Career Preparation

What if I’m not sure what I want to do after graduation?

Plenty of students enter graduate school open to career possibilities, so you’re not an anomaly. The fact that you don’t have a working plan yet simply means you should probably devote some time and conversations to forming one. Meet with your academic advisor and mentors and ask for their guidance. They may have career suggestions and ideas about other people or services that could help you in this exploration process. 

As you research your career options, remember to vet your sources. Watch out for so-called “career tests” online that claim to measure your aptitude and desires and then match you to the perfect job. Some of these services will lead you down a long, dark alley of questions and then demand payment if you want to see your results. What’s more, whoever wrote the questions might not have any qualifications to advise you in the first place. 

Instead, consider using the free, pre-vetted, and recommended services we’ve identified under the “career resources” question below. 

Where can I find career resources to help me choose?

• WMU Career Development Guide: Career options for graduate students, assessment tools, plus resume and interviewing guidelines
• WMU Handshake Career Center: A list of employers who recruit WMU grads, info on career fairs, and online registration for career coaching
• WMU's "The Source": In-person, drop-in career advice available on the second floor of the WMU Student Center, Monday—Thursday, 1–4 p.m.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: A database you can filter by educational degree, median pay, growth rate, and other factors
• O*NET Online: Another free resource sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor that lets you explore 900+ careers

How hard is it to land a tenure-track assistant professor job?

That depends on your discipline. In general, the number of PhDs on the market far surpasses the number of tenure-track job openings in any given year. It’s no surprise, then, that more and more PhD graduates are opting for jobs in government and industry instead of pursuing the faculty track. 

According to the latest Survey of Earned Doctorates, just 33 percent of 2022 doctoral graduates who don’t plan to do a postdoc reported accepting jobs in the academy, down 21 percent from 2002. This survey tracks five employment sectors: industry, academe, government, nonprofits, and “other,” which includes primarily elementary and secondary schools. Of those, industry was the only sector with a growing number of PhDs. 

If you do decide you want to become a professor, stay focused on your IDP. Keep regular appointments with your academic advisor and mentors and ask on refrain: What else can I do next to make myself a stronger candidate for tenure-track positions? You can also try to answer this question yourself by continually reviewing ads for tenure-track jobs. What qualifications are the hiring committees seeking? What could you do before graduation to better position yourself for an interview?

What if I don’t get a tenure-track offer?

Recognizing the competitive nature of those jobs, you can stay a step ahead of this possibility by preparing a Plan B and C in advance. Some new graduates apply to academic and industry jobs at the same time to increase their employment odds. If you’re sure you want to stay in academia, you can continue to strengthen your CV by taking part-time or adjunct teaching jobs, continuing your research, and ideally, adding new publications. 

Why does the alt-ac route feel so unpredictable?

Several reasons may contribute to a sense of uncertainty surrounding life outside academia. First, PhD programs socialize students into the discipline of an academic. You begin graduate school by studying subjects, and then gradually learn to internalize the language, norms, methods, and values of a professor in your field. You discover how new faculty progress along the academic track and learn the factors involved in becoming a successful scholar and teacher. 

Once you pivot outside academia, you’ll need to build a different foundation somewhere else. At an industry job, you’ll learn new norms, methods, values, and priorities, along with a new pathway to success. Alt-ac careers come with their own unique and appealing set of benefits, but they don’t offer the reassurance of a tenure track. That idea can feel unsettling to some. 

Talking to other students interested in alt-ac careers and professionals already in alt-ac careers can provide reassurance and support. In addition to asking around your cohort, you could also explore social media platforms. Search the #altac hashtag to pull up conversations that interest you. The Alt-ac Support Network also features a database of alt-ac professionals that you can contact for advice. 

Do I need a career coach?

If you want to explore your alt-ac career options (and they are legion!), a career coach can help. The coach will help you define your professional goals, identify gaps in your skills, and target new opportunities. Moreover, a coach can help you recognize and market the valuable, highly transferable skills you’ve acquired during your graduate training.

Jobs you may not have considered before can suddenly take on new possibilities once you reframe the way you think about your background and experience. A good career coach can help you translate academic skills like critical thinking, project management, and data analysis into strong qualifications for nonacademic positions. These career paths include corporate research, consulting, policy analysis, and nonprofit management. 

