Today we are joined by Dr. Chris Catarine, author of the new book Leaving Academia: A Practical Guide (2020). Karen loves this book so much, it’s the only book she’s ever reviewed on the blog. Chris shares his own journey out of the academic dream (from age 11) of being a Latin professor and on to becoming a communications strategist at a major corporation … and all the steps along the way. He serves us major insights on the grief of leaving, the limitations of Quit Lit, how to access your inner hustle, dealing with risk aversion, and whether we should be too proud to hand out beer samples in a supermarket. Throughout we grapple with the question: who will you be if you aren’t an academic? Leave this interview inspired to execute your own journey onward!
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Rejection is inevitable in the academic life, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. Karen and Kel talk about how to manage rejection to keep it from derailing you, and turn it into a positive force. ...
Recorded before the coup, this episode delves into practical advice about interviewing. Mostly focusing on academic jobs, but with insights for interviews more generally, Karen and Kel remind you: the job search is not about you. It’s about the hiring party, the problem they have, and the warm body they need to solve their problem. This is so whether the job is a Harvard endowed chair or a Starbucks barista. We talk the special challenges of Zoom interviews as well. (This episode also features new intro music. Tell us what you think!) [Become a subscribing member for just $3.99 a month and get access to our subscriber only goodies like free webinar recordings, AMAs, the chance to suggest topics, access to the podcast video from our house in Oregon, and — new from this week – live videos with Karen and Kel on Friday mornings, all on our dedicated podcast member page on Mighty Networks!] ...
Karen and Kel talk about a way to look at productivity that focuses on managing energy, rather than time. Working from Physical Capacity through Emotional Capacity and Cognitive Capacity, and ending at Spiritual Capacity, the pyramid approach is good for managing what feels like infinite demands on finite resources. Although this episode was recorded before the COVID19 outbreak, it speaks to the urgent need right now for academics to manage capacity-overload and always come back to the body. ...
