This site is called After Your PhD, but what happens before you finish matters just as much. The financial situation for graduate workers is genuinely bad across the country right now, and it’s one of the biggest reasons people leave their programs — not because they can’t handle the coursework or the research, but because they can’t handle the rent. You can’t build a career on a stipend that doesn’t cover groceries, and no amount of passion for your field changes that math. When I was a PhD candidate, my stipend came out to about $15,000 a year.

Adjunct instructors are often paid $2,500 to $5,000 per course, with a national median landing around $4,000–$5,000 per three-credit class. Teach six courses a year, which is a common full load spread across two semesters, and you’re looking at roughly $24,000–$30,000 annually, with no health insurance, no retirement contribution, no office, and often no guarantee you’ll be rehired next term.

Why People Organize: The Real Benefits

Unionizing isn’t a magic fix, and it isn’t free in some cases. But data and lived experience point to consistent gains where grad workers and adjuncts have organized:

• Higher pay. Unionized graduate student workers at public universities report higher pay and more support than their non-union peers at comparable schools.

• Health coverage. Many grad worker and adjunct contracts have won employer-subsidized health insurance — often the single biggest financial relief in a first contract.

• Job security and due process. Instead of a verbal “we’ll see” about next semester’s contract, union agreements can require notice periods, seniority consideration, and a grievance process if you’re let go.

• Predictable raises. Contracts often include guaranteed annual increases instead of pay that stagnates for a decade.

• A actual voice. Instead of individually emailing a department chair and hoping, you bargain collectively — which is a fundamentally different power dynamic.

• Protection from retaliation. Once you’re in a legally recognized bargaining unit, the university can’t legally punish you for organizing or filing a grievance.

None of this happens automatically. It happens because people build a union from scratch, or join one that already exists.

The Logistics: How to Actually Start One

Every campaign looks a little different, but most successful ones follow a similar arc.

1. Know your legal category first

This matters more than almost anything else, because it determines which process applies to you:

• Public university employees (grad workers, adjuncts, postdocs) are governed by state law, not federal law. Some states (California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, and others) have strong public-sector bargaining laws. A handful of states restrict or prohibit public employee collective bargaining entirely. Check your state’s public employee relations board.

• Private university employees fall under the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). As of 2026, the controlling precedent (Columbia University, 2016, reaffirmed in later cases) holds that grad student workers who are paid for services like teaching or research are statutory “employees” with the right to unionize. That said, this area of law has flipped multiple times since 2000 depending on the political makeup of the Board, and recent signals — including a 2026 move by the NIH to withdraw recognition from a federal researchers’ union — suggest this precedent could face renewed challenges. Confirm current status with a labor attorney or your prospective union before filing.

• Adjuncts are typically classified as employees under standard labor law (they’re clearly compensated for teaching, not receiving an “educational” stipend), which generally makes their path more straightforward than the grad-student-as-student-vs-employee debate.

2. Build an organizing committee before going public

Before anyone contacts HR or administration, a small group of trusted colleagues across departments usually starts meeting privately to gauge interest, map out who’s respected in each department, and identify likely allies and likely opponents. This is the quiet, unglamorous phase — and it’s the one that determines whether the campaign survives contact with management.

3. Talk to an existing union

Almost no one starts completely from scratch. National unions that specifically organize higher ed workers include:

• United Auto Workers (UAW) — represents grad workers at Columbia, Harvard, MIT, UC system, and dozens of others

• American Federation of Teachers (AFT) — represents adjuncts and grad workers at many campuses

• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — active in adjunct and higher-ed organizing

• American Association of University Professors (AAUP) — represents faculty, including some adjuncts, and often partners with AFT

These unions provide organizers, legal support, and a template contract to work from. Most grad and adjunct unions affiliate with one of these rather than forming a fully independent union, because the legal and logistical lift of doing it alone is substantial.

4. Collect authorization cards

Once there’s real interest, organizers collect signed cards (physical or digital) from coworkers stating they want union representation. You typically need signatures from 30% of the bargaining unit to legally petition for an election, but experienced organizers almost always aim for a supermajority (60–70%+) before filing, because campaigns lose support during the employer’s response period, and management will likely run a counter-campaign.

5. File for recognition

Two paths here:

• Voluntary recognition: the university agrees to recognize the union without an election. Rare, but it happens, especially at institutions where organizing is already widespread in higher ed.

• NLRB or state board election: you file a petition, the board schedules a secret-ballot election, and if a majority of those who vote say yes, the union is certified.

6. Expect an employer response

Universities frequently hire labor consultants and hold mandatory “captive audience” meetings to discourage unionizing (legality of these meetings varies and has been shifting — another reason to have a union or attorney guiding you through this stage). Staying organized and communicating honestly with coworkers matters more here than at almost any other point.

7. Bargain your first contract

Winning the election is the beginning, not the end. First contracts commonly take one to two years to negotiate. This is normal — universities often slow-walk the first contract specifically to test whether the union will hold together. It usually does, but be ready for it to take a while.

If You’re Already in a Union: Adjuncts, Grad Workers, and Professors

This section is for you if you’re currently represented and want to share what worked, what didn’t, or what you wish you’d known before your campaign started.

A few things worth documenting if you’re willing to share your experience (in the comments, or reach out directly):

• What union you’re part of, and whether it’s public- or private-sector

• How long your first contract took to negotiate

• What your biggest win was (pay, healthcare, job security, grievance process)

• What you’d tell someone starting a campaign from zero

• Any resources, templates, or contacts that were genuinely useful

If you’re a tenure-track or tenured professor in a faculty union, your experience is also valuable here — faculty unions (often through AAUP or AFT) operate a bit differently from grad worker units, and hearing how bargaining works at that level helps people considering whether to organize their own faculty.

Notable Campus-Specific Unions

• UAW 2865 — University of California academic student employees (TAs, GSRs, tutors, readers)

• UAW 4811 — UC system academic student researchers

• UAW 7902 — NYU adjunct faculty, grad workers, and student health employees

• UAW 4121 — University of Washington academic student employees

• GWC-UAW Local 2110 — Graduate Workers of Columbia University

• Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU-UAW)

• SEIU Local 500 — American University adjunct faculty

• SEIU Local 200United — Fordham, Siena, and Saint Michael’s adjunct/non-tenure faculty

Sources

• American Association of University Professors, Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2024–25 — primary source for the $4,093 national average adjunct pay per three-credit course, and for the finding that part-time faculty made up just under half (48.6%) of the academic workforce in fall 2023. https://www.aaup.org/reports-publications/aaup-policies-reports/topical-reports/annual-report-economic-status-profession-24-25

• CUPA-HR, “Adjuncts Make Up About 40% of Faculty but Face Low Pay and Few Benefits” (2024–25 Faculty in Higher Education Survey) — source for the $1,166 median per-credit-hour pay figure and the finding that only 37% of institutions offered health benefits to adjunct faculty in 2024–25; also notes that adjunct pay set through a collective bargaining agreement is the highest-paying pay-setting method nationally ($1,545/credit hour vs. as low as $963 where a president or board sets pay unilaterally) — useful supporting data for the “why unionize” section. https://www.cupahr.org/resource/adjuncts-make-up-about-40-percent-of-faculty-but-face-low-pay-and-few-benefits/

• Economic Policy Institute, “Graduate Student Workers’ Rights to Unionize Are Threatened by Trump Administration Proposal” — source for the claim that unionized graduate student workers at public universities report higher pay and more personal/professional support than non-union peers, and for background on the 2019 NLRB rulemaking fight referenced in the legal-status section. https://www.epi.org/publication/graduate-student-workers-rights-to-unionize/

• McGuireWoods, “NIH Signals Potential Shift in Grad Student Employee Status Under NLRA” (March 2026) — source for the article’s summary of how grad-worker employee status has flipped between NYU (2000), Brown University (2004), and Columbia University (2016), and for the March 2026 NIH withdrawal of recognition from NIH Fellows United-UAW cited as a signal of possible renewed instability in this area of law. https://www.mcguirewoods.com/client-resources/alerts/2026/3/nih-signals-potential-shift-in-grad-student-employee-status-under-nlra/

Disclaimer: After Your PhD is an independent website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or acting on behalf of any labor union, university, or the National Labor Relations Board. This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Labor law varies by state and by employer type (public vs. private institution), and it changes over time. Before starting an organizing effort, consult with a labor attorney, a national union (such as the AFT, UAW, SEIU, or AAUP), or your state’s public employee labor board for guidance specific to your situation.

