Regular readers know that I’ve launched a consultancy based on my work, and I’m getting a steady stream of clients who are mostly looking for a bit of extra help with converting CVs to résumés and doing the dreaded transferable skills analysis. I’m also working to get my ass into as many university departmental seminars, grad student association meetings and career centres as possible, once the fall rolls around (and if you’re interested in having me run a workshop on your campus, please do let me know and I’ll work with you to make it happen).
Those are two ways, on top of the blog and the podcast, that I’m going about proselytizing the Good News about life after academia. This work is extremely gratifying; the emails and comments I get each week from people thanking me for running this site just make me feel fantastic.
But I’ve long thought that I’d like to take this site from being a way for me to connect with other people to providing a way for people to connect with each other. The process of leaving academia can be intensely emotional, and, like academia itself, feels like something that you have to battle on your own. But I’ve been thinking of ways that I can help you (you potential leavers, in-the-midst-of leavers, and have-lefters) face that battle with a little less isolation.
The first thing that I’ve done is started a Facebook group. I’m Web 2.0 and all (and if muddling through Twitter isn’t proof of that, I don’t know what is), but I initially resisted doing this. But I thought I’d give it a try to see if a Facebook page would be an ideal location for conversations among Leaving Academia readers could take place.
I’m also wondering if anyone is interested in forming a post-academic job club. This isn’t something that I would be directly or actively involved in, but it is something that I can facilitate the formation of. I’ve never been in a job-hunting club but I can imagine they would have certain merits (at least, that’s what the Guardian says, and who am I to question the Guardian?).
I’m also thinking of installing forums, either here or on a membership site, but that kind of thing is pretty time-intensive, so that will come a little later on down the road.
But does any of this appeal? If you’re interested in the job club idea, leave a comment below or send me an email. Check out the Facebook group. And if you have other ideas for how you can imagine connecting with other (potential) leavers, do let me know.
A final thought about connecting. Yesterday, at Marci Alboher’s site, I was reading this post about creating your own personal team of career advisors, and this old post at her (former) New York Time column on creating a personal board of directors. I am a part of an accountability group that meets 1-2 times a month, and I can tell you that this kind of thing works wonders. The people in my accountability group help me figure out problems, set goals, suggest contacts and cheer on my victories. Although each of us in my accountability group are entrepreneurs, I actually wish I had had something like this when I was in grad school and first hitting the private sector. If you don’t have your own personal team of career advisors, consider assembling one; you don’t have to work in that silo’ed way anymore when you leave academia. And like they say, sharing is the new selfish!
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