"So What Are You Going to Do with That?"
Finding Careers Outside Academia
With “So What Are You Going to Do with That?” Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius—Ph.D.’s themselves—answer all those questions with a resounding “Yes!” A witty, accessible guide full of concrete advice for anyone contemplating the jump from scholarship to the outside world, “So What Are You Going to Do with That?” covers topics ranging from career counseling to interview etiquette to translating skills learned in the academy into terms an employer can understand and appreciate. Packed with examples and stories from real people who have successfully made this daunting—but potentially rewarding— transition, and written with a deep understanding of both the joys and difficulties of the academic life, this fully revised and up-to-date edition will be indispensable for any graduate student or professor who has ever glanced at her CV, flipped through the want ads, and wondered, “What if?”
“I will absolutely be recommending this book to our graduate students exploring their career options—I’d love to see it on the coffee tables in department lounges!”—Robin B. Wagner, former associate director for graduate career services, University of Chicago
Contents
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 Will I have to Wear A Suit?
Rethinking Life After Graduate School
Getting Your Head Ready
Should I Finish My Dissertation?
How to Use Your Grad School Years Wisely
Whodunit? And How Can I Do It Too?
So What Am I Going To Do?
Six Myths About Post-Academic Careers
Five Questions for Rethinking Graduate School
Your Eclectic Mix
Post Academic Profile: Tom Maglozzi, Cohost of NPR's Car Talk, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
2 How Do I Figure Out What Else To Do
Soul-Searching Before Job Searching
Take Inventory
Break It Down
Looking Backward: Seven Stories
The Bookstore at the End of the Mind
"This is Your Brain on Graduate School"
No Need for a #2 Pencil
Where Are All Those Ph.D.'s Anyway?
Create Your Own Possibilities
Post Academic Profile: David Rosengarten, Television Cooking Show Host, Ph.D. in Theater History
3 Testing the Waters
Networking and the Transitional Experience
The Power of Networking
Networking That Works
Information Interviews
Getting Your Feet Wet: Internships, Part-Time Jobs, and Volunteer Work
Transitional Tales
So When Do I Start Looking For A Job?
Post-Academic Profile: Shannon Mrksich, Patent Attorney, Ph.D. in Chemistry
4 This Might Hurt a Bit:
Turning a CV Into a Resume
Getting Ready to Write a Résumé
Writing a Résumé: The First Draft
A Few More Words of Advice
After You've Drafted a Résumé
Case Studies and Sample Résumés
Cover Letters That Will Get You Hired
Post-Academic Profile: Bryan Garman, Prep School Headmaster, Ph.D. in American Studies
5 Sweaty palms, Warm Heart:
How to Turn an Interview into a Job
How to Land a Job Interview
Before the Interview
During the Interview
After the Interview
What If the Interview Doesn't Go Well?
The Job Offer (or Lack Thereof)
Negotiation
Adjusting to Your New Job
Post-Academic Profile: Annie Hurlbut, Founder of Peruvian Connection, A.B.D. in Anthropology
Conclusion
Education: Higher Education
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.
