Karen Kelsky

Eugene

Prof Is In writer, speaker, ac/postac coach. TEDx. She/her. Partner @kelweinhold. Mom 2 GenZs. Supplicant 🐇. Impatient. ND. #BLM #Exvangelical ✡️ 🏳️‍🌈

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Articles

12 Steps To A New Job: Step 1: Admitting Powerlessness (Without Giving Up)

1 week ago | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

In light of the shitshow of unprecedented proportions that is academia at the present moment, post-ac coach Kel Weinhold and I have launched a new 12 part series on leaving academia called, Twelve Steps To A New Job. Welcome to the first installment of our 12 Steps to a New Job series, part of The Professor Is In’s ongoing Leaving Academia project.
Launching a New Series: 12 Steps To Your New Job!

2 weeks ago | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

In light of the shitshow of unprecedented proportions that is academia at the present moment, post-ac coach Kel Weinhold and I have launched a new 12 part series on leaving academia called, Twelve Steps To A New Job.
What Leaving Academia Won’t Fix - Guest Post

1 month ago | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

By: M. Brielle Harbin, Ph.D.Brielle Harbin, PhD, is a tenured faculty member, an award-winning educator, and the founder of Your Cooperative Colleague LLC, a consulting practice that supports purpose-driven educators through inclusive pedagogy, sustainable scholarship, and values-aligned career paths. She also leads Faculty Writing Rituals Unlocked, a transformative course for academics who seek to write with greater clarity, care, and community.
On the Fence About Academia? You're Not Alone

1 month ago | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

Post 1 of 4 by M. Brielle Harbin, Ph.D.Brielle Harbin, PhD, is a tenured faculty member, an award-winning educator, and the founder of Your Cooperative Colleague LLC, a consulting practice that supports purpose-driven educators through inclusive pedagogy, sustainable scholarship, and values-aligned career paths. She also leads Faculty Writing Rituals Unlocked, a transformative course for academics who seek to write with greater clarity, care, and community.
Moody's Ratings and Due Diligence in the Academic Job Search

2 months ago | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

This quick blog post is drawn from advice given by a knowledgable colleague to someone consider a job offer. I asked if I could share the advice anonymously as a post, because I think few academics know to consult Moody’s and other financial ratings. But in this era where institutions are closing at approximately 1 per week, this step has become essential. Moody’s recently downgraded its financial outlook for higher education institutions from stable to negative.
Goldilocks and the Three Interviewees

2 months ago | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

I’ve been doing loads of Interview Interventions these days (there are still some open searches going on!) and over the past few weeks I’ve come upon an insight that I really want to share. While I’ve been coaching PhDs for academic interviews for 15 years (!), and always noted and flagged versions of this issue, I’d never found a way to precisely identify it until now. The insight is this: untrained interviewees tend to fall into two categories of error.
Check Out What Is New in The Professor Is In 2.0

Mar 27, 2025 | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

The second edition of the book is in press! Should be out this October or November. I can’t wait! I have wanted to update my advice for many years. This spring and summer, I’ll be blogging some excerpts of the new edition. Let me know your thoughts!KarenExcerpt from the New Preface:A lot has changed since 2015. And a lot hasn’t. Competitive productivity remains the gold standard of academic career success.
Breaking the Mold: Navigating New Academic Paths Through Alt-Ac Careers - a Guest Post

Feb 18, 2025 | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

Dr. Mary Anne Gonzales is an Academic Development and Retention Specialist and an independent historian at the University of Waterloo. Her role comprises of curriculum design, teaching, and resource development. As an independent historian, she continues to build her PhD research on caritative practices, systems, and institutions in the Middle Ages. ~~~~Alternative academic (alt-ac) jobs have been around for a long time, yet many academics don’t understand them.
PhD Students- Think Like Entrepreneurs - A Guest Post by Dr. Ilana Horwitz

Feb 10, 2025 | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

By Ilana M. HorwitzIlana M. Horwitz is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology, and the Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane University. She holds a PhD in Sociology of Education from Stanford University. She is the author of the newly released book, The Entrepreneurial Scholar: A New Mindset for Success in Academia and Beyond (Princeton University Press).
When Knowledge Is a Life Story, Not a Dataset - A Guest Post - The Professor Is In

Jan 23, 2025 | theprofessorisin.com | Karen Kelsky

By Dr. Jen SidorovaI am an Indigenous Sakha researcher from Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia with over 10 years of experience. I graduated with a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2020. Although I come from academia, I believe in the decolonizing power of research.