Branching Out: How to Take Your PhD Beyond Academia

I knew early in grad school that, although I loved the learning and writing associated with research, I wasn't all that interested in pursuing a traditional academic path.

At the time (2004-2005), it seemed there were few resources for seeking non-academic careers post-dissertation, or even reassurances that this was not, in fact, a Very Bad Idea™.

​But I was willing to bet on myself, and so I did what made sense to me for building the eventual post-dissertation life. 

So when someone reached out to me a month ago, also armed with a PhD and desire to shift to a non-academic role, I shared with them the following advice. ​

1. Spread cheer: Volunteer.

This advice comes with the disclaimer that you should only do this if your schedule and mental health allow for the commitment - but if you can find opportunities to serve on committees, especially those in the community with governance or oversight duties, accept them. Graduate seminars are not the same animal, where everyone is vying for speaking time to appease the prof nestled in the corner, marking the intelligence of your commentary on a clipboard. (I wish I was joking about that.)

In 2006, our local mental health association was looking for board members, and in particular, for a board development committee. At the time, I was interested in finding a way to support mental health causes, but it was important to my non-academic education. In addition to meeting new people, it taught me about meetings, the kind with formal agenda and minute taking and Robert's Rules of Order. It taught me how to observe meeting dynamics, hear from a real breadth of viewpoints, and communicate effectively with others in plain language.​

2. Your sentences shouldn’t have more clauses than the North Pole.

Along the same lines, learning to effectively communicate in plain language is a key goal for your non-academic professional development. Seek out an honest, critical assessment of the quality of your communication. Maybe it's the writing centre at the university. For me, I was fortunate enough to have a professor who taught me how to write better (in my case, more succinctly). 

3. It’s okay to regift (your skills).

When you are revising your CV, or are preparing for interviews, you need to know how to sell yourself to the non-academic market. Sadly, your ability to discuss the finer theoretical points of attachment theory will cause employers to glaze over (or, shift uncomfortably in their seats). However, you already have many non-academic skills that simply need to be rewrapped in approachable language. For example:

• Planning a research study from start to finish? Project management skills.
• Overseeing more junior students in the lab? Management.
• Worked on projects with other labs? Collaboration and conflict resolution.
• Gave a talk? Had a conference poster? Presentation skills!

This isn’t being disingenuous; it’s semantics. At the core of what you’ve done in grad school/post-doc are transferable skills to non-academic settings. It’s up to you to show them!

4. Pass the cranberry sauce, and prepare for awkward questions.

Unfortunately, you should be mentally prepared for an awkward conversation:

"Aren't you overqualified for this position?"

Now, none of us know what lies ahead in a year or two. What gives? At the core of this question is concern on return on investment. The hiring process costs money - running a recruitment campaign, leaving work undone during a vacancy, on-boarding a new employee, and (hopefully) supporting your ongoing professional development. If you leave in six months, the employer may not have recouped any losses/investment in hiring you. 

In my experience, the best approach is honesty. Asked this question, I replied truthfully that I was ready to begin my career, that I was genuinely interested in applying my skills to make a difference, and from what I could see on the corporate website, that there seemed to be opportunities for growth. I then asked them about opportunities to support research within the organization. (I got the job.) 

I do think it's a question more likely asked of new graduates, or if the position you're eyeing is further removed from research or your academic specialty, but be prepared for the possibility. 

More glad tidings for your job search: Resources

This is the advice I shared with my colleague recently, and I hope you find it helpful, too. Additionally, there are great conversations and resources - far more than when I was searching years ago! Here’s a few to start your reflection:

• Roostervane has a blog with lots of advice and insight, including this post about ways to get experience for your CV.
  
  
• The creator of Roostervane, Christopher Cornthwaite, also shared his personal journey with tips over on InsideHigherEd.
  
  
• BeyondProf had this practical piece about small steps you can take (e.g., take a headshot, make a LinkedIn profile) to moving ahead in your search.​