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If you’ve spent the last several years buried in a dissertation, it’s easy to assume your skill set is narrow: you’re “just” an expert in your subfield. But look at what hiring data is actually saying right now, and a different picture emerges. The skills employers say they need most overlap almost perfectly with what a PhD trains into you by default.

Here’s what the research says, skill by skill, and how to talk about the version of it you already have.

Why This Matters for PhDs

Skills-based hiring is now the norm, not the exception. Employers are putting more weight on transferable abilities that carry across industries and roles, and almost two-thirds now use skills-based hiring practices. That’s good news if your job history is one long academic title, since employers are increasingly trained to look past the label and ask what you can actually do.

Technical knowledge still matters, but it’s no longer enough on its own. Employers are paying closer attention to how people think, communicate, and adapt, not just what they know. That’s a genuinely good position for a PhD to be in: your job search isn’t limited to the one role that happens to need your exact specialty. It’s a search for any role that values the way you were trained to think.

Top Transferable Skills

1. Analytical Thinking

For the third report running, analytical thinking remains the single most sought-after skill among employers, with seven out of ten companies rating it as essential.

Every dissertation is an exercise in breaking an ambiguous, poorly-defined problem into testable pieces, choosing a method, and defending your reasoning under scrutiny. That’s not a euphemism for analytical thinking. It is analytical thinking, at a level most job candidates never have to demonstrate.

2. Problem-Solving

Nearly 90% of employers look for direct evidence of problem-solving on a resume.

You’ve spent years diagnosing why something didn’t work (a failed assay, a null result, a reviewer’s objection) and iterating toward a better version. You’ve been doing this for years, probably without ever labeling it “problem-solving.”

3. Resilience, Flexibility, and Agility

Resilience and flexibility rank in the WEF’s top five core skills employers say are essential today.

This one barely needs translating. Multi-year projects with shifting scope, funding uncertainty, and repeated rejection from journals, committees, and your own data are close to a training program for workplace resilience.

4. Communication

98% of employers require strong communication skills in new hires, making it close to a universal filter.

You’ve written for expert audiences and probably also taught or TA’d for people with zero background in your field, a genuinely hard communication skill. The gap to close for industry isn’t ability, it’s brevity: learning to lead with the conclusion instead of the methodology.

5. Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is one of three cognitive skills in the WEF’s top 10 list, growing in importance as organizations manage more interconnected teams, tools, and processes.

Part of doing original research is understanding how your narrow question connects to a broader body of knowledge, competing theories, and adjacent disciplines. That’s systems thinking by another name.

6. AI Literacy

AI literacy has moved from “nice to have” to baseline expectation across nearly every function, not just technical roles. Employers aren’t necessarily expecting a machine learning engineer. They need people who can use AI tools effectively and evaluate their output critically.

This is the one area that isn’t automatically built into a PhD, and it’s worth deliberately closing. If you haven’t already, spend time using AI tools for real tasks, like literature summarization, data cleaning, or drafting, so you can speak concretely about how you use them, not just that you’ve heard of them.

If you want hands-on experience rather than just familiarity, AI training roles are a practical way to get it. Companies pay subject-matter experts to evaluate and improve AI model outputs, and PhDs are well-suited to this work given the depth of domain knowledge it requires. Handshake has a general AI training program, along with roles built specifically for biology PhDs and physics PhDs. Mercor is another platform worth exploring for similar opportunities.

Disclosure: After Your PhD receives a commission for roles filled through these links.

Putting It Into Practice With Resume Revisions

The mistake most PhDs make isn’t lacking these skills. It’s leaving them implicit. A resume line that says “conducted independent research” doesn’t do the work. This does: “Designed and ran a multi-year study, diagnosed and corrected methodological problems mid-project, and communicated findings to both expert and non-expert audiences.”

Go through the six skills above and write down one concrete story from your PhD for each. Not a description of your research, but a specific moment where you had to demonstrate that skill under real pressure.

For analytical thinking, that might be the moment your initial hypothesis fell apart under the data and you had to figure out which of three competing explanations actually held up.

For problem-solving, think of the instrument that broke two weeks before a conference deadline, or the dataset that turned out to be corrupted halfway through analysis, and what you tried before something finally worked.

For resilience, it’s the paper that got rejected twice before it was accepted, or the year your funding fell through and you had to restructure your entire project timeline. For communication, it’s the time you explained your research to a funding panel with no background in your field, or the semester you took a student who was completely lost and got them to a place where they could pass the exam.

For systems thinking, it’s the moment you realized your niche finding actually contradicted (or supported) a theory from a completely different subfield, and had to reframe your work around that connection.

For AI literacy, it might be a recent project where you used an AI tool to speed up a task, then caught and corrected an error in its output before it made it into your work. These are the stories that hold up in an interview, because they’re specific enough that you can answer.

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By the time I was working on my dissertation (it wasn’t a long project, but I did finish it), I felt completely over it. I was depressed, felt pretty hopeless about my future in academia, and spent a lot of time exploring careers outside higher education because I couldn’t picture myself staying.

Looking back, I can see there were a lot of signs that I was experiencing academic burnout, even if I didn’t have a name for it at the time. For me, it looked like:

• Feeling emotionally exhausted almost every day.

• Becoming detached from my research and no longer caring about work that I had once been excited about.

• Struggling to find the motivation to write, read, or make progress.

• Constantly questioning whether all of the effort was worth it, especially when I thought about the financial reality of an academic career.

• Spending more time researching non-academic careers than thinking about my future as a professor.

• Feeling cynical about academia instead of optimistic.

• Having trouble imagining myself five or ten years down the road in higher education.

• Feeling like I was just trying to survive long enough to finish.

Retrospectively, those were pretty clear signs of burnout. At the time, though, I mostly thought I had lost my passion or that something was wrong with me.

I’m curious what it looked like for everyone else. Did your burnout show up differently? Was there a specific moment where you realized, “I can’t keep doing this,” or did it happen so gradually that you didn’t notice until much later?

I cited a few trusted sources below in case anyone is interested in reading more about burnout and how it’s been studied.

• World Health Organization. Burn-out an occupational phenomenon (ICD-11).

• American Psychological Association. Christina Maslach: The pioneer behind burnout research.

• American Psychological Association. CE Corner: Are You Burned Out?

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Admitting you've made a mistake or that you could have done something differently isn't always easy, especially when it comes to your career. For many people, their career is a core part of their identity. When a career decision doesn't work out as planned, it can feel like a personal failure rather than simply a decision that didn't have the outcome you hoped for. At its worst, it can take a real toll on your sense of self-worth (and financial stability).

I recently wrote about these complex feelings in a Substack Note (below). As I reflected on it, I realized the topic deserved a longer conversation. This article expands on those thoughts and explores why vulnerability when shared thoughtfully and intentionally, can be a strength rather than a weakness, especially those wanting to take a new step in their career.

Why Vulnerability Is Seen Negatively

Changing careers often requires admitting something that many people find difficult to say out loud: “I don’t think this path is right for me anymore.”

