I’ll guide participants through a series…
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Your PhD dissertation can help you get a job
Interview with Jen Harrison, dissertation coach and owner of Read.Write.Perfect. I met Jen Harrison a few weeks ago and we had a great conversation about the challenges dissertators face. One of the topics that came up was how folks can better leverage their dissertations (specifically) as career preparation. I asked Jen if she’d be willing
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What are informational interviews?
Thanks to my friend Jennifer van Alstyne for this fun conversation about informational interviews, why to do them, and how they can supercharge a PhD job search. Read the full interview on Jennifer’s website (“What Are Informational Interviews? With Jennifer Polk, PhD“), or watch our conversation on YouTube:
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Network as an introvert without doing anything icky
Are you an introvert? If so, you’ve probably wondered how you can network as an introvert without doing anything icky. A lot of PhDs identify as introverts. I do! I am definitely introverted. Introversion can be a strength in an academic environment, certainly while you’re in graduate school. But then folks worry when they hear
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Do you have to network to get a job after your PhD?
I watched a webinar for PhDs where the presenter pushed back against the advice to network in order to get a job. “No, you don’t have to network,” she said. “That’s not true.” Now, the thing is, she’s right: You don’t have to network to get a job. You don’t. But it’s also true that