"How I do I find the right job for ME?"
"What are my job options outside of academia?"
"I know I'm supposed to have a resume and not a CV, but I'm not sure how to make it different for Job X vs Job Y."
"I've been connecting with people on LinkedIn, but how is that supposed to help me get a job?"
"Why am I not getting any interviews?"
"How is it possible to be both overqualified and underqualified??"
"I've been interviewing a lot, but why am I never picked for the offer?"
We had the same questions.
We were grad students and postdocs just like you: listening to career panels, reading forums and blogs, sifting through podcasts and webinars, looking for those actionable nuggets we could apply to our own job hunt struggles.
Now that we're standing on the other side, we want to extend a hand and shine a light into that black box of the job market. This Summit is going to bring you only actionable instruction, in context and in order. We will deliver protocols, best practices, straight talk and the tough love you deserve, so you can take ownership of your future and free your PhD to do what YOU want to do.
8 days
61 speakers
32 job categories
Our Summit is different from the career conferences you may have been to before - and not just because it's virtual! Combining a Digital Course + live panel networking + interactive workshops + relatable inspiration, it is focused on:
1. Shifting your academic mindset to one that resonates with employers.
2. Humanizing the isolating process of selling yourself and finding the right jobs for you.
3. Putting a logical design framework around the job hunt process.
4. Explaining the REASONING behind career advice, so you can apply it in your own situation.
In addition, this event is hosted, supported and designed by fellow PhDs working outside of academia.
Informed by years of non-academic work experience, 1:1 personalized career coaching with diverse PhDs, and working hand in hand with career development professionals at universities and research institutions, we're bringing you the best of what we've learned, so you don't have to go through what we did.
This Career Design Summit is an independent event supported by generous PhDs and career advocates who are employed outside of academia. It is a proud product of the Free the PhD Summit team.
Featured talks
Not sure what to watch? Here are some talks you won't want to miss.
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Tom Hennessey Ph.D. Life Science Specialist, L.E.K.; Consulting
Guided Informational Interviews - Consulting
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Nick Edwards Ph.D. & Parag Mahanti Ph.D.
Guided Informational Interviews - Post-Consulting Careers
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John Burkhardt Ph.D. & Kara (Lindstrom) Brink Ph.D.
Guided Informational Interviews - Specialty Consulting
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Ashly (Brown) Leder Ph.D. & Millie Copara Ph.D.
Guided Informational Interviews - Academic Administration
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Christina Kim Ph.D. & Teniel Ramikie Ph.D.
Guided Informational Interviews - Management Consulting Prep
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Soroush Ardekani Ph.D. Scientist 2/Manager, Pacira BioSciences
Guided Informational Interviews - R&D
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Paul Sirajuddin Ph.D. Scientist II, Cepheid; Biotechnology
Guided Informational Interviews - R&D
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Tim Bellay Ph.D. Software Engineer, Microsoft
Guided Informational Interviews - Software Engineering
Sounds great…but what exactly will I get if I attend this virtual summit?
➤ Clarity on what jobs are out there, how to think about the job market, and where you might fit within it based on your skillsets and personality.
➤ Flexible frameworks to identify what next steps you should be taking to advance your career development.
➤ Strategies and best practices to break down and tackle vague concepts like networking, upskilling, application tailoring, preparing for interviews, time management and project management.
➤ Actionable takeaways after every session.
➤ Confidence in better knowing where you stand in the job market, and what behaviors and mindsets you need to change to be a competitive job candidate.
➤ Honest perspectives. We do not push any specific job categories or types as superior to another. There is no one-size-fits-all job that works for everyone. We will discuss the tough realities you need to hear, and give you the truths that we know as hiring managers, employees, colleagues and fellow PhDs fairly and objectively.
Other Things You Will Get:
➤ Access to an exclusive Free the PhD Networking Bootcamp digital course, which will guide you in dissecting the often confusing and intimidating idea of reaching out to strangers to ask for advice and help. This Networking Bootcamp course will help you make the most of the informational interviewing sessions during Guided Networking Week.
➤ Digital, printable worksheets to guide you in exploring career options and identifying your focuses.
➤ Actionable resource guides with useful books, websites, job boards and other materials and tools to support your journey.
🎁 PRIZE RAFFLE: every ticketed Summit Attendee who fills out the feedback form after the Summit is entered into a raffle for our prizes! We love data just like you do, so your attendance and honest opinions will be rewarded for a chance to win! 🎁
Here's who will be helping you during the Summit!
We can't wait to help you nail down your plans and practice the job hunt skills you need to become a confident and independent job candidate! 💪
Read: Free the PhD Founder addresses biases and misconceptions about PhDs as job candidates with Indeed.com
We are the change we want to see.
We believe in empowering each PhD to pursue the right job and career path for them. It's time to help you figure out what's right for you.
Save the dates and get your ticket! Make 🎃 Halloween Week 2020 🎃 the week you take control of your life as a PhD!
Check out the JOB CategoriesUntil the conference starts
Questions? Email: info@freethephd.com