I frequently get asked what it actually takes to branch out and create your own consulting firm or coaching business. People want to know what it takes, what the action steps are, and then what it is like to be a consultant. You hear consulting - you think money. People think consulting is extremely lucrative.  And the truth is that it can be. In fact, one of my recent project's was for an organization that's valued at 5.5 billion dollars. No, that's not what the consultants got paid, but it does speak to the scope of the projects that are available to consultants. There are clients that are looking for exactly the type of experience, education, and skills that you can offer. And they're willing to pay for that experience. Consulting is a great opportunity for PhD and grad students. However, there are definitely considerations [...]

Yup, you heard that right. I recently read a report of the firing of several TENURED faculty members. There seems to be no breach of contract or conduct issues. These faculty who’d worked so hard for tenure and actually accomplished their dream of securing tenure were let go from their departments. https://youtu.be/zqI5q8Y7ZXM You know I’m not into doom and gloom scenarios. I like to keep things upbeat and positive over here at Beyond the Tenure Track. But my concern is that, should you find yourself without the academic job you hoped for or between jobs, you have set the groundwork to access your options should you need them. What does setting the groundwork look like? It includes having colleagues and professional contacts beyond the academy, experience working on projects unrelated to your research, and experience getting paid for work delivered outside [...]

A marketable skill-set is not just a matter of maintaining the skills you've developed, but consistently cultivating new key job skills to keep you competitive for jobs and any entrepreneurial projects you may decide to pursue. You've heard it before, "You have the skills you need to do jobs in many sectors whether inside or beyond the academy." Even I've provided training to shine light on the transferable skills you already possess. Still, there may be times you need to enhance the tools in your toolkit. At Beyond the Tenure Track, we believe that you should focus your skills-building. Time and money are precious so you want to invest in building skills that support your personal and professional development goals. There are a few skills that you should have whatever career path you pursue. These skills are valuable and necessary in order for you [...]