PLEASE CONTACT US AT POSTACCAREERS@GMAIL.COM TO ARRANGE TO TALK TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING COACHES.

Dr. Matt Bakker

Dr. Matthew Bakker has spent many years working for the Federal Government. Beginning with a term Research Associate position (equivalent to a post-doc at a university), he subsequently competed successfully for a principal-investigator-level staff scientist position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After 6 years with USDA, he has just transitioned back to academia and he is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Manitoba, Canada.  His background is in Plant Pathology (University of Minnesota).  Dr. Bakker’s research addresses questions in microbial ecology, microbiomes, and connections between microbiology and the productivity and sustainability of crop production.

Find Matthew on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbakker/

Matthew’s Consulting Philosophy:

None of us have the breadth of experience to be able to intuitively know what our ideal career would look like; it is important to remain open to new possibilities and to be willing to reimagine ourselves in unexpected roles. As a graduate student, surrounded by people who had chosen the academic track, some of the damaging propensities and baggage associated with this career path became obvious over time. I began to wonder whether alternative career destinations existed that might offer a structure that was more conducive to a balanced whole-life experience. I was surprised to discover options for scientific research within the federal government that offered intellectual challenge, scientific freedom, and also reasonable and clear performance expectations. I will help you explore whether options in government could provide a good fit, and work with you to successfully navigate ‘the system’.

Dr. Viviane Callier

Viviane Callier is a scientist turned science writer. She currently writes for the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Communications and Public Liaison, and freelances part-time. Having been a contractor for the federal government for three years, she has a solid understanding of the many options available to scientists in the federal government and in the government-contracting world, which include careers in science writing, policy, diplomacy, technology transfer, regulatory affairs, and program management. She is excited to help recent STEM PhDs pursue opportunities in these areas.

As a freelance writer, she has written op-eds and news articles for a variety of places including Science, The Atlantic, New Scientist, and others. She has written about biomedical training, funding, and workforce issues for Nature, The Scientist, Chronicle Vitae, among others. She is an associate editor for the National Postdoctoral Association’s POSTDOCket newsletter. Using her freelance writing and editing experience, she enjoys coaching recent PhDs of all backgrounds who are interested in becoming freelance writers.

She graduated summa cum laude from Mount Holyoke College; was a Churchill Scholar at Cambridge University, and earned her Ph.D. in biology at Duke University, before doing a postdoc at Arizona State University. She has published several peer-reviewed articles, including first-author papers in Science and PNAS. @vcallier on Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Viviane’s Consulting philosophy:

As scientist who departed the lab bench not too long ago, I have a clear idea of the challenges faced by graduate student and postdocs in the biological and biomedical sciences. My own departure was precipitated by a re-examination of my values and a search for how I could build a life that is consistent with those values.

I believe the key to alt-ac success is to dig deep and understand the motivations that underlie your goals. For example, if your goal was ever to become a tenure-track professor, your underlying motivations might be things like: the freedom to work on questions you find interesting; the ability to control your own schedule; the prestige/recognition; the money (just joking). The thing is, the tenure track is not the only place you can get these things.

In my current life, freelancing provides me with the intellectual freedom that I loved in academia; my government contracting job pays better than a postdoc, provides a steady stream of work and income, and provides networking opportunities on the NIH campus. The approach I’ve taken is to identify the specific things I value (needs that I want my work to satisfy), and then find ways of assembling work from a variety of sources that will fulfill each of those needs.

As an alt-ac consultant, I will help you systematically identify your values, and help you to find ways to build a work life that is compatible with these values. Then, I’ll provide practical guidance and support for making your transition, networking, building relevant experience, applying for jobs. For those interested in freelancing, I will coach you on pitching and writing for a variety of publications.

Dr. Vania Cao

Dr. Karen Cardozo

Karen Cardozo first worked as a career counselor at Harvard in the 1990’s and returned to the field at Williams College twenty years later in 2012.  In between, she completed her Masters in Higher Education Administration at Harvard in 1993 and a PhD in literary American studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2005.  Before, during and after earning her doctorate she worked as a dean at Mount Holyoke College and taught 18 discrete courses including ethnic, gender, film, literary and trauma studies across the Five College Consortium (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and UMass). She went on to be tenured as Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the Berkshires, before taking up a new position in January 2018 as Executive Director of Career Development at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA (a senior staff role reporting directly to the president).  Karen identifies primarily as a developer of authentic and whole human beings, and tries to be one herself by meditating, spending time with family and friends, hiking with her dog Sadie, and making music with her indie rock band (www.showofcards.com). Read more about Karen’s bio in this autobiographical post.   Find her at LinkedIn here.

