Why Your Academic Job Search Isn't Working (Hint: It's Not Your Resume)

Burned out, overworked, and secretly Googling "alternative careers for PhDs"—but not sure what you actually want to do next? This episode is for you.

In this conversation, I sit down with Jen Polk, one of the most well-known and trusted post-academic career coaches, to talk about what it really takes to figure out your next move after academia.

Jen has been doing this work since 2013, and she has helped dozens of PhDs—from postdocs to full professors to tenured department chairs—find career clarity and build lives they enjoy.

Here's what we get into:

🖋️ Why so many tenured professors (not just grad students) are leaving academia right now

🖋️ The #1 mistake academics make when starting a job search—and why "converting your CV to a resume" is a symptom, not a solution

🖋️ The self-reflection question that Jen uses with every single client (it's deceptively simple yet powerful)

🖋️ Whether you need coach training to become a coach—and Jen's honest, no-BS answer

🖋️ What Jen's PhD Career Clarity Program looks like and who it's for

🖋️ Why small-group coaching can be more powerful than one-on-one support (backed by what actually happened in her program last week)

If you've been feeling lost, stuck, or like academia has wrung every last bit of joy out of you, this conversation will remind you that you're not alone—and that there's a way through.

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Resources Mentioned:

Jen Polk's PhD Career Clarity Program: https://fromphdtolife.com/

Jen Polk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-polk-phd/

Want to end burnout and become an academic editor or coach? Go to AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor

2:40 - Academic Background to Coaching

7:00 - How Coaching Changed Her Life

10:00 - The Rise of Post-Academia

14:00 - Why Tenured Faculty Leave

18:00 - Global Higher Ed Challenges

22:00 - Finding Your Next Career Path

27:00 - What is "Flow" State?

31:00 - Resume vs. Clarity

36:00 - The Power of Community

42:00 - Coaching vs. Mentoring

47:00 - PhD Career Clarity Program

53:00 - Finding Your True Calling

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