Whether you’re an English teacher considering nursing, an engineer exploring marketing, or a PhD leaving academia for industry, changing directions can feel like admitting you made the wrong choice. After investing years of your life into a degree or profession, it can be hard to separate your career from your identity. Questions like “Did I waste my time?” or “What will other people think?” are incredibly common.

Because of this, many people avoid talking openly about their doubts. Instead, they stay in careers that no longer fit because changing course feels like admitting failure. But recognizing that your goals, interests, or priorities have changed isn't a weakness, it's self-awareness.

How To Use Vulnerability In Positive Ways

One of the most valuable ways to use vulnerability during a career transition is to acknowledge what you don't know. This goes against the popular "fake it until you make it" mindset, but admitting that you're still learning can lead to more meaningful conversations and better advice.

If you're exploring a new field, it's perfectly reasonable to ask about industry terminology, hiring practices, or the day-to-day realities of the role. Most professionals don't expect career changers to have all the answers, they appreciate genuine curiosity and a willingness to learn.

Rather than trying to appear like an expert, being honest about your knowledge gaps can build trust, encourage mentorship, and ultimately help you make a more informed career decision.

Being open about what you don’t know can also prevent costly mistakes. Instead of making assumptions about a role based on a job description or LinkedIn posts, you can hear directly from people doing the work. You may discover that a position isn’t what you expected, or you may uncover opportunities you hadn’t even considered. Either outcome is valuable because it helps you make decisions based on real information instead of guesswork.

Rather than trying to appear like an expert, being honest about your knowledge gaps can build trust, encourage mentorship, and ultimately help you make a more informed career decision.

Vulnerability doesn’t make you look unqualified. It shows that you’re self-aware, coachable, and genuinely invested in learning—qualities that many employers and professionals value just as much as technical knowledge.

Where Vulnerability Can Be a Negative

Vulnerability also has its limits.

It doesn't mean sharing every frustration on LinkedIn or repeatedly posting desperate "open to work" updates in the hope that one of them goes viral. While it's perfectly okay to let people know you're looking for opportunities, you also want your posts to reflect confidence in what you bring to the table.

The goal is to be authentic about where you are in your career while demonstrating that you're actively learning, growing, and ready to contribute.

Where I Try to Bring My Own Vulnerability with After Your PhD

In many ways, After Your PhD is built on cautionary advice. My goal isn’t to convince everyone to leave academia, but to encourage academics to think critically about their careers and recognize that fulfilling opportunities exist outside of higher education.

I can only write about these topics because I’ve experienced many of these feelings myself. Whatever someone’s opinion of academia may be is valid, but After Your PhD comes from a place of vulnerability.

If I wasn’t willing to share those lessons honestly, then I’m not sure what the purpose of After Your PhD would be.

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I have two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and a PhD.

I love learning and I genuinely believe higher education has transformed my life and opened doors but I know deep down that degrees aren’t everything.

If you’re considering another degree because you’re struggling to find a job, feeling stuck in your career, or unsure what comes next, I want you to wait before submitting another application.

Another degree may not solve the problem you’re actually trying to fix.

My 4 Degrees

More education isn't always the answer

When a job search isn’t going well, it’s easy to conclude that you’re simply underqualified.

Maybe I need another master’s.

Maybe I should get a certificate.

Maybe another degree will make me more competitive.

I’ve heard these thoughts from countless graduate students, postdocs, and PhDs on LinkedIn.

The problem is that employers aren’t always looking for more education. They’re looking for evidence that you can solve their problems. Those aren’t the same thing.

What to do instead of getting another degree

Before enrolling in another degree program, I want to encourage you to try a few things first. None of these options require a multi-year commitment, and each one can help you determine whether another degree is actually necessary.

Talk to people doing the work you want to do

One of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers make is trying to answer career questions on their own. Instead, talk to people who already have the job you want.

Schedule informational interviews with professionals in your target industry. Ask them how they got started, what skills they use every day, what they wish they’d known when making the transition, and what advice they’d give someone in your position.

You may discover that the credential you thought you needed isn’t actually what hiring managers care about. You may also learn about career paths, organizations, or opportunities you didn’t even know existed.

I am a huge advocate of informational interviews including on the After Your PhD website and on Substack.

Build experience before collecting another credential

If employers keep telling you they want experience, believe them.

A degree teaches you knowledge. Experience shows employers how you apply that knowledge to solve real problems.

That experience doesn’t always have to come from a full-time job. You can volunteer with a nonprofit, freelance for small businesses, consult within your area of expertise, take on contract work, or start your own project.

Want to move into data analytics? Analyze publicly available datasets and publish your findings.

Interested in science communication? Start writing articles or create educational content.

Thinking about project management? Volunteer to coordinate a community initiative or lead a cross-functional project where you work.

Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to demonstrate your skills. Create opportunities to practice them.

Every project becomes another example you can discuss in an interview, another accomplishment for your résumé, and another piece of evidence that you can do the work.

Invest in your network

Many people assume networking is about asking strangers for jobs.

It’s not. Networking is about building genuine professional relationships over time.

Some of the best opportunities never make it to a job board. They come from conversations, referrals, recommendations, and people who remember you when an opportunity appears.

Reach out to alumni. Attend professional association meetings. Participate in industry webinars. Join online communities. Reconnect with former colleagues, classmates, or collaborators.

The person you meet today may become a mentor, a collaborator, a future colleague, or the hiring manager who thinks of you six months from now.

Relationships compound just like experience does.

Fill specific skill gaps and get feedback

Sometimes additional education really is the right answer.

But there’s a big difference between needing one specific skill and assuming you need another degree. Pay attention to what employers (and recruiters) are actually asking for.

If you consistently see the same software, certification, programming language, or technical competency listed across multiple job postings, that’s valuable information.

Don’t pursue another credential because it feels productive.

Pursue learning that directly addresses a gap between where you are today and where you want to be.

That’s a much better investment of your time, energy, and money.

Ready to build experience?

If you’re looking for a way to gain experience while earning income, I recommend checking out Mercor and Handshake for part-time, contract, and project-based opportunities.

Yes, I know many of Handshake and Mercor’s roles are AI-related. You have to make the decision that’s right for you. But I also know that paying your rent, covering your bills, and staying financially afloat during a career transition matters.

Disclaimer: After Your PhD may receive commission for referrals.

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In the spirit of trying new things, I am announcing an After Your PhD Ambassador Program. I’m looking to partner with people who’ve walked away from academia, or who are in the middle of that journey and are willing to share that experience with others. To be upfront: this is not a paid position, and I’m not asking for your time on a schedule. This is simply is networking relationship to amplify each other’s voices. Furthermore, I know I can’t overextend myself and this is a creative way to amplify voices that are not my own, hence After Your PhD.

How to Apply: You can apply by reaching out to Ryan Collins at afteryourphd@gmail.com or message me on LinkedIn.

I’m looking to do more with this program in the early summer.

What’s in it for you:

• Cross-promotion of your social media content to the After Your PhD audience

• Recognition in the After Your PhD newsletter

• A bigger platform for the work you’re already doing

• Open to adding group chats with ambassadors, networking hubs.

• I’m open to authors sharing their own stories on the After Your PhD website

What I asking in return from Ambassadors:

• Add After Your PhD Ambassador to your LinkedIn Experience section and link to the website or Substack.

  • Email me for more information and I can send you the photo and recommended description.

• When sharing content about the PhD transition on LinkedIn or elsewhere, tag After Your PhD, when able I’ll return the favor and share yours

• A few times a month, share content from the After Your PhD Substack or website with your network.

