Case study #1: How Rachel Went From Stuck to Satisfied Post-PhD

Apr 15

“In doing the core values reflection, I realized that even though there were some things I was skilled at doing, they weren’t things that I really enjoyed doing. That was a really big takeaway from doing the course because I could then use those values as a lens for looking at and evaluating new opportunities.”

Dr. Rachel Stumpf, PGP alum

It’s been a privilege to interview three alums of my signature course, Post-Grad Pathfinders. We're going to chat with three program alums to get a clear picture of where they were before they started Post-Grad Pathfinders, during, and thereafter!

Case study #1: Rachel’s Experience With Post-Grad Pathfinders

Read on below to hear more about Rachel’s story and how Post-Grad Pathfinders took her from feeling stuck in a job that was draining, to having a career that’s fulfilling, energizing, and aligned with her values!

Where was Rachel in her career journey before joining Post-Grad Pathfinders, and how were things going?

Rachel finished her Ph.D. in 2018 and had been working in higher ed for a few years when she joined Post-Grad Pathfinders. She was feeling stuck and knew she needed to change jobs, but was unsure where she wanted to go next.

Listen to what she had to say:

“When I purchased the course, I had been unhappy in my current job for a while... So, I had been trying to do some exploration and figure out what exactly I wanted to do next. And I had also met with a career coach who was affiliated with the organization that I was working for. But I felt like, I don't know, I needed a little bit more to do that reflection.”

What was Rachel feeling when she first purchased the course?

“It felt a little overwhelming trying to unpack what exactly wasn't working with my current situation and what I was looking for next.

And so I found your course... And I think it just gave me a deeper dive into doing that reflection. I found it really helpful. It was like the right thing that I needed at the right time.”

What’s changed since completing the course?

“Post-Grad Pathfinders gave me a deeper dive into doing the reflection. It was the right thing I needed at the right time.

One of the big things I took away from the course was thinking about what my professional values were. That was something new that I hadn’t done in the past… In the past, when I was thinking about different career pathways, I was really thinking about skills, and there’s often a lot of focus on that with PhDs, like what are your transferable skills from your Ph.D.

One of the things I realized in doing the values reflection was that even though there were some things I was skilled at doing and I could do them well in my work, they weren’t necessarily things that I really enjoyed doing or were in alignment with my core values.

That was a really big takeaway from doing the course because I could then use those values as a lens for looking at and evaluating new opportunities.

After I took the course, I started to poke around a little bit and look at some job openings.

And there were somewhere I thought, ‘Oh, I could do that. That seems like it's something that's very in alignment with my skills and background.’ And then I thought, wait a minute, is this actually going to be in alignment with those values? I don't think so. This is something that, yes, I could do, but I don't think it's actually what I'm looking for.

👋 Chelsea here again: This is one of the BIGGEST things I try to emphasize in the Post-Grad Pathfinders course! Values are so SO important to help you identify what you need out of a career and what you actually want to do. Carving a career outside of academia is so much more than figuring out what you can do: it’s about what you want to do and what will make you feel satisfied and fulfilled!

Let’s hear more about what Rachel says she gained from the course:

“The other helpful piece was reframing my past work and thinking about what I could take away from that experience. I can now think back more positively on my previous role. The coaching session and the course helped me have a sense of closure from that experience…

I realized that I had a lot of guilt and negative thinking from being in a career path that wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be.

And it was really helpful to talk about that and then also reframe it to think about what I was actually able to take away from that experience, even though at the time it felt like, ‘oh, I just want to get away from this. I just want to move on.‘ I think it was important to actually see where there was value in that experience… That piece about reframing and thinking about what you can take away from the experience was really helpful too.”

Where’s Rachel in her career now?

“So I did get the job that I was talking with you about [in our coaching session[, and I took the position! I'm only two weeks in, but I absolutely love it. And I can tell that it's very different than the kinds of positions that I had before. Already, I can see that I'm going to be spending my time in a very different way.

I feel much more energized by this work. And so yeah, I think that's been a big shift. And I think also I have recently been able to think back more positively on my previous role because while I was in it, I was definitely in a place where it was like, every day, I would come home and complain about work. And I think it's been helpful also to have that coaching session with you and going through the course.

I think it also helped me almost have a sense of closure from that experience. And I think that was really helpful, too, because it was difficult to move on from that.”

Who else could benefit from taking this course?

“I think this course would be great for graduate students thinking about different pathways outside of academia. I know I didn’t start thinking about different pathways until my very last year in the program. I think doing this earlier on could be really helpful. The sooner you can start thinking about what’s important to you, the better.”

“I also found it really helpful being a couple of years out from my Ph.D. program. This fills a bit of a gap for people who have tried something after their Ph.D. but it wasn’t exactly what you were looking for. Grad students have access to a career center and other resources, but once you’re past that, you might not have something like that.”

Check out the other case studies!

Is Post-Grad Pathfinders right for you?

If you’re ready to leave academia and the tenure-track path behind but feel lost, stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of what to do - Post Grad Pathfinders is right for you.

This course was designed to help people in grad school and beyond build careers outside the tenure track. That includes grad students, post-docs, faculty, PhDs working outside academia, and more. If you’re struggling to leave academia behind, regardless of where you are now, Post Grad Pathfinders is for you.