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"So What Are You Going to Do with That?": Finding Careers Outside Academia
Graduate schools churn out tens of thousands of PhDs and MAs every year. Yet more than half of all college courses are taught by adjunct faculty, which means that the chances of an academic landing a tenure-track job seem only to shrink as student loan and credit card debts grow. What’s a frustrated would-be scholar to do? Can she really leave academia? Can a job outside the academy really be rewarding? And could anyone want to hire a grad-school refugee?
In this third edition of “So What Are You Going to Do with That?”, thoroughly revised with new advice for students in the sciences, Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius—PhDs 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 how to translate 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 updated guide will be indispensable for any graduate student or professor who has ever glanced at his or her CV, flipped through the want ads, and wondered, “What if?”
In this third edition of “So What Are You Going to Do with That?”, thoroughly revised with new advice for students in the sciences, Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius—PhDs 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 how to translate 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 updated guide will be indispensable for any graduate student or professor who has ever glanced at his or her CV, flipped through the want ads, and wondered, “What if?”
163 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 15, 2011
When I first picked this book up from the library, I was disappointed. "Sure is a slender book," I thought. "How much advice could they possibly impart in so few words?" The answer: a lot.
This a great book for academics who are contemplating "life on the outside," er, I mean "a post-graduate career." Part advice, part self-help, the two authors had left the academy and in the process discovered how to transition into a new career.
They are honest in their bias: they aren't going to talk about all the horror stories, but instead they use vignettes of postgraduates who have launched into exciting careers that aren't random, but instead seem in retrospect to be a natural progression.
Now, for some honest talk. If you're an academic, you're a mess. Sorry, that's just how it is. Grad school is like boot camp minus the crisp uniforms: you emerge full of confidence, but then get broken down and battered in the process. You have a lot of experience and knowledge about a very particular topic, and are used to an apprentice-based system where your main asset is your ability to think. As one of the interviewees aptly put it: you are both overqualified and underqualified to enter the post-graduate workplace.
With this in mind, the authors gently (yet bluntly) show you how to identify transferable skills you have (but probably didn't know you had), convert a CV into a resume, conduct an information interview, find jobs, and negotiate salaries. While they do this, they also talk about the psychological impact of leaving the academy. For many of us, being an academic is an identity as much as it is a job title, so this was particularly helpful.
The only flaw I could find with this book is that a lot of their weblinks (including their own website!) are now obsolete. Other than that, it's a great read, and one I've been sharing with my fellow academics.
This a great book for academics who are contemplating "life on the outside," er, I mean "a post-graduate career." Part advice, part self-help, the two authors had left the academy and in the process discovered how to transition into a new career.
They are honest in their bias: they aren't going to talk about all the horror stories, but instead they use vignettes of postgraduates who have launched into exciting careers that aren't random, but instead seem in retrospect to be a natural progression.
Now, for some honest talk. If you're an academic, you're a mess. Sorry, that's just how it is. Grad school is like boot camp minus the crisp uniforms: you emerge full of confidence, but then get broken down and battered in the process. You have a lot of experience and knowledge about a very particular topic, and are used to an apprentice-based system where your main asset is your ability to think. As one of the interviewees aptly put it: you are both overqualified and underqualified to enter the post-graduate workplace.
With this in mind, the authors gently (yet bluntly) show you how to identify transferable skills you have (but probably didn't know you had), convert a CV into a resume, conduct an information interview, find jobs, and negotiate salaries. While they do this, they also talk about the psychological impact of leaving the academy. For many of us, being an academic is an identity as much as it is a job title, so this was particularly helpful.
The only flaw I could find with this book is that a lot of their weblinks (including their own website!) are now obsolete. Other than that, it's a great read, and one I've been sharing with my fellow academics.
May 26, 2013
To some extent just this book existing is enough to skew my rating high. It feels like the authors are sitting me down with a coffee and a pat on the back and telling me all the things I want to hear e.g. it's all going to be OK. Apparently there is a life outside of academia and it's rewarding and even fun.
