Many who pursue a Phd or MFA considering working in Academia, either in teaching, research or both. What if that outcome changes, either due to market conditions or changes in goals? It may be helpful to know the career alternatives to academia prior to investing time, money and effort into post-graduate education. Here are some resources, spanning academic disciplines, that provide several options to consider:
- Inside HireEd – alt-AC Articles
- The Professor is In – The Essential Guide to Turning Your PhD into a Job – book in Bertrand
- The Versatile PhD
- ImaginePhD – a career exploration and planning tool for the humanities and social sciences
- My IDP – Science Careers – individual plans for PhD/post doc
- Connected Academics: Preparing Doctoral Students of Language and Literature for a Variety of Careers
- Psychology Today – Ten Tips for Developing an Alternative Career Path While in Graduate School
- American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Transferable Skills for Industry
- American Political Science Association – Exploring Non-Academic Career Options
- Fordham University- Career Pathways for Graduate Students
- Carpe Careers – Advice for graduate students, post-grads, early professionals
Another way to explore career possibilities is to use the alumni LinkedIn page for Bucknell or the universities you are considering to look at profiles of those who pursued or completed PhDs (or other terminal degrees) to learn more about their post-degree careers. Reach out to those who are in careers of interest to learn how their academic preparation played a role in their journey.
