After Your PhD

If you want to be added for free let me know!

I just simplified the PhD Career Resources page by removing the table! The table proved to be less intuitive than I thought. Check out the revamped page here: https://lnkd.in/gr39fNDQ If you want to be added to this page, please reach out to Ryan Collins, PhD or email afteryourphd@gmail.com #phds #careerresources #academia #careerpivot #phd #gradschool

Steps for forming a graduate student union according to the University of California graduate student union. A quick summary --> Form a diverse organizing committee, build support for your cause , and organize collective action with the university. Also, don't forget to vote!!! Cited here too: https://lnkd.in/gquDGJ_P #phds #highereducation #colleges #universities #unions

Changing your career is never easy! Whether you are changing your career two years or 10 years into your professional life. I changed my career 10 years after entering the professional world. Do I regret it some days? Yes. I miss talking to hiring managers and candidates. Do I love it most days? Yes. Change is scary for all of us! And I took on this challenge 3 months into being pregnant. And now, I'm gearing up to go on my maternity leave. Whether you are changing your career within your organization or outside it, here are three tips I'll give you: ☕ Know what you want to do next: You can't wake up one day and decide you want to do something completely different and start applying. You need to know what role and responsibilities you want to take on next. ☕ Start taking courses and learn: One of the biggest thing you'll need to showcase is that you have the basic knowledge of the new role. Are you trying to go into Program/Product Management? You should take some courses and certifications. ☕ Network with people in the new field: This would especially helpful in your current organization, find people who have changed careers to go into the role you're wanting to go into. Reach out to them and ask them for guidance on how they completed the transition. Start here! My biggest pro-tip will be to transition your career into a new role at your current company. It's easier because your company knows your work ethic and knows your work product. Until next time, Stay Caffeinated!

The School of Media & Communication at USM is currently seeking applicants for an Associate or Full Professor of Communication Studies (https://lnkd.in/eQCBtv79)! Please share with others who may be interested, and feel free to reach out to me if you have questions! Some details: The University of Southern Mississippi invites applicants for a nine-month tenure-track faculty position as Associate or Full Professor of Communication Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences’ School of Media & Communication to begin fall 2025. Those with established track records of research and teaching in the areas of risk, crisis, health and/or medicine are particularly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will possess a record of research and teaching that meets school and university standards for associate or full professor. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to graduate education, including chairing and serving on dissertation and thesis committees. The candidate will teach three courses each semester, have a vibrant research agenda, and serve as an academic adviser, as well as perform other school or university service as needed. Candidates will have the opportunity to develop new courses in their areas of expertise, as well as influence the current curriculum. #HigherEdJobs #AcademicJobs #Hiring #CommunicationFaculty

If you're currently in the non-academic job market, consider reaching out for a resume review. With a resume review, I will give you feedback over a Google Doc with my edits and suggestions. Let me (Ryan Collins, PhD) if you have any questions! https://lnkd.in/g6ksuy5W #phds #academia #resumes #resumehelp #highered

So, you want to use your fancy PhD outside of academia but don't know where to start? Here are some ideas. One thing that was pretty clear to me when I was finishing up my PhD was the lack of resources explaining what careers were available outside of higher education. It seems based on how often I get messages about this that it's still a huge problem! But it really shouldn't be. The number of sectors that need the skills you develop during your PhD is enormous! PhDs are always in very high demand, but it can be a little overwhelming looking at a job site and just typing in 'PhD Jobs.' Go ahead and do it. Let me know how many results turn up at your favorite site. I bet it's a lot! One of the absolute toughest things to get over when you finish your PhD is the sense that you have to stay in your field of study, or worse, focus solely on the model/instrument/technique that underpinned your dissertation work. I'm here to tell you that you don't have to do that. You have lots of options. You just saw all of them in your 'PhD jobs' search! But narrowing down that list to the sectors where you'd like to make an impact is probably the best first step before clicking 'Apply.' 1) Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology: This is probably the number one choice of most STEM PhDs looking outside of academia. These jobs are pretty familiar and include research and development in drug discovery, clinical trials, or biotech product development. 2) Technology/IT: One thing you probably got really good at was data analysis, programming, and/or computer use. That lends itself nicely to roles in data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. 3) Energy/Renewable Energy: Use your skills to advance solar energy, wind power, energy storage, or do environmental research. 4) Finance/Venture Capital: Positions include quantitative analysis, risk assessment, algorithmic trading, and financial modeling. Or get involved in the mergers/acquisitions or investment diligence side and use your skills to help decide where investment dollars end up. 5) Consulting: Leverage your technical expertise and problem-solving skills to work as a consultant, advising companies on science and technology. 6) Government/Policy: Work at government agencies, research laboratories, or public sector organizations, contributing to policy-making, scientific advisory, or research initiatives. 7) Healthcare: Work at a hospital or medical technology company and facilitate advancements in healthcare research, biomedicine, medical devices, or diagnostics. 8) Environment/Climate Tech: Work to address environmental challenges and conservation efforts in areas like climate change research, environmental restoration, policy, or sustainable development. No matter what sector you choose, always remember to highlight your transferable skills because you've basically already proven you can do anything!

I am reading "The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday and I feel that pivoting academics can learn a lot from this book. Making a major career transition takes a lot of mental fortitude given that you are taking a path that you didn't originally think possible. And there are obstacles whether that's perception of employers or the general job market. This is how I interpret the last passage for transitioning academics. 1. Ask questions to know what's out there. 2. Learn from the questions you ask and make a game plan. 3. There will be setbacks but you have to endure. People have pivoted before. #phds #bookrecs #academics #academia

To follow up on yesterday's post, I made a post on the After Your PhD site about Boolean operators. Recruiters use booleans to find people on LinkedIn, so why not use this tactic yourself, but for research/informational interview possibilities? Share if you think others will find it interesting! https://lnkd.in/gH7nHUqK #linkedintips #booleans #linkedintips #pivot #careerpivot

I have a PhD in [field], what do I do? Search LinkedIn with basic boolean operators to find out.