I have no idea if the practical advice is any good, but the authors have nailed my emotions about feeling I'm not good for anything in the Real World.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I have no idea if the practical advice is any good, but the authors have nailed my emotions about feeling I'm not good for anything in the Real World.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
October 19, 2021
Great book filled with practical tips for soul searching before job searching, finding organizations that interest you, and preparing for an interview. This is especially useful for PhD students but would also be valuable for anyone contemplating a career change of any kind. I love their list of "Big Questions" you should be able to answer about an organization even before crafting a cover letter or resume.
October 21, 2015
Very helpful book. Good descriptions of job search in academia vs "real" world.
August 13, 2007
This is a guide to career-changing for MAs and PhDs - a how-to on how to get out of academia, salvage your identity, and actually get a worthwhile job....which is exactly what I needed when I read it. Very comforting for the bruised ego of anyone undergoing a voluntary exit from academia and the painful reprogramming that necessarily accompanies this transition. If you never could imagine your life outside academe, this book will help re-expand those devastatingly narrowed horizons. The most valuable sections I found were the chapter on information interviewing useful for career exploration and the chapter on how to convert an academic CV into a business resume. As far as I know this book is out of print, but you can still find a used copy or two online.
May 20, 2014
"Intellectuals don't lose their abilities the moment they step off campus. The talents that made you successful in academia can propel you into the post-academic world. Strong, independent thinkers can't help carving out interesting careers."
Really helpful book for thinking about and applying for post-academic careers. Lots of concrete, useful tips as well as big picture ideas. Much of the information on specific jobs is anecdotal, but it kinda has to be. There's not a single path out of academia. People take a variety of paths & it's helpful to hear about their experiences.
Really helpful book for thinking about and applying for post-academic careers. Lots of concrete, useful tips as well as big picture ideas. Much of the information on specific jobs is anecdotal, but it kinda has to be. There's not a single path out of academia. People take a variety of paths & it's helpful to hear about their experiences.
May 6, 2016
This little book provides a constructively realistic pep talk for smart folks exiting the ivory tower. It offers a helpful mix of illustrative anecdotes (about ex-scholars who broke into various industries) and big-picture reality checks (about academic and non-academic job markets). It also provides good concrete tips for self-reflection, as well as for finding and applying to jobs. Overall, both informative and encouraging. I'd recommend it to any disillusioned grad student or burnt-out adjunct prof who's itching to reconnect her talents with the real world's needs.
December 17, 2020
It's a brilliant read and certainly exceeded my expectations. This book takes the reader on a journey, first exploring reasons why someone might consider leaving or be forced to leave academia, and discussing how these departures can be fleeting or permanent. The book then invites readers to reflect on their experiences, achievements and skills in order to identify broad career avenues that might interest them. It also gives some advice on how to develop relevant skills whilst still in graduate school. Finally, the book goes into the nitty-gritty of how to find jobs which will fit your interests and skills, how to prepare for applying for jobs, how to write a resume (or what would be a short CV for Europeans) and finally how to tackle interviewing and negotiating salary/work benefits. As well as having well-rounded content matter, this book was written in a friendly and forward-looking tone, but did not come across as falsely optimistic. The book is full of examples of graduate students who have gone on to have successful post-academic careers.
I would recommend this book to any PhD researcher at any phase of their studies, even if they aspire for an academic career, because you never know when you may need to pursue work outside of academia. However, I would especially recommend this book to any fellow PhD student who has reached the depths of academic despair, just as I have as I near the end of my PhD journey. Going into reading this book, I felt that I had little to offer, and had no idea how to face an industry interview - this book has restored my confidence in my skills, whilst explaining how to not (accidentally) come across as arrogant.
Although written for the American market this book is suitable for people seeking work in Europe as well.
