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I'm a big believer in alternative career paths for people with PhDs. But how do you make this happen? Here's what you need to know to push past the "I can do anything! (Wait, what can I actually do?)" stage and move the job needle forward.
First, think seriously about what you like to do professionally. Do you love research? Data? Storytelling? Projects? Teaching? Presenting? Editing? Be honest with yourself. Focus not on what you *think* you should do, but on what you actually enjoy + where your strengths lie.
Once you've identified a few key areas, think about geography. Are you able/willing/looking to move or would you rather stay put? How do you feel about remote work? Working for yourself versus for an employer (for this one, think seriously about your financial means!).
Now, it's time to build that network. Forget about the well-meaning advisors who only know about their past students who went the academic route. An assist prof or perpetual postdoc won't be very useful for getting an #altac job (and that's ok). But who else is there?
(Because I guarantee not everyone from your PhD program went into academia - or stayed there.)
Look at social media groups for #altac folks and the #postac curious. I found several of these on FB, Slack, and LinkedIn, and they were key. Look at #altac events at your university + remember these likely aren't affiliated w/ your dept. Reach out to these people. DON'T be shy.
Again, reach out to people, even if it feels awkward and weird. This is how it's done. Find out what others w/ similar backgrounds are doing outside of academia. Think broadly, e.g., not only anthropologists but in your discipline broadly (soc sci/humanities, for me)
Don't act like you know what you want if you don't yet. It's ok. But ask about their own trajectories. How did they get here? What skills did they use from school? What skills did they develop and how? And ask, specifically, about their employer and their work there.
If you don't have a LinkedIn page, get one yesterday. Connect with everyone you meet via LinkedIn. It's not weird. It's genuinely how it's done.
When you meet with someone, ALWAYS ask them if they know of other people who might be good to talk to. THIS IS CRUCIAL. It's how you grow your network. It's not about that 1 person, but about the next 3 people they put you in touch with. That's how you get the job.
This takes time. Several months. But it will pay off. In the mean time, keep building your skills in ways big and small. Take on a small side project (for me, this meant some freelance editing/research) that showcases your professional skills relating to your training.
Use these side projects to cultivate work samples and also build your beginning #altac profile. Put all of it in your LinkedIn.
FINALLY, you should have been keeping an eye out for positions that look good for you. Ideally, these are at employers where you now know people. When these jobs appear, immediately reach out to your contacts. Ask if they know about the gig. Explain briefly why you're interested.
Why? Many employees have internal referral processes, whether formal or informal. If an employee refers you for a position, you're much more likely to get a call. THIS IS KEY. You do not need to be best friend with your referrer. No one expects that.
And, voila. This is how you do it. I'd say budget months for this. Probably at least 3 to start, if you haven't been thinking this way already. It might take longer. But the job market is super hot right now, so it's a perfect time to act. Good luck!
