All About Your Future
I deeply believe that academics have the range, talent and skill to take their expertise to any sector they desire. The success stories below are a few of the most recent personal and professional breakthroughs Beyond the Tenure Track has helped to create through our programs, courses, and coaching. They represent the 2100+ people that are a part of our global community.
Enjoy,
Fatimah

“I netted a $3k salary gain on top of an already comfy offer.”I came to Fatimah disillusioned with academia after five years in a Ph.D. program, with no idea how to start looking for other career paths. I wondered what my value might be, and was stuck not knowing how to approach an industry job search. My first visit we covered networking – from there we worked on everything from identifying my values and strengths to how to approach an interview and how to negotiate a job offer. Fatimah’s negotiation advice netted me a $3k salary gain on top of an already comfy offer.
“I knew I could find a better path, but I didn’t know how.”I had made a decision to leave my current academic institution as a tenure-track assistant professor and had been applying to several jobs. When I reached out to Fatimah, I found myself at a crossroad about the best opportunity I should pursue that would allow me to utilize my skills and have job satisfaction. What I most appreciated about the work with Fatimah was that she understood the internal challenges of choosing to leaving academia. These were things that I really had no outlet to work through as others thought it was incredulous to leave academia or they were dealing with the same apprehensions themselves. I knew I could find a better path for my life outside of academia but I wasn’t sure how to navigate that. Fatimah provided tools, wisdom, insight and support to help me navigate that path. While it was a hard decision, Fatimah helped me make an informed decision and it was one of the best decisions I could have made for my family and me.
[After working with Fatimah], I felt more confident in identifying and contacting my personal and professional network. I left a toxic environment to a very satisfying and fulfilling one. I received a job offer with a pay raise.
“Helped me streamline my process for applying to nonacademic positions”Options for Success is a wonderful program which helped me streamline my process for applying to particular positions that fit my interests. I was able to secure a teaching position at an independent school by expanding my network and receiving encouragement from other participants.
“I received three interviews and a job offer!”I had a hard time putting an attractive and concise application package together for a faculty position. Fatimah helped me to improve my application materials by bringing up what made me distinguished among other candidates and omitting the unnecessary information. I received three interviews and a job offer! Fatimah guided me through the interview and offer negotiation process.
“Exceptionally useful feedback on how to improve my skills!”I was on the academic job market as a PhD student. I mainly needed help with learning more about the interview process and how I could prepare best for interviews that focused on discussing my research. Fatimah helped me prepare for the job interviews by doing a mock session that resembled, in all ways, the real world experience. During that process, she gave me ample and exceptionally useful feedback on how to improve my skills. As a result, I was confident I could do well in the interviews I had the following week. Working with Fatimah helped me achieve my goal of securing a tenure track position at a research university. It also helped me establish strong professional relationships with faculty from other institutions where I interviewed for an academic job.
“Helpful in guiding me through the process to figure out the best fit for me”I needed advice on job interviews. Fatimah was really helpful in guiding me through the process of figuring out which job was the best fit for me out of the ones I interviewed for. I am very happy about the choices I made. Fatimah guided me through the interview and offer negotiation process. I secured the position and joined a team that is doing work to impact health policy and outcomes across the U.S.
“In the 11st hour she sent me interview prep questions and guided me in how to present my best, most valuable self.”I was going into an interview for a job very blind and unprepared. In the 11th hour she sent me prep questions and guided me in how to present my best, most valuable self. I knew the principal of the school were I was interviewing was a tough one, and I was surprised by the challenge the interview actually presented. Fatimah gave me thinking/talking points to consider when engaging with the principal before and after the interview. After feeling very uncertain about the interview outcome, with Fatimah’s help, I crafted an email expressing my gratitude for the interview opportunity. I got the position and have grown in many ways in this challenging position as an elementary Autism teacher.
“From unemployed MPH and Ph.D. to Multiple Interviews and First Job!”I was starting to feel overwhelmed and unsure of my capabilities. Dr. Williams-Castro helped me regain the focus that I needed to succeed on the job market. She taught me to be strategic and bold in making contact with key people and potential employers in my ideal career area. I tried that method with high-profile Washington, DC health policy makers and a national health nonprofit organization and was pleasantly surprised to get one of those people directly set up for a lunch the following week. I am proud to say that I accepted an offer on the job of my dreams.
“One of the most valuable investments I have made in my career.”I found the language to describe my desire to develop a more targeted search. I wanted to be effective and get a job offer, which I know would help my confidence. I also felt that the interview coaching would be foundational and could help me interview better going forward. Since my work with her in the Options for Success course had been so effective, I felt confident that [she] would be able to well prepare me for this opportunity. Preparing with Dr. Fatimah was different from just asking a friend or family member to do a practice interview in that she knows the climate of the job market so well. She offers cutting-edge tools. During my interview, I kept remembering the tip about my Power Stories. The interviewer was very impressed and scheduled a second interview with the Executive Director. I felt so empowered! Working with Dr. Fatimah is one of the most valuable investments I have made in my career. I will benefit from her coaching for many years to come.
“Dr. Fatimah is a wonderful career coach and amazing source of support!”Dr. Fatimah is a wonderful career coach and an amazing source of support! Her services are an important self-investment for anyone looking to explore new career opportunities, take their career prospects to the next level, or develop more effective methods of candidate marketing and job searching. My work with Dr. Fatimah also helped me to inventory the many skills I already possess that make me a competitive candidate on the job market.
“Fatimah’s editing skills were instrumental in helping me craft an appropriate consulting resume. I’ve received three interviews!”I wanted to transition from research into life sciences consulting. We worked on networking, resume preparation, cover letter and business cards. Fatimah’s editing skills were instrumental in helping me craft an appropriate consulting resume, since up until then I only had experience writing an academic CV. The application process for consulting seemed extremely daunting an inscrutable, but through Fatimah’s help I was able to navigate it fairly painlessly. I’m extremely grateful for her help and guidance! I’ve received three interviews, and thanks to Fatimah’s advice made several contacts who have been extremely helpful in guiding me through the interview process.
I have some very exciting news to share – I have accepted a position as the Manager of the Global Health Initiative at Harvard Business School and will be relocating to the Boston area within the next few weeks! I am truly so excited for this new chapter and couldn’t wait to share this new with you. The past few months have been quite a journey, and I have learned so much about myself, the world, networking, fear, determination, and passion. I truly cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done to guide, support, and enlighten me.
I’m thrilled that as of June 16 I will be joining Community Science, Inc. as a managing associate. This particular role combines my interest in conducting rigorous research with my passion for working with folks on the front line of health equity effort. And there’s a signing bonus! And profit sharing!My deepest thanks for your support during this transition (working through the scenarios was particularly effective). Thank you!
I wanted to thank you for your support and preparation for the non-academic job market. In December, I started a position at the Data Center as the Director of Community Drive Research in Oakland. I wanted to make sure to thank you for your work. You are brilliant! I couldn’t have done much of this without you.