I would recommend this book to any PhD researcher at any phase of their studies, even if they aspire for an academic career, because you never know when you may need to pursue work outside of academia. However, I would especially recommend this book to any fellow PhD student who has reached the depths of academic despair, just as I have as I near the end of my PhD journey. Going into reading this book, I felt that I had little to offer, and had no idea how to face an industry interview - this book has restored my confidence in my skills, whilst explaining how to not (accidentally) come across as arrogant.
Although written for the American market this book is suitable for people seeking work in Europe as well.
March 26, 2018
"Absolutely everyone has to make trade-offs when they accept a job. Maybe the hours are long but the pay is good. Maybe the commute is short but the work isn't that interesting. Maybe the work is wonderfully satisfying but pays too little. And once you think you've got it all figured out, you have to do it all over again because your much-beloved boss has been replaced by a hard-headed tyrant and now your dream job is a nightmare."
"It's like driving at night. Your headlights only light up the road 30 feet in front of you, but that's enough to get you all the way home."
"What's going on in your head? What do you spend most of your time thinking about? Do you have interests and passions that crowd out what you're 'supposed' to be doing? Draw a map of your head, including all the clutter, and give each subject the proportional space it deserves. Be honest with yourself but have fun. Now redraw your head. How would you like it to look? What do you want to spend your time thinking about?"
"It's like driving at night. Your headlights only light up the road 30 feet in front of you, but that's enough to get you all the way home."
"What's going on in your head? What do you spend most of your time thinking about? Do you have interests and passions that crowd out what you're 'supposed' to be doing? Draw a map of your head, including all the clutter, and give each subject the proportional space it deserves. Be honest with yourself but have fun. Now redraw your head. How would you like it to look? What do you want to spend your time thinking about?"
November 15, 2018
A concise book full of helpful advice for graduate students or individuals with advanced degrees who are considering careers outside the tenure track. The authors cover everything from informational interviews to salary negotiations and supplement their material with stories of former graduate students who are happily employed outside academia. A good read for graduate students, recent masters or Ph.D. grads, and the faculty/staff who work with them.
May 3, 2020
Тема поиска работы вне академического мира для меня сейчас очень актуальна.
Но практически все истории, которые я читала, разворачиваются в западном контексте, а точнее в Великобритании или США. Хотя в целом советы кажутся полезными, а опыт узнаваемым, локальную специфику никто не отменял. Я вот думаю, есть ли похожие книжки или хотя бы статьи, относящиеся к постсоветским / восточноевропейским странам?
Но практически все истории, которые я читала, разворачиваются в западном контексте, а точнее в Великобритании или США. Хотя в целом советы кажутся полезными, а опыт узнаваемым, локальную специфику никто не отменял. Я вот думаю, есть ли похожие книжки или хотя бы статьи, относящиеся к постсоветским / восточноевропейским странам?
August 26, 2019
I felt a little mislead because this book targets graduate and doctoral students but still plenty of transferable advice that I have pages of notes on.
Hopefully this advice will prove useful as I continue my career search.
Hopefully this advice will prove useful as I continue my career search.
December 30, 2019
This book sheds light on the various career paths anyone with a masters degree or higher can take to achieve a new fulfilling career. It’s an uplifting book which helps you find ways to transform your academia skills into business world skills.
March 2, 2021
The book was written some years ago when the internet era just began — but the content is as refreshing as a glass of water in the middle of desert. For PhD student like myself, this can totally open up a new horizon about jobs and what I’m seeking for post-grad journeys.
September 29, 2018
sparked some good introspection tho
January 18, 2021
Very useful for me, who is about to start a PhD life soon. Plan to use time before, during PhD to explore several job types of interest through internship or voluntary experience.
May 13, 2025
Excellent practical guide! A must-read for all PhDs (pre-or post grad).
October 18, 2016
A great intro into looking for jobs outside of academia. It certainly helped me to consider my own skills and knowledge in a new light and hopefully it will help me better while transitioning from academia into the industry and more conventional jobs. Highly recommended.
