alternative careers for academics Archives

Three ways to increase employer responses to your job application

FatimahPhD2018-10-02T02:29:27+00:00June 29th, 2015|Tags: alt-ac, alt-ac careers, alternative careers for academics, career coach, careers for PhDs, careers outside academia, careers outside the academy, jobs for phds, nonacademic careers, nontraditional careers for academics, postacademic careers|

Not getting the hits you want from numerous job applications you’ve submitted? There’s no magic bullet to getting a job offer – it can take a month to find the right job or it could take 12 months. External factors such as industry hiring cycles can stretch out the time from job search to job offer. However, there may be some areas of your search that are holding you back. 1. Review the types of jobs you’re applying to. Are they a good fit for you? Do you actually have examples of using these skills or doing things similar to those listed in the “essential responsibilities” section? In any job search you should apply for jobs that stretch you a bit. You do not have to have every single skill or know every piece of software listed in the job ad. However, [...]

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Is your resume telling your story?

FatimahPhD2018-10-02T02:29:27+00:00June 16th, 2015|Tags: altac, alternative careers for academics, careers for PhDs, careers outside academia, job seeker, jobs for phds, nonaca, nonacademic jobs, nontraditional careers for academics, phd, postacademic careers|

Tooting your own horn on your resume during your transition from academia to your first postacademic job can be tough. All of your accomplishments to date have been relevant to academia and they are expertly displayed on your multi-page academic CV. But the resume makes you wonder, How are my experiences relevant to an employer or recruiter? How can I pack all my experiences and accomplishments into a 1-page resume? What should I cut when transitioning my CV to a resume? Will employers take chance on me even thought most of my experience has been in the academy? There’s no one size fits all answer to these questions. Overall your goal is to communicate where you’ve been, what you accomplished while there, and how you want to contribute those skills (and your awesomeness) in the next position. Sounds easy enough, right? Here [...]

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If not academia, then what?

fatimahphd2018-10-02T02:29:29+00:00January 31st, 2014|Tags: alternative careers for academics, alternative careers for PhDs, applied jobs for PhDs, career development for PhDs, career transition, careers for PhDs, careers outside academia, careers outside the academy, humanities PhDs, informational interview, non-ac, nonacademic careers, professional development, quitting academia, what to do with my degree|

*Disclaimer: I'm writing this post on the go so I will return later to fill out the piece in a subsequent post. I've gotten lots of questions about career exploration (aka, how do I know what I'd do outside the academy). Chances are if you've been in academia for years you are not very familiar with sectors outside of education. Heck, most PhDs don't really consider education beyond higher ed and the professoriate. So when you get curious about what else you'd do besides becoming a tenure track professor, the options ahead can look unclear at best. If you've asked "if not academia, then what?", you are really asking a question about how to determine which career or job is right for you. There may be no one "right" career or job for you. However, when exploring your options you want to [...]

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FAQ: How do I get a job doing what I love?

fatimahphd2018-10-02T02:29:29+00:00January 6th, 2014|Tags: alt-ac, alt-ac careers, alternative careers for academics, applied jobs for PhDs, Career changer, career transition, careers outside of academe, careers outside the academy, graduate school, humanities PhDs, nontraditional careers for academics, quitting academia, what to do with my degree|

I've been compiling a list of FAQs that I receive from graduate students and PhDs so that I can share insights with you. I'll occasionally post these FAQs and my responses in an effort to show that you're not the only one asking real, practical questions about nonacademic careers and to help you think through your career journey. This FAQ is from a client consultation I did via email with a prospective graduate student in filmmaking, who has a background in Anthropology and Digital Media. CLIENT FAQ: "I'm mostly looking for mentorship and guidance with some issues I'm struggling with in terms of my future professional pursuits. I know that I am not satisfied with the reality of pursuing filmmaking in isolation of my passion for community outreach and organizing, academia, writing and minority advocacy. However, I am stuck in discovering a way to integrate [...]

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Three ways to increase employer responses to your job application

Is your resume telling your story?

If not academia, then what?

FAQ: How do I get a job doing what I love?

Take Bold Steps. Get Bold Results.

Be Bold.

Get Your Vision. Get Organized. Get the Job.

It's Time.