Career planning for PhDs
Your week, for example
Sound familiar?
These aren't hypotheticals. They're direct quotes from PhDs we've talked to.
I spent 6 years learning about something I don't want to center my career on.
My advisor's career advice doesn't work outside academia.
'Just network more' is useless advice when I don't know anyone.
I see job postings asking for 3-5 years experience and panic.
I don't even know what I want out of life anymore.
I know I need to do something but I don't know where to start.
WHAT YOU'LL GET
3 specific tasks tailored to your field, your goals, and where you are right now.
Reach out to 2 people who made the PhD-to-industry transition in your field. Ask what surprised them most about leaving.
Why this matters: Your network is mostly other academics. You need perspectives from people who actually made the jump.
Draft a 30-second elevator pitch that explains what you do without using any academic jargon.
Why this matters: Industry people tune out when they hear "dissertation" or "methodology." You need a version they can understand.
Research 3 companies that hire people with your background. Find one job posting at each that sounds interesting.
Why this matters: You need to know what's out there before you can decide what you want. This is reconnaissance.
The process
A conversation, then a plan.
Five minutes of conversation about your field, your goals, your fears, your constraints. Talking is the whole interface.
A plan for this week: three specific tasks, each under two hours, each chosen for your situation.
Finish a task, mark it done, get what's next. Stuck? Chat with an advisor that remembers everything you've told it.
of STEM PhDs build their careers beyond the academy
U.S. PhDs land a tenure-track job — the other three build careers elsewhere
of researchers in industry feel positive about their careers, versus 42% in academia
Sources: American Institutes for Research analysis of NSF data · NSF Survey of Doctorate Recipients · Nature 2021 salary survey
Early readers
“This could have changed the course of my entire grad school career.”
— 5th year, MD Anderson Graduate School
“Getting students to care about what hiring managers see beyond publications has been a challenge. This tool will help them break out of their shells.”
— PhD Career Counselor, California School System
“I didn't even realize how little of a plan I had until I started going through the exercises. I actually feel like I know what I want now.”
— 2nd year, Ohio State University
“Finally, something that doesn't treat me like I'm clueless just because I haven't worked in industry.”
— Postdoc, MIT
Start the conversation now, have your plan before your coffee cools.
Build my plan →