March 8, 2017
This book covers the basics that academics need to begin a transition out of the academy and into the "real world." The tone is encouraging and supportive and they provide examples of people who have made the transition successfully and demonstrate how they accomplished that. My only complaints about the book are that it is too focused on graduate students and that the portion of the text on negotiating is pretty slim. Frequent references to "your university's career center" ignore the reality of people on the adjunct tract, on the margins, part of contingent faculty, etc. might not have unproblematic access to campus resources like career centers. And they bring up the important aspects of negotiating a non-academic job, without going into the specifics. If you follow their advice and build a network of people who are truly interested in your success and have insight to share, you won't need the book for all of your answers, anyway--so my complaints are minimal.
Importantly, they make mention more than once of the emotional journey from academia to post-ac work. That process can be pretty fraught and reading a book is not likely to help you make that leap. Create a network outside of the university; hire a coach; confide in people who want you to be happy and successful.
Importantly, they make mention more than once of the emotional journey from academia to post-ac work. That process can be pretty fraught and reading a book is not likely to help you make that leap. Create a network outside of the university; hire a coach; confide in people who want you to be happy and successful.
November 15, 2024
Based on personal experiences, a hundred interviews, and reader feedback, Susan Basalla and Maggie Deblius provide advice for grad students and faculty who look to opt out of academia by necessity or choice. In five chapters, the authors guide readers through exercises intended to help them assess their current situation, evaluate their skills, locate opportunities, customize their resume, and prepare for interviews, bolstering their advice with stories told by people who have already made successful transitions. Written in 2015, the book is somewhat outdated but still provides solid information for people looking for career paths beyond the limited opportunities of academia.
April 20, 2015
For the past few years, I have been a huge proponent of the second edition of this book -- I recommend it to my grad school colleagues almost every time career planning comes up -- and I am delighted that the newly released third edition is even better. This time around, Basalla and Debelius make a conscious effort to seamlessly weave in profiles of natural and physical scientists alongside the profiles of humanists and social scientists who have gone on to successful careers outside academia. The advice is timely and relevant given the current job market realities for science PhDs, and I appreciated that they highlight scientists in education, tech start-ups, and public policy, in addition to some of the more obvious industry applications for scientific skill sets.
Broadly speaking, this slim volume is broken down into five essential categories for grad students gearing up to succeed in a post-academic job search. Part 1 talks about mentally preparing for leaving academia and thoughtfully appraising your attitudes about your future. Part 2 lays out some solid advice for career exploration. Part 3 describes researching careers and networking (and actually manages to make networking sound not terribly painful). Part 4 covers converting your CV into a resume and includes helpful example resumes and cover letters. Finally, Part 5 has suggestions for interviewing.
The best feature of this book is the frank, no-nonsense language. This is the kind of real-world advice you would get from a wise and caring friend, if any of those wise and caring friends had the time and knowledge to walk you through the entire career development process in one go. Basalla and Debelius have clearly talked with many people who are trying to transition to a non-academic career, and they have answers for all the common questions. (e.g., "How do I take time to explore careers when my dissertation project/principal investigator rules my life?" and "What practical skills could I possibly offer an employer?") Their approach to opening up readers to the possibility of a non-academic career trajectory is gentle, supportive, and optimistic. They make a muddled pathway seem startlingly clear.
The only thing that struck me as odd and slightly off-putting is the authors' repeated assumption that my decision to turn away from the academic meat grinder is a painful and slightly humiliating experience for me. In their repeated attempts to allay these concerns, I paradoxically got the sense that I ought not be as excited about the non-academic possibilities as I am. (It's like when parents who are divorcing repeatedly assure their children that it's not their fault -- for some kids, that assurance is going to be the first invitation to consider that the divorce might be their fault.) I may be privileged to be in a research group/department/university that is slowly but very clearly embracing the idea that there are all sorts of satisfying careers for all sorts of folks, but I think that sentiment comes across as a bit outdated and will surely need to be toned down in the fourth edition.