Career coaches can further help you with your resume and cover letters, interview prep, and networking. In short, they have much to offer, but they are not free. On average, career coaches charge around $100—$150 per session. If you decide to meet with a coach, look for a professional with significant industry experience, a relevant educational background, and a certification from the International Coaching Federation.

What if I don’t want to pay for a career coach?

You can find a bounty of free and low-cost resources available if you know where to look. Start by making an appointment with WMU’s Career and Student Employment Services. Bring your current CV or resume, and a career specialist there will offer suggestions, talk to you about your options, and help you develop a search strategy. Other services they offer include resume and interviewing workshops and free headshots for your LinkedIn profile or personal academic website. 

The Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology department at WMU also offers free career counseling Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When you visit the center, you can take an optional career assessment through IMPACTex Navigator, available for a $20 fee. Set up an appointment online, by calling (269) 387-5105, or by visiting Sangren Hall, Office 3341.

If you’re willing to pay a modest subscription fee ($49 per year), you can join The Versatile PhD, which gives you access to a cache of resources, webinars, and networking opportunities geared toward students interested in nonacademic careers. Once you create an account and log in, you can read real-life success stories of people with academic backgrounds similar to yours who landed jobs outside academe, along with step-by-step advice on how you can do it, too. A member directory allows you to reach out to prospective mentors, join meetups, and develop industry contacts. 

You may want to consult a book about alt-ac careers, as well. Recent titles you can borrow through interlibrary loan at Waldo Library include Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers (Kathryn E. Linder, Kevin Kelly, and Thomas J. Tobin) and The Squiggly Career: Ditch the Ladder, Discover Opportunity, Design Your Career (Helen Tipper and Sarah Ellis). 

More resources:

• Career fairs and other networking events: Provides an up-to-date listing of upcoming career events at WMU. 
• Handshake: Delivers a tailored “weekly jobs roundup” to your inbox. When you log into your account, you can research companies, schedule interviews, learn about career events, and more. 
• PhDs At Work: Enables PhD students to connect with professionals who have successfully transitioned to nonacademic careers. 

What is a postdoc?

As the name suggests, a postdoc or postdoctoral fellowship serves as the next career step after graduation for some PhD students. Postdocs are temporary research positions that allow PhD graduates to continue developing skills and publishing their research in preparation for a future academic career. Most postdoctoral fellows work at a university, but some also hold positions in government, industry, or nonprofit organizations. 

Traditionally, these appointments have gone to researchers in STEM fields, but they are growing more common in the humanities and social sciences as well. For example, a nonprofit might appoint a postdoc to research a community concern like food scarcity. A relatively new trend also shows scholars taking “administrative postdocs" in university offices like student support or career development.

What kind of work does a postdoctoral fellow do?

A unit within a university will typically recruit a postdoc to work on a specific grant-funded project. In that role, the postdoc will strive to advance existing scholarship in the field. Responsibilities vary based on the scope of the project, but here are some examples:

• Conducting experiments
• Analyzing results
• Researching and reviewing the literature
• Compiling reports and proposals
• Presenting at conferences
• Collaborating with colleagues
• Publishing papers
• Applying for grants
• Training and supervising research assistants
• Teaching and mentoring students

Industry postdocs conduct research and oversee projects within a corporate setting. This work may relate to product and patent development, manufacturing techniques, new technology, digitization, public engagement, or other projects related to the company’s goals. Some companies encourage their postdocs to publish, but it’s not usually a top priority. 

How long is a postdoc?

A postdoctoral fellowship can range anywhere from one to five years, depending on the field and funding source. A typical postdoc lasts three years. 

What’s the average salary for a postdoc?

Postdoctoral salaries in the United States range from about $44,000 to $87,000. The average base salary is $61,961. This amount varies based on the university, area of specialty, and location. In addition to the base salary, a postdoctoral fellow may also be entitled to loan forgiveness, health insurance, a flex-spending account, and a travel budget. 

Am I more likely to get hired if I do a postdoc?

Not necessarily. While postdocs are designed to help prepare researchers for faculty positions, there’s no guarantee a position will be available or offered when the postdoc is up. Approximately four out of every 10 postdocs do not end up in academia—partly because there aren’t enough faculty openings. One study suggests that postdocs actually cost PhD graduates three years of salary that they could’ve earned if they had taken an industry job right after graduation.