You might be a perfect fit if you:

• Have already made the transition out of academia, or are actively in the middle of it

• Approach career exploration with curiosity and an open mind

• Have used informational interviews to navigate your path — or are using them now

• Believe that exploration, not a straight line, is how most of us figure it out

• Are sharing your journey honestly, even when it’s still unfolding

• Are not a career coach or someone primarily selling a service.

My Past Experience as an Ambassador of HirePhD

My inspiration for this program comes from my own experience as an ambassador. During my transition out of academia between 2021 and 2022, I served as a HirePhD Ambassador by attending workshops, sharing content on social media, and building relationships that genuinely mattered. It didn't demand much time, but the impact was real and I made some strong professional connections. That experience stuck with me, and it's exactly what I wanted to recreate for the After Your PhD community.

Short Disclaimer:

In full transparency, I do have referral partnerships with Handshake AI and Mercor as a way to have a revenue stream for what I do. If that raises any ethical concerns for you, I completely understand, no hard feelings at all.

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Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general guidance on paid career services. It does not explicitly endorse or oppose any specific business or organization.

Many PhDs and academics explore paid career services when transitioning beyond academia. These services can include career coaching, resume reviews, interview preparation, networking support, and job search strategy sessions.

For some people, these services can provide clarity, accountability, and confidence during a difficult transition. For others, they may not be necessary — or worth the cost.

This guide is designed to help PhDs make informed decisions about paid career services, understand potential benefits and drawbacks, and explore alternative ways to navigate a career pivot.

Should You Hire a PhD Career Coach?

In general, I personally lean toward saving your money first and investing time into informational interviews, networking, side projects, and skill-building before paying for career services. According to Google AI overviews, the average cost of a PhD career coach is $150 to $350 an hour. In many cases, talking directly with professionals already working in careers you’re interested in can provide more long-term value and clarity than expensive coaching programs.

That said, some PhDs genuinely benefit from paid career services — especially when they’ve done thorough research, understand exactly what they need help with, and feel confident in the provider they’re considering. If a service feels transparent, realistic, and aligned with your goals, it may be a worthwhile investment.

Why I Care About This Topic

I never personally used paid career services during my transition out of academia.

Instead, my own career pivot happened through informational interviews, side projects, networking, learning new skills, and talking to professionals already working in industries I was interested in. Over time, those conversations helped me better understand what I actually wanted to do — and what skills I needed to build to get there.

That experience shaped how I think about career transitions today.

In my opinion, the most important part of a successful career pivot is not necessarily paying for coaching. It’s developing clarity around what kind of work you want to do, building relationships with people already doing that work, and gaining practical experience and skills along the way.

That said, career services can still be valuable for many PhDs — especially when it comes to accountability, resume feedback, interview preparation, and translating academic experience into language employers understand.

The goal of this article is not to discourage people from using paid services. It’s to help academics approach them thoughtfully and realistically.

Why Many PhDs Explore Career Services

Many universities historically focused career advising on undergraduate students rather than graduate students or postdocs navigating specialized career transitions.

As a result, many academics seek outside guidance while exploring careers in industry, nonprofits, government, entrepreneurship, consulting, science communication, UX research, SEO, data analytics, and other fields beyond academia.

The growing demand for career transition support has led to a large ecosystem of career coaches, consultants, workshops, online communities, and educational resources specifically targeting PhDs and academics.

Some providers offer excellent support and genuinely helpful guidance. Others may overpromise outcomes or rely heavily on marketing tactics that create pressure or unrealistic expectations.

Types of Paid Career Services Options

Paid career services for academics can vary widely depending on the provider. Common offerings include:

• LinkedIn profile reviews

• Resume, CV, and cover letter reviews

• 1:1 career coaching or consulting

• Interview preparation

• Networking and job search strategy support

• Salary negotiation guidance

• Confidence or communication coaching

• Group workshops and cohort programs

• Video-based career development courses

Some providers are solo consultants, while others operate as larger businesses with teams of coaches and recruiters.

Pros and Cons of Paid Career Services

While paid career services were not used directly in the development of this career path, many academics have found value in these services - particularly in refining application materials, receiving targeted interview coaching, and learning how to effectively sell their academic background and skills to employers.

There are several pros and cons to consider when evaluating paid career services:

Cons:

• Cost: Services can range from $100 for a single session to $5,000 or more for comprehensive programs.

• Contract Commitments: Some providers may encourage clients to enter long-term contracts.

• Specialization Gaps: Coaches may be more experienced in certain fields (e.g., STEM) and less familiar with others (e.g., humanities).

• Variable Outcomes: Effectiveness can vary depending on the provider, the client’s needs, and the quality of the service.

Pros:

• Personalized 1:1 consulting options

• More specific guidance from professionals (STEM, humanities, etc)

• Possible inclusion into a deeper network of professionals

• Another set of eyes to review professional documents

Overall, career services can be a valuable investment, particularly when working with a provider who offers tailored guidance and actionable feedback aligned with your specific goals and professional background.

How to Evaluate Career Service Providers

If you’re considering paid career services, take time to research providers carefully before making financial commitments.

A provider’s website and testimonials are only one part of the picture.

Additional ways to evaluate services include:

• Reading Google Reviews or BBB reviews

• Searching Reddit discussions and forums

• Looking for independent reviews outside their website

• Asking other PhDs on LinkedIn about their experiences

• Reviewing the provider’s actual career background

• Checking whether pricing is transparent

• Evaluating whether the provider specializes in your field or interests

You should also pay attention to how providers market themselves.

Strong career services typically focus on education, practical guidance, and realistic expectations — not fear-based marketing or guaranteed outcomes.

A Free Alternative: Informational Interviews

One of the most valuable free career transition strategies is conducting informational interviews.

Informational interviews are conversations with professionals working in careers or industries you want to learn more about. They can help you:

• Explore possible career paths

• Understand day-to-day work responsibilities

• Learn how industries operate

• Build professional relationships

• Discover skills employers value

• Gain confidence talking with professionals outside academia

For many PhDs, informational interviews provide more long-term value than immediately paying for coaching services because they create real-world understanding and authentic professional connections.

They were one of the most important parts of my own transition beyond academia.

The Goal of After Your PhD LLC

After Your PhD LLC does not currently provide paid career coaching services.

Instead, the goal of this platform is to help PhDs explore career paths beyond academia through practical resources, educational content, curated tools, and real transition stories from other academics.

Looking to Make Extra Income While You Job Search?

If you’re currently job searching, I encourage you to explore roles through Mercor. The market is incredibly difficult right now, and short-term opportunities that help people cover rent, bills, and everyday expenses genuinely matter.

Using my referral link also helps support After Your PhD and the work I do creating resources for academics and career changers navigating this transition. Sometimes the immediate priority is stability, and there’s no shame in pursuing opportunities that help you get there.

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

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In 2021, I made one of the biggest pivots of my career when I landed my first role as an SEO Analyst. I had just finished an internship and spent the summer job searching. Looking back, the process was stressful, but it was manageable. Applications led to interviews. Interviews occasionally led somewhere. This was also during COVID where job postings were more plentiful.

That is not the environment many job seekers are facing right now.

The current job market feels fundamentally different. I especially feel for academics trying to leave academia, because in many ways it feels like jumping out of the frying pan into another frying pan. After years of instability, burnout, and competition in academia, many are entering an industry job market that feels equally uncertain and different than years before.

A few years UX roles were something I encouraged academics to pursue, but now I wouldn’t recommend it unless you already have direct experience.

What frustrates me most is the kind of advice job seekers constantly receive. It’s part of the reason why I am not on social media as much as I should.

“Rework your resume.”

“Practice interviewing.”

“Target the right roles.”

None of this is bad advice. But the sheer volume of this advice creates the impression that job seekers are primarily failing because they are doing something wrong. As if the difference between employment and unemployment is simply one more LinkedIn optimization trick.

