Start exploring: How to prepare for diverse career paths

We all know the story: a brilliant student works through graduate school, completes a PhD from a well-known university, and goes on to an academic role ending in tenure at another well-known university. The hero rides into the sunset, the curtains close and the rest is history.

It’s a great story, but life doesn’t always stick to the plot. Dr. Maren Wood, PhD started out thinking this would be her story, but upon finishing her PhD in history, she realized she would have to write a new ending for herself.

When Wood completed her PhD, there was less support for graduate student professional development and career preparation. There was also less awareness that not everyone could expect to get a job in academia. Seeing a need for more training and support for grad students facing a transition away from academia, Wood cofounded Beyond the Professoriate with Dr. Jennifer Polk, PhD to create a community of support for PhDs contemplating a shift in their careers.

Wood will deliver career planning workshops for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Calgary May 23, 24 and 27.

Wood shared some thoughts with the My GradSkills team about her own experience, and the challenges facing young academics.

My GradSkills: You completed a PhD and started on the usual academic path of publishing and teaching. What prompted you to switch paths and start Beyond the Professoriate?

Wood: I completed my PhD in history in 2009 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At a school like Carolina, it was assumed that PhDs would graduate and go on to tenure track jobs. There was no conversation in my department about professional/non-faculty careers. I remained on the job market for about three years, and then decided that I wouldn’t land the type of job I hoped to.  

When I decided to find another career, I was unequipped. I’d never thought about any other career, and had little exposure to professional careers. I had no work experience outside of academic teaching or research, except for a couple of months as a research assistant. 

I had never networked, written a resume, done an internship, nothing. I was beginning from scratch. 

Through the process of researching career options, and learning how to conduct a non-faculty job search, I realized that I was not alone. So many PhDs experience a profound sense of loss and crisis when they don’t land tenure-track jobs. So many of us have spent the vast majority of our lives in academic research and teaching, and we really don’t know what other careers are out there, if they’d be a good fit for us, or how to get those positions. 

I didn’t want other PhDs to go through the experience that I went through. So, I launched Beyond the Professoriate (BtP) to connect new PhDs in need of support and mentorship with PhDs already working in professional careers. I wanted to create a safe space where PhDs could explore, learn, and connect with each other. And I wanted to do it in a way that was positive and supportive. 

Q: Many grad schools have made great strides introducing initiatives like My GradSkills here at the University of Calgary. If something like Beyond the Professoriate and other similar support communities had been around when you were in graduate school, do you think it would have changed your own approach to career planning?

A: First — University of Calgary students are lucky to have such robust support on campus, like Career Services, My GradSkills and the Student Support Centre, to name a few. I really hope that students take advantage of this. Too many students delay access to career resources until their final year, or after they graduate, and so I just want to say — take advantage of everything that you have access to on campus. 

Had I been able to hear from PhDs, and learn about more career options, I would have been less stuck. I had never asked myself basic questions — questions we’ll cover in my workshops — like what kind of work environment would I thrive in? What are my values? How do they align with different spaces, industries, or sectors? I assumed that to have a meaningful impact, I had to work in non-profits or government, but that’s not true, and was very naive. If I’d had the opportunity to experience different kinds of work environments, I would have probably ended up in the start-up/tech space much sooner. 

Q: Do you have advice about how students and post-docs can motivate themselves for a non-academic job search?

A: Start reaching out to people you know and start interviewing people about their jobs. Ask them what they do on a day to day basis, what energizes them about the work they do. Start with friends and family, then find organizations of interest and connect with people through LinkedIn. You can set up phone calls, or email a couple of questions. 

Many of us believe that a tenure track job is the best job, and the best or only place that we can thrive. For me, academic teaching and research was the only thing I’d ever tried. I couldn’t imagine a life outside of higher education. 

But smart people work everywhere. You need to imagine other spaces where you can do work that matters, get paid, have career success, work alongside people who share your values — and you can find that in lots of different spaces. So, start exploring. 

Q: For many grad students and postdocs, their entire career has been on campus. Do you have thoughts about how they can build networks outside of academia?

A: Start on campus. Not just in your department, but in all the offices/divisions/centers that are around you. Those people have professional networks. Go to the purchasing office, talk to people who are doing project management, network with educational tech companies selling software and solutions to universities, check out the public relations and marketing department, and so on. Almost any kind of job or professional job that exists — you’ll find it on a big campus like the University of Calgary. And don’t forget to take advantage of Career Services and My GradSkills to help you along the way.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.