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Ashley Ruba, PhD

Apr 29, 2022 • 7 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X

Curious about careers outside of academia? Feeling sad, scared, & lost? Have no idea where to start?

I was there! Thankfully, I put my #firstgen skills to work & found the info I needed.

Here are my fav resources that helped me move on from academia & secure an alt-ac job! 1/

@BeyondProf

@BeyondProf has so many resources. I've attended their webinars, gone to their career conference, & read so many articles on their website.

They recommend spending the first months of your job search just exploring - what careers interest you most?

beyondprof.com/upcoming-event… 2/

@ProfessorIsIn

@ProfessorIsIn has a great book, podcast, and blog. There is also a facebook support group for those looking for careers outside academia, in case you need some mutual support (there are 21k members currently - you are not alone!)

facebook.com/groups/profess… 3/

@cheekyscience

@cheekyscience has SO MANY great resources. I actually discovered them pretty late in my job search process, but wow I wish I had discovered them sooner!

cheekyscientist.com 4/

@pro_phound

@pro_phound is a *brand new* org started by the former post-doctoral career development officer at @UWMadison. Andrew is great, and there are a lot of free resources here too!

pro-phound.com 5/

@clcaterine

@clcaterine wrote a fabulous book about leaving academia. His interview on the @ProfessorIsIn podcast (theprofessorisin.com/podcast/ep-228…) gave me a lot of confidence to leave academia.

press.princeton.edu/books/hardcove… 6/

@HelanaDarwin

Want to follow some twitter folx who have recently made the transition to alt-ac? Follow @HelanaDarwin @njoybetz @FromPhDtoLife @science_latte @theboldphd & @ashleyruba (me!) for regular advice.

Anything/anyone I missed? Post it in the comments!

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More from @ashleyruba_phd

Ashley Ruba, PhD

@ashleyruba_phd

Nov 14, 2023

I analyzed 20+ years of NSF survey data.

Since 2015, academia has been the "alternative" career path for PhDs.

But it was the breakdown by field that really shocked me.

Do these graphs match your PhD experience? 1/

Engineering PhDs have always chosen non-academic careers > academic careers.

2/

Physical Science PhDs have always chosen non-academic careers > academic careers.

3/

Read 9 tweets

Ashley Ruba, PhD

@ashleyruba_phd

Nov 2, 2023

Yesterday, 20 tenured professors told me why they left academia for industry.

Here's what they said:

1. "I was on the tenure track and it broke me. I lost my identity and confidence."

2. "I was trying to tell my partner about a new grant I had been awarded, and I got bored midway through my "grandma" version. Coupled with diminishing emotional return on other accomplishments, I just had to make the decision of whether I could do it for another 15 years."

3. "I had a permanent academic post. I resigned. Stupid? Brave? Neither. It was the right decision for me at that point in my life. There’s more to life than academia."

Read 22 tweets

Ashley Ruba, PhD

@ashleyruba_phd

Oct 25, 2023

Ever read a job ad and think, "what does this mean??"

It's because you don't understand business jargon.

Here are five common terms, translated for academics:

1. "𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀" = 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

Stakeholders in academia are PIs, funding agencies, or your university. You communicate with stakeholders when you give any kind of research or project update (report).

2. "𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀" = 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

Deliverables in academia are typically published papers, presentations, or reports. You may also develop a program or intervention - anything that marks a project as completed.

Read 7 tweets

Ashley Ruba, PhD

@ashleyruba_phd

Jan 25, 2023

I've seen many resumes from academics that are way too dense. No wonder PhDs have a reputation for being long-winded!

Remember: a resume is NOT a CV. You likely have a bunch of information on your resume that you can delete right now.

Here are the top things you can delete: 1/

1. Lists of your publications (& presentations)

I know we worked so hard on these, but few outside of academia care about your individual publications. Have a bullet point that says "published X papers", add a link to Google Scholar, & save that precious resume space. 2/

2. Lists of research methods that you've never used

I've seen so many resumes from PhDs with long lists of UXR methods - but have you actually done a usability test? Focus on the skills you DO have (e.g., experimental design), rather than wasting space with buzzwords. 3/

Read 9 tweets

Ashley Ruba, PhD

@ashleyruba_phd

Jan 24, 2023

One year ago today, I wrote a tweet that I never thought I would write.

I was giving up on my academic dream. And I had no idea what I was going to do next.

I was terrified. 1/

@APA

By all metrics, I was a rising star in my field. I had published 15 first-author papers and won two dissertation awards, including one from @APA. I was in the third year of a prestigious @NIH post-doctoral fellowship.

If anyone could have "made it" in academia, it was me. 2/

No one expected me to walk away from my research program. My peers were “shocked.” Professors were “sad” for me.

But me, I was done. Done playing the academic lottery. Done pursuing a career because I was "good" at it. Done with crushing anxiety around work. SO done. 3/

Read 8 tweets

Ashley Ruba, PhD

@ashleyruba_phd

Jan 23, 2023

Many PhDs have told me how worried they are about transitioning out of academia, especially given all the layoffs in big tech.

"What if I got a job, only to be laid off?"

Here's the thing: if I were laid off from Meta today, I wouldn't regret leaving academia for one second. 1/

First, I will say this again, big tech is not the only #altac career path.

I think the size of my account has given some people the wrong impression about alt-ac careers. I am truly sorry about this!

Layoffs at a few big tech companies don't speak for the entire job market. 2/

So if you want to leave academia now, you should still leave.

Yes, it will be harder to break into UXR because the market is saturated. But if you love research, you can find research positions available at smaller companies, non-profits, government agencies, & think tanks. 3/

Read 6 tweets

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