The most effective way to increase your academic marketability during a postdoc is to publish. Scholars who successfully place a “hit paper” during their postdoc appointment are more likely to land a faculty position than those who don’t. A paper is considered a hit if it’s among the top 5 percent of frequently cited papers during the year it’s published. You can learn more about journal rankings and citations in the Professional Development section of COMPASS. 

If you’re sure you do NOT want to stay in academia, you may want to skip the postdoc search altogether and launch directly into a job search. Several sources say that taking an industry postdoc will not increase your chances of landing a full-time job at that company or in that industry. Some companies even have policies that preclude hiring internal postdocs. 

Of course, every situation is different. Depending on your field of study, the current marketplace, and the postdoc opportunity, you may decide the postdoc benefits outweigh possible risks. After all, a good postdoc will give you more time to concentrate on your research, publish, collaborate with other researchers worldwide, and travel to conferences. 

How can I find a good postdoc?

Sites like Postdoc Jobs, Find a Postdoc, Academic Positions, and Science Careers can supply you with lists of postdocs available worldwide in different industries. Keep in mind, though, that an untold number of STEM postdoc opportunities are not advertised because they don’t yet have funding. What’s more, they may never have funding unless you find and secure it yourself. 

If you have postdoctoral mentors in mind with whom you’d like to work, consider sending a polite email to them and introducing yourself. Briefly explain your background and why you’re interested in working with them. Finally, ask if they have postdocs available and attach your CV. They could respond either by telling you about an opening, saying no, or suggesting that they would like to work with you if you’re willing to obtain your own funding.   

As always, stay in close consultation with your academic advisor and mentors during this process. They can give you guidance about whom to contact, what to say, how to secure funding, and the best way to handle negotiations. They may even offer to introduce you to potential postdoc mentors. 

Why should I care about my online presence?

The terms “vanity search” and “ego surf” make it sound narcissistic to Google-search your own name. That’s not a fair characterization because it’s an essential practice for anyone who plans to go on the job market. 

Increasingly, hiring committees and managers are using digital profiles and social media platforms to vet job candidates. In fact, a 2018 survey cited in Harvard Business Review shows 70 percent of employers perform digital searches as a screening method, and 54 percent have rejected applicants based on the results. For this make-or-break reason, you need to find out and manage what’s posted about you online. 

How do I scrub my digital profile?

Begin by Googling your name. What will employers see when they vet you? Which links pop up? Are there any images that you want to try to remove? Make a list of any concerning items so you can follow up. 

Next, check your privacy settings. On social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, go into your settings and see who’s privy to your posts, photos, and personal details. Consider switching to a privacy setting. Keep in mind that your mutual connections may still be able to share your information even if you limit your audience. That’s why it’s important to avoid posting edgy, off-color, and potentially off-putting photos and messages.

Finally, clean up your content. Review your posts and delete any that you don’t want a prospective employer to see. For example, get rid of any offensive language, political dogma, and drinking or party photos. Some career counselors also recommend deleting sensitive social media information like your relationship or disability status. 

What can I add to my digital profile to attract future employers? 

On LinkedIn and other social media platforms, highlight those elements of your experience that match recent ads for the top positions you plan to target. Try to focus on keywords and phrases that will appeal to both prospective employers and search algorithms—choosing language that’s clear, straightforward, and dynamic. 

If you’re going to apply to both academic and alt-ac jobs, make a list of the desired qualifications from ads for both positions. Do any overlap? Emphasize those qualifications first along with a selection of others from both lists. 

Quality and quantity count with search engine results, so try to increase hits that work to your advantage. If you don’t already have one, now might be a good time to create a personal academic website! See the COMPASS point under Professional Development for a list of what to include. Use the same approach as above, highlighting your qualifications based on ads for your target jobs. 

How can I keep my digital profile up to date?

One easy, free way to manage what appears online when someone searches your name is by subscribing to Google Alerts. Once you do, you’ll get a notification whenever new content containing your name is published. If you see a negative or inaccurate search result, you can then follow Google Search procedures to try to remove the listing. 

It’s also a good idea to frequently monitor your social media tags. Verify that any posts that contain your name or image are consistent with the professional image you want to maintain, particularly during a job search. If needed, ask friends or family members to remove tags that might present a less-than-favorable view of you to prospective employers.

What’s the difference between a CV and a resume? Which do I need?

