Broadening the Bag: Getting the Most Out of Your Doctoral Degree
One of the most common questions I get from aspiring doctoral students (or people who have decided that they never want to take that journey) is, “Is getting the degree really worth it?” My answer to them is always the same. Someone should only get a PhD if they are interested in being a contributor to their field beyond traditional practice. While most people assume pursuing a doctorate is about intellect, to me, it’s a game of aptitude. Will you persevere through the trials and challenges to meet your ultimate goal? Do you have a vision for how you will use the degree? These and so many other questions are critical in considering before beginning this journey.
Once obtaining the terminal degree, there are often those who feel that the time and money they’ve spent haven’t provided a profitable return on their investment. Most people assume that because they’ve gotten the degree the floodgates will just open and money will rain from the sky...NEGATIVE. I would argue that the post-degree life is very much still a grind, but now you’ve got both the credentials and the wit to turn those extra years of schooling into an entire lifestyle change and create multiple streams of income to not only #securethebag but broaden its reach. Here are 3 easy ways to get started:
Adjunct Teaching: Check on teaching opportunities within your former department and/or postings for teaching online at other universities within your field of expertise. Semesterly teaching is often a great way to earn extra income (typically between $2,000 - $2,500 each semester) and keep your finger on the pulse of the practitioners-in-training within your area of study. It also serves a nice endgame opportunity for longer term end-of-career/retirement planning.
Build A Profitable Brand: These days, our timelines are filled with social media influencers and celebrities selling us useless products and anything else they deem important and necessary for mass consumption. However, while growing in popularity, there remains a gap in true experts within certain fields being accessible to the public and being tapped into by mass media. Unique ways to insert yourself into these gaps might be by becoming a contributor for a magazine, offering services as a content expert for your local news station, and/or leveraging the power of social media to create a professional profile that attracts people who are interested in a specific topic to create a following. Financial opportunities are bound to come from each of these.
Publishing & Consulting: While it would seem that these days most people are not interested in reading, putting a pen to paper (or keys to a Google Doc?) and producing a literary work is still an excellent way to become known and make a few coins. E-books are more popular than ever and self-publishing has been broken down to a simple science that can be orchestrated from home. Similarly, offering your skill set and knowledge through consulting work with companies and organizations is another opportunity to both put your degree to use and expand your reach beyond the world of academia. And of course having those three letters behind your name increases the price tag on your services. So register that LLC and get #bookedandbusy!
There are plenty of other ways to broaden your opportunities (and your bag) utilizing your degree, but this quick list will at least get you started. We’ll discuss more during this month’s podcast episode so make sure you tune in!
Sound off, Dr. Ebonies! How have you broadened your bag since completing your degree? Share your tips and tools with our #EITI community below in the comments!
