Articles
What I learned from applying to two high-paying jobs in 2022
I recently applied to two high-paying roles: one in academia and one outside of academia. I landed both of them in the SAME week. Eventually, I chose to stay on the non-academic path. Here's what I learned through the process. The power of building independent career...
Stop saying you don’t have experience
Whenever I have the opportunity to do informational interviews with academics seeking to change careers, one comment that NEVER FAILS to come up is, "But I don't have XYZ experience. I've only ever taught in a classroom/worked in a lab/worked in the clinic." And I get...
3 Mistakes You MUST Avoid In Your Non-Academic Job Search
Searching for non-academic jobs? Here are 3 mistakes to avoid at all costs. It never fails. I log into Twitter and I see a PhD complaining about how hard it is to land non-academic jobs. First of all, I acknowledge that it is hard. It took me two years to finally...
5 Questions To Ask Yourself As You Navigate Non-Academic Careers
"I had no idea jobs existed outside academia for PhDs." Several PhD holders have sent me a version of this message over the last couple of years. It sounds shocking but until recently, very few academic institutions actually prepared PhDs for non-academic careers. It...
3 Reasons To Use LinkedIn For Your Non-Academic Job Search
LinkedIn is no longer that old, cold, resume platform it used to be. Yes, it is still more of a professional platform than other social media channels but it has evolved into so much more. If you're currently on your non-academic job search, I'm going to give you...
5 Best US Visa Options For PhD Holders
What's the best US visa for PhD holders who are non-US citizens but want to work in the US? For most international PhD students, there might not be family to depend on if you don't land a job right after graduation. Thus finding work is crucial. But to find work, you...
5 Tips to Survive The First Year of Your PhD
You got in and now here are five tips to survive the first year of your PhD. Everyone starts at the same place. ZERO. EVERYONE - this includes your fellow students to the professors you admire to Nobel laureates - all start at zero. So if you're feeling unsure or...
How to continue your job search when you’re exhausted.
It has been months of looking for roles you thought you qualified for. In fact, some of those roles have downright been the kind where you know you're overqualified for. Yet, you're still hearing nothing. For PhDs, this can be especially challenging because your mind...
3 books you should read before you start your PhD
Here are three books you should read before your start your PhD. Congratulations! You’re about to start grad school! These books will help to prepare your mind for PhD work and inspire you to continue when things get tough. Grit by Angela Duckworth Angela Duckworth...