Karen’s consulting philosophy:

With a Masters in Higher Education Administration and a variety of work experiences on 8 different campuses (R1 and SLACs, public and private, single-sex and coed), I have significant institutional knowledge and expertise on Alt-Ac careers as well as related diversity issues. As a generalist MBTI-certified former career counselor, I’m also well-suited to offer a robust diagnostic approach to broader career change possibilities. And because I’m an interdisciplinary scholar currently located in the tenure system, I am well-placed to help you consider the comparative merits of academic versus nonacademic jobs, as well as the transferable potential of your scholarly background. Finally, as an aspiring yogi, singer-songwriter, and parent, I can empathize with and support your larger efforts to compose a satisfying and meaningful life.

Dr. Maggie Gover

Dr. Laura Graham

Laura Graham began her career in higher education in the UK as a Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast while completing her PhD in Sociology. Her academic career included faculty positions at Tufts University and Trinity College Dublin. In 2014, she started a copy editing business working exclusively with academic clients on scholarly publications. She later expanded her business to include resume editing and post-academic transition consulting. In 2017, she transitioned out of academia to pursue a full time legal career. She currently holds a position in the judicial branch of government while pursuing her J.D. She is also on the editing team at The Professor Is In. Laura’s prior experience working in the legal profession, NGOs, and government has provided a wealth of knowledge that compliments her consultant work.

Laura’s consulting philosophy:

Having worked closely with academic clients through my editing business and at The Professor Is In, I have significant knowledge of the unique challenges that many academics face in both the American and British-Irish job markets. I have coached a number of clients dealing with the two body problem, contingency, and those wanting to use their doctorates outside the academy. I specialize in helping clients consider their transition to non-academic employment and assembling competitive job application materials that reflect their transferable skills and experience. In addition, I offer interview coaching and negotiation advice that is qualitatively different from the strategies used in higher education employment.

Dr. Richard Graham

Richard is the CEO of the music technology company, Delta Sound Labs, where he used his experience in arts and engineering to guide the formation of a team of specialists who are now developing products for music, film, and game industries. His company was recently resident at the Technicolor Experience Center in Los Angeles where the team worked on a series of spatial audio systems using motion capture technology for music composition and visual effects production. Richard also serves as a consultant on music production and continues to teach in community-based education programs in the mid-south, including recent engagements with Stax Music Academy and Memphis Slim Collaboratory. While Richard’s engagements lie predominantly outside of the academy, he continues to serve as a music and paper reviewer for the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) community.

Richard earned his PhD (2012) in Music Technology at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. He held a tenure-track appointment at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey from 2012-2017. His research concerns performance systems design and spatial audio. During his time in academe, Richard performed and presented his work at venues around the world, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nokia Bell Laboratories, Audio Engineering Society, Berklee College of Music, Korean Electro-Acoustic Music, Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, and Trinity College Dublin. He was also artist in residence at world-renowned electronic music studios, including STEIM in Amsterdam and EMS in Stockholm. In his post-academic career, Richard now finds the time to run a company, as well as compose and perform his own music.

Richard’s Consulting Philosophy:

Having made the decision to leave academia quite recently, I am still very much aware of the anxiety that comes with such a daunting transition, particularly when leaving a tenure track appointment. I will help you establish yourself as an independent artist or musician and to leverage your academic networks in the context of creative industry, including identifying where your skill sets may be applicable in tangentially related fields that increasingly require audio experts, such as the gaming, film, and visual effects industries. I can advise on setting up a business and the entrepreneurial career path, as well as assist with tailoring a curriculum vitae into a job-specific resume. Given my transatlantic background, I am available to work with clients in both European and US job markets.

