JOIN THE PHD CAREER CLARITY PROGRAM
Make your academic exit
Professors, postdocs, and PhDs ready to leave academia, you’re in the right place.
The PhD Career Clarity Program is a course and community for your post-academic career search. The Program isn’t just practical solve-the-problem support. It’s about making things better for you through gaining clarity in your career search as a PhD so that you can live where you want and to have meaningful work with good colleagues. You can have a career outside of academia that’s more in alignment with your values.
Land your next great-fit role with the support of the PhD Career Clarity Program and community.
The PhD Career Clarity Program is a proven process to go from confusion to clarity in your job search
A holistic, step-by-step career search framework and system from Dr. Jennifer Polk developed for PhDs like you.
1. Prepare for action
Get ready for success so you can effectively focus your efforts and not waste time and energy for your career search.
2. Focus on Yourself
Clarify who you are and what you want in your life and work going forward. This step is about assessing and appreciating the skills and experiences you have.
3. Identify Possibilities
What is out there for you? Gather information & insights to help you decide what job suits you best. Network for success with emotional support and accountability in our thoughtful, smart community of PhD job seekers.
4. Market to Employers
Develop and implement your active job search strategy. In this stage, you’ll confidently apply and interview for select positions that are a great fit for you career goals.
Here’s what’s included with your Program
Lessons in the PhD Career Clarity Core Course
38 lessons to support your job search
5+ hours of video content
15+ worksheets
Proven system for PhDs on the job market
Ready to join the Program?
PhD Career Clarity Course + Live Small Group Sessions and Q&As with Jen + Interactive Workshops + Member Resource Library + Supportive Community
“I remember reading these kinds of sentences from other transitioning PhDs and thinking it couldn’t happen to me.”
“Thank you so much for your support in the Career Clarity program! It was just what I needed as I was taking my first steps out of academia. I felt alone, disoriented, insecure, clueless, and hopeless. Two weeks ago, just six months after that difficult start, I got the best job I could possibly hope for. I remember reading these kinds of sentences from other transitioning PhDs and thinking it couldn’t happen to me.
Well, it did! I’m over the moon, and the interactions with you have been an instrumental part of my success. My favorite part was the live Q&A sessions. Your personalized advice was super helpful, and the moral support was breathing life into me. I didn’t feel alone anymore because I felt that I have you to guide me and the rest of the group by my side.”
—Tania Smith*, PhD
Philosophy
What participants say about the PhD Career Clarity Program
“Truly magical!”
“…was just what I needed as I was taking my 1st steps out of academia”
“…demystify the job search process…”
“…highly practical, expert strategies and exercises…”
“…invaluable…”
“…really resonates with me…”
“…a supportive community…”
“Awesome.”
“I highly recommend working with Jen…”
I’m Jennifer Polk, PhD
I created this PhD career clarity program to guide and support people just like you
Hi there! Call me Jen. Since 2013 when I started From PhD to Life, I’ve helped hundreds of PhDs, working with folks across disciplines and career goals get clarity your career direction.
The PhD Career Clarity Program helps you confidently market yourself for jobs you actually want. I’m excited to bring my experience as a career coach and workshop facilitator into one space. Let’s work together to define your career goals. This Program and our supportive community will equip you with the tools to reach them.
Ready to start the next chapter in your professional journey? Let’s get started.
I highly recommend working with Jen, especially if you have a PhD unsure of what to do outside of academia or how to go about finding a job in industry.
—Matthew G. Doyle, PhD, PEng
Mechanical Engineering
“I was able to better understand what was important to me in job searches, and, in turn, could articulate to employers why I was interested in their job posting, how my priorities align with their institution, and the long-term vision of my career.”
—Moriah Bellissimo, PhD, RD
Nutrition and Health Sciences
How long does the PhD Career Clarity Program take? I’m looking for a job now.
The core course is about 5 hours of videos. There are also interactive elements like our small group meetings and live workshops you can attend.
Here’s what to expect.
To gain the most benefit from the PhD Career Clarity Program, you’ll want to do the ‘homework’ for each lesson. You can go at your own pace with the course materials and lessons. People typically take ~1 week for the Prep and Focus sections. Then, move into the Identify and Market sections in the following weeks.
People find they get more than expected at our small group Zoom meetings and workshops. The meetings are great for emotional support during your PhD career search, an often isolating process. And our live workshops are designed for you to take action with take-home resources. Replays are available so you can get the most out of the PhD Career Clarity Program even when you can’t join us live.
