L. Maren Wood completed her BA in History at the University of Lethbridge and earned her MA in British History and Gender and Sexuality from Carleton University. She received her PhD in Early American History and the History of Sexuality at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently the founder and lead researcher at the Lilli Research Group.

What were your original career goals for after finishing your PhD?

I earned my PhD in early American history & the history of sexuality from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  The only thing I every really planned on doing was teaching history.

Like so many people who end up in graduate school, I had a lot of mentors - as an undergraduate and at the master's level - who encouraged me to continue on with my studies.  And, really, at no point was it ever suggested to me that I might not land a faculty career. So, I never really contemplated a "Plan B."  And, to be fair, when I started my PhD program in 2004, UNC-Chapel Hill was placing a majority of its alumni into full-time tenure track positions; some years as many as 70% of graduates.  But, 2008 came along, and it changed a lot of people's lives, including those of us just coming out of graduate school.  The academic market tightened up, and graduates from even the most elite programs began struggling to find full-time, permanent, employment in academia.

I graduated in 2009.  My first year on the job market was 2008-2009, which was basically a terrible idea. Jobs were cut faster than they were being posted.  It was a total wash of a year.  The next two academic years weren't much better. 

By the summer of 2011, I fatigued out on the job market.  My friends were struggling to find employment, moving between temporary jobs and post-docs.  I was working as an adjunct on a semester by semester basis.  When I did land interviews for academic jobs, they weren't for jobs I was too thrilled about. I was over it. Why was I working so hard for so little?  

While in DC, I began researching where history PhDs found employment when they left academia, and what I learned was there was basically no data.  Being a good scholar, I turned my attention to that problem, and I published a freelance piece in the

Chronicle of Higher Education where I tracked the career paths of PhD alumni from 4 history departments.  Incidentally, this was and is a very hot topic in academia.  About the time my article came out, the American Historical Association was starting its own study of career pathways of history PhDs.  Based on that article, I landed the contract with the AHA, and that was the beginning of my own company.

On the research side, I continue to consult with the American Historical Association on department-level placement studies.  I am working with the Chronicle of Higher Education on a project called Academic Job Tracker, studying the academic labor market.  On the professional development side of my company, I offer career coaching services for graduate students and PhDs who are interested in transiting to nonacademic careers.  I travel to campuses to do faculty and student workshops, talking about how people can prepare for non-faculty careers.   And, once again, I'm working with Jennifer Polk from PhD to Life organizing the 2^nd Annual Beyond the Professoriate: A Virtual Conference for PhDs in Career Transition.  It's a webinar conference held on the first two Saturdays in May. 

I enjoy career coaching PhDs.  It's very rewarding to see people who are often very discouraged and lost, find their confidence and figure out a pathway forward.  The research I am doing with the Chronicle about the academic labor market is also very exciting and rewarding. One thing I struggled with in academia was the delayed gratification of research; it could be years or never before others see the fruits of your labor. Now, there is immediacy to the research I'm doing. There is also an activist agenda behind my research:  I want to help shape the conversation about graduate education and careers. I want to help empower people to make informed life choices about their education and careers. That's very rewarding.

Well, the academic job market for many disciplines is truly terrible and seems to be getting worse. Academic Job Tracker will hopefully be able to provide some answers about who is getting jobs, how long they have been on the job market, how many papers or publications, etc. When entering the academic job market, be kind to yourself. Know that it's not you. There simply aren't enough opportunities for all those who want them.

The good news, however, is that people are getting jobs - they are getting good jobs outside of academia in nonprofit, for-profit/industry, and government sectors.  Our skill sets are in demand, and what we do cannot be outsourced or automated, which sets us up for success in the post-2008 economy.

But you have to do two things: First, you need to learn how to talk about what you do instead of what you know. Employers are looking for skill sets and talent. Very few employers will hire you because you have a PhD, but many will hire you for the skills you gained earning your PhD. The problem we face is that most people do not know what goes in to earning a PhD. Most people only come into contact with university faculty as undergraduates in a college classroom. We as PhDs have to learn how to effectively communicate what we do, and how what we do can benefit an organization or company.

The second thing you have to do is network. Most people think the job search process consists of submitting a resume to an online job ad, but that actually only works 4% of the time. The way most people find their jobs - not just PhDs but all skilled labor - is through their network.  You have to get out there.  You have to research potential employers, conduct informational interviews, and be able to tell them how your skills will benefit their organization or company.

The people who know that academia isn't for them are the lucky ones. Usually, they are open to internships and pick up interesting side jobs while in graduate school. The true challenge is for people that want academic jobs, but due to a lack of opportunity, have to find an alternative plan.

No matter what your dream career might be, all graduate students should spend some time exploring career options.  Conduct informational interviews of academic and non-academic careers. Find out what life is like for a faculty member; it's quite different from being a graduate student. Research other career fields that sound interesting and reach out to people working in those industries.   

First, know that in the post-2008 economy, changing careers in your 30s and 40s is perfectly normal.  Nobody is going to think you're odd.

Second, in my research, I have found that PhDs are landing good, well-paying, middle-class jobs that require a high level of skill. You're not going to end up being a barista (unless you want to).  You didn't waste your time in your PhD program, and people will hire you.

Know that people outside of academia are very helpful and friendly. When you begin networking, it will feel daunting, but if you learn how to effectively communicate your skills to people, they'll be very excited to help you and connect you with others and with opportunities.  You'll be amazed at how willing people will be to have coffee with you, introduce you to colleagues, discuss your career path, look at your resume, etc.  

When you leave academia, you also become the star of your own reality TV show - you decide where to move, where to live, what kind of careers to pursue. You're not beholden to a hiring committee determining if you get to move to California or Chicago or stay in Colorado.  You get to make that choice for yourself.  And, if you get bored, or you don't like the organization you work for, you're not stuck.

