Excerpts from: Using Graduate School Strategically

By Margaret Newhouse

Is it possible to develop an alternative career path while still in graduate school? Absolutely. The key is to make the most of the unique opportunities afforded by your graduate-student status while staying on your academic course. What you want to acquire as a graduate student is what I have dubbed the three C's -- credentials, credibility, and contacts. You can do so in at least three ways:

 

• Taking and teaching courses
• Writing a strategic dissertation
• Getting relevant job experience through freelancing, consulting, interning, and performing community service.

 

Let's look at some examples.

Courses: You can take courses such as accounting, editing, or computer graphics.

Teaching: A history student, for example, with an economics background taught several semesters of an introductory economics course. A historian developed his knowledge of jazz by serving as a teaching assistant in a jazz course (this led to a freelance assignment writing jacket notes). An assistant professor of anthropology interested in consulting co-taught a course at the Harvard Business School.

Writing a strategic dissertation: For example, a student in philosophy changed her dissertation topic from a question concerning truth and method in ethics to a question concerning the nature and justification of human rights, after a summer internship with a human-rights organization. If you can't manage such a dissertation, you can at least write a seminar paper on a topic relevant to an alternative career.

Work experience: This is the single-most-effective strategy for shifting to a career outside academia. Through relevant work experience you gain what I have dubbed "the three C's" -- credentials, credibility, and connections (and possibly a foot in the door).

The three C's can counteract your unconventional professional training and the stereotypes still floating around of academics as impractical and undisciplined. In addition, you can try out a career in advance, thus avoiding a potential mistake, and -- assuming a positive experience -- you'll emerge with greater self-confidence.

• If you want to keep your career options open, it is highly desirable to include work experience in your graduate-school curriculum.

One word of caution. In some fields it is necessary to get a credential, and that credential is sometimes most efficiently (or only) gained by returning to school.
Margaret Newhouse is assistant director of career services for Ph.D's at Harvard University. Even though she cannot answer e-mail personally, Ms. Newhouse appreciates comments, stories, and suggestions. Please send your comments to ivorytower@chronicle.com

For the complete articles click on the links
http://chronicle.com/article/Using-Graduate-School/45663
http://chronicle.com/article/Using-Graduate-School/45615