Passing the Torch: How to Help PhDs Leave Academia
My own experience of pursuing non-academic careers would not be possible without the help of former academics who work in industry. They gave me their time and honest thoughts about leaving academia and specifics of non-academic careers that academic institutions failed to provide.
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When I first began searching for careers outside of academia, I felt lost.
The process of leaving academia is filled with questions on top of more questions. What will I do next? Can I do “good” research? Will people hire an academic? Will other people accept me?
I looked to career services and other academics in academic institutions. However, career services was mainly geared towards undergraduates. Academics and fellow graduate students working at academic institutions are generally focused on preparing students and themselves for the academic job market.
People and resources aside, academic institutions and academics are also not preparing students for non-academic jobs because of prevailing attitudes of industry. John B. Holbein gives a great synopsis of this type of thinking that limits career opportunities for students and PhDs before they even begin their search.
Academic institutions are not doing enough to answer the main two questions of academics leaving academia: “What do I do next in my career?” How will I do it?” PhDs who have made successful transitions into industry (or successful in the process so far) should pass the metaphorical torch to academics who are lost and need guidance.
As people who already made the transitions, PhDs in industry can pass their knowledge and information as a way to provide guidance to those who need it to make sense of their next steps.
From my experience, the best ways that PhDs have helped me in the process were a combination of the following listed below.
Engage in Public Outreach
The common analogy of academia is “the ivory” tower. The meaning of the ivory tower refers to “a state of privileged seclusion or separation from the facts and practicalities of the real world.” For academics in industry to truly pass the torch to other academics, they need to throw aside all notions of seclusion or separation. In many cases, this is why academics are leaving.
Engaging in public outreach refers to posting occasionally about your experiences on places like Twitter or LinkedIn. Many of the resources I found in my post career path were through academics talking about their experiences on Twitter (#alt-ac, for example).
Set up “Coffee Hours”
To answer questions, having a casual space/time to answer questions can make a difference. Even if it is only a few hours a week, setting aside a few hours of your day can provide insight on what to do next.
For example, I spoke with Alaina Talboy, Ph.D. who is currently a Design Researcher at Microsoft. She has a section on her website where she sits down with academics to discuss careers in user experience. When I initially began searching for careers, I looked at UX as a possible career path. I did not end up pursuing UX careers, but I did learn about what I liked (mixed method research) and what I didn’t like (the design-focus aspect, major competition from UX grads).
Be Blunt about Academia
When people reach out to you, they don’t want you to sugarcoat your experiences. They want to know how and why you left.
Be Blunt About Non-Academic Careers
No job is perfect. Trying to idealize non-academic jobs will only leave academics feeling even more disillusioned. It’s okay to talk about the drawbacks of industry careers.
It’s better to be informed than to be ignorant.
Life is a series of trade-offs and people need to know what trade-offs make the most sense in their own lives.
Problems of Privilege
If I’m being honest with myself, being a white able-bodied man has afforded me privilege's in my search for non-academic roles. Discrimination exists in hiring processes whether recruiters or hiring mangers would like admit it.
Additionally, students who reside outside of the US also face a unique set of difficult challenges in terms of visas and immigration paperwork.
The act of leaving academia is not easy for everyone and former academics working in industry should be aware of this aspect in their discussions with students.
A Personal Note for Those Reading My Article:
If you are also in the process of leaving academia, feel free to email me at ryanwilliamcollins@yahoo.com . I’d love to answer any questions you have.
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My website: www.collinsryan.com