What job seekers need right now is not another viral LinkedIn post telling them to “stay resilient.” They need honesty.

They need employers and hiring managers to acknowledge how broken parts of the hiring process have become. They need transparency about ghost jobs, internal hires, unrealistic experience requirements, automated screening systems, and interview processes that stretch across multiple rounds with no feedback.

But maybe this is wishful thinking…

My “Advice” For Job Seekers

The best advice I can give right now is to talk to as many people as humanly possible. Save your money on career coaches and invest in networking.

Not in a shallow “networking” sense where every conversation is transactional, but in a genuine way that helps you build relationships, gather information, and become visible to people working in the spaces you want to enter.

This is especially important for career changers and academics transitioning out of academia. You may already have strong analytical, research, writing, or technical skills, but employers often struggle to interpret experience that falls outside traditional industry pathways.

Conversations with people already working in those fields can help translate your background into language hiring managers understand. In other words, informational interviews.

I’ve had this opinion since I founded After Your PhD in 2021 and I still stand by it. Informational interviews are transformational.

Looking to Make Extra Income While You Job Search?

If you’re currently job searching, I encourage you to explore roles through Mercor. The market is incredibly difficult right now, and short-term opportunities that help people cover rent, bills, and everyday expenses genuinely matter.

Using my referral link also helps support After Your PhD and the work I do creating resources for academics and career changers navigating this transition. Sometimes the immediate priority is stability, and there’s no shame in pursuing opportunities that help you get there.

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

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What is Technology Transfer?

Technology transfer

is the process of taking discoveries made in academic research and translating them into products or services that benefit society.

At universities, this work is typically handled by a Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or Office of Innovation. These teams evaluate new inventions, protect intellectual property (IP), and either license technologies to companies or help launch startups.

In practice, this means:

• Reviewing invention disclosures from researchers

• Assessing patentability and market potential

• Working with patent attorneys to file IP

• Identifying industry partners or startups

• Negotiating licensing agreements

Real World Example - Shrishti Singh, Ph.D.

In a recent interview, I spoke with Shrishti Singh, Ph.D., a Technology Transfer Fellow in the Innovation Partnerships Office at the University of Michigan.

She evaluates new life science inventions for patentability, market potential, and commercial impact, working at the intersection of intellectual property, licensing, and business development. During her Ph.D. and postdoctoral work, Dr. Singh co-invented a targeted dye conjugate that enhances visualization of diseased tissue—now protected by a U.S. patent—and helped secure $200,000 in non-dilutive funding to advance its development.

Her experience highlights what makes technology transfer unique: the ability to combine scientific expertise with strategy, entrepreneurship, and real-world impact.

Education & Background For Technology Transfer

Most professionals in technology transfer have:

• A Ph.D. (common, especially in life sciences)

• Or a Master’s degree with relevant experience

Helpful (but not required):

• Exposure to intellectual property or patents

• Experience in industry, consulting, or startups

• Internships or fellowships in tech transfer offices

Skills Needed For Technology Transfer

Technology transfer requires a blend of scientific, business, and interpersonal skills. At its core, strong scientific literacy is essential, you need to quickly understand complex research and identify what’s truly novel or commercially viable. Just as important is the ability to communicate that science clearly to non-expert audiences, including attorneys, investors, and industry partners.

Analytical thinking plays a big role as well, since you’ll be evaluating market potential, competitive landscapes, and the overall feasibility of bringing an idea to market. Alongside this, intellectual curiosity helps you stay engaged across a wide range of technologies, while developing business acumen allows you to better understand how innovations move from lab to market.

Attention to detail is critical when working with patents and disclosures, and strong relationship-building skills will help you collaborate effectively with researchers, legal teams, and external partners.

Informational Interview Questions to Ask

If you’re exploring this path, informational interviews are incredibly valuable. Here are some strong questions:

Getting into the field

• How did you transition from academia into technology transfer?

• What experiences made you a strong candidate for your role?

Day-to-day work

• What does a typical week look like for you?

• How much of your time is spent on science vs. business vs. legal work?

Skills & growth

• What skills are most important to succeed in this role?

• What skills do you wish you had developed earlier?

Career trajectory

• What are common career paths within technology transfer?

• How do people move into roles in venture capital, startups, or industry from here?

Breaking in

• What would you recommend someone do in the next 3–6 months to become a competitive applicant?

Book Recommendations

If you want to build foundational knowledge, these are great starting points.

• Technology Transfer: From Invention to Innovation

  • An overview of the field.

• The Entrepreneurial State by Mariana Mazzucato

  • Context on how innovation moves from research to market

• Zero to One by Peter Thiel.

  • Understanding startups and innovation thinking

• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

  • Useful for understanding how new ideas are tested and scaled

• Patent It Yourself by David Pressman

  • Intro to intellectual property

Note: If you purchase a book After Your PhD may receive compensation through the affiliate links.

Support After Your PhD

After Your PhD is created and run independently by Ryan Collins, PhD.

If you’ve found this free resource helpful, you can support the continued development of the site by leaving a tip or partner with After Your PhD.

Leave a Tip on Kofi

Leave a comment

I recently redesigned the After Your PhD homepage to make it easier to navigate and to better highlight the resources already available on the site.

Over the past few years, the platform has grown to include guides, interviews, job resources, and practical advice for PhDs exploring careers outside academia. The new homepage organizes these materials into a clearer path so visitors can quickly find what they need when starting or continuing a career pivot.

Subscribe now

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll find:

How Do I Start My Career Pivot?
Learn how informational interviews can help you explore new career paths and get practical guidance on asking questions and scheduling your first conversation.

Career Guides for Pivoting Academics
Explore career guides that introduce PhDs to fields like SEO and project management while explaining the skills needed to transition into industry roles.

Stories From PhDs Who Made the Transition
Watch and listen to video and audio interviews with PhDs who share their real experiences transitioning from academia into industry careers.

Job Boards and Career Resources
Browse curated job boards and resource lists designed to help advanced degree holders find opportunities and navigate the non-academic job search.

Support After Your PhD

After Your PhD is created and run independently by Ryan Collins, PhD.

If you’ve found this free resource helpful, you can support the continued development of the site by leaving a tip or partner with After Your PhD.

Leave a Tip on Kofi

Leave a comment

Hi ya’ll!

Check out my latest guide on SEO (search engine optimization). In it, I share practical insights on how to pivot into SEO and build skills that actually translate to real-world roles. As a current SEO Strategist at reputable SEO agency, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to succeed in the field and I break that down in a clear, accessible way.

You can also view this article on the After Your PhD website:

Read it on the Website

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

What is SEO?

At its most basic level, SEO is about helping users find what they’re looking for through organic search channels like Google or Bing by optimizing web assets such as a website.

For example, if someone searches for “best purple hats” and your website sells purple hats, effective SEO helps ensure your site appears prominently in the search results so that users can find purple hats.

SEO can also be broken into other specialties. While there are others types you can explore, from my personal experience I often see these two types of SEO.

• On-Page SEO – Optimizing elements on your website, like page titles, meta descriptions, headers, internal links, and content quality to match search intent.

• Technical SEO – Improving the backend of a site so search engines can crawl and index it efficiently (site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, structured data, etc.).

Why I Pivoted To SEO From Academia

SEO is a perfect blend between art and science.

The field is open to those who love numbers, and people who aren’t numbers heavy.

One day you can be digging into numbers for a monthly report for a client, or you can be developing a creative outline for a client for a new webpage on their website.

In my informational interviews, I came across a ton of folks who also pivoted from humanities fields like English, journalism, and history. This was very comforting knowing that it was a path that faired well for other people.

