Hi there PhD Job Seeker, I've been invited by Versatile PhD Boston to present on a panel for PhD level job seekers interested in nonacademic careers. How to Create An Exit Strategy: Informational Interviews and Networking  Hosted by Versatile PhD Boston Thursday, August 28, 2014 6PM – 8PM EST Cambridge, MA and Virtual To register, http://www.meetup.com/vphdboston/ There's no cost to join this two hour session, however the organizer's ask that you register. You can attend in person or virtually. Nikki Boots, Ph.D., Organizer, Versatile PhD Boston The organizer, Nikki Boots, sends a special note to those interested in joining.  It's especially for those who have not yet "outed" themselves to advisors and colleagues as academic leavers. This group is private, which means that Google will not "crawl" its pages. For an extra level of privacy, join under a pseudonym. Any burning questions about the nonac, [...]

Universities host PhD alumni career panels to showcase the careers and transition stories of PhD's who work outside the academy.  While these panels can be a great resource, there is more that can be done to make them effective for graduate student job seekers. Here is an excerpt from my article published in Vitae of The Chronicle of Higher Education this June. It’s clear what the panels are supposed to accomplish: They’re meant to dismantle the taboos surrounding nonacademic careers, and to provide a forum for graduate students to ask questions they might not broach with a faculty advisor. The one I just attended followed what’s become the customary format—a 90-minute event in which panelists were allotted five to seven minutes each to introduce ourselves, describe our disciplinary backgrounds, and talk briefly about our current occupations before the floor is opened for [...]