Your Career: In search of a postacademic profession

Two Ph.D.s who left academe and now run their own businesses offer advice on career transitions. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Two Ph.D.s who left academe and now run their own businesses offer advice on career transitions The emotional journey out of faculty life can be a rough ride for many former academics. Among the many factors to consider if you are mulling a career change is identity. If you are (or hoped to become) a professor, you no doubt strongly identify with that career: You don’t just work as a professor, you are one as a person. Upon leaving academe, grieving the loss of that identity is a process, as is sorting out who you are now. It’s common for Ph.D.s to initially land work outside of academe that isn’t quite the right fit. Many faculty members, postdocs, and other Ph.D.s are ready to leave higher education but struggle to land jobs where they’re valued and respected. You have to learn how to confidently communicate what you have to offer so you can live your version of success, even if it’s very different from where you imagined you’d be at this point in your career. This is usually about getting a job as an employee or full-time contractor, but sometimes it means going out on your own as a freelancer, independent consultant, or growing a different kind of business. Starting a business is one way to do mission-driven work. That might seem counterintuitive to folks in academic environments — that businesses have missions beyond generating income — but of course they do. In many respects, your education and academic career have been preparing you for entrepreneurship at least as much as salaried employment. Being a professor is more than scholarship, teaching, and service; it’s building a personal brand to compete in a global marketplace for positions, audiences, and students. It’s anticipating trends, tapping emerging opportunities, raising money, and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to achieve outcomes that have a measurable impact. Those are skills you can put to use on the nonacademic market. Continue reading: “[How to Pilot a Postacademic Career]( by William Pannapacker and Jennifer Polk 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 Workshop [The Chronicle's Crash Course in Academic Leadership | August 2024] If you’re curious about becoming an academic administrator, we’re once again offering The Chronicle’s Academic Leadership Crash Course, a four-hour virtual workshop designed for faculty aspiring to administrative roles. Join us in August to gain essential insights, practical tips, and valuable resources that will help you pursue your next professional step. [Learn more and register!]( LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [Admin 101: Let’s Talk Money]( By David D. Perlmutter [STORY IMAGE]( What to consider when you’re negotiating an administrative compensation package at a typical (nonelite) institution. ADVERTISEMENT [Admin 101: Let’s Talk Money]( ADVICE [What Will Graduate Education Look Like in 2035?]( By Leonard Cassuto [STORY IMAGE]( Predictions and hopes for the future of Ph.D. training. INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY DEBATE [Two Major Academic Publishers Signed Deals With AI Companies. Some Professors Are Outraged.]( By Christa Dutton [STORY IMAGE]( The agreements will allow tech giants access to the enormous archives of Wiley and Taylor & Francis. TRUTH IN DATA [Actually, There Are More Conservatives on the Faculty Than You Think, Study Finds]( By Alex Walters [STORY IMAGE]( In previous research on professors’ politics, participants would categorize or describe themselves in surveys. A new study used their social-media activity. REDEMPTION ARC [How a Chancellor on the Ropes Regained Campus Confidence]( By Megan Zahneis [STORY IMAGE]( Mun Y. Choi, chancellor of the University of Missouri at Columbia, managed to turn around dismal approval ratings over the last two years. How did he do it? THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Why the Caregiving Crisis Is Driving Scholars Out of Higher Ed]( By Emily C. Bloom [STORY IMAGE]( For faculty members of the “sandwich generation” — charged with caring for both children and aging parents at the same time — the financial costs are astronomical. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Adapting to AI - The Chronicle Store]( [Adapting to AI]( Artificial intelligence has taken higher ed by storm, and the implications extend far beyond the classroom. [Order this report]( to improve your understanding of AI technologies, and explore how other colleges are adapting their policies and guidelines. 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). - In The Wall Street Journal, [a look at]( whether hiring “superstar employees” is “worth it.” - On The Conversation, [an essay]( explores five “growing threats to academic freedom” in higher education. - [Advice]( in the Harvard Business Review on six major leadership styles “and how to decide which to use when.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Chronicle Festival: The Road Ahead to 2035]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: September 10-12, 2024 | Join us for our annual ideas summit, on how higher education must plan now for student demographic shifts, rapid technological change, an uncertain labor market, and more. What can your institution do to adapt? With Support From Workday, University of South Florida, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Google, and Strada. [Register here.]( [The Chronicle’s Academic Leadership Crash Course]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: August 23rd or August 24th, 2024 | The Chronicle is partnering with the experienced faculty members and administrators at Dever Justice LLC on a fast-paced course for academic professionals looking to advance their skills in preparation for administrative roles. This four-hour workshop will provide key insights for new and aspiring academic administrators on the inner workings of taking on an administrative position—from application all the way through the transition. [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 [How Much Do Noninstructional Employees Earn?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Here’s how wages have changed over the past five years for those who work in sectors such as business and financial operations, management, and education services. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Search thousands]( of faculty, administrative, and executive job openings and [upload your resume]( to be searchable by employers! [Faculty Openings]( Marist College [Tenured Faculty Fellow - Jefferson Science Fellowships]( National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine CAREER RESOURCES [Finding a New Job] [Read the August collection]( for advice on finding a new job. Learn how you can start preparing for the fall job search now, how to find jobs overseas, 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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