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LIFE BEYOND THE IVORY TOWER:
NON-FACULTY CAREER OPTIONS
Catherine Carrigan, MA JD
Sponsored by
Career Development Center and
The Graduate School
Second thoughts about a faculty career?
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Tenure-track jobs remain hard to come by.
Pressure from outside sources (advisors, family,
friends).
Concerns about “fit” with the academic environment.
Some vague sense that the Ph.D. can lead to many
other places besides tenure track faculty jobs.
Soul searching before job searching.
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Don’t expect grades alone will get you by. Employers
won’t be impressed by your degree if you cannot
explain HOW having the degree makes you a strong
candidate.
Begin by honestly assessing your skills, interests,
values:
What fields naturally interest you? Have these changed?
 What do you want to be doing in a job?
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Examples: strategic planning, data analysis, project coordination
What about a job will give you satisfaction?
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Examples: salary, benefits, hours, impact on society
Soul searching before job searching.
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Assess your transferable skills:
 Examples:
writing & presentation skills, ability to
translate complex concepts to new learners, longterm planning and project management
 Get your classmates/advisers/loved ones to help
you identify what you’ve been doing all this time
 Attend next month’s workshop on Marketing
Yourself Outside the Academy (November 4th) for
more assistance
Looking outside academia: where to begin.
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Research the skill set needed in areas you enjoy.
Keep in mind some of the concerns an employer might
have:
Some graduate programs offer limited opportunities for
teamwork/collaboration.
 Can you transition to writing for non-academic audiences?
 Do you have experience working at a faster pace than
academia may normally require?
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To fill in gaps, endeavor to gain skills in a
professional area: an internship, volunteer work,
assistantship, committee or professional association
involvement, part-time job, etc.
Looking outside academia: where to begin.
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Conduct informational interviews:
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Seek interviewees by speaking with your network - faculty and
administrators, people you have met at conferences, friends,
friends of friends, contacts from the Alumni Association/ASK, etc.
Your goal is not a job, but knowledge about a field.
Go into these conversations prepared – know about the work
they do and HAVE QUESTIONS.
Always, always keep in touch—you never know when these
meetings will pay off.
Networking events:
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Student-Alumni Mentoring/Networking Night – Nov 2nd, 6 pm
(Regents Hall, Lewis Towers)
Non-faculty academic positions.
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Consider careers at universities where your
experience within academia could be an asset.
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Examples include student services, administrative roles (ex.
centers for teaching and learning), advising positions.
Know that these positions will not always be widely
advertised—networking proves vital yet again!
Educate yourself about the field of higher education
administration and seek experience while you are still a
student.
 Also check out university HR websites,
www.higheredjobs.com, Chronicle of Higher Education
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Government positions.
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Many government agencies hire in various
capacities:
Researchers
 Analysts
 Diplomats
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– Technical experts
– Linguists
– etc.
Usajobs.gov is THE online application portal for
federal jobs, but also consider city, state and county
opportunities.
Non-profit & for profit options.
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Non-profit: administrative and leadership roles in
cultural institutions, community organizations,
professional associations, think tanks, healthcare.
For profit: roles as technical advisors, consultants,
administrators, managers.
Be aware that if your work history is limited, you may
have to start a level or two below your ultimate goal
in order to prove yourself.
Turning your CV into a resume.
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Resumes are shorter: be concise (1-2 pages at most).
Focus on skills developed that transfer to jobs outside
the academy.
Consider various ways to organize a resume. The less
traditional functional skills resume may be
appropriate if you are switching fields or have
limited work history.
Review the CDC’s resume guide & the Chronicle’s “CV
Doctor” column for examples of a graduate student’s
career-focused resume.
Improving your interviewing skills.
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Know yourself as much as possible (strengths, areas to
improve, why you are a good fit).
Research the organization and posting.
Practice responses to common interview questions (see
examples in CDC’s interviewing guide). Never, ever
let these trip you up:
Tell me about yourself.
 What are your strengths and weaknesses?
 Why are you not going the academic route?
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Behavioral interviewing – have some examples in
mind relating to your past experiences.
Identifying job opportunities.
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Don’t merely rely on online job boards, but do use
your faculty/co-workers to identify the most
relevant targeted job sites and networking
opportunities.
Create a professional online identity (linkedin.com,
personal website, ePortfolio, etc.).
Be prepared that, given the current economy, you
may need to allow more time for your search and
be more flexible in what you are willing to take.
This is a first step, not a life-long commitment.
Additional Resources
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Chronicle of Higher Education: “Having a Plan B”
http://ironstring.com/sellout/
Insidehighered.com
So What Are You Going to Do with That? A Guide for MAs
and Ph.D.s Seeking Careers Outside of the Academy by
Susan Basalla & Maggie Debelius
Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to
Earning a Master’s or Ph.D. by Robert L. Peters
Questions?
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Feel free to schedule an appointment with me or
anyone in our office by calling 773.508.7716 or emailing careercenter@luc.edu