‘Like a salmon leaping up rapids and waterfalls, I discovered I needed to be intentional about my career and know where I was headed, even though I didn’t know exactly what was waiting for me upstream.’ – Matteo Tardelli,The Salmon Leap for PhDs Rather like bowling, or trying to iron creases out of clothes withoutContinue reading “Culture Shock: how to navigate unspoken differences between academia and ‘industry’”
Category Archives: Career transition
When leaving academia isn’t ‘giving up’… it’s actually finding yourself
‘Changing your goal or vision is ok. You can be happy beyond academia: it’s not second best, it’s an alternative.’ – Dr Naomi Tyrrell One of the most confusing conversations I had in my PhD went something like this: Me: Yeah, I’m properly looking into careers in university professional services for after my PhD. FellowContinue reading “When leaving academia isn’t ‘giving up’… it’s actually finding yourself”
Making the ‘wrong choice’: why there’s no need to solve your entire life with your first post-PhD job
‘Your first job helps you learn and evaluate where exactly you want to be […]. Your first job post-PhD is your next step, not necessarily your end goal. – Dr L. Maren Wood I graduated from Careers Adviser School in 2016. Since then I’ve worked almost exclusively with Postgraduate Researchers, the majority of whom wantContinue reading “Making the ‘wrong choice’: why there’s no need to solve your entire life with your first post-PhD job”
Leaving Academia, Grieving Academia: a message of hope from the other side
‘For me, the grief of leaving academia feels about the same as the loss and grief of the end of relationship. Even when you know that the relationship wasn’t right for you […] loss is loss.‘ – Lisa L Munro, PhD Out of my box of theatre and gig tickets that went unused due toContinue reading “Leaving Academia, Grieving Academia: a message of hope from the other side”
‘To academia or to industry’: … is that the question?
‘PhD students ask each other “are you staying in academia or going into industry?” The problem with that question is not just that your options aren’t limited to these two areas… it’s that they aren’t discreet entities, anyway!’ – Kira, our special PhD grad guest for the week Does anyone else love a game ofContinue reading “‘To academia or to industry’: … is that the question?”
Expert, or imposter? Why post-PhD careers can take time to gel
‘We like to think that we should make a living based on what we enjoy doing. However it’s often the opposite way: we start enjoying jobs in which our expertise is respected. […] Passion and fulfilment often come after reaching some level of proficiency in a certain area and not the other way around.‘ –Continue reading “Expert, or imposter? Why post-PhD careers can take time to gel”
I have a PhD: what-the-heck level of job can I apply for beyond academia?
‘The biggest challenge you’re likely to face […] is the perception that you’re overqualified for entry-level positions, but underqualified for more senior listings. This double-edged sword threatens most academics as they depart higher education.’ – Dr Christopher L. Caterine If I could ask a Careers Adviser Fairy Godmother to grant me a simple, practical answerContinue reading “I have a PhD: what-the-heck level of job can I apply for beyond academia?”