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The Professor Is In Goes Post-Ac

By Karen Kelsky | February 10, 2014

A big announcement:  The Professor Is In is expanding to the post-academic job search. I’ve collected a panel of experts who have all made successful post-academic transitions to a range of different types of work, and they’ll be posting regularly on the blog, and by later this Spring leading webinars and offering job document and career counseling help.* 

Tomorrow I’ll introduce the first two Post-Ac Experts and their planned line-up of posts, and we’ll be off.

Why am I making this move?  Because, I am asked almost daily for help with the post-ac transition. Up until now I’ve always turned would-be clients away with a regretful, “sorry, I don’t really do that.”  But the tenure track job market is so awful, and the state of the academy so indefensibly wretched, that I am no longer comfortable limiting my services to serving that narrow, shrinking, and ethically questionable system.

My own post-academic transition was one of the hardest and most brutal, but ultimately most gratifying and satisfying things I’ve ever accomplished. I want to support others as they set out on this path.  It really is OK to Quit.

Post-ac related information has a permanent home on the website on the Post-Ac Services page.  Please share widely with any ABD/Ph.D. you know struggling with the wretched academic job market and seeking inspiration and information for a non-academic career.   The email for this new post-ac side is:  postaccareers@gmail.com.  Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any particular requests, or wish to share your story and/or expertise.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Best of luck whatever you decide to do —   Karen

* Our first post-ac webinar is already up on the Prof Shop page :  Starting a Small Business: The Other #Post-Ac Option (led by me!)

Similar Posts:

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  • You Have an Interview. Now What? — Fruscione #3
  • Questioning Your Future in Academia? Do This Now!
  • Introducing More #Post-Ac Experts: Tina Fanetti and Jason Tebbe

Filed Under: Adjunct Issues, Alt-Ac Job Search

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna says

    February 10, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    Yay! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Brad says

    February 17, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    Looking forward to this series!

    Reply
  3. ariel says

    June 20, 2014 at 6:00 am

    Hi, I was wondering whether you could find a “post-ac expert” to speak about community colleges. After four years on the market I would be very interested in pursuing a career at a community college, but I am concerned that I look too “researchy.” I have won several research awards and held a post-doc — accomplishments that have not paid off in terms of attracting the attention of hiring committee, but that make me look unappealingly research-oriented to community colleges (I have applied to several and, despite articulating my desire to teach and/or work as an administrator, I have not received any response). I imagine lots of people who trained as researchers have successfully found jobs at community colleges — what is a good strategy?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 20, 2014 at 7:26 am

      A CC career is not a post-academic career. It’s a very legit academic career. Please read everything Rob Jenkins has ever written in the Chronicle of Higher Ed (and maybe elsewhere) about how to approach these jobs.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Chronicle Vitae’s Free Dossier Service | The Professor Is In says:
    June 11, 2020 at 11:36 am

    […] you probably know by now I am launching a post-ac branch of The Professor Is In, dedicated to advice and information for people seeking jobs outside the […]

    Reply

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