Dr. Darcy Hannibal

Darcy Hannibal is a biological anthropologist working in data analytics and data science. Her non-traditional career path, post-PhD, started with a continuation of the data consulting work she began while in graduate school, followed by a staff job as a data analyst and laboratory manager at the University of California Davis. She then worked as an Assistant Project Scientist in the Department of Population Health & Reproduction at the University of California Davis. As of September 2018, Darcy works as the Principal Analyst of Student Success in the Office of Budget and Institutional Analysis at UC Davis. During her time as a Lab Manager and Project Scientist, she managed primate behavioral research projects, which included recruiting, hiring, and supervising laboratory staff. In addition to mentoring the staff on their career goals and development, resumes, and cover letters, she reviewed hundreds of job applications and conducted interviews as a prospective supervisor. Darcy has seen the mistakes PhDs make when applying for non-academic jobs and she can help you avoid them. Find Darcy at:  @DarcyHannibal and Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darcyhannibal

Darcy’s Consulting Philosophy:

Our academic training, hobbies, and other experiences provide us with skills that can translate to non-academic jobs, but it takes some preparation to re-orient yourself, learn how to describe your skills in a compelling way, and become a contender for these jobs. Your plan B is someone else’s plan A, so you need a B-game brought up to an A-game level. The best cover letters, resumes, and interviews come from a combination of succinctly presenting who you are as a professional and doing your homework to find out what and who are behind the job ad. Your best shot at filling a position for a job you would love, is to fine tune your application materials and interviewing skills to make you an obvious top choice. Some clients I work already have a lead on a potential job and just need job application material and interview services. If that is true for you, then jumping right into those services is fine. Many clients, however, need assistance with building a job search strategy and for those clients a 50-minute consult is needed before working on job documents. Although good job documents are essential, few prospective employers will look at them if you don’t have a sound job search strategy. In the initial 50-minute consult, we will go over work history and interests, what path you envision for your career going forward, areas where your job materials need improvement, the importance of building a professional network and how to do that, where to find potential jobs, how to pitch yourself for the jobs you want, services you may want going forward, and any other specific concerns you may have. For clients interested in a career in analytics, I provide specific guidance on their analytical skills and translating these for non-academic jobs. Working with you on your next step forward will be a rewarding and fun venture for both of us!

I encourage you to read my blog posts to get an overview of my perspective on job documents and other elements of the job search:

http://theprofessorisin.com/2016/04/18/the-post-acs-guide-to-the-resume/

http://theprofessorisin.com/2016/05/31/the-post-acs-guide-to-the-cover-letter/

Dr. Jane Jones

Jane Jones, PhD is the founder of Up In Consulting, an editing and consulting business. She works with academic writers as well as writers of serious nonfiction to develop systems to sustain effective writing routines and habits. In her capacity as an editor, she provides developmental editing services to writers of articles, book proposals, and book manuscripts.

Jane earned her PhD in Sociology from New York University in 2010. She worked as a tenure-track assistant professor for three years, then was a fellow at the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). She started her business in 2014.

Jane’s Coaching Philosophy

Many academics who are starting businesses have internal resistance to developing their identity as a business person. If they intend to serve academics, they believe that marketing to other academics requires a secret formula, or that academics are an indecipherable niche market. Most folks leaving academia also have deeply held beliefs that marketing is “grimy,” no matter who their audience is. They have a conviction that their work should speak for itself.

I coach people who are thinking of starting businesses – or have already started one – and are struggling to put themselves out there as a businessperson. I also help you develop strategies for confronting your resistance to embracing their new identities as business owners. Together, we will identify promotional strategies that feel authentic and aligned with your personal values.

Dr. Lisa Munro

Lisa Munro holds a PhD in modern Latin American history from the University of Arizona (2015). She considers herself a historian-practitioner, editor, and writer. She recently made the leap to full-time self-employment. She provides editing, writing coaching, and teaching for academic and non-fiction writers.

In addition to helping writers tell their stories, she also helps people in transition tell new stories about themselves and envision new futures. In her post-ac life, she blogs about the emotional process of transitioning out of academia and the discovery of creative, joyful, and fulfilling career possibilities outside of academia.

She has a particular interest in supporting people through emotional process of healing after grief and trauma. She has worked with people in Guatemala traumatized by decades of state violence and with victims of violent crime as an advocate. Both experiences have led her to expand public conversations on  issues of identity loss and trauma inherent to leaving the academic life, as well as sparked a deep interest in how people tell their personal stories and integrate new experiences and unexpected journeys.

In addition, she has held a number of non-academic jobs, including being a veterinary technician, a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, a patient representative in a bilingual hospital office for uninsured patients, a study abroad assistant, a temp in non-profits, a crime victim advocate, and most recently,  a disaster mental health responder in Puerto Rico.

