From PhD to Life Watch the free webinar

Career coaching for PhDs · since 2013

I help professors, postdocs, and PhDs change careers.

In other words, I help people move from feeling stuck and second-guessing themselves to making thoughtful career decisions and moving toward work that’s a better fit.

Watch the free webinar See the four ways to work together

I work with professors, postdocs, and other PhDs across Canada, the United States, and beyond.

Jen Polk laughing with her arms open, sitting outdoors beside a bed of daylilies.

Who this is for

Most people who find me are at a turning point.

They know something needs to change. But they’re not yet clear on what they want instead, or how to move toward it without making a costly mistake.

Are you a professor, postdoc, or PhD who’s wondering whether academia is still the right fit for you? Are you wondering whether the job you took after leaving is actually right for you? You’re in the right place.

They might be thinking things like

01

“I know I don’t want to stay where I am.”

02

“I’ve followed the standard advice, but I’m still not getting anywhere.”

03

“I should be able to figure this out on my own, but I’m stuck.”

04

“What if I’ve outgrown academia but don’t belong anywhere else?”

These are thoughtful, capable people. They don’t lack skills. What they’re lacking is clarity, structure, and community to help them make thoughtful career decisions and move forward with confidence.

The turning point

You open LinkedIn for the first time in months. Your old “Assistant Professor” title is still sitting there like a ghost of your former life. Your finger hovers over the edit button. Deleting it feels like erasing yourself. But keeping it feels like a lie. So you scroll past your publications, feel that little jolt of nostalgia… and close the tab.

That’s where a lot of people are when they first reach out. They’re not just trying to change jobs. They’re trying to figure out who they are now, professionally, and what kind of work actually fits.

Sound familiar? That’s where I come in.

Two people standing against a panelled wall, surrounded by stacks of academic books at their feet.

What the real problem usually is

Many PhDs assume their challenge is resume, LinkedIn profile, networking skills, or interview answers. They think they need:

  • a better resume
  • stronger networking skills
  • insider knowledge about “industry jobs”

And, sure, you might be right. Those things can certainly help.

But in my experience, those usually aren’t the biggest obstacle.

It’s much harder to run a focused job search when you don’t yet know what you’re looking for. You don’t yet have clarity about what you want. You may not yet know how your values, interests, priorities, and experience translate into work that’s a better fit for who you are now.

Without that clarity, it’s easy to

  • spend months thinking about leaving without making progress
  • search broadly because you don’t know what you actually want
  • jump at the first available role, only to discover it’s another mismatch
  • lose confidence because nothing seems to fit
  • wonder whether the problem is you, when it may actually be your approach

Academic careers often encourage people to focus on external markers of success. What it rarely teaches is how to ask questions such as

What do I actually value in my career now, if I’m honest with myself?

What parts of my work energize me—and what parts suck the life out of me?

What kind of life do I want my career to support?

Those answers matter far more than any job title.

A client on a video call with Jen Polk, seen over their shoulder on a laptop screen, a mug of coffee beside them.

How I work

I don’t prescribe career paths.

I see my role as a facilitator: I help people think more clearly, notice what they might be missing, and learn how to make good career decisions for themselves.

Since 2013, I’ve helped professors, postdocs, and other PhDs step back from the pressure, make sense of their options, and make thoughtful career decisions.

Together, we focus on

  1. clarifying what you actually want instead of what you think you should want
  2. identifying career paths that genuinely fit your strengths, interests, and priorities
  3. developing a practical strategy for exploring opportunities and moving forward
  4. communicating your experience and value with confidence
  5. staying accountable through coaching and a community of thoughtful PhDs

The goal isn’t just to escape a job that no longer fits. It’s to help you move toward work where you can contribute, keep learning, and feel proud of what you’re doing again.

What that looks like for you is going to be different from the next person. That’s the whole point.

Why I do this work

Over more than a decade, I’ve seen the same pattern again and again.

Brilliant, thoughtful people who pursued advanced degrees and academic careers because they cared about ideas, teaching, research, and making a difference… slowly find themselves feeling stuck, undervalued, or unsure how to move forward.

Academic culture often pushes people toward narrow definitions of success—prestige, publications, tenure—even when those things no longer align with what they actually want from their work or their lives.

I believe that when PhDs reconnect with their strengths, values, and priorities, incredible things can happen—both for them and for the organizations and communities they go on to serve.

My work is about helping people do that thinking deliberately, make thoughtful career decisions, and move toward work where they’re valued, engaged, and able to make the kind of impact they care about.

Ways to work together

Four ways to work with me.

I help PhDs (and other long-time academics) figure out what they actually want next in their careers and build a thoughtful strategy for getting there.

Free · Start here

Free Webinar — How to Get a Great Job Outside Academia

A practical introduction to my approach to career clarity and job searching beyond academia. A great place to start.

In this training, I walk through the biggest mistakes PhDs make when trying to leave academia—and the process that helps people gain the clarity they need to move forward. (even if you have no idea what you want to do next or why anyone would hire you)

It’s a practical place to start, and a great way to see whether my approach resonates with you before thinking about us working together.

Sign up to watch — it’s free
The PhD Career Clarity Program shown across a desktop monitor, laptop, tablet, and phone: lesson modules, recorded workshops, group calls, and the community space.
Six months · Coaching + community

PhD Career Clarity Program

A six-month program to help you figure out what you want beyond academia and move toward it with structure, coaching, and community.

Enrol in the program or join on a payment plan

1-on-1 Consultation

I also call these 1-on-1 Career Clarity & Strategy Sessions

Bring one focused question, challenge, or decision related to leaving academia or building a career beyond it. We’ll work through it together, one on one.

Email me to enquire and book

Workshops and Speaking

For universities and professional organizations, not individuals

Interactive online workshops and talks on career clarity, careers beyond academia, networking, interviewing, and more. Customized for your audience.

Email me to enquire
Jen Polk beside two speech bubbles reading “Hi, I’m Jen Polk, your career coach for PhDs.” and “Let’s get clear on your career after academia.”

About Jen

I earned my PhD in history from the University of Toronto in 2012.

Soon after finishing my degree, I started From PhD to Life, which has grown into a career coaching practice focused on helping professors, postdocs, and other PhDs navigate career transitions beyond academia.

Since 2013, I’ve worked with professors, postdocs, and other PhDs across Canada, the United States, and beyond who are trying to answer a deceptively simple question: “What should I do next?”

Today, I primarily help professors, postdocs, and other PhDs who are considering careers beyond academia—or wondering what comes next after leaving—through my PhD Career Clarity Program, one-on-one consultations, workshops, and speaking.

Over the years, I’ve become an expert on PhD careers.

Workshops & keynotes

I regularly facilitate professional development workshops and deliver keynote presentations for universities and professional organizations across North America and internationally.

Writing

My writing on PhD career paths has appeared in outlets such as University Affairs, Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Globe and Mail, and Academic Matters. I’ve also contributed essays to several books on graduate education and academic careers.

Expert panel · 2021

In 2021, I served as an expert panelist for the Canadian Council of Academies report Degrees of Success, which examined the challenges PhDs face when transitioning into employment.

It’s possible to build a meaningful, values-aligned career beyond academia.

Many people need to believe this before they can begin exploring what’s next. Figuring out what that looks like for you usually requires support, structure, and space to do the work.

Watch the free webinar

Have questions? I’m happy to answer them for you! Email me at Jen@FromPhDToLife.com