Roundtable: Alt-Academic and Non-Academic Careers for Political Science PhDs

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Overview

Many graduate students and recent PhDs are interested, and in some cases compelled, to pursue a career outside of the academy. However, graduate programs often focus exclusively on preparing students for the academic job search, leaving them in the dark as to how they might leverage their training and skills in a different recruiting environment. This roundtable will explore some of the career options in the private sector, government, think tanks, nonprofits, consulting, or academic-adjacent positions. Panelists who have successfully transitioned or worked in these fields will share their journeys, the skills they found most valuable, and how best to prepare for and pursue a non-academic job.

Section

• 63. Professional Development

Chair

• David Gannon Tully, Pew Research Center

Participants

• Daniel Flynn, United States Army

• Deanna A Kolberg-Shah, City of Chicago

• Greg Bovitz, Columbia University

• Jenny K Benz, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Zuhaib Sheikh Mahmood, MERGE Consulting

• Logan Garrett-James O'Shaughnessy, University of Southern California

• Kristina M.W. Mitchell, Texas Tech University

• Jonathan J. Kinkel, Arizona State University