Jessica Taylor, ACLS Program Officer for US Programs, and Desiree Barron-Callaci, ACLS Senior Program Officer for US Programs, have published a new article for Inside Higher Ed‘s “Carpe Careers” advice section. The piece, “Going Independent,” offers advice on how PhDs can decide if a freelance or independent consultant path is right for them, with insights from Public Pathways, a report on the outcomes of the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows Program. The report found that 18 percent of the alumni of the program’s first six cohorts were working as consultants or independent contractors five years after the fellowship.
This was a key message from fellows who explored independent consulting: Stay curious and embrace your side interests, both during your PhD and afterward, as you never know where they’ll lead.
The “Carpe Careers” blog hosted on Inside Higher Ed is a weekly advice column for graduate students, postdocs, and early career professionals with advanced degrees who are embarking on their professional and career journeys. Each post is written by a member of the Graduate Career Consortium, and provides optimistic, personal, and actionable advice on leveraging graduate school experiences in the world of work.
How can PhDs decide if a freelance or independent consultant path is right for them? ACLS Program Officers Jessica Taylor and Desiree Barron-Callaci offer insight.
Programs and information about PhD careers
Explore select roles and responsibilities that humanities PhDs undertook through the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows Program
Preparing Publicly Engaged Scholars: A Guide for Innovation in Doctoral Education
ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship
