Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers

by Kathryn E. Linder, Kevin Kelly, Thomas J. Tobin

A growing number of people completing or holding graduate degrees now seek non-faculty positions―also called alternative academic, or “alt-ac” positions―at different stages in their careers. While an increasing number of people with doctoral degrees are hunting for a diminishing pool of tenure-track faculty jobs, most degree-granting institutions do not adequately prepare their graduate students to enter the new reality of the alt-ac job market. Yet the administrative ranks in higher education institutions are growing, as colleges and universities are creating a diverse range of positions that support teaching and learning efforts.

Focusing on the range of potential alternative career choices, this highly practical book offers tools and prompts for readers who are:

Considering whether to choose an alt-ac career path
Seeking specific alt-ac positions
Advising graduate students or mentoring recent professional graduates
Encountering alt-ac career challenges

The authors offer case stories―their own and those of colleagues across North America in alt-ac roles―with concrete examples designed to help readers pursue, obtain, and excel in a wide variety of alt-ac positions. The book can equally be used as a resource for graduate courses on professional development and job-market preparation.

Genres: Education, Academia, Nonfiction

264 pages, ebook

First published January 13, 2020

About the author

Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Linder is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Innovation and Strategy at the University of Colorado Denver. She earned her BA in English Literature from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA, and her MA and PhD in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University.

Reviews

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for teaching and presenting a conference session on guiding graduate students to alternative academic career pathways. This is the best resource available for graduate students and advisors who are interested in navigating life post PhD. The strategies are sound and the straight talk about how to approach a career that may/may not involve tenure track is something that few (very few) places and spaces do well.

Highest recommendation for anyone who may advise graduate students. Only given 4 stars because it's not a book for anyone outside of academia.

[La'Tonya Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be buying this book for a lotttttt of people. Very practical and straight forward.

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was surprisingly, yet pleasantly engaging. They offer clear and usable advice while simultaneously being both realistic and caring. It is particularly refreshing that they acknowledge the role of emotions in this process, as well as the complications that interpersonal relationships can cause. I recommend this book to any academic considering or currently undergoing the alt-ac route.

[Mahshid Parchami · Rating 4 out of 5]

راهنمای کاملی برای ادامه مسیر شغلی فارغ التحصیلان دکترا در خارج از محیط دانشگاهی

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expect more of a practical how-to manual than inspiring reflections on alternative academic career paths.