Graduate schools churn out tens of thousands of Ph.D.'s and M.A.'s every year. Half of all college courses are taught by adjunct faculty. The chances of an academic landing a tenure-track job seem only to shrink as student loan and credit card debts grow. What's a frustrated would-be scholar to do? Can he really leave academia? Can a non-academic job really be rewarding – and will anyone want to hire a grad-school refugee?
With So What Are You Going to Do with That? Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius – Ph.D.'s themselves – answer all those questions with a resounding "Yes!" A witty, accessible guide full of concrete advice for anyone contemplating the jump from scholarship to the outside world, So What Are You Going to Do with That? covers topics ranging from career counseling to interview etiquette to translating skills learned in the academy into terms an employer can understand and appreciate. Packed with examples and stories from real people who have successfully made this daunting-but potentially rewarding- transition, and written with a deep understanding of both the joys and difficulties of the academic life, this fully revised and up-to-date edition will be indispensable for any graduate student or professor who has ever glanced at her CV, flipped through the want ads, and wondered, "What if?"
"As valuable for its can-do spirit as its specific advice."
- Larry Keller, CNN.com
"What if, while one is ensconced in a six-year art history doctoral program, the idea of a career in academia loses its luster? Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius have been there [...] In So What Are You Going to Do with That?, they use wit, directness, and great anecdotal evidence to guide readers through the soul-searching decision to leave academia."
- Publishers Weekly
"The reference tool for M.A.'s and Ph.D.'s considering nonacademic career paths. The guide is comprehensive, hands-on, and much needed."
- Elaine Showalter, Avalon Foundation Professor Emerita, Princeton University
"So What Are You Going to Do with That? is a life-changer for doctoral graduates and a godsend for the Republic. Basalla and Debulius show us how to engage the superb and transferable abilities of Ph.D's."
- Robert Weisbuch, president, Drew University
"I will absolutely be recommending this book to our graduate students exploring their career options – I'd love to see it on the coffee tables in department lounges!"
- Robin B. Wagner, former associate director of graduate career services, University of Chicago
"Full of practical tips and anecdotes from people who have turned academic study into fulfilling careers in everything from marketing to community building."
- Stacy A. Teicher, Christian Science Monitor
"[Basalla and Debelius] have filled this volume with insightful anecdotes, probing and worthwhile questions and a host of resources [...] for more specialized job searches. Basalla and Debelius illustrate just how skills acquired in graduate school research, teaching, and critical thinking [...] can be translated into desirable attributes of a post-academic job candidate. Hopeful, upbeat, and helpful."
- Virginia Quarterly Review