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Recovering Academic — Personal Journals
Recovering Academic

There is sunshine outside the ivory tower

Latest Episodes:

Episode 09: Productivity Through the Transition Dec 27, 2016
Show notes

Making the transition requires you to take on extra work. Work in the form of side work (a new side hustle), informational interviews, going to conferences in your new field, attending workshops, making different versions of your resume, and so on. How do you stay productive during this time? How do you stay on track? In this episode we discuss our difficulties with staying productive (you’re not alone!) and the tricks we’ve figured out along the way.

Discussed in this episode:

Slap Productivity

Episode 08: Is LinkedIn Worth it? Dec 13, 2016
Show notes

What’s so great about LinkedIn? In this episode, we discuss our thoughts about LinkedIn. We all know about it as the professional networking site. It has its upsides (at least two of us have received jobs) and its downsides (the somewhat clunky user interface). So, how do we use it? Why do we use it? What could you use instead of it?

Also mentioned:

Scicurious (also known as Bethany Brookshire) wrote about LinkedIn as how you keep in touch with all the people who you don’t want to friend on Facebook.

We also discuss other social networking sites:

Trellis Science (You can also join the Recovering Academic Podcast group when you register.)

ResearchGate

Academia.edu

Plantae: The Digital Ecosystem for Plant Science

Our LinkedIn profiles:

Amanda

Cleyde

Ian

Another Use for LinkedIn (Addendum)

ep07 — Episode 07: Taking Risks Nov 29, 2016
Show notes

Following up on our previous episode, we talk about things that many academics are not good at taking: risks.

How do you know if taking a particular risk will pay off?

Is academia really less risky than non-academic careers?

Why do transition stories always seem really well planned?

How do you deal with Imposter Syndrome?

I believe that anything you put energy into will eventually pay off one way or another. —Doctor_PMS

Also, mentioned in this episode: Conan O’Brien’s commencement speech to Dartmouth College in 2011. You can view the full 24-minute speech or the 4-minute highlights that Dartmouth College posted.

Episode 06: Investing in You Nov 15, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss when to spend (and save) your money and time to invest in your future career.

ep05 — Episode 05: Finding Your Identity Outside of Academia Nov 01, 2016
Show notes

In this episode, we discuss the transition in identity when leaving academia. You’ve spent 10 years (or more!) inside of academia. Most of your friends might be inside academia. You likely derive a lot of your identity from your work. What happens when you decide that you’re going to leave?

One question that we address is: Are you still a scientist after you leave academia? Is it an intrinsic part of your identity or is it something that you do? There’s feelings on both sides.

We’re scientists. That’s what we do. We go and learn. –@Doctor_PMS

ep04 — Episode 04: Unique Transferable Skills Oct 18, 2016
Show notes

In this episode, we discuss unique skills that we gained in academia. When looking to leave academia, you might think, “What do I know outside of pipetting?” …Just for example.

As it turns out, working in academia we gain a lot of unique skills. For example, you can prioritize. You’ve spent years deciding what to do first—what to do to get you closer to your goal of publishing that paper or getting that grant. Also, highly-motivated and self-directed aren’t just buzz words in academia—they’re highly sought after characteristics in other industries. And by virtue of being in academia, you’re both of those words.

There are many more examples of transferrable skills that you’ve learned during your time in academia.

What makes these transferrable skills hard to see? Why do we hesitate to put these skills on our resume or CV? We discuss a bit about getting out of our own way and sharing these on a CV/resume.

ep03 — Episode 03: Turning the CV into the Dreaded Resume Oct 04, 2016
Show notes

Turning your CV into a resume feels daunting—and maybe even impossible. How do you condense a several page document into a one page resume? How do you make the change without cutting important information? And, possibly most difficult of all, how do you convert your academic accomplishments into ones that are quantifiable and meaningful outside of academia?

In this episode, we discuss how we changed our CV into a resume, including how we quantified papers. We also talk about the importance of establishing a “yay me!” file, why self-promotion is ok (even if it feels strange), and that sometimes hiring a professional is the way to go.

Links discussed in the show:

Melissa Dalgleish, Professional CV to Resume Writer
Heidi Scott Guisto, Owner of Career Path Writing Solutions

ep02 — Episode 02: The Hardest Part Is Deciding To Leave Sep 20, 2016
Show notes

In this episode, we talk about the difficulties with deciding to leave academia. We ask two important questions: What made the decision to leave academia difficult? Once you decide to leave, how do you know where to go?

While most people with PhDs do not go onto a tenure-track position, feelings of failure with leaving academia still persist. These feelings are valid but aren’t grounded in fact. Scientists can go out into the world and do things besides academia that are important to society.

To decide where to go next, we talked to a lot of people (including dialog with ourselves), went on informational interviews, and read about different careers. Taking those next steps helped a bit with overcoming the fear of the unknown and the uncertainty about life outside of the ivory tower.

“Your next job doesn’t have to be your last job.”
“It probably won’t be.”
“And that’s ok.”
–@Doctor_PMS, @IHStreet, @LadyScientist

It’s possible to leave, and it’s less painful than you might think.

EP01 — Episode 01: Reasons Sep 06, 2016
Show notes

In this episode, we discuss the reasons why we transitioned, or are transitioning, from academia. Our reasons for leaving varied, and sometimes overlapped, but we all made the same decision: leave academia.

Looking at your own reasons and seeing them add up to the same decision can be a bit intimidating. We each experienced, or are experiencing, that same fear of the unknown. Taking that leap of faith in ourselves required a lot of debate (both internal and with others).

We hope through sharing these reasons with you that we can normalize the experience. Because you’re not alone. We’ve walked that same path and made it out to the light on the other side.

cloudimagesmall — Pilot: Starting Recovery Aug 23, 2016
Show notes

Leaving academia in many fields, scientific and otherwise, is the ultimate taboo. In journal clubs, seminars, and laboratories, jokes are made that scientists who left academia for industry or other jobs have turned to the Dark Side. A certain attitude persists that science is a noble calling, an avocation, that a trainee should pursue with a single-mindedness.

“Academia is sticky. It’s heavy. It’s got lot of gravity.
…I know people make it out.” –@IHStreet

But what happens if you decide that academia isn’t for you? Or if, despite your best efforts, your academic dreams aren’t realized?

Suddenly, you’re left without mentors, without a community.

We started this podcast to create a community for recovering academics. We will discuss the issues we encounter, the insights that we stumble upon, and topics that you suggest.

Remember: there is sunshine outside the ivory tower.

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