3 Career Paths For Interdisciplinary PhDs

Join Isaiah as he covers 3 dynamic and fulfilling career paths that need the skills of an interdisciplinary PhD

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah explains that interdisciplinary PhDs have more options than they think
• Next, Isaiah describes what interdisciplinary skills companies look for in a quality job candidate
• Finally, Isaiah covers three career paths that provide exciting and fulfilling positions for interdisciplinary PhDs

From This Week’s Show… 

Industry Provides Ample Career Options For Interdisciplinary PhDs

There’s a widespread belief that job prospects for interdisciplinary PhDs are extremely limited.

You can either get a low-paying non-tenure track position as a TA, lecturer, or adjunct position.

The idea that no one in industry hires interdisciplinary PhDs is a huge fallacy – they have numerous options in industry, especially today.

Companies Aren’t Hiring You For Your Expertise

Studies show that nearly 50% of interdisciplinary PhDs believe they have no job prospects after graduation.

The problem is, these PhDs don’t consider industry as an option.

They also don’t think they can get hired into fields outside of their PhD specialty.

But companies want to hire you for your processing and problem solving abilities, not your expertise in Medieval Literature, Business Psychology, or whatever niche you’ve called home for the last 5-10 years.

3 Exciting Career Paths For Interdisciplinary PhDs

So what industry jobs are available to interdisciplinary PhDs?

First, there’s academic administration.

If you want to establish an institute’s academic mission and values, develop new curricula, or manage an institute’s student recruitment processes, then this path might be right for you.

You can get hired into an array of administrative positions including provost, chief academic officer, dean of admissions, department head, and director level roles.

If, however, you like to analyze large datasets, devise feasible solutions, or forecast future trends, then a position in the tech, learning or finance sectors may be a good fit for you.

Interdisciplinary PhDs can also work in government, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations.

The US government alone consists of more than 100 agencies and bureaus, and each needs its own staff of policy advisors.

Your in-depth knowledge of language, culture, or history make you a valuable asset to any department.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.