My Past SEO Career Path:

Below is a brief highlight of my past roles that directly relate to SEO. You can view this on my LinkedIn as well.

Once I was able to get my foot in the door at my first SEO internship, things began to open up with the caveat being it was around the height of Covid where hiring and remote roles were up contrasted to where hiring is now.

Summer 2020: Business and Marketing Intern

Summer 2021: SEO Internship

2021-2023: SEO Analyst

Fall 2023: SEO Manager

November 2023 to Current: SEO Strategist

What Skills Have Transferred the Best So Far

Curiosity / Digging Into Problems
Academic research trained me to sit with ambiguity, ask better questions, and keep digging until patterns emerge. In SEO, that curiosity shows up in diagnosing ranking drops, understanding search intent, and uncovering why something works rather than just that it works.

Data Analysis
Interpreting messy datasets is second nature after academia. SEO relies heavily on analyzing performance data, spotting trends over time, and turning numbers into actionable insights, making this skill directly transferable.

Presentation / Slide Decks
Teaching and conference presentations translate well into stakeholder communication. Building clear slide decks, explaining complex ideas simply, and telling a coherent story with data are essential skills when presenting SEO strategies or results.

SEO Tools To Learn

SEOs typically have a large toolkit that varies depending on what’s available to them. Typically they would have a keyword research tool, some analytics tool like Google analytics, and also something for reporting like Sheets/Excel or Looker Studio.

• Ahrefs and/or Semrush

• Google Analytics

• Google Search Console

• ScreamingFrog

• Google Sheets / Excel

• Looker Studio (or other reporting tools)

• Chrome Developer Tools

• An assortment of Google Chrome Extensions

• Python / SQL (can be helpful for data analysis for some senior roles)

Other Career Fields Related to SEO

PPC (Paid Search & Advertising)
PPC focuses on driving targeted traffic through paid ads on platforms like Google and social media. It pairs naturally with SEO by using keyword intent, audience insights, and performance data to test what converts quickly. For academics, PPC offers a data-driven environment with clear metrics and fast feedback loops.

Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing centers on content distribution, audience growth, and engagement across platforms like LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. SEO skills translate well here through audience research, messaging clarity, and performance analysis. This field rewards strong communication, experimentation, and an understanding of how ideas spread.

Email Marketing
Email marketing focuses on nurturing audiences through targeted, personalized communication. It complements SEO by converting organic traffic into long-term subscribers and customers. Academics often excel here due to strengths in writing, segmentation, and interpreting engagement data.

UX (User Experience)
UX is about designing digital experiences that are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with user needs. SEO overlaps heavily with UX through site structure, content clarity, and search intent. This path is especially appealing for academics interested in research, usability testing, and evidence-based design decisions.

Informational Interview Questions

• Did you create a website to learn SEO?

• Any tips about becoming an independent consultant in SEO?

• What is the best way to learn SEO?

• How do you use AI in your current role?

• What tools do you recommend I learn?

• Do you prefer technical or content SEO?

• What do you prefer, agency or in-house SEO?

Recommended SEO Books

• The Art of SEO — Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie Stricchiola

• SEO for Dummies — Peter Kent

• Product-Led SEO — Eli Schwartz

• Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love — Marty Cagan

• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products — Nir Eyal

Note: Books are sourced from Amazon and After Your PhD may receive a commission for book recommendations.

Recommended SEO Websites

• SEO Starter Guide by Google

• Search Engine Journal

• Search Engine Land

• Backlinko

If you found this article helpful I recommend reading this too! Project management crosses SEO quite often and you may even find yourself a project manager for an account.

Explore Careers on After Your PhD Job Listings

Explore a growing list of jobs specifically tailored for academics exploring careers outside academia.

Support After Your PhD on Patreon & Kofi

Any tips are appreciated. As the owner of After Your PhD I work alone to bring free informational resources for those wanting to know what’s next after their PhD.

• Support Me on Patreon

• Support Me on Kofi

Hi ya’ll,

As promised, I’m excited to share something new and hopefully helpful!

In this first guide, I dive into project management—a topic many people mention when talking about dissertation writing or managing teaching and class workloads as a professor. I’ve included informational interview questions and book recommendations that I hope readers will find especially useful.

For easier access, the guide is also available on the main website: https://afteryourphd.com/blog/project-management-career-guide/

If you find this article helpful, please consider sharing it, liking it, or leaving a comment!

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

Project Management Career Guide

Project management is a popular field for academics looking to transition into industry roles that value organization, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. This guide is designed for anyone interested in project management, regardless of background or career stage.

That said, it includes additional insights tailored specifically for academics navigating the shift out of academia. You’ll find practical tips on translating academic experience into industry-relevant skills and avoiding common transition pitfalls. Whether you’re just exploring or actively applying, this guide aims to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

What is Project Management?

Project management is the practice of planning, organizing, and leading people and resources to achieve a specific goal within defined constraints such as time, budget, and scope. It involves setting clear objectives, coordinating tasks across stakeholders, managing risks, and adapting plans as conditions change. At its core, project management ensures that complex work gets done efficiently, predictably, and with measurable outcomes.

Types of Project Management

Waterfall (Traditional)
A linear, step-by-step approach where each phase is completed before the next begins. It works best for projects with clearly defined requirements, fixed timelines, and little expected change.

Agile
An iterative and flexible approach that delivers work in small increments with frequent feedback. Agile is well suited for projects where requirements evolve over time, especially in software and product-driven environments.

Hybrid (Agile–Waterfall)
A blend of structured upfront planning and flexible, iterative execution. This approach is increasingly popular across industries because it balances predictability with adaptability.

Why Might Project Management Be A Good Pivot From Academia

Project management can be a strong pivot from academia because many of the core skills required are already deeply embedded in academic work.

Academics regularly manage complex, long-term projects such as research studies, dissertations, grants, and collaborative initiatives, often with limited resources and strict deadlines. The role also values clear communication, stakeholder coordination, documentation, and problem-solving, all of which are central to academic training.

Additionally, project management offers clearer career paths, broader industry applicability, and more predictable work structures compared to many academic roles, making it an appealing transition for those seeking stability and impact beyond academia.

Skills Needed For Project Management

Project management skills are often grouped into hard (technical) skills and soft (interpersonal) skills. Both are essential tools help you manage the work, while soft skills help you manage people and expectations.

Hard Skills (Technical & Tools)

• Project planning and scheduling

• Budget and resource tracking

• Risk and dependency management

• Data organization and reporting

• Tools & software:

  • Excel or Google Sheets

  • Project management tools (Asana, Jira, Trello, Monday, Smartsheet)

  • Documentation tools (Confluence, Notion, Google Docs)

  • Presentation tools (PowerPoint, Google Slides)

Soft Skills (People & Leadership)

• Clear written and verbal communication

• Stakeholder management and expectation setting

• Facilitation of meetings and discussions

• Problem-solving and critical thinking

• Adaptability and comfort with ambiguity

• Conflict resolution and negotiation

• Time management and prioritization

Informational Interview Questions Related to Project Management

• What does a typical day or week look like in your role?

• Which skills are most critical to doing well in project management?

• What skills do new project managers most often underestimate?

• Which project management methodologies do you use (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Hybrid)?

• What tools do you rely on most (e.g., Jira, Asana, Smartsheet)?

• How much flexibility do you have to adapt processes to your team?

• What entry-level or adjacent roles would you recommend for someone transitioning in?

• Are certifications important at your company, or is experience weighted more heavily?

For Academics:

• Do you work with anyone who came from academia? What helped them succeed?

• How would you recommend translating academic experience into PM language?

• What gaps should academics be prepared to address when entering this field?