Both a CV (curriculum vitae) and a resume present an applicant’s unique education, skills, and experience. They both try to land the applicant a job interview, and eventually, the job. Where they differ relates to the type of job. 

Academic positions typically require a CV, which contains a comprehensive record of the person’s academic experience. A CV could be two pages or 10, depending on how long the person has been in academia. The length reflects the number of articles and books published, awards won, papers presented, classes taught, and other qualifications.

Alt-ac jobs, by contrast, usually require a resume, which consists of a concise summary of the applicant’s skills and experience. A resume is not more than two pages and, in the case of early career applicants, almost always one. Its brevity can serve as a challenge and opportunity in the drafting stage. How can you describe your qualifications in the most succinct, dynamic way possible?

If you plan to apply to both academic and alt-ac positions, you will need a separate doc geared toward each application. 

What should I include on my CV? On my resume?

WMU’s Career and Student Employment Services provides step-by-step directions and examples for drafting your CV and your resume. You might also want to take a resume-writing workshop. 

Basic elements of a resume: your contact information, objective statement, education, work experience, awards and honors, involvement with student organizations, volunteer work, and additional skills.

Basic elements of a CV: your contact information, education, publications and presentations, teaching experience, service activities, and references, often in that order. CVs might also include awards and honors, memberships in professional organizations, and world language fluency.

After you finish a rough draft, ask your faculty mentors for their feedback. You might also want to make an appointment with the Writing Center and Career and Student Employment Services to get additional input. Revise and repeat until you and your advisors are happy with it.

How do I write a compelling cover letter?

You’ll find an easy-to-follow guide for writing cover letters for alt-ac jobs on the Career and Student Employment Services site. 

Cover letters for academic jobs are different. Limited to two full pages of information, they include an introduction, 1-2 paragraphs about your dissertation and research agenda, 1-2 paragraphs about your teaching, a paragraph about your service to the department, institution, or community, and a concluding paragraph.

Cover letters often undergo multiple drafts.  Request advice about each draft from the mentors in your network and workshop them rigorously before sending them out.

Aren’t job fairs for undergrads? Why should I go?

It’s a myth that job fairs are only geared toward undergrads. They can definitely benefit you as a graduate student if you’re considering nonacademic careers. 

Circulating around a job fair and visiting with company representatives, you can gain valuable insights about the industry you’re pursuing. You may even discover new careers—positions you didn’t know were out there that match your skills and interests. Fairs also give you the opportunity to introduce yourself to recruiters and human resource professionals, practice your networking skills, and ideally, form new career contacts. 

Employers often send recruiters to fairs so they can meet candidates for several open positions or one position that’s filled on a rolling basis. Their goal is to create a pipeline of prospects. Even if they’re targeting undergrads for those roles, you can use the occasion to learn about the organization, its hiring process, and other positions they may need to fill. 

Where can I find job fairs?

Start by checking the list of upcoming WMU events and the Career Center and in Handshake. From there, you could search for other career events in Michigan and the area where you’d like to settle after graduation.

Here are links to national listings for in-person and online Career Events:

• USA Jobs career fairs
• Eventbrite job fairs
• Career Circle events
• Catalyst Career Group job fairs
• Tech Expo hiring events
• BEYA and other conferences that host career fairs

How do I get ready for a job fair?

If you learned about the event through Handshake, sign up there to attend, then:

• Review and update your Handshake profile. Employers are more likely to grant one-on-one meetings to graduate students with detailed, polished profiles. Also, verify that your qualifications and GPA are on the public setting for employers to see. 
• Look over the list of employers registered for the event. Jot notes about those you’d like to learn more about.
• Make appointments with the appropriate recruiters. In the case of virtual career fairs, you can choose to attend a general information session or sign up for brief individual meetings with recruiters. One-on-one meetings are helpful because they give you the opportunity to learn about jobs that may not be posted. 
• Fine-tune your resume. Consider creating tailored copies based on the specific jobs, organizations, and companies you plan to pursue at the fair. 
• Prepare for your meetings. Research each company, understand its mission, and review its social media. How many employees and branches does it have? What are the departments? What makes it unique? Next, look up the company’s list of open positions. Are there any you’d like to know more about? Write down a few questions you’d like to ask each representative. Make sure they’re questions that can’t be answered simply by looking at the company’s website or Wiki entry (which would indicate a lack of preparation). Ideas: What are some of the challenges your organization is facing? What would you like job candidates to know about your organization? Could you describe any plans you have to expand?
• Write a brief elevator pitch about yourself. It should not last longer than one minute. Consider: What would a recruiter want to know about you? Describe your relevant work experience, skills, and strengths—focusing on qualifications that would appeal to each employer. Practice delivering your pitch until it’s smooth and comes easily. 
• Plan what to wear. Most job fairs are business-casual, so choose comfortable clothes that look professional. 
• Bring a notebook and pencil. You’ll want to take notes during each meeting so you can review them if you’re called in for an interview. 

