Life Beyond the Ivory Tower: non-faculty career options

1. Life Beyond the Ivory Tower: non-faculty career options Catherine Carrigan, MA JD Sponsored by Career Development Center and The Graduate School

2. Second thoughts about a faculty career? • Tenure-track jobs remain hard to come by. • Pressure from outside sources (advisors, family, friends). • Concerns about “fit” with the academic environment. • Some vague sense that the Ph.D. can lead to many other places besides tenure track faculty jobs.

3. Soul searching before job searching. • Don’t expect grades alone will get you by. Employers won’t be impressed by your degree if you cannot explain HOW having the degree makes you a strong candidate. • Begin by honestly assessing your skills, interests, values: • What fields naturally interest you? Have these changed? • What do you want to be doing in a job? • Examples: strategic planning, data analysis, project coordination • What about a job will give you satisfaction? • Examples: salary, benefits, hours, impact on society

4. Soul searching before job searching. • Assess your transferable skills: • Examples: writing & presentation skills, ability to translate complex concepts to new learners, long-term planning and project management • Get your classmates/advisers/loved ones to help you identify what you’ve been doing all this time • Attend next month’s workshop on Marketing Yourself Outside the Academy (November 4th) for more assistance

5. Looking outside academia: where to begin. • Research the skill set needed in areas you enjoy. Keep in mind some of the concerns an employer might have: • Some graduate programs offer limited opportunities for teamwork/collaboration. • Can you transition to writing for non-academic audiences? • Do you have experience working at a faster pace than academia may normally require? • To fill in gaps, endeavor to gain skills in a professional area: an internship, volunteer work, assistantship, committee or professional association involvement, part-time job, etc.

6. Looking outside academia: where to begin. • Conduct informational interviews: • Seek interviewees by speaking with your network - faculty and administrators, people you have met at conferences, friends, friends of friends, contacts from the Alumni Association/ASK, etc. • Your goal is not a job, but knowledge about a field. • Go into these conversations prepared – know about the work they do and HAVE QUESTIONS. • Always, always keep in touch—you never know when these meetings will pay off. • Networking events: • Student-Alumni Mentoring/Networking Night – Nov 2nd, 6 pm (Regents Hall, Lewis Towers)

7. Non-faculty academic positions. • Consider careers at universities where your experience within academia could be an asset. • Examples include student services, administrative roles (ex. centers for teaching and learning), advising positions. • Know that these positions will not always be widely advertised—networking proves vital yet again! • Educate yourself about the field of higher education administration and seek experience while you are still a student. • Also check out university HR websites, www.higheredjobs.com, Chronicle of Higher Education

8. Government positions. • Many government agencies hire in various capacities: • Researchers – Technical experts • Analysts – Linguists • Diplomats – etc. • Usajobs.gov is THE online application portal for federal jobs, but also consider city, state and county opportunities.

9. Non-profit & for profit options. • Non-profit: administrative and leadership roles in cultural institutions, community organizations, professional associations, think tanks, healthcare. • For profit: roles as technical advisors, consultants, administrators, managers. • Be aware that if your work history is limited, you may have to start a level or two below your ultimate goal in order to prove yourself.

10. Turning your CV into a resume. • Resumes are shorter: be concise (1-2 pages at most). • Focus on skills developed that transfer to jobs outside the academy. • Consider various ways to organize a resume. The less traditional functional skills resume may be appropriate if you are switching fields or have limited work history. • Review the CDC’s resume guide & the Chronicle’s “CV Doctor” column for examples of a graduate student’s career-focused resume.

11. Improving your interviewing skills. • Know yourself as much as possible (strengths, areas to improve, why you are a good fit). • Research the organization and posting. • Practice responses to common interview questions (see examples in CDC’s interviewing guide). Never, ever let these trip you up: • Tell me about yourself. • What are your strengths and weaknesses? • Why are you not going the academic route? • Behavioral interviewing – have some examples in mind relating to your past experiences.

12. Identifying job opportunities. • Don’t merely rely on online job boards, but do use your faculty/co-workers to identify the most relevant targeted job sites and networking opportunities. • Create a professional online identity (linkedin.com, personal website, ePortfolio, etc.). • Be prepared that, given the current economy, you may need to allow more time for your search and be more flexible in what you are willing to take. This is a first step, not a life-long commitment.

13. Additional Resources • Chronicle of Higher Education: “Having a Plan B” • http://ironstring.com/sellout/ • Insidehighered.com • So What Are You Going to Do with That? A Guide for MAs and Ph.D.s Seeking Careers Outside of the Academy by Susan Basalla & Maggie Debelius • Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or Ph.D. by Robert L. Peters

14. Questions? Feel free to schedule an appointment with me or anyone in our office by calling 773.508.7716 or e-mailing careercenter@luc.edu