Project Management Book Recommendations

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Project Management Institute

• Project Management for Dummies — Stanley E. Portny

• The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management — Eric Verzuh

• Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products — Jim Highsmith

• Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling — Harold Kerzner

• Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time — Jeff Sutherland & JJ Sutherland

• Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management — Scott Berkun

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress‑Free Productivity — David Allen

Note: Books are sourced from Amazon and After Your PhD may receive a commission for book recommendations.

Explore Careers on After Your PhD Job Listings

Explore a growing list of jobs specifically tailored for academics exploring careers outside academia.

Support After Your PhD on Patreon & Kofi

Any tips are appreciated. As the owner of After Your PhD I work alone to bring free informational resources for those wanting to know what’s next after their PhD.

• Support Me on Patreon

• Support Me on Kofi

Leave a comment

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Firstly, I sincerely appreciate the responses from the After Your PhD survey. It was one of the first large scale surveys I’ve done for After Your PhD. As a team of 1, feedback is SO valuable in determining the direction of After Your PhD.

Overall I received close to 200 responses (n=199).

If you’re reading, you’re probably want to know the results of the drawing.

After using a random number generator and confirming the person was real, the winner of the survey was Robert Cinnamon (background in molecular biology). The gift card was sent last night. I hope to do something like this in the future since getting feedback can be hard to get.

Biggest Things I’ve Learned From the Survey

I was honestly surprised by the depth and thoughtfulness of the survey responses. Many highlighted the positive impact After Your PhD has had, while also candidly pointing out what feels missing. A recurring theme was the desire for more detailed, step-by-step guides, along with a broader range of perspectives, especially from non-white and non-able-bodied individuals.

I’ve shared some of those responses below.

To avoid misrepresenting their feedback, I’ve kept their words largely intact and left the identifying names included in the original responses.

More Perspectives

• I want to see way more underrepresented PhD voices front and center—not just as side notes. First-gen PhDs who had no clue how to navigate grad school, disabled PhDs who fought for accommodations just to graduate, LGBTQ+ PhDs who faced discrimination in academia. Their career paths and struggles are so different from the privileged, Ivy League norm that dominates the content right now. It’s time to center those stories, not just add them as an afterthought.

• Occasionally feels US-centric.

• It’d be game-changing to have a free downloadable resource library! Like a template for a non-academic resume tailored to PhDs, a list of industry conferences that actually welcome grads, or a guide to salary negotiation for folks coming from academia. I’d save every single one of those—no cap.

Guides and Detailed Resources

• The biggest thing I’m craving is actionable mental health and identity resources, not just vague mentions of “imposter syndrome.” A lot of us lose our entire sense of self when we stop being “PhD students”—I want worksheets to help reframe our skills, interviews with therapists who specialize in post-grad transitions, and even stories of people who took gap years to reset. It’s not enough to say “this is hard”—tell us how to get through it.

• Develop a PhD transition toolkit containing resume templates, elevator pitch scripts, and interview frameworks, along with user guides.

Positive Feedback

• My advisor gave zero career advice, so this column is my go - to guide.

• Overall, it’s a genuinely helpful and reassuring resource. It makes navigating life after a PhD feel less overwhelming and more realistic. I appreciate the honest tone, practical focus, and sense of community it creates.

• Please keep doing what you’re doing.

• Love the tone—supportive but realistic.

Actionable Next Steps & Moving Forward in 2026

I want to ensure that the feedback is not taking lightly. Below are some things I plan to do moving in 2026, and what to expect in 2026.

• Less sponsored content and more organic content on social media. I detailed this in a recent Patreon update.

• More guide-style content, checklists, or downloadable resources would be a plus. My plan is to develop a broader theme over a monthly period and then create content around it.

• More voices are needed. I called After Your PhD - After “Your” PhD - because I want it to be about your journey and not just mine. Here are some ways to help build community.

  • Please contact me at afteryourphd@gmail.com with any guests you’d like to appear on the podcast. I want to ensure ALL voices are heard.

  • There is a chat option in Substack, please comment if you feel that feature could be used more or if you would find it useful.

  • To help encourage more voices and build a deeper community, I created a new subreddit - r/Afteryourphd. It’s more for discussion, not After Your PhD updates.

    

    Join the After Your PhD Subreddit

How To Support After Your PhD

• Follow the newsletter (:

• Visit the After Your PhD Website

• Leave a tip or become a community member on Patreon / Kofi.

  • Patreon

    Buy Me a Coffee

Happy Holidays (:

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

Looking To Hire -- Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

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#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

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NOTE: The gift card was already sent. Thanks for all the feedback!

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate and observe it.

In order to help improve After Your PhD I’d love to get feedback on what I can do to improve the newsletter, podcast, website, etc. My goal this year was to really focus on three areas: the newsletter, the podcast, and job listings. It would be great to hear your thoughts about this or anything else related to After Your PhD. As you can probably tell, I like to test and see what works and what doesn’t work. Getting feedback is all part of that process.

To help generate more responses, I am including a chance to win a gift card if you complete the survey.

This short survey is designed to gather helpful, constructive feedback about your experience this year. Your responses may relate to any part of the project, including:

• The After Your PhD website

• The podcast.

• Social media content

• The newsletter.

As a thank-you, all participants may enter a random drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card.

To participate in the drawing:

• You must provide 1 valid email address in the form.

• Each email will be assigned a number.

• A random number generator will be used to select one winner.

• The winner will be contacted by email (also reach out to me on LinkedIn to if you see your name announced).

To ensure the process is fair and transparent, the winner’s name will be announced in an upcoming After Your PhD newsletter (no email address will be shared publicly).

Important note: Email addresses will be used for the gift card drawing and your email may be added to the After Your PhD newsletter mailing list.

Take the Survey

Any questions please email me at afteryourphd@gmail.com

Happy Holidays (:

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

Looking To Hire -- Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

Courses

#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

View PhD Job Listings

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2025 was a pivotal year for After Your PhD, marked by a strategic shift to an audio-only format that allowed the show to reach listeners in different ways than before like being on Spotify. Given it’s the end of the year, it’s probably best to consider this the end of the first season, but I don’t plan to end here, if you would like to be a guest on the podcast reach out to Ryan Collins at afteryourphd@gmail.com.

The paths beyond the PhD are vast, spanning from technology transfer, startup founders, cruise-ship lecturers, and countless roles in between. I’ve leaned a lot and met some really interesting folks who have one thing in common, they don’t stop asking questions and findings what’s best for their careers and themselves personally.

As more perspectives are shared, the possibilities expand, reminding us that there is no single “right” path, only the one that aligns with your curiosity, values, and goals.

All After Your PhD LLC Season 1 Episodes below:

Looking To Hire -- Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

Courses

#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

View PhD Job Listings

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In an effort to increase both the diversity and freshness of our PhD career resources page on the After Your PhD website, I’m sharing a Google Form for anyone who would like to contribute or know of websites and resources I should add.

I’m especially looking for submissions in categories such as:

• Podcasts focused on PhD life, careers, research, or personal development

• Websites or blogs offering guidance, insights, or tools for graduate students

• Job boards tailored to PhDs, postdocs, or alternative academic careers

• Coaching or consulting services for career development, writing, productivity, or job search

• Professional communities or networks that support PhDs and early-career researchers

• Tools or platforms that help with research, writing, career exploration, or skill-building

Submit a resource using this form link.

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

*NEW* PhD Career Resources Layout is Reverting Back to the Easier to Manage Table Layout

Instead of adding all the resources unstructured text, the PhD resources page will not be managed in an easy to use table format. Similar to the job listings page, all I have to do is update a google sheet and then the data is ready to go.

Looking To Hire -- Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

Courses

#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

View PhD Job Listings

Share

Leave a comment

I read a comment the other day in an academic-related subreddit saying that leaving academia for a corporate job is like leaving one prison for another (paraphrasing). While these experiences can be valid to a certain extent, generalizing the career pivot experience does more harm than good. Likewise, academia isn’t as horrible as it is portrayed in LinkedIn otherwise it wouldn’t be so competitive.