How do I make the most of my time at a fair?

Recognize that your primary goal is to visit with people and make connections. Don’t feel pressured to line up interviews. You simply want to introduce yourself to recruiters so they recognize your name (and perhaps recall your face) as they’re sifting through their collection of resumes and deciding whom to call back. 

If you feel nervous, plan to arrive early—when recruiters are less likely to feel wearied by the crowd of faces and questions. Then, as you’re waiting in line to speak to a representative, pay attention to the conversations people in front of you have with that person. What can you learn from them? 

When it’s your turn, avoid leading with questions like “Where would someone like me, with a PhD, fit in your organization?” Career experts say this type of question can annoy job fair recruiters because they don’t yet know your full background and qualifications. They may not know the significance of having a PhD in your field, either. 

Instead, look at each meeting as a fact-finding expedition. You want to figure out if the organization is a good fit for you, not the other way around.

What is a reverse job fair?

A reverse job fair switches the roles of the job candidate and recruiter. With this setup, the job candidates remain stationary while the recruiters walk around and come to them. The recruiters have already reviewed the resumes and profiles of the participants, and they know which job candidates they want to meet and vet. 

Typically, participants will develop a poster in preparation for the event—either a trifold or another printed display. As visitors stop by, they introduce themselves and give a brief presentation about their research, interests and qualifications. In this way, a reverse job fair provides job candidates with a valuable opportunity to practice networking, presenting, and selling their own strengths to prospective employers. 

What do I need to know about virtual job fairs?

A virtual fair may include panel discussions, a Q&A, and one-on-one and group meetings. Appointment slots at virtual fairs often fill up early, so do your company research early and sign up for your meeting slots before they’re gone. 

As you would with a Webex or Zoom meeting, check your video background to make sure it’s appropriate. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, turn off your phone, and test your equipment.

Depending on the fair, employers may interact with you via text or chat box, email, presentations, or audio/video conferencing. Grammar and language count with any written communication so take care to sound professional and always proofread before you hit send. 

What should I do after a job fair?

Review your notes and promptly follow up on any job leads. Keep in mind that industry job openings usually fill much faster than academic job openings. As a general rule, you should submit your application materials within 48 hours after the fair. 

In your application letter, be sure to reference your job fair meeting. For example: “I was excited to learn more about [specific job opening] from [contact name] at [name of job fair].” Carefully review your resume and verify that it’s tailored to each specific job opening that you’re applying for. 

Next, follow up on any potential leads. That is, if you had an engaging conversation with a recruiter but the company doesn’t have an opening for you at the moment, send that person an email or brief letter to say you’re happy you had the chance to connect. Express a wish to be considered for future openings, and include your resume. 

Finally, add any recruiters you met with at the fair to your LinkedIn network. 

I got the interview for an industry job! Now what?

If an organization invites you for an on-site interview, you’ve already passed the initial screening process. Now the decision makers want to see how you’ll fit within the corporate context. This interview could take different forms: one-on-one (a traditional interview), a group interview (where a hiring team talks to several candidates at once), or a panel interview (where several people interview you during the same session).

WMU’s Career and Student Employment Services offers a comprehensive guide to help you prepare for your interview, whichever form it takes. Refer to this guide to learn how to research a company, curate a professional image, answer tough questions, and leave a memorable closing impression.

One cautionary note: If an interviewer asks you a negative question like, “What did you dislike about your last job?” do not give in to any temptation to criticize your former boss. Research shows as many as 80 percent of managers say they won’t hire someone who speaks negatively about former employers or coworkers. Instead, try to reframe the question by describing a challenging on-the-job situation and how you managed it. 

I’m interviewing for an academic position. How should I prepare?