In 2018, she’s organizing writing retreats, online classes, and dedicating more time to her own writing. Current projects include writing an emotional guide to the writing process, several unfinished novels, an academic book manuscript, and a weekly blog about trauma, transitions, and healing. Her focus word for the upcoming year is THRIVE.  See more about her philosophy in this guest post: Leaving Academia: Learning to Grieve and this one:
Leaving Academia: The Trauma of Identity Loss

www.lisamunro.net (Website)  @llmunro (Twitter) @lisamunrophd (Facebook)
www.linkedin.com/in/lisamunro (LinkedIn)

Coaching Philosophy

I strive to create empowering and safe spaces for people to explore new options and ideas. I believe that people are their own best experts on their work, lives, and experiences. I’m at my absolute best when I’m helping people get into the driver’s seat of their lives and supporting them in their efforts to make decisions in their own best interests.

I believe that self-knowledge is self-power. Too often our deep values, beliefs, and talents become crushed under our academic personas. Only by rediscovering who we really are and what we really want can we move forward to become the people we were meant to be. I want to know who you are, what you value, and what you want.

I encourage people to think bigger than academia. I urge people to get out into the world and volunteer, do informational interviews, and  think hard and deep about what they really love and want. I want people searching for new career options to use their deepest desires to create a life and career that they love more than they loved academia.

Leaving academia and stepping into the post-ac life often requires a period of grief, adjustment, and healing. The aftermath of leaving the academic life for the unknown is often confusing, messy, and full of unexpected turns. However, our greatest moment of crisis often turns into our greatest moment of opportunity.

I’m passionate about supporting people through difficult emotional processes. Working with victims of violent crime and state-sponsored violence showed me how the stories we tell ourselves are often the most powerful. I don’t believe that we ever get over loss or trauma; we’re healing and moving forward when start to tell our new post-ac stories in ways that empower us.

Storytelling also influences my approach to crafting  job materials, which, after all, are just stories about ourselves. I work with job seekers to tell their stories (especially the scattered ones) in ways that make sense to employers as coherent and powerful narratives that highlight people’s originality and strengths.

I value compassion, critical thinking, and creativity.

Adrienne Posner

Adrienne Posner is a Program Manager at Google and works on various internal and external educational initiatives focused on creating a more diverse workforce. Adrienne received her BA in Art History from UC Santa Cruz, completed a fellowship in Critical Theory at the Whitney Museum, and then took a detour into the non-profit sector, working for a time for a political action committee. Returning to school, she received an MA in Art History from UCLA and then applied to the Comparative Literature program at UCLA where she received a second MA, advanced to candidacy, and began work on a dissertation before deciding to leave the academy altogether.

Adrienne’s experience consulting with grad students began as a teaching assistant trainer and continued in her work at UCLA’s Graduate Writing Center, where she coached grad students through organizing, writing, editing, and filing their dissertations. Though no longer an academic, she is still actively engaged in working in higher education, both via her work at Google and via her consulting work helping graduate students navigate both academia and the non-academic job market.

Coaching Philosophy

As someone who has worked in the non profit sector and the museum world and then transitioned back into academia and then moved between academic programs and then back out of academia and into the tech sector, I have significant institutional knowledge and a wide range of experiences in a variety non-academic settings. If you’re on the fence about how or if to proceed with your degree, if you already have your degree but are considering a change, if you aren’t sure what skills or experiences make you marketable outside the academy, if you’re simply curious about what kinds of alt-ac jobs are out there, or if you want to better understand the tech landscape and how to apply for and get work that feels sustainable and personally meaningful, I can help.

Dr. Jason Tebbe

Jason Tebbe is a former academic who has been teaching for three years at an independent high school in New York City.  He received his PhD in German History from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign in 2006, and went on to be a visiting professor for two years and an assistant professor for three years after that before seeing the light.  He is the author of the blog Notes from the Ironbound  (KK: where he has excellent post-ac content) and still maintains active research projects on the history of memory and travel.  Find him on Twitter at @wernerherzbear.

Jason’s Consulting Philosophy:

I am a former academic with experience on both the contingent and tenure tracks who has made the transition to teaching at an independent high school in Manhattan.  Having recently made this change, I have a lot of expertise in applying for jobs at private schools, and plenty of advice on how to navigate the culture of private schools, which differs quite a bit from the academic application process.  I can provide tips for finding jobs, fashioning application materials, interviewing, and adjusting to life in a new profession.

Dr. Margy Thomas