To better explain my perspective, I offered a short look into my own experience and what influenced my decision to step away from the idea I could be a professor. I also highlighted some typical reasons for staying or leaving, along with why even those broad concepts feel much more problematic.

Overall, the answer to, “should I stay in academia,” is very much a personal question.

Why I Gave Up on My Professorial Dream

I have shared my transition story here and there on the website, social media, and even the About After Your PhD page, but the core of the story remains the same, it was ultimately a family and financial decision. I also came to realize that the dream I was pursuing no longer felt worth it.

After finishing my BA in film/media production, I became interested in film history, which led me to pursue an MA in Cultural Media Studies at the University of North Texas. At the time, I assumed the only viable path with that degree was teaching and research (I didn’t seriously consider marketing roles back then). I went on to complete my PhD in Media Arts and Sciences at Indiana University, but I soon realized the mental pressure was wearing me down. My anxiety was overwhelming. I didn’t feel I had marketable skills, and I doubted I could secure an academic job with my limited publication record. It became clear that I had to finish my dissertation and leave. People often drag their dissertation out, but this was not the case.

I never shy away from this when I talk about my career journey: money was tight and it would have stayed tight if I had remained in the academic grind.

After a period of trial and error in remote gigs due to Covid, a lot of introspection about what I wanted in life, and several informational interviews, I eventually landed a role in SEO that paid four times my previous stipend and my income has only grown since then (albeit I still have student loans).

Looking back it shouldn’t have been a tough decision, but the feeling that I failed weighed heavy on me, but in the end, life is a journey and so is your career.

Reasons You Might Stay in Academia*

• You find fulfillment in teaching, mentoring, and contributing to knowledge.

• You’re motivated by long-term research goals rather than short-term deliverables.

• You enjoy intellectual freedom and the ability to pursue your own research interests.

Reasons You Might Leave Academia*

• You want better pay, benefits, or financial stability.

• You’re seeking clearer career progression and growth opportunities.

• You prefer a more structured, collaborative, or fast-paced work environment.

*- Meta Commentary on Reasons For Staying or Going

I used chatgpt to help generate ideas why someone might stay or leave academia and they do line up to a point for most, but is interesting even how these regularly conceived notions are no longer as true as they once were. For instance, “you enjoy intellectual freedom and the ability to pursue your own research interests” is now under threat under conservative states where topics like gender identity or race are considered a threat to national security. Likewise, “You want better pay, benefits, or financial stability” is not always the case for all industries and with layoffs in the tech sector, things are not always certain outside academia.

Which again points to the idea that “should you leave academia,” is down to what is best for YOU.

What You Should Do Instead If You Are Still Uncertain

If you don’t know, talk to people who already succeeded in their transition. Sometimes the best career path is one you can reference and say, they did, so can I.

Informational interviews are one of the most powerful tools you can use when considering a move beyond academia. They give you real-world insight into different roles, help you understand what skills truly matter, and let you learn directly from people who’ve already made the transition.

These conversations can clarify your options, boost your confidence, and even open doors you didn’t know existed. If you’re not sure where to start, check out the informational interview guide on the After Your PhD website.

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

Looking To Hire -- Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

New After Your PhD Blog Post - Career Paths in Educational Technology

For academics seeking meaningful work beyond traditional faculty roles, educational technology offers a natural bridge between scholarly expertise and real-world impact. Read the latest blog post here

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

Courses

#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

View PhD Job Listings

Share

Leave a comment

Good morning!

Episode 8 is now live on Substack, Spotify, and YouTube.

This is a special episode if you’re a STEM PhD who believes they have a problem to solve with their research. Dr. Fernando Gómez-Baquero is the Director of Runway and Spinouts at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and the program helps academics get funding, make connections and more.

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

LinkedIn Post About AI Roles from the Founder

Link to the social media post is here

Looking To Hire -- Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

New After Your PhD Blog Post - Career Paths in Educational Technology

For academics seeking meaningful work beyond traditional faculty roles, educational technology offers a natural bridge between scholarly expertise and real-world impact. Read the latest blog post here

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

Courses

#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

View PhD Job Listings

Share

Leave a comment

Explore Master’s and PhD’s Roles here on After Your PhD → ⁠https://afteryourphd.com/phd-job-listings/⁠

or apply directly through ⁠Mercor⁠ & ⁠Handshake⁠

About the Guest:

Dr. Fernando Gómez-Baquero is the Director of Runway and Spinouts at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, who is at the intersection of research & entrepreneurship. With over two decades of experience in nanomaterials engineering, energy storage, and the economics and policy of emerging technologies, he brings deep technical and analytical expertise to mentoring early-stage founders. He has co-founded and advised multiple energy and materials companies, published in peer-reviewed journals, taught online courses, and serves as a core instructor for the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, all driven by his commitment to shaping a more empathetic and sustainable innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Fernando’s LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandogomezbaquero/⁠

Follow After Your PhD LLC On Social Media:

Website: ⁠https://afteryourphd.com/⁠

Newsletter: ⁠https://afteryourphd.substack.com/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/afteryourphd/⁠

Blusky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/afteryourphd.bsky.social⁠⁠

Good morning!

All episodes of the After Your PhD Podcast are live on the After Your PhD YouTube channel. Through an automated setup using the Spotify RSS feed, every new episode published on Spotify is instantly pushed to YouTube so you will never miss an update.

As a founder, I’m always looking for ways to be more productive and use my time wisely, so automating this process has been a huge help. Now, whenever a new episode goes live on Spotify, it’s automatically posted to YouTube, saving time while keeping everything accessible for my audience.

Listen on Spotify

View the Podcast Playlist

Best,

Ryan Collins PhD

After Your PhD LLC Founder

Job Lead - Agent Engineer

Telepathic, based in San Francisco, is building the world’s first AI growth marketing department and is seeking an Agent Engineer to join its fast-growing founding team. In this full-stack role, you’ll design, build, and ship agent-driven workflows—collaborating closely with customers while shaping the company’s product and technical direction. The ideal candidate is a high-agency, technically exceptional engineer who thrives on ownership, rapid learning, and delivering real customer value. The stack includes React, TypeScript, Supabase, and serverless Node environments, with relocation support and competitive salary plus equity.

Job Posting

Important note for those interested in the role: If you are interested in this role, please email afteryourphd@gmail.com with the subject line “Agent Engineer” along with your resume. I can forward your resume to the founder/CEO directly for a quicker response.

Exiting Academia Interview Series - Highered+

HigherEd+ welcomes you to Exiting Academia, a groundbreaking interview series in which over 50 professionals who completed graduate degrees in the Arts & Humanities, the Life Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the STEM fields share their fascinating journeys in transitioning from academia to thriving industry careers.

Explore Industry Careers:

Explore Careers

Check out other courses from Highered+. Use coupon code AFTERPHD20 for $20 OFF any HigherEd+ Unlimited membership:

Courses

#Opentowork PhDs & Job Listings

This section highlights PhDs and academics who are currently seeking new roles, whether inside or outside academia. Reach out to Ryan Collins PhD at afteryourphd@gmail.com if you’d like to be included in an upcoming newsletter. Please send a headshot, a short summary about yourself and your interested roles, and a way for others to contact you.

Otherwise, please check out the job listings page on After Your PhD! I work directly with trusted referral partners who are highly motivated to hire people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs), so you’re not just another applicant in the pile. I’m also consciously curating job listings across both STEM and Humanities disciplines, because I know that opportunities for Humanities PhDs are often underrepresented on traditional job boards.

View PhD Job Listings

Share

Leave a comment