Your academic advisor can coach you based on your discipline and research specialty, but here are five basic interview prep steps:

• Research the people. Who is on the hiring committee? If you are not supplied with this information, you are allowed to ask. Then, look up and learn each member’s area of interest, primary publications, and background. Visit the university’s staff webpage and read the Google Scholar profile along with one or two recent publications of each committee member. 
• Research the project. If your prospective role will include working on a specific project, locate and read any articles written about that project. How do your interests and experience align with its goals? 
• Practice presenting your research. Depending on the position, the hiring committee may ask you to present your past research work or your ideas regarding a specific project. Practice explaining how you chose your dissertation topic, the details of your research, and the conclusions you’ve drawn from it. This interview step allows members to see how clearly you can communicate complex ideas using the language of your discipline. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and build credibility. 
• Plan how to talk effectively about your teaching. Practice describing your teaching philosophy, and be prepared to demonstrate how it informs course design, classroom presence, course assignments, and class activities. Know how to explain the way your research relates to your teaching.
• Consider your service record. What tasks have you undertaken that have positively contributed to the educational experiences of the students or the life of the department/institution?
• Prepare a set of questions. You probably won’t have time to ask more than two or three during the first-round interview, so make them count. For example, you might ask what the hiring committee can tell you about the students. Inquiries concerning the institution’s signature initiatives or programs can give faculty the chance to talk up their place of employment.  Be sure to express sincere interest so the committee recognizes that you’re not just asking for the sake of asking. Questions to avoid: anything related to salary, benefits, and perks.  Save those for after they make you an offer. For more ideas about what to ask, consult with your academic advisor and review sample lists such as this one. 

Individual departments often conduct mock interviews for their students to practice all of these skills, arranged either by the graduate director or faculty mentor. Take advantage of this tremendously useful opportunity.  If your unit does not offer such a service, you can set up a mock interview by signing up for WMU’s Big Interview service.

How do I prepare for a campus interview?

Congratulations, you have made it to the final round! You are one of two or three finalists for the job.

Now, new prep work begins.  Campus visits differ significantly from the first round of interviews because they involve presentations and meeting many different people. The itinerary for your campus visit may include a research presentation, a teaching demonstration, a tour of the campus and surrounding community, and visits with the search committee, other faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, administrators, and possibly even the institution’s president.

• Research Presentation: You will likely discuss your dissertation research, but you should also expect questions about current and future research projects.
• Teaching presentation: You may be asked to talk to the faculty or teach an actual classroom full of students. If it’s the latter, find out as much as you can about the course. When possible, select a lesson plan that you’ve successfully taught several times in the past.
• Meetings with campus representatives: Review your application materials so you have ready answers to any questions faculty, students, and administrators might ask. Prepare your own questions as well about the job requirements and opportunities to develop new initiatives for the institution. Discussion of compensation, sabbatical opportunities, teaching reductions, and the like should be saved for when you have the written offer in hand.

Like the first round of interviews, you will want to dress professionally but comfortably. Almost certainly, you’ll do a lot of walking around campus and will want to feel relaxed.

Should I try to negotiate my compensation package?

You shouldn’t feel compelled to negotiate your salary if the offer is fair and within the expected range for that position. Consult national salary surveys like salary.com and the Occupational Outlook Handbook to acquire a clear understanding of the average compensation you can expect before you decide. Since you are just starting your career, don’t be surprised if your offer comes in at the lower end of the expected range. 

If the salary offer isn’t what you’d hoped, you could consider negotiating other elements of your compensation package, such as:

• Your starting date
• Teaching load
• Retirement package
• Health benefits
• Lab equipment and facilities
• Tech equipment
• Tenure options
• Moving expenses
• Employment help for your spouse
• Support of an assistant

Keep in mind that unionized campuses have agreements with the institution that may limit what administrators can offer new hires. Some things may simply be nonnegotiable.

In some cases, interviewers will try to press you for a decision. They could ask, for example, “If we were to make you an offer now, would you accept the position?” The best response to this kind of question is to say you’re willing to consider any reasonable offer. You should never be expected to decide on the spot. Usually, hiring committees will give you a week or two to think about it and get back to them with a decision. 

