so what are you going to do with that?

As promised, I'm reviewing a few different books on finding jobs after graduation that are targeted toward graduate students. The first discusses finding careers outside academia, and the next will be finding careers in academia.

So What Are You Going to Do With That?: Finding Careers Outside Academia, is written by Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius, both PhDs themselves. 

I really enjoyed reading this book, so let's jump in. It's a quick read and at a reasonable price, might be worth picking up for those of you who might be trying to answer some difficult questions. (Besides the obvious, "So what are you going to do with that?") Right now some of you may even be asking yourself, Should I finish my dissertation? What do I want to do after I graduate? How do I sell myself to people who might think I'm overqualified and under trained?

I have sticky notes all over this book (I have had an aversion to writing/highlighting/note-taking in books for as long as I can remember. One too many bad run-ins with used books that had been abused, I suppose...what's the purpose of highlighting when you highlight EVERY OTHER WORD IN THE ENTIRE BOOK?!?) with nuggets of wisdom that I found to be helpful and I'm guessing you will too.

Some students realize while they are in the middle of their programs...maybe right after comps, that academia is not right for them. If you want to be a tenure track professor at a large research-focused school, getting your PhD is on your path to reaching your goal. For students who do not choose that route, or thought they wanted to go that route and have changed their minds for whatever reason, they may consider leaving without a PhD. Others are still getting their PhD (and have been in school long enough they want something to show for their work) but know that academia is not for them. At least not yet. It can be a scary realization that what you've been working toward for (ahem) almost a decade is not what you want anymore, or it's not a direct line to your original goal. 

Still other students graduate with hopes of finding that elusive TT position at School of Your Dreams, only to find out they haven't been able to land a TT position offer at School-I-Never-Wanted-to-VIsit-Let-Alone-Work at. They've been stuck in post-doc/visiting professor/adjunct land for a few years and are losing hope that they'll get out alive. The realization is setting in that maybe they weren't destined for greatness in a university setting, and that there is (might be, has to be) something better out there for them. 

Finding a career outside academia requires us as graduate students and recent grads to start thinking of things differently. In my presentation on Finding a Non-Traditional Job for your Degree, I discuss how to reframe your graduate school experiences into skills that any employer will find valuable in the workplace. For example, teaching a class requires management skills, organizational skills, research and on occasion, conflict management. Working in a lab requires organization, attention to detail, ability to work in a team, and troubleshooting (you know the ancient piece of equipment you have in your lab from the early-70s that only works when the temperature outside is between 72 and 74.2 degrees and when there's a full moon...). So What Are You Going to Do With That? discusses how to reframe those skills, and how others before you have been successful, and happy, outside academia.

They also interview many folks who work outside academia (or inside in a different capacity), but continue to have close ties by working as consultants, or alongside other administrators/faculty on campus. Let's face it, if you didn't like academia, you wouldn't still be here, right?

As a graduate student, many of us have felt like we don't have any options...it's finish or leave. However, Basalla and Debelius discuss ways that you can broaden your horizons while still in graduate school, and gain skills that can make you more marketable if you decide to leave the academic path. 

Basalla and Debelius also discuss things you can do to learn about yourself and make important contacts like informational interviews, listing/reframing your skills, and just thinking about the type of work environment you want to be in. What excites you and makes you want to wake up every morning? For an example of someone who left academia, but hasn't strayed too far, and is working on something that she is passionate about, see Need Advice on a Nonacademic Career? Don't Ask Me. (But if you need advice on an academic career, be sure to check out her webpage: http://theprofessorisin.com/).

There is also good advice on putting together materials, writing your resume, writing a cover letter, and addressing questions about your academic past. Again, it's a fairly quick, and entertaining read, that any student considering a nonacademic job after graduation, or even is just not sure what to do after graduation, should take some time to review. (If you do, please let me know if you liked the quote from Ms. Mentor starting on the bottom of page 12 as much as I did.)

Best of luck and more reviews to come. If you're at graduation, I'll be running around working somewhere, please feel free to come up and say hi. 

-- Dawn

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On a side note: I hope you enjoyed the snow this morning...I realize that a few folks have (probably) said, or at least thought in their heads, that hell would freeze over before I finished my dissertation...so I take the snow as a sign that I'm most definitely making progress in the right direction. ^-^