Your Career: Ph.D.s and the self-employment option

What to consider first if you’re thinking about becoming your own boss. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. What to consider first if you’re thinking about becoming your own boss In a tough faculty job market, many graduate students and recent Ph.D.s are drawn to the idea of opening a business. You may hope to transform work you’re doing on the side — often but not always related to your research — into full-time self-employment. It’s easy to see the appeal: Self-employment offers some of the same flexibility as academic life. As a graduate student or Ph.D., you are used to working on multiple projects at once and tend to be self-directed and self-motivated. You also have deep expertise in a particular area, which lends itself well to consulting work. But there’s a lot to mull before you proceed, such as: Who are your potential customers and clients? Answering the client question is a bit easier if you have done freelance work in the area in which you hope to build a business. You may already have a slate of customers or clients who can be great resources. Talk with them about additional services you could do for them. And if you’re building your client base from scratch, you first need to figure out who and where they are. Are they in a particular industry? A certain geographic region or economic bracket? Or perhaps they are not individuals at all, but rather, organizations, institutions, or other businesses. In that case, the question is: How do those organizations select and deal with vendors? Continue reading: “[The Self-Employment Path for Ph.D.s,]( by Jennifer S. Furlong and Stacy M. Hartman Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs | June 2024] [Join us in June]( for a professional development program tailored to the needs of department chairs. Experienced academic leaders will provide insights on the current trends in higher ed, effective ways to manage a department, strategic planning, and more. [Register today!]( LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [Obituaries of Historians Show What We Value, and It’s Not Teaching]( By Peter Burkholder and Lendol G. Calder [STORY IMAGE]( A study of eulogies underscores what academics think is important in a faculty career. ADVERTISEMENT [Obituaries of Historians Show What We Value, and It’s Not Teaching]( ADVICE [3 Ways to Fix Peer Review]( By T.J. Thomson, Lesley Irvine, and Glen Thomas [STORY IMAGE]( A new study of a year’s worth of peer reviews aims to improve how academics assess one another’s work. A TRICKY RELATIONSHIP [He Came From the Frying Pan. Can He Manage the Fire?]( By David Jesse [STORY IMAGE]( Governance strife drove Kevin Guskiewicz from Chapel Hill to Michigan State University, where he has a pledge of good behavior from a board known for its meddling. Will it last? HELD ACCOUNTABLE [Jonathan Holloway on the Hot Seat]( By Francie Diep [STORY IMAGE]( On the eve of the Committee on Education and the Workforce’s latest round of university president-grilling, Rutgers’ president finds himself under fire from multiple directions. DATA [Who Does Your College Think Its Peers Are?]( By Jacquelyn Elias [STORY IMAGE]( The Chronicle compiled the peer institutions for nearly 1,500 institutions from the 2022-23 year. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Future of Diversity Training - The Chronicle Store]( [The Future of Diversity Training]( Diversity training for faculty and staff members is widely used across higher education. Yet there’s little agreement on whether such training is effective. [Order this report]( for insights to improve your college’s approach to building a culture that supports diversity. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - A [report]( in The Wall Street Journal on how the modern workday in America is “fueling an epidemic of isolation.” - In Roxane Gay’s [Work Friend]( column in The New York Times, she offers advice on how to cope with a work colleague who regularly brings a “large, stinky dog” to a shared office. - [Advice]( on Slate about how to respond when people at your former employer keep asking you work-related questions, well after you’ve quit the job. MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Improving the First-Year Experience]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: June 12, 2024 | 2 p.m. ET. Freshman year is make or break for many students, especially those with social, emotional, or logistical challenges. Join us to explore how to make the first year great for those students. With Support From Mongoose. [Register here.]( PAY UPDATE [How Much Has Faculty Pay Changed Over Time?]( By Brian O’Leary [STORY IMAGE]( See the latest federal data on compensation for all ranks of the profession at thousands of American colleges. DATA [We Looked at How Campus Staff Salaries Have Changed Over Time. Where Does Your College Land?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Our analysis offers a sector-by-sector look at changes in average annual pay for workers in noninstructional jobs from 2012-13 to 2022-23. [The Chronicle’s Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs]( [STORY IMAGE]( As a bridge between administration and faculty, department chairs have one of the toughest jobs on campus. We’ve partnered with experienced academic leaders at Dever Justice LLC and leading research experts at Ithaka S+R to design a program that will help guide new and experienced chairs through the challenges and transformative opportunities of their role. Through collaborative workshops, high-level seminars, strategic planning exercises, and more, chairs will be empowered to turn their service into leadership. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Assistant or Associate Librarians]( Arizona State University Libraries [Director of Development]( The Quaker School at Horsham [Associate Editor, High-energy physics]( American Physical Society [Search other jobs.]( Stay ahead of the game and upload your resume to our job board. You'll be visible to hiring managers who are actively seeking top talent like you. [Upload your resume today.]( CAREER RESOURCES [Read the June collection]( for advice on finding a job as a new PhD grad. Learn how you can manage job market expectations, dually apply for industry and academic roles, and more! NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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