Carrie Teresa graduated from Villanova with BA in English with minors in History and Women's Studies. She later received her Master of Liberal Arts at the University of Pennsylvania and completed her PhD in Media and Communication at Temple University in May 2014. Carrie began her academic career as an assistant professor in the Communication Studies department at Niagara University this fall. A version of the following article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Clio, the newsletter of the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Read on for first-hand advice on landing a coveted tenure-track academic position:

In fall 2014, I began a tenure-track appointment at a competitive regional university in western New York. Though I was sad to leave the Temple University community, I am beyond thrilled to be starting this new chapter in my academic career at a great institution and wanted to leave my fellow graduate students with some pointers on how to approach the academic job market based on the wisdom gained through my own experience.

The academic job market can be both overwhelming and downright intimidating. There are many questions to ponder including location, institution size, teaching load, and research funding before you even begin to consider the faculty and students with whom you could potentially work. These factors influence everyone's approach to the job market in different ways; for some, staying close to their hometown may be the most important goal, while for others, having an active research agenda may take priority over location or institution size. Before beginning to apply to jobs, think seriously about what factors are most important to you and tailor your search accordingly. The transition from graduate student to assistant professor is exciting and somewhat terrifying, but the following tips will help make the process management, and even enjoyable, on your way to landing the academic job you seek:

Time Your Transition

I found it challenging to decide when to go on the market. I began to draft my dissertation in last summer and fell into a writing groove in the fall. I also taught two courses that semester, and feared entering the market would compromise my writing momentum, my teaching, or both, so I chose to wait to go on market until February 2014 - the day after I handed in a completed dissertation draft to my advisor. Though some of my colleagues thought delaying a dangerous move, I believe it worked in my favor. Having a draft completed and being able to offer a relatively concrete defense date in my letters of interest may have given me an edge over candidates that had just become ABD or were still drafting their manuscripts. Therefore, it may be beneficial to focus first on writing the bulk of your dissertation before going on market, rather than writing and applying concurrently.

Assemble Application Materials

First, decide whom you feel most comfortable asking to act as references, and speak to those individuals early in the process. Most applications request three academic references. Generally, your dissertation advisory committee members will be your references, but this is not always the case. Some schools will ask for reference letters, while others will ask for a list of individuals that they can contact who can attest to your teaching and research skills. Asking for reference letters can be awkward because it puts extra work onto your already taxed committee, so be sure to be as organized and considerate as possible in making your requests. For example, though it was not always possible to do so, I tried to give my references at least two weeks' notice for every letter, and I organized my requests into lists that I sent to them via email, rather than making my requests one at a time.

Second, make sure you have perfect copies of the materials that nearly every search committee will request: your curriculum vitae, your teaching statement, your graduate transcripts, and your list of academic references. Keep both .doc and .pdf copies of these documents somewhere easily accessible. You will need to send them out over and over again.

Finally, keep a spreadsheet of job postings to which you have considered applying. The spreadsheet should include the university name, position title, link to the posting, application deadline, and materials required for application. Review and update the spreadsheet often with new postings, and keep the postings in order by deadline. Once you apply to a position, highlight it on the spreadsheet so that you can see your progress and avoid missing a deadline or applying to the same position twice. This spreadsheet will help you stay organized, as you may end up applying to anywhere between 20 and 50 positions before you find the right opportunity.

Quality over Quantity

Rather than casting the widest net possible, take your time and carefully craft each application as though it is the only one you are submitting. I received the most positive feedback from the jobs to which I convincingly explained how I would fit in the overall mission of the institution and the department. This depth and detail required time and energy researching the department website, the faculty profiles, and the overall mission of the school. I also used specific language from each posting to describe my own qualifications in a specifically tailored letter rather than just sending out a standard letter with the school name and position changed. If I applied to a teaching institution, I made sure to include my teaching statement with the application, whether or not it was required. If you get to the on-campus interview, you will have to do a teaching demonstration. Sending your teaching philosophy ahead of time primes the search committee to view your demonstration in the framework of your statement. Your statement can offer a rationale for decisions you made in crafting your teaching demonstration. To avoid the typos and awkward phrases proofread your letters of interest carefully and recruit friends and family members to read them over as well to avoid being eliminated from consideration for a small error.

Enjoy the Ride   

Finally, do not fret over finding a job; rather, use it as a learning opportunity. In approaching the job market, it is imperative to fight off your self-doubt and apprehension in order to successfully sell yourself. A bout of imposter syndrome, or the idea that you are somehow unworthy of your accomplishments is particularly problematic when it shows up at the very time when you have to exude confidence and sell yourself, but know that this experience is common for everyone making the jump from student to teacher. This anxiety can be intensified by persistent rumors that the academic job market is foundering and too competitive for you to reasonably compete. I emphatically advise you not to let your inner voice and outside discouragement from twart your efforts and instead focus on your strength and achievements.

I avoided getting trapped into conversations with colleagues, reading pessimistic articles posted on social media sites, and paying attention to any other source that harped on how few jobs were available or how competitive other candidates in my field were. I focused only on the positives of the situation - I was almost done with my Ph.D.; I was on the search not just for a job, but for my dream job as a professor at an academic institution; and I was learning a lot about the types of universities that exist all over the country, which helped me to think about what kind of career I might want in the long-term. As you go through postings and put together applications, think about not only what you want now, but what you may want ten years from now. Look at how different institutions conduct their searches. Ask questions. Take feedback into consideration as you move forward. Make your search work for you - not just in getting a job, but in learning about the professional environment you are about to enter.