Minor criticism aside, this book is an excellent resource for people wanting a practical approach to converting the experience of earning a graduate degree into a future of earning cold, hard cash doing something other than being an overburdened assistant professor. I will continue to recommend this book to my grad school friends with reckless abandon, and I encourage anybody who wants to see the potential practical utility of arcane research to read it from cover to cover. At a slim, trim 149 pages, it is guaranteed to be worth your time.
Broadly speaking, this slim volume is broken down into five essential categories for grad students gearing up to succeed in a post-academic job search. Part 1 talks about mentally preparing for leaving academia and thoughtfully appraising your attitudes about your future. Part 2 lays out some solid advice for career exploration. Part 3 describes researching careers and networking (and actually manages to make networking sound not terribly painful). Part 4 covers converting your CV into a resume and includes helpful example resumes and cover letters. Finally, Part 5 has suggestions for interviewing.
The best feature of this book is the frank, no-nonsense language. This is the kind of real-world advice you would get from a wise and caring friend, if any of those wise and caring friends had the time and knowledge to walk you through the entire career development process in one go. Basalla and Debelius have clearly talked with many people who are trying to transition to a non-academic career, and they have answers for all the common questions. (e.g., "How do I take time to explore careers when my dissertation project/principal investigator rules my life?" and "What practical skills could I possibly offer an employer?") Their approach to opening up readers to the possibility of a non-academic career trajectory is gentle, supportive, and optimistic. They make a muddled pathway seem startlingly clear.
The only thing that struck me as odd and slightly off-putting is the authors' repeated assumption that my decision to turn away from the academic meat grinder is a painful and slightly humiliating experience for me. In their repeated attempts to allay these concerns, I paradoxically got the sense that I ought not be as excited about the non-academic possibilities as I am. (It's like when parents who are divorcing repeatedly assure their children that it's not their fault -- for some kids, that assurance is going to be the first invitation to consider that the divorce might be their fault.) I may be privileged to be in a research group/department/university that is slowly but very clearly embracing the idea that there are all sorts of satisfying careers for all sorts of folks, but I think that sentiment comes across as a bit outdated and will surely need to be toned down in the fourth edition.
Minor criticism aside, this book is an excellent resource for people wanting a practical approach to converting the experience of earning a graduate degree into a future of earning cold, hard cash doing something other than being an overburdened assistant professor. I will continue to recommend this book to my grad school friends with reckless abandon, and I encourage anybody who wants to see the potential practical utility of arcane research to read it from cover to cover. At a slim, trim 149 pages, it is guaranteed to be worth your time.
September 3, 2016
Really enjoyed the briefness of topics and focus on the softer side of things. Also the strong emphasis on your own search and how to conduct it was highly useful. I started scribbling on cafe napkins to jot down ideas and start off some of their mental exercises which work on trying to pinpoint the type of career you want without consciously realizing.
I skimmed through a few sections rapidly as they weren't immediately pertinent to me (I'm not an MA or a PhD student but work very closely with the academic field) but I didn't actually skip any full pages which I'm very glad about because my favorite quote is on the 2nd to last page and reads thusly, "Instead of worrying that you'll never find the perfect job, concentrate on building the life you want."
They did unfortunately dedicate a section of the book to networking which is always exhausting for me to read/hear about and I really detest the constant quotes (not within this particular book but throughout life/media) of "I got my dream job(s) by networking, never by a cold resume/cover letter submission."
Would and will highly recommend to those who feel marginalized/trapped in academic-heavy/based fields.
I skimmed through a few sections rapidly as they weren't immediately pertinent to me (I'm not an MA or a PhD student but work very closely with the academic field) but I didn't actually skip any full pages which I'm very glad about because my favorite quote is on the 2nd to last page and reads thusly, "Instead of worrying that you'll never find the perfect job, concentrate on building the life you want."
They did unfortunately dedicate a section of the book to networking which is always exhausting for me to read/hear about and I really detest the constant quotes (not within this particular book but throughout life/media) of "I got my dream job(s) by networking, never by a cold resume/cover letter submission."
Would and will highly recommend to those who feel marginalized/trapped in academic-heavy/based fields.
June 1, 2016
I find the first half of the book rather mundane - sure a lot of people might relate to the agonies of academia. That's probably cos I didn't contemplate for too long to stay in there. The later half, on the other hand, is a practical guide to all the do's and don't's in a job search - that's where I am currently. Although it significantly overlaps with the second half of 'lean in' - it is definitely useful to have such advice now and then. It's not a leisure bedtime book, but the one to sit in front of your laptop making notes, updating your 'job search' folder. Getting your hands on it at the right time (final year of PhD!), and trying to implement some of the suggestions - makes it a useful read!
June 6, 2011
I don't remember where I heard about this book, but I'm surprisingly glad I got a copy from the New York Public Library. The authors do their level best to translate the job-hunting process for nerds who have been in the ivory tower a little too long to be entirely comfortable with schmoozing... my only wish is that the next edition include a chapter about whether "informational interviews" and "networking" ever stop feeling so *#$@ dirty, and how to make peace with their grossness if they never do. I still maintain, and maintain strongly, that the only thing worse than having a job is looking for one.
March 29, 2009
This is such a fast read, and it shows that there is a light at the end of the road--all of those years slaving away at abstract concepts can actually be used to land a job; what a novel idea!! Basalla provides numerous accounts, mostly from humanities, of doctoral candidates who flee academia to search for work else where. Often, the reasons we stay are merely psychological: "quitting" is failure. Perhaps, what we should be looking at is how much has been accomplished: a bachelor's, a master's, a PhD. Sometimes, education is not the answer; reality can be magical too.
May 8, 2010
Encouraging survey of job-hunting possibilities for career-changers with advanced degrees and graduate students who are second-guessing their academic vocations. Especially helpful: (1) reassurance that the most appealing elements of "the life of the mind" that drew a person to grad school in the first place CAN be replicated in a wide range of post-academic careers; (2) profiles of post-academic careers, demonstrating the high capacity that graduate alumni generally have for advancement and career mobility.
February 28, 2013
Read this. The authors of this book deal in both information and hope! This is something many grad students need. Basalla and Debelius do a great job addressing the concerns, ranging from the psychological to the practical, specific to graduate students and academics thinking of leaving the fold. They outline the specific steps you should take to start figuring out your next move- and that is quite empowering. They successfully shatter the myth that folks with academic propensities will be 1) useless and 2) unhappy in the "real world."
July 10, 2010
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I started reading it warily, expecting it to be a guide on how to enter into the business world (which I wasn't interested in). Instead the people they interviewed ranged from midwives, to astrologists, to screenwriters, and, yes, some business people.
Especially helpful was the section on how to rewrite a CV into a resume and how to represent your current skills in a way that fits the job you are looking for.
Especially helpful was the section on how to rewrite a CV into a resume and how to represent your current skills in a way that fits the job you are looking for.
April 11, 2010
What I have gained in this book is not really much!
I found it not suitable for me because it mentioned most about PHDs and MAs. The lessons of interview is repeated from other books.
What I noticed is the difference between the CV and resume.
Resume is in a higher standard that focuses on employer's needs. However, as analyzing the CV and breaking it into segments, I think I should focus more on the skills I have gained rather than the requirements of the job.
I found it not suitable for me because it mentioned most about PHDs and MAs. The lessons of interview is repeated from other books.
What I noticed is the difference between the CV and resume.
Resume is in a higher standard that focuses on employer's needs. However, as analyzing the CV and breaking it into segments, I think I should focus more on the skills I have gained rather than the requirements of the job.
November 5, 2012
For those who find themselves with a Ph.D. and no academic job, or deciding that an academic job is not for them, this is an excellent "what the heck do I do now" book. It gives you ideas of transferable skills and how to translate your often endless CV into a one page resume. Though it's not the end-all, be-all of employment advice, it does provide a good start for those thinking of changing careers. It also provides a lot of examples. Seriously, the examples alone are worth it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews