The Versatile PhD is a web-based resource for graduate students, Ph.D.s, alumni, and postdoctoral fellows interested in exploring non-academic careers. The site can be accessed from any computer and is confidential. The Versatile PhD was originally designed for those in the humanities and social sciences, but a second forum was created and is growing in scope for those in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
While many areas of the site are open to everyone, UW-Madison has an institutional subscription, which means that current students, faculty, staff and recent alumni get access to the high-quality Premium Content Area of the Versatile PhD site, too.
Here’s what you’ll find:
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A thriving and supportive web-based community where you can participate in discussions and network with actual “Versatile PhDs”, or just listen and learn
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Examples of successful resumes and cover letters that resulted in humanities and social science doctoral program graduates getting their first post-academic positions
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A collection of compelling first-person narratives written by successful humanities and social science PhDs and ABDs, describing how they established their non-academic careers, and including their actual application materials
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Successful CV-to-resume conversions that resulted in a PhD or ABD getting hired into his or her first non-academic position
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Archived panel discussions featuring PhDs working in non-academic fields who describe their jobs and answer questions from members
To access the Premium Content, you must log in once with your NetID through the link below and establish your account. After that, the site remembers you for a year as a UW-Madison subscriber, so you can log in directly to the site and still access the Premium Content.