Your investment in the PhD Career Clarity Program includes access to all program materials for a full 6 months. There’s an option to extend your access month-to-month, as your job search may be longer. That way you can continue to be supported in our small group Zoom meetings and live workshops.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
You’re at a crossroads in your career
You want to leave academia. But you aren’t exactly sure what’s next. You’ve been a successful academic. You’ve won scholarships and awards, presented or published papers, taught and mentored students, and contributed new knowledge to your field. You’re doing what you can to make a difference.
You have the skills, experience, and knowledge to get paid to do something meaningful and fulfilling. You want this for yourself, but may be struggling to figure out what, and where, and with whom.
What are you qualified to do? What do you even want to do? Is there a job for that? Will you still like who you are? You aren’t interested in selling out. Ugh. Oh, and crucially: Can you get paid enough for doing it?
Security, flexibility, and freedom are important to you – that’s partly why you pursued a PhD in the first place! But now you’re looking ahead to a career that isn’t living up to your expectations and you’re wondering “is this all there is?”
I’m Jennifer Polk, PhD. I’ve helped PhDs and other long-time academics clarify their career direction and launch meaningful careers since 2013. You can have what you want and need and deserve. You can have it faster and easier than you fear. Lessen the emotional devastation people have experienced while leaving academia when you join our support community. Let’s do it together when you join the PhD Career Clarity Program.
Join the PhD Career Clarity Program
3 full-time industry offers
2 short-term consultancy offers
“I would like to share my sincere gratitude for your coaching and guidance. Throughout the period of 7 months, I learned a lot and was able to bag three full-time industry and two short-term consultancy offers (in the field I was aiming for and all through networking). Beginning from the period when everything looked so overwhelming, uncertain and unachievable to actually seeing things working out in the right direction is truly magical!
Your course, resources, and bimonthly group Zoom meetings were really helpful. As many also mentioned previously, just showing up for those Zoom meetings was encouraging. I have now become your ambassador in my network in India & Germany, directing everyone to your webpage whoever wants to transition into the industry.”
—Megha Tyagi, PhD
Urban Planning
Loving the course
“Hi Jen, loving the course so far! I’m just wrapping up the 5th lesson, and already I’ve learned so much about myself. Lots of what you talk about really resonates with me and also helped me feel less alone about the mental blocks I put up that are getting in the way of finding the right job for me.”
—Ari Bell, PhD
Psychology
Made me feel less alone
“Jen’s Career Clarity program helped demystify the job search process and made me feel less alone. I felt pretty lost knowing I had to find a new job but not knowing the steps I needed to follow to get there. But with Jen’s help, I feel so strong and confident in my marketability and my ability to change careers (in the middle of a pandemic!) without sacrificing my values.”
—Rachel Hynson, PhD
History
The webinars and weekly sessions have been awesome
“When I first joined this program, I was burnt out, demoralized, and overwhelmed by the prospect of leaving academia. The transformation since then has been nothing short of remarkable. Through the program’s exercises and chats with the community, I’ve gone from feeling lost to having a clear direction. I’ve identified my concrete skills and the roles that genuinely excite me, and I’m now confidently pursuing project management/language scientist roles.
The program’s reflective nature was more intense than I expected, but it’s been invaluable, providing insights I continually refer to during my job applications. The webinars and weekly sessions have been awesome, helping me understand the subtle shifts in industry practices. While I’m still actively job seeking, my morale has done a complete 180. I’m hopeful, grateful for the support, and eager to stay connected even after my search ends. This program has been a game-changer for me.”
—Lex Konnelly, PhD
Linguistics
Our Live Workshops
PhD Career Clarity Program participants love our interactive workshops. You’ll get instant access to this lineup of workshop replays and more in the Member Resources Library when you join the Program today. New transformational opportunities are coming this year in the Program. Don’t miss out. Get exclusive access to Jen’s workshops in the PhD Career Clarity Program.
Join the PhD Career Clarity Program
Feeling unsure because you want 1-on-1 support?
The PhD Career Clarity is full of smart, thoughtful people in the community. I hope you get a lot out of our small group meetings and live workshops.
Inside the Program, you can schedule a 1-on-1 consultation with career coach for PhDs, Jen Polk at a savings when you want personalized support.
Or, sign up for the PhD Career Clarity Program now with 3 private consultations with Jen. Join the Program with (3) 1-on-1 sessions.
* 1-on-1 sessions (60 minutes) with Jen are $225 each. PhD Career Clarity Members save $50 per hour-long session whether you purchase individually inside the Program or invest in 3 sessions now with our Pay in Full and Payment Plan options.
