Life After Grad School: Getting From A to B - Softcover

Jellison, Jerald M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199734305 ISBN 13: 9780199734306

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

Synopsis

Most of the 2.5 million graduate students in the U.S. are in programs designed for a career in academics. But the unspoken truth is that less than five percent will realize their dream of becoming a professor. The rest have little idea how to begin making a living in the business world. Life After Grad School is for students in all academic disciplines, with or without a Ph.D. This book illuminates the transition from academia to a satisfying and well-paying job with a company, government agency, or not-for-profit organization. Realistic and reassuring, it helps students structure their decision about leaving academics, and orients them to the culture of business. Readers learn how to adapt the knowledge and skills developed in grad school for business applications. Written for intelligent, mature students, the book provides practical tools and generates the confidence to find fulfilling alternative careers. Jerald Jellison, an authority on personal change, presents a clear, concrete roadmap that thoughtfully explains how to: identify "good" starter jobs, move from a CV to a compelling resume, present academic experience as a plus to interviewers, find businesses that are compatible with graduate training, and much, much more. He illustrates how to craft a winning "elevator pitch" (a quick way to advance your cause with business people), create a contact network, locate free job search resources, search and apply for jobs, and handle difficult interview questions. The book includes advice on landing a job, negotiating an optimal work agreement, and positioning yourself for future career advances. The only such book in print, Life After Grad School provides invaluable guidance for graduate students facing this most challenging career move.

About this title

About the Author

Jerald Jellison has been a Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California for three decades. For fifteen years he taught a skills-based course on transitioning from the university to business. He is Chairman of the Board of a 400 million dollar financial institution. His books include Managing the Dynamics of Change: The Fastest Path to Creating an Engaged and Productive Workplace and Overcoming Resistance: A Practical Guide to Change in the Workplace.

Review

"A great nuts and bolts guide with plenty of examples that assure you the author 'gets it'. He walked the halls of academia, and he has known students who carried the 'dirty little secret' of leaving academia for the business world. He not only helped them survive, he remembered the process and mapped it out for the rest of us. I would have kept this book under my pillow if it had been around when I decided to follow my own path out of grad school."

--R. Sherlock Campbell, Statistical Services Specialist, Social Science Research Services/StatLab, Yale University
"Jellison provides a clear and practical plan for academics ready to venture out of graduate school. Employing his considerable knowledge of both spheres, Jellison demystifies the transition from academia to the business world with direct and practical advice that will take readers from planning to execution. Jellison lends a firm and experienced hand to academics ready for a career change, but unsure of the path. Practical and approachable, this book is the definitive guide for those ready to leave the classroom and enter the boardroom."

--Jarod K. Anderson, graduate student in English literature, Ohio University
"Finally... a realistic guide that helps graduate students transition into business. Filled with practical tips, it's infinitely user friendly.'

--Kenneth N. Siegel, Ph.D. ABPP, President, The Impact Group, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA
"If you follow the advice in this book, you'll be the job candidate I want to hire."

--Paromita Kar, Human Resources Director, Applied Materials

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0199734305
• ISBN 13: 9780199734306
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208