Meanwhile, show enthusiasm. For example: “Thank you for inviting me to campus. I’ve enjoyed my visit.” After both the preliminary interview and the campus visit, consider sending a thank-you note for the interview. Keep the message brief but congenial, emphasizing how much you appreciated meeting the campus community and your continued interest in the position.  Send it no later than two days after the interview.

If they make you an immediate offer, ask when they need to have your decision. If you don’t have a written offer by the end of the campus visit, politely inquire about their timeline.

Alonso, Johanna. “The Doctoral Dilemma.” Inside Higher Ed, 3 Feb. 2025, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/graduate-students-and-postdocs/2025/02/03/universities-do-little-support-phds-who.

Bodewits, Karin. “Three bad reasons to do a postdoc.” Science, 3 Feb. 2020, https://www.science.org/content/article/three-bad-reasons-do-postdoc.

Diepenbrock, George. “Is a Postdoc Bad for Your Career?” The Brink, Boston University, 15 Feb. 2017, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/postdoc-bad-for-your-career/.

Doležal, Joshua. “Where Ph.D. Programs Fail, Career Coaches Step In.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 Jan. 2025, https://www.chronicle.com/article/where-ph-d-programs-fail-career-coaches-step-in.

“From Graduate Education to the Workforce: State of the Humanities 2022.” Humanities Indicators Project, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 2022, https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/publication/downloads/2022_Humanities-Indicators_Graduate-Education-Workforce.pdf.

Furlong, Jennifer S., and Stacy M. Hartman. “For Ph.D.s, a Tandem Job Search Is Increasingly the Norm.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2 Aug. 2023, https://www.chronicle.com/article/for-ph-d-s-a-tandem-job-search-is-increasingly-the-norm.

Furlong, Jennifer S., and Stacy M. Hartman. “How to Get the Most Out of a Job Fair as a Ph.D.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 Sept. 2024, https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-job-fair-as-a-ph-d.

Gould, Julie. “Planning a postdoc before moving to industry? Think again.” Nature, 3 Dec. 2020, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03109-3.

Guarnera, Anee. “The Grief of Graduation.” Inside Higher Ed, 27 Apr. 2017, https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/grief-graduation.

June, Audrey Williams. “This Is Where New Ph.D.s Find Jobs.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2 Feb. 2024, https://www.chronicle.com/article/this-is-where-new-ph-d-s-find-jobs.

Kelsky, Karen. The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job. E-book, Crown Publishing Group, 2015. 

Kim, Joshua. “Alternative Academic vs. Tenure-Track Careers: A Comparison.” Inside Higher Ed, 24 Jan. 2021, https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/learning-innovation/alternative-academic-vs-tenure-track-careers.

Kim, Joshua. “Negotiating Our Alt-Ac Professional Identities.” Inside Higher Ed, 23 Jan. 2019, https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/negotiating-our-alt-ac-professional-identities.

Knight, Rebecca. “Your Social Media Presence Can Help You Land (or Lose) a Job Opportunity. Harvard Business Review, 16 May 2024, https://hbr.org/2024/05/your-social-media-presence-can-help-you-land-or-lose-a-job-opportunity.

Kurnoff, Janine, and Lee Lazarus. “The Key to Landing Your Next Job? Storytelling.” Harvard Business Review, 13 May 2021, https://hbr.org/2021/05/the-key-to-landing-your-next-job-storytelling.

Linder, Kathryn E., et al. Going Alt-Ac: A Guide to Alternative Academic Careers. Stylus, 2020. 

Ryan, Jackson. “More than 40% of Postdocs Leave Academia, Study Reveals.” Nature (London), 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00142-y.

Salinas, Raquel Y. “Students and Research Mentors Can Navigate Career Conversations Together.” Inside Higher Ed, 13 Jan. 2025, https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/career-advice/carpe-careers/2025/01/13/career-planning-advice-grad-studentsmentors-opinion.

Somerville, Leah H., et al. “How to find a postdoc position that’s right for you,” Science, 13 Apr. 2020, https://www.science.org/content/article/how-find-postdoc-position-s-right-you.

Tupper, Helen, and Sarah Ellis. The Squiggly Career: Ditch the Ladder, Discover Opportunity, Design Your Career. Penguin, 2022. 

Weissman, Sara. “More Than 40% of Postdocs Don’t Stay in Academia.” Inside Higher Ed, 23 Jan. 2025, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/01/23/more-40-percent-postdocs-drop-out-academia.